Ruby Red Trout

 Ruby Red Trout
By Suzy Karadsheh

Ruby Red Trout is rainbow trout fed a diet of shrimp. Rainbow trout and ruby red trout are all commercially farmed. We bought some this Saturday. It has a very silky texture and this recipe worked well. The filets are very thin with skin on. Once cooked, the fish just flakes away from the skin.
Served with asparagus and some corn on the cob.

Ingredients

1 lb ruby red trout (two filets)
1teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and Pepper
All purpose flour for coating
Olive oil
Butter
Lemon wedges
Tablespoon each chopped chives, chopped scallions, chopped parsley, chopped mint to sprinkle over fish (optional but looks nice)

Directions

Mix 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon paprika in a small bowl.
Rinse the trout filets and pat dry with a paper towel
Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper, then season with the spices on both sides.
Coat the seasoned fish with flour, shake off any excess flour (you only want a thin layer)
In a large cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat till shimmering but not smoking.
Sear the trout filets for 3 minutes on each side, start with skin side down.
Remove the fish and place on a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped chives, chopped parsley, chopped mint and chopped scallions (a tablespoon of each)
Place lemon wedges on platter.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Asian Pears and Thyme

This is a Williams Sonoma Cooking for Friends recipe, but they use Bosc pears which I am sure would be just as delicious. I used shallots instead of a red onion, only because I had no red onion. I’ve always been nervous about making tenderloin, possibly because in my first attempt, I was told to bake them at 500 degrees, so the meat was dry and overdone. I have another recipe that uses pears with the tenderloin, it is good but uses cream and sherry, so much richer. This recipe is light and I will make it again and again. Served with apple sauce, and roast potatoes, a salad and cauliflower cheese, the pears and shallots are perfect companions.

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin about 1 lb trimmed of excess fat
Salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 shallots, cut into wedges (or red onion)
4 Asian pears (or Bosc pears) cored and cut into 8 wedges. Leave the skin on
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Leaves from 12 fresh thyme leaves (I didn’t have any so used dried thyme)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Season the pork tenderloin well with salt and pepper. In an oven proof pan over medium high heat, put 1 table spoon olive oil and when the oil is shimmering sear the tenderloin until well browned. Turn the tenderloin to brown on all sides for about six minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the shallot and pears to the pan, sauté for 1 minute. Return the pork to the pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Scatter the thyme leaves in the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let the tenderloin rest for 5 minutes. Cut into slices. 1/2 inch thick. Place on a platter and drizzle with the glaze from the pan. Serve immediately.

Shrimp poached in Court Bouillon

 2 lbs shrimp -

Court Bouillon

10 cups water
1 3/4 cup white wine
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots quartered
2 stalks celery quartered
1 head of garlic halved horizontally
1/2 bunch parsley
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons salt

Directions

Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to boil over high heat - lower heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes

Drop shrimp into liquid and turn off the heat. Cook shrimp for 2 1/2 minutes stirring occasionally or 3 minutes if shrimp are large.
Drain and cool to room temperature
Refrigerate if not using right away but bring shrimp back to room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
Serve with shrimp cocktail.

Court bouillon can be frozen.

Pizza

Ingredients for the dough

1 teaspoon sea salt
1.2 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups room temperature water
1 kilogram Anna “OO” flour
1 package dry yet instant
Extra virgin oil for drizzling

Directions

In a large measuring cup combine salt ,sugar and water.
In a large mixing bowl, add 1 kilogram “OO” flour and form a well in the center. Slowly pour water mixture into well, then add yeast. Using a fork begin beating the water until yeast dissolves. Slowly incorporate the flour until dough begins to form. Place the dough onto a flat floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic - about 5-7 minutes. When kneading you will probably beed to add more flour as the dough will initially be sticky.
Drizzle a small amount of oil on the bottom of the bowl to prevent from sticking. Place dough into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, cover with a blanket and allow to rise completely. I let the dough rise over night and then place the dough in the refrigerator the next day.
Any dough you are not using can be placed in the freezer.

Topping

You can use Cento San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand or …..
We make our own pizza sauce from plum tomatoes, peeling the skin, chopping the tomatoes, sauté a chopped onion and add to tomatoes. Add some basil leaves, a teaspoon oregano, a teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in one can of tomato paste and allow to simmer for several hours, stirring from time to time.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Divide the dough into three balls. I use a perforated tray rather than a pizza stone. Stretch the dough ball until it forms a 14” circle (I find that nearly impossible and consequently use a rolling pin after stretching. Brush the pizza dough with olive oil and place in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and spread the tomato sauce on the dough. Top with mozzarella slices, grated pecorino Romano cheese for a Neapolitan pizza. Or cooked mushrooms, sausage meat, olives halved or whatever your preference. I find 15 minutes is just about perfect.

Pistachio Coffee Cake

 A quick and easy coffee cake with a color surprise -green and also a delicious aroma while baking. Our neighbor, Carol Motto, gave us the recipe after we had tasted hers and my grandchildren baked it one evening. The whole cake disappeared in one evening!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Grease and flour bottom of 9 x 13 pyrex dish

Topping
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon            

1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix all of the above together and set aside. Do this first before making the batter.

Batter
1 box yellow cake mix
1 box pistachio instant pudding
1 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs

Mix together and pour half of the batter into the Pyrex dish
Spread half of the topping over the batter in pan
Pour remaining batter in pan
Spread remaining topping over batter

Bake for 30 mins then reduce heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Check with toothpick.

Comfort Vegetable Soup

Following an upset stomach, as one eases back into regular food, this is especially gentle on the stomach, made with no oil or butter.
I was given a bunch of homegrown celery, so out of this grew a really delicious soup. A bit like Stone Soup.  I had carrots, regular celery, some beans, a cob of leftover corn, a can of kidney beans, a couple of potatoes, an onion and beef broth in a box.

Ingredients

1 onion chopped
3 potatoes cut into 2 inch pieces
4 carrots chopped
5 stalks celery chopped
1 corn on the cob cooked
1 large tomato chopped
3 cups beef broth

Directions

Chop all the above ingredients, cut off the corn on the cob, put in a large saucepan and add 3 cups beef broth. Make sure the vegetables are covered with liquid, add a teaspoon salt and a shake of pepper. Really you can use more or less vegetables, add water if needed. Cook covered on the stove till the vegetables are tender but not mushy.

Lemon Garlic Swordfish

 Lemon Garlic Swordfish
Inspired by Chewoutloud

This recipe is similar to my other swordfish recipe, but instead of parsley if calls for chopped chives. I think the chives hold up better than the parsley which tends to become mushy. This recipe serves 2 people.


Ingredients

Lemon Garlic Mixture
2 tablespoons salted butter, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
3 tablespoons garlic cloves minced
1/4 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Swordfish
1 lb Swordfish steak 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with rack in middle
In a small pan combine all the ingredients for the lemon garlic mixture, stir and set aside.
Rinse the fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper on both sides.
In a large oven proof cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
Once oil is hot, add the swordfish to pan and let cook until browned on one side, approximately 3 minutes. Do not move the fish. Flip the fish over to the other side, turn the stove off and transfer pan into hot oven.
Let the fish roast for six minutes or just until the top is golden and center is just cooked through. Be careful not to overcook. While the fish is in the oven, cook small pan of prepared lemon garlic mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly until melted and bubbly. Turn heat off and pour over the cooked fish, be sure to pour off any juices from the swordfish pan as well.
Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with reserved chopped chives.