Recipes, recipes and more recipes...... FISH!!!!

I have the loveliest fish fillets in the fridge calling out to me.... Me, me, eat me! so I've been trying to come up with a menu for today that will let me feature them along with some great side dishes to complete the meal and make it memorable. Got all morning to work on this and I'm sure I can come up with something my family will love....

While searching through my "concoctions" I found a truly amazing sauce to serve along fish so it doesn't matter if you have a simple fish fillet (either breaded, pan fried or even oven baked), serve this along with it, and it's sure to "bring it up a notch or two" as long as you like full bodied tastes..... here goes:

Rich Green Sauce for Fish or ?

1 cup Basil leaves
1 cup Parsley leaves
3-5 cloves garlic
1 tbl capers
3 anchovy fillets
1 tbl Red Wine Vinegar
2 1/2 tbl Olive Oil
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste

The first 5 ingredients are chopped fine, put in a bowl to mix, then you drizzle in the vinegar and oil. Once done you season with the mustard and salt & pepper. Put in fridge ahead of time if you want but take out and have at room temperature so the flavors come together.....

Here's a great recipe, easy to make and always makes a statement and whether it's for family or guests- you'll come out looking like a pro:

Mustard Covered Fish-

4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper or whatever you have
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche (heavy cream or Mexican Crema Fresca)
3 tbl Dijon mustard
1 tbl whole-grain mustard
2 tbl minced shallots
2 tsp drained capers

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, or Pam and aluminum foil. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings to allow for the different creams if you're using an alternate. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Remember it will continue to cook out of the oven. Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

--- Or how about this other one?------------

Mahimahi with Charred Onion, Tomatoes, and Tapenade Vinaigrette

1 cup cherry tomatoes
6 tbl olive oil, divided
4 mahimahi fillets (1 inch thick) or your choice of fish
1 tbl red-wine vinegar

2 tsp black or green tapenade (olive paste)look in "appetizers" on this site
1 med red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedge
plain or parmessan couscous / rice or pasta (your choice) cooked and set aside. Toss with butter, garlic and salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler and line a large shallow baking pan with foil. Toss onion and tomatoes with 3 tbl oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in lined baking pan, then spread evenly in one half of pan. Pat fish dry and sprinkle each of salt and pepper, then arrange, skinned side down and spaced apart, next to vegetables in other half of pan. Drizzle fish with 1 tbl oil and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until vegetables are charred and slightly wilted and fish is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, tapenade, 1/4 tsp pepper, and remaining 2 tbl oil. Serve fish and vegetables over couscous/rice or pasta. Stir pan juices into vinaigrette and drizzle on top.

--- Or something more exotic? I love this!!!!!----------


Meen Molee (Fish in Coconut Milk)-

8 garlic cloves, chopped, divided
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tbl vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 (4- to 5-inch-long) thin fresh hot green chiles, or to taste, thinly sliced, including seeds if desired
1 tbl minced peeled ginger
1 sprig fresh curry leaves (about 15 leaves; or use curry paste or powder)
1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (do not shake)
1 Kilo halibut fillet (3/4 inch thick) or your choice of fish fillet
1 med tomato, sliced 1/2 inch thick
fried red onions; golden raisins; cashews (optional but great)

Mince and mash half of garlic to a paste(or simply use a garlic press) with 1/4 tsp salt, then stir together with spices. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook onions, chiles, ginger, curry leaves, and remaining garlic, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 min. Stir in spice mixture and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 min. Meanwhile, spoon off thick cream from coconut milk (about 1/2 cup) and reserve separately from remaining coconut milk. Push onion mixture to edge of skillet and put fish in center, then pile onion mixture on top of fish. Add thin coconut milk and simmer, covered, shaking skillet occasionally, until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered. Add thick coconut cream and tomato to skillet and simmer until tomato is slightly softened, about 1 minute. Season sauce with salt and spoon over fish.

--- Easy doesn't mean plain, not at all!!!! --------

Honey- Mustard Fish-

3 tbl honey
3 tbl Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
4 (6 ounce) salmon steaks (or your choice of fish)
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix honey, mustard, and lemon juice. Spread the mixture over the fish fillets. Season with pepper. Arrange in a medium baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish easily flakes with a fork. (Don't overcook, it should be juicy!) Serve.

******************

Well, there you go. Some options for fish you might like to try. I for one haven't decided on which one to prepare for today but any of these would be great, don't you think? Ho Hum, I'm getting lazy and maybe a quick, oven baked dish would be easy, fast and satisfying..... I could take a nap and then get it done in no time flat! YAY! Sounds like a plan......

Now the only problem will be pairing it with tasty side dishes and figure out what to do about dessert. Now that I think of it, the ice cream machine hasn't seen any action lately (due to the kitchen redo) and I found the loveliest blackberry's yesterday (an old man walked up to me in the market parking lot with a box full of these HUGE blackberries and I couldn't resist!) I've also got some cream cheese, fresh yogurt and heavy cream, so I'm thinking "Blackberry Dream Ice Cream"....mmmmm

Talk later and check back for more recipes I'm working on..... Maybe up next I'll try something spicy to get our blood going and speed up the old metabolism while adding some antioxidants at the same time...... See Ya!