Fish Chowder

Wow, this was wicked easy and super delicious chowdah! No excuses for not making this one, especially if you made the Proscuitto-Wrapped Hake! I give it 5 stars!

Originally from the Boston Globe, recipe from: http://www.friendsfoodfamily.com/friends-food-family/2010/10/boston-globes-fish-chowder-with-proscuitto.html#tp

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of butter

• 6 scallions, chopped using both green and white pieces

• Proscuitto from pieces of fish, chopped coarsely

• Sliced potatoes from fish, chopped coarsely

• 2 cups of clam or fish broth

• 2 cups of heavy cream

• 3 pieces of cooked fish, flaked into large pieces

• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

2. Add the prosciutto and continue cooking, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes, clam or fish broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes.

4. Add the fish and cook 2 minutes or until the fish is heated through. Taste the chowder for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

5. Ladle the chowder into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Hake with Potatoes and Summer Squash

The fish I got from my Cape Ann Fresh Catch share this week was hake! I found a simple and delicious-looking recipe, originally from the Boston Globe, on this blog. I've made a few modifications, but the recipe link from the blog is below.

I served it up with some onions and summer squash sauteed in olive oil, and sprinkled parsley and scallions over the whole thing. The leftovers can be used to make a fish chowder, which I am planning to make tomorrow, and recipe to follow if I like it!

Ingredients:

• 4 large yukon golden potatoes
• 2 pounds hake filet, cut into 8 pieces
• 16 slices of proscuitto
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a 13-inch baking dish large enough to hold the fish in one layer.

2. Using a food processor or mandoline, cut the potatoes into very thin slices and arrange them in the baking dish in layers, brushing each layers with oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper. 

3. Roast the potatoes for 30-35 minutes or until they are tender and browning at the edges.

4. Brush each piece of fish lightly with oil. Wrap each one with 2 overlapping pieces of prosciutto, tucking them under the fish. Set the fish on the potatoes in one layer. Brush the prosciutto with oil.

5. Roast the fish for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is firm to the touch and cooked through.

6. Sprinkle with scallions and parsley when serving.


Note: If you want to save some fish for the chowder, save 3 pieces of fish and about 1/4 of the potatoes.

Source: http://www.friendsfoodfamily.com/friends-food-family/2010/10/boston-globes-hake-wrapped-in-proscuitto.html

Mizuna and Tatsoi Salad with Sesame Dressing and Snow and Snap Peas

This recipe goes well with Peanut Noodles and Sesame Chicken or Sticky Sesame Chicken Legs!

Sesame Dressing

• 3 Tbs dark sesame oil
• 2 Tbs tahini
• 2 Tbs seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs soy sauce

Whisk ingredients together in small bowl. Makes about 1/2 cup of dressing.

Salad

• Small bunch of tatsoi, stems trimmed
• Small bunch of mizuna, stems trimmed
• 1 large scallion, sliced
• 1 pint of snow peas, snap peas or a combination of both
• 1 Tbs sesame seeds

Wash and dry tatsoi and mizuna leaves.Either blanch snow and snap peas in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water; or use raw. Chop into small pieces. Combine all salad ingredients in bowl and toss with 1 - 2 Tbs dressing or drizzle on top of individual servings. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Drizzle with Sesame Dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.

Adapted from: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/tatsoi-mizuna-and-edamame-salad-with-sesame-dressing/

Eggplant and Zucchini Rollatini with Greens

This takes eggplant rollatini to a new level! I started with this recipe and of course made a bunch of modifications.

Ingredients:

You can make this with eggplant, zucchini, or summer squash. I made both because I ended up with extra filling. 

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 large zucchini or summer squash
• kosher salt
• olive oil

The filling:

• 1 big bunch chard or beet greens, washed and stemmed
• 2 eggs
• 1 16-oz container ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• about 3 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
• 1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella, drained and thinly sliced

Directions:

If you are going to broil your vegetables, preheat your broiler. If you prefer grilling them, as I do, fire up the grill!

Preheat your oven to 350.

To prepare the eggplant or zucchini:

1. Trim the ends of your eggplant and zucchini and slice thin lengthwise to about 1/4 inch thickness.

2. In as many layers as needed, place your eggplant slices in colanders and sprinkle with kosher salt on each layer. Put the colander over a plate or bowl or tray to catch any drippings. Let it stand about 30 minutes. 

3. Rinse slices and pat dry with clean dish towels or paper towels. Pat your zucchini slices dry, too.

4. Brush your slices with olive oil and either broil on a tray in single layers on parchment paper or grill the vegetables. I prefer grilling the vegetables. Put the oiled side down on a medium-heat grill and let cook until it starts to get soft. Oil the other side with a long-handled brush and flip over to grill the other side. When the vegetables are soft enough to bend easily they are done! 

For the filling:

1. Boil a pot of water and add a pinch of salt. Add your chard or beet greens to the water and boil for about 2 minutes. Remove and rinse with cold water. When it's cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the extra liquid so it's fairly dry. Chop up into smaller pieces.

2.  In a bowl, whisk eggs with a pinch of salt. Add in your chopped greens, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of parmesan, your chopped fresh mint and some pepper.

3. Brush some olive oil in the bottom of a large glass dish (a "lasagne" dish) and a small 8x8 or 9x9 square dish.

4. Cover the bottom of the dish with some sauce.

5. Lay your eggplant and zucchini slices flat and put about 1 Tbs of filling on one end of each slice. Roll it up and put it in the baking dish with the seam down.

6. Cover the rolls with more sauce until covered.

7. Places slices of fresh mozzarella over the entire dish and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.

8. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until the cheese starts to brown and it's all bubbly!

Pickled Cauliflower

This recipe from Ball (the maker of canning jars) is a super-yummy way to preserve summer cauliflower for enjoying later on..... This recipe made 4 jars for me this time as I had to trim off some spots on the cauliflower since one of them was from the prior week's CSA distribution.

Pickled Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 2 large heads (3 quarts) cauliflower florets
• 1 1/2 cups peeled pearl onions
• 1/4 cup canning salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp mustard seed
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 quart vinegar
• 1 hot red pepper

Directions:

Combine cauliflowerets, onions and salt. Cover with ice; let stand 2 to 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric and vinegar in a large saucepot. Cut two small slits in hot red pepper. Add pepper to vinegar, if desired. Bring to a boil. Add cauliflowerets and onions; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Discard hot red pepper. Pack hot vegetables and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1⁄4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Notes:

NOTE: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned.

Source: Ball

Wheat-free Cherry Muffins

A perfect wheat-free breakfast for cherry season! This week, organic cherries were on sale and absolutely delicious! While I love eating them raw, the cherries in these muffins still taste fabulous and fresh!

This recipe is adapted from one on this site, originally from a gluten-free muffin cookbook.


Ingredients:

• 12 cup muffin pan, greased
• 3/4 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1⁄2 cup almond flour
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1⁄4 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and xanthan gum.

3. Whisk together sugar, egg, oil and almond extract. Whisk in yogurt and milk until smooth.

4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Fold in cherries.

5. Spoon batter into muffin tins. For the muffin tops to be rounded, smooth out batter before putting in oven (they will not change shape while baking).

6. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.