(Elise’s) Dad’s Fish Stew Recipe
March 31, 2008 | Filed Under Soup/Chowder/Gumbo, Seafood | 7 Comments
I found this super easy and delicious fish stew recipe on Simply Recipes. A recipe by Elise’s dad, called out to me, "Make me! Make me!" And make it, I did.
Elise suggests different types of fish to use like halibut, cod, sole, red snapper, sea bass, and white fish like cod, tilapia or sole. However, I had a craving for salmon, so that’s what I used instead. I loved my fish stew. As Elise points out, the clam juice is the key ingredient that makes the dish extra tasty. For those allergic to shellfish, Elise suggests using white wine, fish stock or water instead of the clam juice.
I’m going to make this fish stew AGAIN and next time, I think I’ll use red snapper. I’m craving red snapper, now. ;-) Elise’s thanks for sharing your dad’s recipe and please thank him for me.
Paz
(Elise’s) Dad’s Fish Stew Recipe
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup of fresh chopped tomato (about 1 medium sized tomato)
- 2 tsp of tomato paste.
- 8 oz of clam juice (or shellfish stock)
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 lb fish fillets (use halibut, cod, sole, red snapper, sea bass), cut into 2-inch pieces
- Touch of dry oregano, Tabasco, thyme, pepper
- Salt
1 Heat olive oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté 4 minutes. Add parsley and stir 2 minutes. Add tomato, tomato paste and cook 2 minutes longer.
2 Add clam juice, dry white wine, and fish and simmer until fish is cooked through, less than 10 minutes. Add seasoning. Salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Spiced Shrimp and Peas Pullao
May 15, 2007 | Filed Under Rice, Seafood, Indian Cuisine | 21 Comments
In the mood for shrimp (and always in the mood for rice), I found the above-titled recipe that satisfied my mood. So, I went out to buy some shrimp. There was a time when I felt intimidated to buy seafood (I’ve never really cared for food shopping in general). I never knew which fish to pick or what size shrimps to choose, etc… But since I started cooking, that discomfort has now passed. Now, I’m more confident food shopping. Strangers actually ask me food questions while I’m picking my groceries and I actually know what to tell them. Wow! It’s a miracle!
So, I pointed to the shrimps I wanted and the fish guy (what do you call him? Fishmonger? Way too formal for me.)? picked them out and weighed them for me. I bought my rice and green peas and I was on my way to cooking.
After knowing how to cook, only, with salt and black pepper, I’ve been having fun learning to cook with other spices. The spice of the week for me is garam masala. Until this recipe, I’d never used it before. Oh, how I love the smell of this spice. Put it on the list of ingredients that will make me doing my kitchen dance as soon as I get a whiff of it. I only used a tiny bit of the garam masala, as the recipe called for. Yet, it was sufficient to make the rice fragrant and special. It blended well with the other spices.
My rice turned out really well. Delicious. The only thing I didn’t care for, while preparing this meal, was peeling and deveining those damned shrimps. It took forever. Grrr! Perhaps next time, I should buy them already deveined and peeled. Of course, that’s at an extra cost… Hmmm… I’ll have to think about it. I guess, at least, I have the option.
Once the shrimps were deveined and peeled, there were no problems cooking. Putting the cooked shrimps and rice together, I was able to enjoy my meal. Not bad at all.
Paz
Spiced Shrimp
rachaelraymag.com
4 Servings
Prep Time 15 min (plus marinating)
Cook Time 5 min
3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
1½ pounds large large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1. In a large bowl, mix together half the scallions, the garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric. Add the shrimp and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly and seasoning with the salt, until nearly opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue frying until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more. Top with the remaining scallions.
Peas Pullao
rachaelraymag.com
4 Servings
Prep Time 5 min
Cook Time 30 min
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1½ cups long-grain rice
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garam masala and tumeric and stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and salt and return to a boil, stirring briefly to break up any clumps. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer, without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 18 minutes.
2. Uncover the pan and mix in the peas while fluffing the rice with a fork; cover and set aside for 5 minutes, until the peas are heated through.
Salmon Fish Stew, Brazilian Style
March 28, 2007 | Filed Under Seafood, Brazil Cuisine | Leave a Comment
This stew is a salmon version of a Brazilian (Bahia) fish stew called Moqueca, which is normally made from the local fish of the region. I love that you marinate the salmon with limejuice, paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and black pepper; then simmer it with onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, coconut milk, and freshly chopped cilantro. CILANTRO! ;-)))
The fun part of making this salmon stew was layering the cooking pot with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, the salmon, and then doing it all over again. I created my cooking masterpiece, which I topped with cilantro. CILANTRO! I did my happy dance after that.
Yes, I was tired, but after tasting the finished product, my body became rejuvenated and happy. The effort I’d made to prepare this salmon fish stew was definitely worth it. Thanks, Elise for sharing the recipe!
Paz
Cooking in the pot: Salmon in between layers of onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers
Simply Recipes
Marinade ingredients:
The cloves from 1/2 head of garlic, peeled, crushed, minced
2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon of coarse salt
1 Tablespoon of sweet paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons of dry cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
Other ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of salmon, cut into 2-inch pieces (largish-bite sized pieces)
Olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can thick coconut milk
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, 1-2 cups
Freshly cooked rice for serving
1 Mix together the marinade ingredients. Let the salmon marinate in this paste for at least 2 hours. The longer, the better.
2 In a large pan (large covered skillet or Dutch oven), coat the bottom of the pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add a layer of sliced onions, and then a layer of sliced bell peppers, and a layer of sliced tomatoes. Place the fish pieces, with the marinade, on top of everything, and start layering again - onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add about half of your fresh cilantro to the top. Pour coconut milk over the top. Drizzle generously with olive oil over the top (several tablespoons).
3 Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until the vegetables are cooked through.
Serve with rice; garnish with remaining cilantro.
Serves 6-8.
Bluefish Fajitas
February 27, 2007 | Filed Under Seafood | Leave a Comment
The recipe comes from Beyond Salmon. Helen first cooks the fish on the stove and then puts it in the oven. I’ve done that a couple of times but no longer do so. I simply cook everything on the stovetop.
One thing I like about all of Helen’s recipes is that she offers fish substitutions, in case you can’t find one particular type of fish. It’s very helpful and, for me, always makes the recipe taste slightly different, never boring. Thanks, Helen!
Paz
Bluefish Fajitas
Beyond Salmon
The result of this inspiration were bluefish fajitas — probably completely unauthentic, but terribly good. I sprinkled skin-on bluefish fillet with salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander and seared it on the skin side in a cast iron pan with a little oil until crispy. Then flipped it, spread sliced peppers and onions around it and finished it in the oven until done (about 5 minutes at 400F). The bluefish then went onto a plate to rest, while I finished cooking peppers and onions on the stovetop over high heat. In went a little minced garlic, a good squirt of lime juice, a large handful of minced cilantro, and flaked bluefish (yes, I do eat the skin, but you don’t have to 
I served it with warm tortillas, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, “Total” Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), and of course tomatillo salsa verde. Yum!
Fish substitutions: red snapper, grouper, striped bass, cod, haddock, halibut, tilapia, barramundi, mahi-mahi, swordfish, tuna (seared rare), or any fish leftovers.
Just about to fold the fajita
Quick French-Style Fish Stew/Broth
September 27, 2006 | Filed Under Soup/Chowder/Gumbo, Seafood | Leave a Comment
Click on photo for larger image
I got this recipe while watching Jamie Oliver’s show, some time ago, on the FoodNetwork channel. The recipe wasn’t posted on the food site. Luckily, I’d scribbled notes as I watched the show.
Jamie’s ingredients included clams, mussels, snapper, red mullet, brine (you can use any shellfish and fish). I used salmon, clams, and mussels. The recipe called for potatoes but I decided to add corn, as well.
Loose instructions:
Heat olive oil and add red onions (chopped); add garlic (chopped) and chili (chopped) for taste; let fry for a while; add mussels and clams – when they cook they’ll open up and give flavor; add French white wine (Chardonnay) – about 1 wine glass; add the fish on top – fish will slowly steam; add ½ tin Italian whole tomatoes (or fresh); add chopped parsley – finely sliced; add olive oil; add sliced potatoes (spring/baby potatoes) and let slow simmer for about 5 minutes until the wine evaporates.
Serve and garnish with parsley and top with the aioli. Drizzle evoo on top.
Make aioli:
Mayo; add lemon zest of 1 lemon; add some lemon juice; add one clove garlic grated; mix the mayo mixture.
All I can say that this was simple and good. I liked it a lot!
Paz
Click on photo for larger image
Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango, Radish, and Lime Salsa
June 20, 2006 | Filed Under Seafood | Leave a Comment
Making Southwest Spice Mix
Things do not always go according to the plan during my cooking adventures. Making this Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango was one of those times where my cooking adventure took a wrong turn. Even my photo didn’t turn out right.
I’ve mentioned several times that I love mangoes — preferably green mangoes. When I saw celebrity chef’ 911 Tyler Florence’s recipe involving mangoes, I jumped at the opportunity to prepare it. I eagerly ran out and bought all the ingredients that included more of my favorites — salmon, red onion, cilantro.
The menu was relatively easy to put together. I had fun making the Southwest Spice Mix. The ingredients for the spice involved ancho chili peppers (which, I’d never heard of before), cumin, corriander, cinnamon and paprika.
Everything turned out well, till I tasted my salsa. It was horrible! I think the problem was that I’d used unripe, green mango, which spoiled the taste of the salsa and made it taste almost bitter.
No one ate the salsa, which they pushed to the side of their plate. Later, it went into the garbage can. 
Overall, I liked the recipe. The Spice Mix tasted really good on the salmon. So, I’d like to try it again. Next time, I’ll make sure to use ripe mangoes for the salsa and perhaps, I may leave out the lime. I think the lime made the salsa too sour.
Any salsa makers out there: What do you think? Any suggestions? Thanks!
Paz
Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango, Radish, and Lime Salsa
Tyler Florence - Food 911
Salsa:
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 red onion, chopped
6 red radishes, chopped, plus 1 sliced for garnish
2 limes, peeled and cut into segments
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Southwest Spice Mix, recipe follows
1 (2 to 3 pound) salmon fillet
Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Salsa, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; set aside.
Heat the grill to medium high.
Drizzle some olive oil over the salmon and season it with salt and pepper. Gently rub 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix into the salmon. Pour some olive oil onto a paper towel and rub the grill with it - this will help to prevent the fish from sticking. Grill the salmon flesh side down for about 12 to 15 minutes.
To serve, spread most of the Salsa onto a platter and place the salmon, skin side down, on top. Garnish with more Salsa, radish slices, cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Southwest Spice Mix:
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons whole cumin
2 tablespoons whole coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Put the ancho chiles, cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick, and paprika into a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, and toast the spices just until they begin to smell, about 1 minute. Empty into a spice mill and grind to a powder.
Making the salsa — the ingredients in the food processer
A really bad photo of the Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango
Fish Salad with Forbidden Rice
May 23, 2006 | Filed Under Salads, Rice, Seafood | Leave a Comment
Some time ago, Helen of Beyond Salmon came up with a well-rounded meal from the leftovers in her fridge, which enticed me to try.
The ingredients included fish, asparagus, onions, avocado and something I’d never heard of or tasted before – Forbidden Rice.
The name alone captured my interest. Also known as Black or Purple rice (obviously because of its color), an interesting myth surrounds Forbidden rice. It was considered “forbidden” because it was supposed to have mystical powers to advance long life. As a result, only emperors were allowed to eat this special rice.
Luckily, since times have changed, those of us not born under official emperor lineage are no longer forbidden to eat this rice. Anxious to taste it, I looked for it when I went shopping and to my surprise, found it at Citarella’s, one of the food markets where I do my shopping.
I prepared the meal according to Helen’s instructions and found the rice to have a unique taste. I would agree with Helen’s description of its taste – like wild rice with a deep, almost sweet flavor. The rice tasted unusual to me but it’s definitely something I’ll eat again in the future (Hey, I wanna live to the age of at least 106!).
I liked the entire meal combination of the asparagus and avocado (more foods I never liked until recently), with the fish. Like Helen, I used strip bass but as with all her fish recipes, she gives suggestions for fish substitutions. The dressing brought everything together. Delicious!
This may have been a meal from left over foods, but as I ate, I certainly felt like an Empress, in my own right, dining at a banquet table. Thanks, Helen!
Paz
Ed. Note: I’ve been asked where I got the legend information on Forbidden Rice (as well as the name). It’s printed on the back of the rice package I bought. The rice is imported by a company called Lotus Foods. According to Helen’s post, she found her information at the same place. This is what’s printed on my package:
Legend tells us that Forbidden Rice was once grown exclusively for the Emperors of China to enrich their health and ensure their longevity.
Today, this heirloom rice is prized for its fragrant aroma, nutty taste, eep purple color and nutritional value. It pairs beautifully with fish, meat and colorful vegetables. An everyday favorite — use steamed, in pilafs, stir-fries, and salads.
* Cooks in 30 minutes
* Gluten free, wheat free
* High in iron
* A whole-grain rice
* Non-GMO
Package of Forbidden Rice
CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER IMAGE
Helen’s Fish Salad with Forbidden Rice
Fish substitutions: any fin fish or shell fish leftovers. Hey, this can even work with chicken!
Serves 4
For the salad:
1 cup your favorite interesting rice (purple, wild, or brown)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 Lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 Lb leftover fish fillets, skin removed and flaked
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley, cilantro, mint, or basil
For the dressing:
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
2 anchovy fillets, mashed to a paste (optional)
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook rice according to package instructions. Cool completely.
- Set a large skillet over high heat. When preheated add oil and asparagus and cook stirring occasionally until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Take off heat and cool.
- In a large bowl combine rice, asparagus, fish, onions, avocados, and herbs. The salad can be prepared up to this stage a day in advance, covered, and stored in the fridge.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well.
Asparagus, onions, avocado, cilantro
Cooking the asparagus
Bobó de Camarão - Shrimp and Creamy Cassava Sauce
April 25, 2006 | Filed Under Seafood | Leave a Comment
I decided to try the Brazilian dish called Bobó de Camarão (Shrimp and Creamy Cassava Sauce), a recipe from Karen of Kafka na Praia.The title intrigued me a bit. Creamy cassava sauce? I’ve had cassava plenty of times but not as a sauce. And, of course, I’ve eaten rice many times (It’s actually a food staple in my household). However, I’d never had the combination of rice and cassava as recommended in the recipe.
The sauce ingredients consisted of shrimp, cassava (boiled and then pureed), tomatoes, chives, parsley, onions, garlic, red bell pepper, coconut milk, cilantro (I love cilantro!!!), milk, and palm nut oil (dende oil).
While living in Africa, many of my childhood meals contained palm nut oil. I remember we even had a huge palm nut tree in our back yard. However, it is high in cholesterol and saturated fat. Especially, here in the U.S., it’s not considered a heart-happy oil, so we don’t often cook with it and try to avoid eating it. As a result, I had no palm nut oil in my kitchen cupboard. Some ethnic food markets sell the oil but I didn’t have time to go out and buy it.
Instead of palm nut oil, I used olive oil. I know there’s a big difference between the oils — from taste to appearance. However, the olive oil worked out very well.
The cassava sauce ingredients blended together very well. Everything complimented each other to bring out a delicious taste in the sauce.
My favorite part of making the meal was adding the cilantro to the sauce. Have I told you that I love cilantro? Oh, yes, I think I have. For those who don’t care for cilantro, I’m sure that you can substitute it with flat leaf parsley.
As the recipe directs, I served my cassava sauce hot with white rice.
I made one adjustment to the recipe: I added hot pepper flakes.
Onion, garlic, red bell pepper, tomatoes — waiting to be chopped
Cassava
Cassava chopped
You can find the recipe here. Obrigada! Thanks, Karen! Different and delicious!Paz
Baked Fish and Angel Hair Pasta
April 4, 2006 | Filed Under Pasta, Seafood | Leave a Comment
Rachael Ray made a Baked Fish and Angel Hair Pasta recipe on her show, and it caught my interest. Why? Guess? Because it’s simple!
The main ingredients are the fish (cod fish although haddock may be substituted), stewed tomatoes, garlic and parsley. I think the most energy I exerted making this meal occurred as I opened a wine bottle for the stew to go with the fish. I have a small corkscrew in the shape of the Mannekin Pis, which was given to me as a gift in Belgium. I think it’s more for show instead of function, but I use it when the need arises. This time I had quite a bit of challenge using it.
Oh, another important ingredient: Angel hair pasta. Let’s not forget that. After I made the baked fish, I mixed the pasta in the juices of the baked fish, giving it flavor. I recommend this recipe.
Paz
Mannekin Pis corkscrew
Baked Fish and Angel Hair Pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, twice-around-the-pan
1 small onion, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 pounds cod or haddock, rinsed and dried
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound angel hair, cooked just shy of al dente, about 4 or 5 minutes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
To a small skillet preheated over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil, onion and garlic.
Cook onions 5 minutes, until translucent.
Add wine to the pan and reduce for 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and break up the sliced stewed tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they heat through. When the sauce comes to a boil (2 or 3 minutes) remove it from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Season the fish with salt and pepper. Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce into the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Add fish to the dish in a single layer. Add remaining sauce and bake 15 to 17 minutes until fish is firm and opaque.
Remove fish to serving plate or dinner plates. Spoon a few bits of tomato and sauce over the fish.
To the remaining sauce in the baking dish add 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces.
Add hot pasta to butter and sauce and turn pasta in dish to coat evenly and to allow pasta to absorb juices.
Pile pasta alongside fish and serve.
If you are entertaining, try bundling portions of pasta around a large, 2-pronged meat fork, by twisting the fork in the pasta allowing it to curl up the fork. Shimmy the twisted pasta off the fork on to a plate you will create pasta “nests.” This simple “twist” adds a lot to the plate presentation.
Tilapia with Citrus Bagna Caôda
February 23, 2006 | Filed Under Seafood | Leave a Comment
A recipe by celebrity chef, Giada, this Tilapia with Citrus Bagna Caôda (also spelled Bagna Cauda) is very good! From Ivonne, I learned that bagna caôda means ‘hot bath’ in Italian.
The recipe made for an easy cooking adventure for me. I prepared the bagna caôda sauce first — the main ingredients included anchiovies, olive oil, and orange juice.
Then I fried the fish. When cooked, I drizzled the sauce over the fish and served it with rice and salad.
Mmmm, Mmmm, good! Good to eat and easy to prepare! The tilapia fish was light and fluffy, and the citrus bagna caôda added a special explosive taste to the fish.
In a previous recipe post where I used tilapia (Fish with Tomato Sauce/Peixe com Mollo de Tomate), the question came up whether one could find tilapia in Italy. According to Helen of Beyond Salmon, the answer is ‘no.’ However, there are many other substitutes, such as:
Catfish
Cod
Hake
Haddock
Pollock
Red Snapper
Bass
Sea Bream (Orata in Italian)
Mediterranean Bass (Branzino in Italian)
Helen says that you can use, pretty much, any white or cream colored fish that is delicate or slightly firm as a substitute for tilapia. Thanks for the advice, Helen!
Paz
Ed. Note: Gia has informed me, in the comments section, that while not popular, tilapia is available in Torino.
