COD FISH CAKES, BROILED

•  These patties are delicious, and I find them much easier to make if, instead of being fried, they are cooked in the oven. The taste is lighter and the cleanup much easier!

     Ingredients:

1 bay leaf

juice and peel of half a lemon

a few peppercorns

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic cut in half 

a few sprigs of thyme

1 stalk of celery

 

1 pound cod fillets, or other white flaky fish

3 Yukon gold potatoes, medium-sized, peeled and cut into quarters

Juice of half a lemon

 

2 tablespoons butter

1 celery rib, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, peeled, chopped well

 

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 eggs

salt and black pepper to taste

½ cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely chopped

some mayonnaise for brushing on the patties

extra olive oil for the sheet pan

 

 

 Directions:

 

     Fill a skillet with an inch or two of water. 

     Add the peppercorns, bay leaf, sliced onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon peel, thyme sprigs and celery.

 
     Bring to a simmer and add the fish. 

     Cook until the fish just begins to whiten, about 5 or 6 minutes. Remove the fish from the liquid, sprinkle the rest of the lemon juice over the fish and set aside.
 
     Add the potatoes to the liquid, cook until they are soft, remove grom the skillet and mash. 

     Discard the liquid and wipe the pan dry with a  paper towel.
 
     In the same pan, heat the butter.

     Add the celery and onions. Sauté, stirring, until the onions are translucent. 

    During the last minute of sautéing, add the garlic.
    Remove the vegetables to a large bowl.
 
   In a small bowl, mix the mustard, eggs, salt and pepper, parsley, chives, and tarragon. Mix well. 

   Add to the bowl with the vegetables.
   Add the fish, mashed potatoes and bread crumbs to the vegetables.
  Stir gently to combine.

  Form the patties by dividing the mixture into portions and shaping.
  Cover and refrigerate so that the mixture can set. Leave in the refrigerator for at least one hour but no more than one day (once the patties are divided into portions they can be frozen for up to a month).
         
         Set a rack 4 inches from the broiler element and preheat the boiler.
         Line a baking sheet with foil and parchment paper, and brush it with olive oil. Place the patties on the baking sheet and brush the tops with a little olive oil and            mayonnaise. The mayonnaise will help the patties to form a  crispy crust while baking. 

Broil for five minutes or until  browned. Remove the pan from the oven and flip the patties over. Again, brush the tops with a little olive oil and a smear of mayonnaise. Broil for another five minutes or until browned.       

Serve the fish patties with greens and accompany with lemon wedges.
 
 

Croisssants with smoked salmon and mascarpone cheese

 

A recipe from the wonderful Ina Garden

https://www.today.com/recipes/croissants-smoked-salmon-recipe-t274409

Ingredients

• 4large fresh croissants
• 8 ounces Italian mascarpone 
• 1½tablespoons whole milk
• 1½tablespoons minced fresh chives
• salt and pepper

• 1½tablespoons capers in brine, drained
• 1/2pound thinly sliced smoked salmon, preferably Scottish
• very thinly sliced red onion (optional)
• 3cups baby arugula (2-3 ounces)
• 
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2.

Place the croissants on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes, until heated through. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

3.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, milk, chives, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

4.

Slice each croissant in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Spread the bottom halves with the mascarpone mixture, then sprinkle evenly with the capers and lay the salmon evenly on top. Place a few slices of red onion on top, if using. Top with a generous handful of arugula and replace the tops of the croissants, browned side up. Serve while the croissants are still slightly warm.

Good Old Comforting Tuna Noodle Casserole!

  

 

Ingredients:

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 to 2 tablespoons butter to grease a 9x13-inch pan

a 12-ounce bag of dried egg noodles

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced

2 teaspoons of capers, rinsed and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste.

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup half-and-half

¼ cup white wine

1 pound of tuna canned in water. Drain the tuna and use a fork to flake it.

1 cup frozen vegetables, par-cooked

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

About 3 or 4 scallions, sliced

2 cups plain panko bread crumbs mixed with

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 ° F and grease the 9x13 pan with the 1 to 2 tablespoons butter.

 

Cook the noodles according to package directions until they reach the al dente stage. Drain and set aside.

 

While the pasta is cooking, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven. Add the celery and onion and cook over medium heat while stirring. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Add the mushrooms and cook while stirring, about another 5 minutes. 

Add the capers and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 ½ minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, reduce the heat, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. 

Add the stock, the half and half and the wine, and bring to a boil.

 

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring until the sauce has thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

 

Stir in the tuna, the vegetables, the scallions, the parsley, and the dill. Taste to check if the seasonings need to be corrected.

 

Add the noodles and toss well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs and the cheese on top, and bake, uncovered, until the tuna noodle casserole is it's bubbly, about 25 minutes.

 

Fillo Cigars: Greek "Cigar" Appetizers with Spinach and Feta Cheese

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 scallions sliced thinly; use the white and light green parts only 

16 ounces/500 grams spinach, chopped 

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 egg, beaten

Olive oil as needed

sesame seeds

16 ounces / 500 grams of fillo, thawed 

Directions:

In a skillet, over medium heat, add the onion and cook for about a minute. Add the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes, until the water from the spinach has evaporated. Add the scallions and stir.  

Remove from the heat, and add the beaten egg, salt and pepper, feta cheese, dill, parsley, chives, and mint. Mix well.

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Unfold the fillo. To keep it from drying out, cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Remove one sheet of fillo and place it on a work surface. Brush the top half of the fillo with olive oil and fold the non-oiled half onto the oiled half. Cut the fillo sheet in half lengthwise to create two rectangle fillo sheets. 

Place about a teaspoon of filling on each phillo sheet and roll up into a tight cylinder that resembles a cigar. Place the fillo cigar on the baking pan, seam side down. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Repeat this process with the rest of the fillo. 

Bake for 10 minutes, until the top of the fillo is golden. 

Serve the cigars on their own or with tzatziki sauce. 

Guacamole for the Cilantro-Phobic

Ingredients:

2 jalapeño chiles (seeds removed) roasted, cooled, chopped

1 serrano chili (seeds removed) finely chopped

4 tablespoons finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes

4 avocados

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of lime juice

a drizzle of olive oil

salt to taste

Directions:

Assemble the onion, parsley, chiles, and salt. Grind into a paste.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and squeeze the flesh onto the paste. Mash the avocados but leave some larger pieces; don’t make the texture too smooth. 

Reserve a tablespoon of tomatoes and a tablespoon of onions  

Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Top the guacamole with the reserved tomatoes and onions and serve right away.

 

 

 

Pineapple Chicken

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces of fresh pineapple chunks 

1/2 cup of pineapple juice

2 teaspoons of rice vinegar

2 teaspoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of curry powder

4 teaspoons corn starch powder

1 onion, chopped

1/2 red sweet pepper, julienned 

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 serrano chili pepper, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon grated ginger

3 cloves of garlic, chopped 

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup cashews (optional)

basmati coconut rice, for serving

Directions:

• Wash and dry the chicken. Place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it to an even thickness with the use of a mallet. Discard the plastic wrap. 
• Slice the chicken into pieces and season it with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces with about 1 tablespoon of corn starch.  
• Combine the pineapple juice with the vinegar, soy sauce, and curry powder. 
• Dilute one teaspoon of corn starch by whisking it with an equal amount of the pineapple juice mixture. Add it to the rest of the juice mixture. Set the juice aside.
• In a large skillet sauté the chicken in vegetable oil until just about done. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add some more oil and sauté the onions, celery, and peppers.
• Add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper slices, and pineapple chunks. Continue sautéing for about 4 minutes. 
• Return the chicken to the skillet. 
• Add the pineapple juice mixture and cook until the mixture thickens.
• Add the cashews, mix, and top with a few sliced almonds. 
• Serve over coconut rice.