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Seafood

Red Snapper with Green Beans

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Make this fresh Red Snapper with Green Beans and a jalapeno mint drizzle in 30 minutes or less.

Red Snapper with Green Beans
Red Snapper with Green Beans

Growing up in the small town of Terrace, B.C. my dad used to go fishing regularly.

He and his friends would go out ocean fishing once or twice a season and bring home everything from halibut, red snapper, ling cod, heck there was even an octopus in the kitchen sink once. My mom made a Portuguese soup with that octopus if I recall correctly.

Truth is we never knew what he was going to come home with but mom my was always ready for a fish feed.

Red Snapper witih Green Beans
Red Snapper with Green Beans

Red Snapper is a firm fish, like halibut or cod, that will hold it’s shape nicely when cooked. Expect a nice flavour with this fish.

Living in a land locked Province it’s hard to find fresh fish. When you do manage to get your hands on some, you will want to cook it within a day or two.

We wanted a simple meal so we mixed our steamed green beans with thinly sliced red onion, scallions and mint, topping it with a lime jalapeno drizzle before adding the pan seared snapper.

Replace green beans with grilled or roasted asparagus, or serve with a robust salad.

Red Snapper without scallions on top
Red Snapper without scallions on top

PRO TIPS:

  • Unless the fish has been boned, assume it has bones that may need to be removed. Use clean needle nose pliers and take your time removing bones.
  • This is a great fish for fish and chips
  • A versatile fish, it lends well to quick marinades, roasting, pan searing, grilling and hearty fish soup
  • Can be cooked as a whole fish or fillets
  • For this recipe we used skinned fillets however skin on will also work. Start by searing your fish skin side down.

Do you have a favourite fish memory or fish you like to cook with?

 

Salmon with Maple Syrup & Rosemary

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Cedar planks are a great tool to use when grilling salmon, however if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Tin foil works just as good on the grill, and the fish cooks up perfectly leaving no fish skin stuck on your grill to clean later.

Being no stranger to fish, I’ve enjoyed salmon many ways since I started fishing as a wee child with my dad on the river banks in Northern British Columbia. Some may call me a salmon snob because I will not eat farmed salmon. I CAN taste the difference as I’ve tried it at restaurant and media events. Don’t be afraid to try different salmon when you go shopping and use different flavours.

When I cook salmon I try to change up the flavour but yet still keeping it simple. You don’t have to do much to salmon since it tastes pretty good on it’s own plus it’s important to me the kids learn to enjoy the flavour of the salmon itself. And then there’s my daughter who has been eating her salmon with pesto most of her life. Recently I grilled up this salmon recipe with no pesto in the house, leaving her to eat it as is. Started off good but she struggled a bit in the end.

salmon-with-rosemary-ms-2

The great thing about salmon is it’s rich in flavor, omega-3s, vitamin D, and full of antioxidants.

As for how much to buy it’s hard to determine. One full size filet (like in the photo) will not feed our family of four. But two will feed us all and may leave a few leftovers for sandwiches the next day. Allow at least 6oz per person is the best rule of thumb.

 

Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

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My kids love to get into the kitchen and create things. More often then not they announce what they want to make without checking on ingredients first. This salad was the exception as we just so happened to have all the fruit available. Aiden’s Fruit Salad is made by my son Aiden and on this night accompanied quick sandwiches before a busy activity evening.

A fruit salad can include any fruit you want. We never add a dressing or drizzle of honey to our fruit salads as we let the sweetness of the fruit speak for itself.

Aiden's Gouda Fruit Salad
Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

 

 

BBQ Shrimp from the Creole Cajun Chef

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I’ve been following the Creole Cajun Chef Tommy for quite some time on social media. His photos and recipes caught my eye immediately and kept it intrigued. My husband and I went to New Orleans for our honeymoon pre Katrina and had the time of our life. New Orleans and the people will always hold a soft spot in our hearts. The food, well, it speaks for itself.

I’m sure you can’t hear me drooling while I write this post. I love shrimp. I was raised near the coast of Northern British Columbia (NBC) and we regularly went crabbing off the docks near Prince Rupert and enjoyed many a freshly caught prawns, meal. Head on, tails on, All in.

I was very honoured when Chef Tommy agreed to do a Guest Post on my blog. I love how easy his recipe for BBQ shrimp is, yet sounds like it packs an incredible amount of flavour! Pleased to welcome, Chef Tommy!

Tommy Centola, the Creole Cajun Chef, is a New Orleans native who has been cooking since he was eight. Having learned the basics from his mentor, his mom, Tommy is a self taught chef, cooking New Orleans multicultural cuisine. He has worked in numerous restaurants, developing dishes and menus with his unique vision. His Crabcake recipe has been featured in the Thomas Kinkade cookbook and Louisiana Cookin’ magazine. His cookbook, You Can’t Keep New Orleans Out Of The Cook, has been enshrined in the Culinary Hall of Fame. With over 300 recipes, Tommy’s blog, www.creolecajunchef.com, is continually growing with two new recipes added each week. He and his wife Peggy currently live in Searcy, Arkansas. He works for Sysco foods, helping his customers have successful businesses.

From Tommy: This is one of my wife’s favorite dishes. Every time we come back from New Orleans, we always have three pounds of large heads-on shrimp to cook for dinner the night we get home. BBQ Shrimp is not shrimp that are cooked on a pit and covered with sauce. They are cooked in a highly seasoned, not spicy, combination of olive oil and butter. Make sure you have plenty of French bread to dip into the sauce. You can use headless shrimp, but you will not get the flavors that are released from the head.

 

Sweet & Spicy Grilled Salmon

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We returned from several days of camping, and like most campers we didn’t eat as healthy as we would have preferred to. But it’s camping and we always try to keep a balance. Good with the bad. With that theory we we had marinated grilled pork chops one night and grilled Greek grilled chicken in pitas with a Greek salad another night. It’s that balance thing. The remaining nights, well, junky type food or other not so good for you eats.

After these trips I always crave healthy food. And this time upon returning home I was craving salmon. We ran out of aluminum foil and didn’t have any cedar planks so we needed to improvise. The cast iron pan came out and we were off to the races. Usually when we grill salmon it’s either on a cedar plank or on a piece of foil.

I didn’t use much chile powder in this recipe as I wanted the minions to eat it. You could taste the chile powder but there was just a hint of it. Definitely add more if you want more chile flavour, although it might deter from the taste of the salmon.

We whipped this up rather quickly and were eating in 30 minutes. Served it with this delightful grilled corn & arugula salad, with the addition of radishes from our garden.

Loved this meal and I think you might to.

 

Jay del Corro’s Creole Red Jambalaya

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I am beyond excited to introduce our first Guest Blogger, Jay del Corro, of Eats of Asia.

Proud Canadian, creator and host of the popular online cooking show, The Aimless Cook, Jay del Corro started his journey cooking his favourite recipes in his apartment. His show started as a Vlog on YouTube in October 2009, and now five years later proudly boasts a growing 30,000+ group of loyal subscribers on YouTube, iTunes, iFood.tv and Blip.tv (plus more). In November 2011 Jay was chosen to be one of 16 creators from 5 countries taking part in YouTube’s Next Chef Program.

These days besides Vlogging, Jay keeps busy with his new Asian Street Food Restaurant, Eats of Asia. You can find him at the Kingsland Farmers Market in Calgary, Thursdays through Sundays. Monday nights Jay creates an Asian Menu with friend and Chef Darren MacLean, of downtownfood (DTF) Restaurant. This weekly collaborative industry party at DTF is also known as 628 Night Market, open from 6 pm – Late and scheduled to run Monday’s until the Summer.

As busy as he is, Jay is also excited about his mobile eatery destined to hit Calgary streets this Summer. He will be joining the fleet of ever growing Calgary Food Trucks and we can’t wait to start tracking him, er following his truck around the City. Jay’s food is exceptional and well worth the trek and at times long line ups.

I am honoured Jay found the time to share with us one of his recipes and just in time for Mardi Gras 2014.

Creole Red Jambalaya by Jay del Corro

Rice bowls are the quintessential comfort food for me. Put anything on a bowl of rice and I’m a happy guy. With Mardi Gras on the way, I thought it appropriate to share my recipe for this wonderfully spice and flavourful rice dish, Jambalaya.

This is a classic New Orleans cuisine. This red jambalaya is a Creole version with French and Spanish influences. In fact, this recipe is thought to be a regional variation of a Spanish paella using tomatoes in place of saffron. The cooking styles of Creole and Cajun are both rich with history, classic French technique and signature flavours. This is a very simple and rewarding one-pot recipe that I’m sure you are going to love.

For more of Jay’s recipes, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrJingjong
www.theaimlesscook.com
@theaimlesscook
www.facebook.com/EatsOfAsia
@eatsofasia

Minted Salmon

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Maybe it was because we haven’t had salmon in a couple months. Maybe it was because we were hungry. Maybe it was an easy meal to BBQ on a hot summer day. Whatever the reason, we devoured the salmon the night we made this dish.

When shopping for salmon, I try to buy a large boneless full fillet, usually steelhead trout, one of the many river fish I grew up eating. This size ensures we get a couple meals out of it, like dinner and lunch the next day. I also tend to cut the fish into two fillets, sometimes three, experimenting with one section and keeping the latter piece(s) simple for the minions who prefer simple salmon flavours. Although my daughter has to eat hers with pesto. We love to eat our salmon with some variation of a teriyaki sauce and so when I made this dish, I rummaged through the refrigerator for soy sauce and whatever else I could find to toss in. The mint admittedly was an after thought

Salmon is a heart healthy fish and rich in omega-3s. When you buy salmon make sure it’s fresh and you know where it came from. I would not recommend buying farmed fish as it tends to be lower in omega 3s, are more prone to disease which is controlled by antibiotics, and tend to contain more contaminants.

This dish can be grilled on foil or a cedar plank or even broiled in the oven. One additional sprinkle of mint and it was on the table. Quick, easy and affordable.

 

Shrimp Boil

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Another name for a Shrimp Boil is a Frogmore Stew OR Low Country Boil.  It’s a simple and easy to make one dish meal that is finger licking good.  I made a similar version to this many years ago only it was simply sausage, carrots & potatoes.

I’ve seen the recipe made several times in various forms and by different chefs.  Recently I saw someone talking about it and since it had always intrigued me I decided it was time to try it out to use up some shrimp I had in the freezer.

We were not disappointed.  Each one of us enjoyed something different in this 4 ingredient meal and so everyone was happy which means it goes on the keepers list!

 

Pancetta & Lemon Grilled Salmon

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We barbequed this lovely whole salmon fillet about a month ago…inspired by a recent trip to Northern British Columbia. The flavours are simple but tasty. Salmon is really easy to cook. Remember to buy your salmon fresh…it should not smell fishy. I’m slowly teaching my husband and kids to smell the fish before they buy it. If it smells fishy after you’ve cooked it, then you’ve cooked it to long.

This salmon dish falls under the simple category and is a modified version of a salmon dish my mom used to make wrapped in parchment and baked in the oven. Deep seeded inspiration I think.

To serve this salmon I topped it with a cool, fresh Cucumber Salad, omitting the onions with the hopes the kids would be more inclined to eat the salad – they weren’t, but we keep trying. A sprinkling of chili flakes finished it off. The kids do enjoy salmon and I liken that to our eating fish regularly.

You can choose to serve your salmon with a salad on top or as is. Either way is equally satisfying. If you can’t find pancetta you can use regular bacon. Very simple flavours.

 

Five Spice Salmon with Maple

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Here is just one of many salmon recipes I have up my sleeve since I grew up in a small Northern British Columbia Town that prides itself on it’s great fishing.  I had my fair share of salmon growing up, but my favourite will always be my father’s smoked salmon.

As a child we spent time in Port Edward (near Prince Rupert) fishing for crab off the docks by the Cannery.  My dad went out ocean fishing with friends on the Douglas Channel (Kitimat) and often came home with Red Snapper, Ling Cod, Halibut and um Octopus.  Yes there was a live octopus in the kitchen sink one day when I came home from work waiting to be made into soup.  Never a dull moment in my house once my mother channeled her inner Julia Child.

Further to all this we dug & cooked clams on the beaches of the Queen Charlotte Islands and fished the mighty Kalum & Skeena Rivers in Terrace until we were allowed to fish no more (chinook, sockeye, trout, pink, chum, stealhead, coho).   Fish at my house was often smoked (in an old refrigerator turned smoker), canned, it was smoked and then canned and it was good.  To this day I have yet to try another smoked salmon that even comes close to my fathers recipe.

Salmon is in my blood and after bringing some fresh sockeye home with us from our recent vacay to B.C. I am ready to get back to cooking it on a regular basis.  I tend to stay with simple flavours when cooking salmon…although sometimes I like to change it up a bit so here is a recipe with a few different levels of flavours that will make you go hmmm it works, how delicious!  A keeper.

 

Jumbo Grilled Shrimp

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We had friends over for a BBQ the other night and I always have to try at least one new recipe when people are over.  I love to experiment and love it even more when I have people to test recipes on!   Since it was a warm day I opted for colder appetizers and decided on jumbo grilled shrimp with a tasty citrus aioli.  If you can not find jumbo shrimp in your store, use regular sized shrimp instead.

Grilled shrimp are lovely with any type of flavoured Aioli.  We paired these with a Citrus Aioli.

Halibut Saltimbocca

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This recipe is absolutely fabulous. It can be made with any white fish but halibut is especially tasty. The first time we made this our fillets were smaller and a piece of proscuitto covered the whole piece of fish so we had to modify our cooking time a little. We loved it so much we are making it regularly and trying different fish to see what flavour profiles we like best.

Halibut Saltimbocca

4 – halibut Fillets
8 – fresh Sage leaves
4 – slices proscuitto
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Butter

Season each side of the halibut with salt & pepper. Lay down a piece of proscuitto and place a sage leaf in the middle. Place a piece of halibut on top of sage leaf and add a second sage leaf on top of halibut (so there is one on the bottom and one of the top of the halibut). Wrap each side of proscuitto over halibut.

In frypan, heat olive oil and butter together over med-high heat. And the fish and sear the outside turning heat down to medium as you go. Turn after about 3-5 minutes and cook an additional 3-5 minutes (pending the thickness of your fish).

The crispy/saltiness of the proscuitto flavours the dish nicely. Have fun with this one!

Shrimp New Orleans

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We have soft spot for New Orleans since we spent our honeymoon there, (pre-hurricane Katrina). It’s an incredible place to visit…full of history, great blues/jazz and delicious, soulful food.  One of many hi-lights for me was going to dinner at NOLA’s (Emeril’s Restaurant).  It was just fabulous!

While this recipe is adapted from Atco Blue Flame Kitchen, it was also inspired by our visit to New Orleans.  We definitely left our heart there when we left and hope one day we get to go back soon.