Trout

1.5 pounds trout 

2 TBS olive oil more, if needed

1 TBS Italian seasoning dried thyme, oregano, parsley, combined

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

4 garlic cloves diced

3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons butter softened

2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Season fish fillets with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Italian herb seasoning and salt (generously). 

Heat 2 TBS olive oil on medium heat, add fish fillets skin side up for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat, until lightly browned. Flip the fillets over to the other side, cook for another 2-4 minutes. Top fish with herbs, remove the skillet from heat, close with the lid, and let the fish sit for 5-10 minutes, covered, in the skillet, until flaky and cooked through completely

After the fish is cooked through, off heat, using spatula, carefully remove fillets to the plate, separating the fish from the skin. Carefully remove or scrape the fish skin off the bottom of the pan, making sure to leave all the cooking oils in the pan. Add diced garlic, lemon juice, and white wine to the same pan with oil. Cook on medium-low heat for about 1 minute, until garlic softens a bit. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoons of butter, off heat, to the sauce, stirring, until the butter melts and forms a creamy mixture. Add fish to the pan, spoon sauce over the fish, top the fish and sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley, and serve.

Salmon Dip, Updated

I've been making this updated version of salmon dip for some time, but realized I never posted it.  I figured I better so if my kids attempted to make it they wouldn't wonder what happened. Then when they phone me and ask why it didn't turn out the same...well, let's just not go there.

1 8 oz.package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4-1/2 tsp. Tabasco or Franks Red Hot Sauce
fresh ground black pepper
4-6 oz. smoked salmon

Mix together cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, and seasonings. Break salmon apart and blend into cream cheese mixture.  Adjust seasonings as desired.  Serve with gluten free crackers.

Jambalaya for Fat Tuesday

The first time I had Jambalaya was at my son and daughter-in-laws home in New Orleans. I fell in love. Trying to duplicate the recipe in Colorado is somewhat of a disappointment. Nobody but nobody can duplicate New Orleans, but this comes close. It is Emerill's recipe for Jambalaya. I have made a few minor adjustments.

1/4 cup olive oil

24 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
1/2 lb. chicken, diced
1 TBS Creole seasoning-Bayou Blast
10 oz. Andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce, I used Louisana Hot sauce, but Tabasco will work
1 1/2 cups rice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped parsley or chopped green onion for garnish (optional)

2 chopped green onions (optional)
Salt and pepper 

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken. Mix in the Bayou Blast seasoning till all of the meat is coated. Let set while you get everything ready or put in refrigerator until ready to cook. 

In a large saucepan or pot, heat oil over high heat. Stir-fry onion, pepper and celery about 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces.

Stir in rice and slowly add chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. 

When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. 

This is delicious the next day for lunch with a little cheese melted on top.

Shrimp & Cheese Grits

We video chatted with our granddaughter. She and her parents are living in California after 3 years in New Orleans. Visiting with Ivydee caused me to miss not only her, but New Orleans and the fun experiences we enjoyed with Lauren and Christopher. Ivydee and I shared more than one bowl of cheesy grits. After our conversation, I decided to make Cheesy Grits and Shrimp. 

2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups shredded cheese (I used part cheddar/jack, part pepper jack)
3 cups water or chicken broth
1 cup quick-cooking grits
6 slices bacon, cut up
6-8 green onions, chopped
2 TBS butter
2 TBS parsley, chopped
1 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
Emeril's Seasoning

Bring chicken broth to a boil; stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened-about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt, butter, cheese, and pepper. Cover and keep warm until ready.

Cook bacon over medium-high until crisp; drain on paper towels. Don't discard bacon grease.

 

Over medium-high heat, saute shrimp and garlic in pan with bacon grease until pink. Add green onions, lemon juice,  and worcestershire sauce and saute a few more minutes. Add bacon.

Spoon grits onto individual plates; top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with Emerill's Seasoning as desired. If you like your shrimp spicier, add 1/2-1 tsp Emerill's seasoning to the shrimp before cooking. Enjoy

Salmon BLT

Whenever I'm in Arizona, I visit Liberty Market at least twice within one week.  One of my recent favorite dishes is the Salmon BLT. They have delicious gluten free buns. Now that I am back in Colorado, I am wishing I could go there for this.  Today, I attempted to recreate this delightful dish.  I know it will sound complicated, but truly it wasn't.  You could use a different seasoning, but I have the Emerill's seasoning ready-made. It was the best solution for me. Not sure if Emerill sells this.

4 Salmon Filets (skinless)
4-6 strips of Bacon
Emerill's Cajun Seasoning
Chipotle Aioli
Shredded Lettuce
1 Tomato, sliced
4 GF Buns

Cut bacon in half and fry in a pan.  Drain on paper towels. Season both sides of salmon filets with Cajun Seasoning.  Use a fish pan or basket and cook over hot grill or pan fry. Toast bun. Spread one side with Chipotle Aioli, top with bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Enjoy!

Grilled salmon on planks

1 1/2-2 lbs salmon filets

1/3 cup gluten free tamari or soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

2 minced garlic cloves

Lemon Pepper (gluten free)

Salt 

Cedar Planks

Soak wooden planks for 2-3 hours in water. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, and oil together.  Place salmon in ziploc bag and pour sauce over.  Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes or so.

Heat grill.  Drain marinade.  Place salmon on planks. Set planks on heated grill and cook approximately 8 minutes or until the salmon is done. 

I'm Hungry

My daughter Hilary sent me the following photo.  (Okay, it was back in February, but I ran across it looking at photos.) It was the dinner she and her boyfriend  prepared.  I was truly inspired.  Salmon Spinach Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I have my wooden planks soaking, and my salmon marinating.  I'm grilling salmon tonight!

Smoked Salmon Tacos w/Chipotle Mayo

I hate when I find unfinished posts such as this. I will look around and see if I wrote the recipe down somewhere. Otherwise, it might be lost forever. Sigh. (Written Oct. 15th, 2011)

My sister-in-law came to visit.  She brought gluten-stuffed cookies for her mom and the most wonderful smoked salmon for the rest of us; complements of her husband and his culinary skills.  I ate salmon plain-it was heavenly, salmon dip, and then decided to make tacos.  I could have eaten these every day....oh wait, I did.

Not-so-blackened Tilapia

6-8 Tilapia Filets
2 TBS olive oil
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Blackened Seasoning:
1 TBS garlic powder
1 1/2 TBS onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. crushed parsley
1 tsp. crushed oregano
1 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix seasonings together. Sprinkle liberally on both sides of fish fillets. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Fry fish a couple of minutes each side, turning only once. Fish will flake easily when cooked. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top. This is a quick meal, especially if you have the seasoning mixed ahead of time. I served this with Mushrooms & Asparagus, Quick Potatoes, and pineapple chunks and Michael loved it.

Smoked Salmon Dip

1 8 oz.package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp seafood seasoning (I use Chef Paul Prudhommes Blackened Redfish Magic)
fresh ground black pepper
4 oz. smoked salmon or 6 oz. can smoked salmon, drained

(I didn't have any smoked salmon for the photo. The flavor isn't the same with non-smoked salmon.)
Mix together cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, seafood seasoning, & pepper. Shred salmon and mix with other ingredients. Serve with a variety of crackers.

This is also good spread on a toasted bagel for breakfast, lunch, or a snack.

Baked Tilapia

6 Tilapia Fillets (3-4 oz fillets)
2 sliced Red, Orange, Yellow, or Green Peppers

1 onion, slivered

1 TBS lemon juice

2 TBS fresh chopped cilantro or parsley

1-2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

2 TBS olive oil

Pour olive oil in dish. Add garlic while you slice the vegetables. Line pan with foil. (This isn't necessary, but I prefer this method when using a cookie sheet.) Brush lightly with a bit of the olive oil. Spread peppers and onions in pan. Sprinkle with 1 TBS cilantro/parsley.

Place tilapia fillets on top of peppers. Pour lemon juice over fish. Brush fillets with olive oil making sure to include garlic bits. Sprinkle lemon pepper over all and remaining parsley/cilantro.

Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until fish flakes. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

Grillled Salmon

I made Sweet Bourbon Salmon last night, except I didn't have any pineapple juice or fresh chives. I also switched up my menu a bit. I made baked potatoes, lettuce wedge salad, and green beans. I almost made twice baked potatoes, but I ran out of time. So I baked extra potatoes and can now bake them again, lol. I also cooked 3 lbs of salmon steaks so increased the amount of ingredients. Here is the recipe again with the change in juice (which I think is now my new favorite.)


1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar (I don't pack it down, just pour it in rather loosely. Packed, it is probably closer to 1/4 cup.)
2 TBS Kentucky bourbon
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp dried chives
3 lbs skinless salmon filets

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, garlic salt, pepper, & chives in a gallon size freezer ziploc bag. Mix to dissolve the sugar. Add oil. Place the filets in the bag and marinate several hours. (For 3 lbs., I had to divide in 2 bags.)

Grill 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. I use a wire fish basket, making it easy to turn fillets. Try not to overcook, and be very gentle turning only once. Salmon is too expensive to lose big chunks falling between the grill grates.

Glazed Mahi Mahi

3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.

Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

Tilapia w/mango salsa

4 tilapia fillets
1/3 cup olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

Place fillets in ziploc bag. Mix together marinade ingredients and pour over fish. Marinate a couple of hours. Drain marinade. Grill fillets over medium hot grill for 2-3 minutes each side. I use a fish basket to keep fish from falling through grates. Serve with mango salsa.

Mango Salsa:

1 large mango, peeled & chopped
2-3 TBS diced onion
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 TBS fresh chopped parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely
2-3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Add ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salmon Stir-fry

While sitting in the doctor's I ran across a recipe for salmon not cooked on the grill. I'm not the type to tear a page out of someone else's magazine and never have paper or pen to write a recipe down, so remembered as much as I could and here it is:

2 lbs. skinless salmon fillets
1/4 cup oyster sauce

salt

fresh ground pepper
1 sliced red pepper
4-6 green onions, sliced
3 Tbs dry white wine
3 TBS fresh chopped basil

1-2 Tbs olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon

Cut salmon fillet into one inch cubes. Toss with oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Marinate 20-30 minutes. In skillet, heat oil, add salmon and cook over medium high heat. Turn gently, cooking until nearly done, 5-6 minutes. (If you cook too long or stir the pieces around too much, you will end up with little shreds.) Add green onion, red pepper, white wine, & water. Cook another 2 minutes. Stir in fresh chopped basil and squeeze 1/2 lemon over all. Add salt and pepper if desired. Serve over steamed rice. Next time, I will probably add additional veggies.

Sweet Bourbon Salmon

Sweet Bourbon Marinade

1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBS Kentucky bourbon
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp thinly sliced chives
4 8oz salmon filets

Combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, garlic powder, pepper, & chives in a gallon size freezer ziploc bag. Mix to dissolve the sugar. Add oil.
Be sure all of the skin is removed from the salmon. Place the filets in the bag and marinate several hours.

Grill 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. I use a wire fish basket, making it easy to turn fillets.

Arrange filets on each plate, sprinkle with additional chives.