Baked Salmon with Buttered Caper Sauce

Food like fashion follow trends.  Currently there is a trend towards healthy eating with a strong emphasis on anti-oxidants.  Anti-oxidants reduce or eliminate the damaging effects of free radicals in the body and the best source for anti-oxidants is your food.  The superfood for 2015 is capers!

Capers are the unripened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a prickly, perennial bush indigenous to the Mediterranean.  The dark green buds are sun-dried then packed in vinegar brine.  Their tangy, briny, pickly flavour is best balanced against smooth, buttery or velvety flavours and textures.  My favourite way to enjoy capers is with cream cheese and smoked salmon on a bagel. 
 

Capers are only 2 calories each (23 cal per 100 g).  They are rich in antioxidants (rutin, quercetin) , phytonutrients and vitamins.  Research suggests that quercetin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.  They may reduce risk for cancer, help with circulation, may lower blood pressure and reduce rheumatic pain. 

Capers are salty due to the brine.  This can be reduced by rinsing the capers in water before using if desired.  Capers pair beautifully with salmon as pictured in this simple buttered caper sauce we recently enjoyed.

Method:  Melt about 2 tbsp butter in fry pan.  Stir in 2 -3 tbsp chopped red onion, and cook until just translucent.  Stir in 1 - 2 tbsp rinsed capers. Warm through.  Spoon over baked salmon filets as desired.

Bonefish Grill in Lakeland, Florida

Eating out plays a large role in our social activities at our vacation home in sunny Florida.  We get together with our neighbours a couple of times a week to eat at the clubhouse, at the Early Revue, or at a restaurant.  Most times eating out with them involves dinner followed by entertainment and socializing with other friends we have met there as well.  Their restaurant choices tend to be chain restaurants.  Since they live there year round and eat out daily, they tend to know all of the best places to eat.  They also know where to find all the best culinary deals.  As a result, we have joined a few restaurant loyalty programs which give extra savings and like many seniors in the area, we eat dinner considerably earlier in the day than we are used to at home.

Bonefish Grill is an American chain restaurant with locations throughout thirty-fours of the lower forty-eight states.  There are fifty-four locations in Florida!  We visited the Bonefish Grill located at 225 West Pipkin Road in Lakeland, Florida.

The facade of Bonefish Grill is impressive with its modern stucco exterior and sleek lines in a neutral light taupe and off white trim set on a background of palm trees and blue skies.  It is nicely lit to soften the hard lines.  The parking lot is spacious with ample parking to accommodate the busy eatery.  Large entrance doors beckon you to enter the cozy dining area, promising an enjoyable dining experience.

The maitre d' seated our party of four at a comfortable booth near a window.  The friendly waitress took our drink order then brought us a loaf of warm bread with herbed olive oil for dipping.  The bread had a soft interior with nicely formed pores and a slightly crispy, chewy crust.  The olive oil was lightly seasoned with herbs.

Olive oil is a tasty, lower calorie alternative to butter for bread.  It is delicious plain or lightly seasoned with herbs or even sun dried tomatoes.  I often serve olive oil for dipping with my homemade breads.  Although any olive oil can be used, we prefer a light olive oil.

We ordered a bang bang shrimp appetizer to share. This delicious appetizer is made with crispy shrimp in a creamy, spicy sauce on a bed of lettuce, garnished with chopped green onions.  My husband declared the bang bang shrimp a clear winner.  He was not wrong!  Everyone enjoyed this delicious appetizer. 

This is one dish I will be working on a clone recipe!  The shrimp is so tasty that it would make for a nice meat portion of a meal or served as an appetizer.  I brought a bottle of creamy, spicy sauce home to experiment with but have opened it yet. 

Entrées are served with a choice of two sides.  Market-fresh fish (wild gulf grouper, mahi mahi and Chilean sea bass, Rainbow Trout, and Atlantic salmon)  is cooked to perfection over a wood-burning grill and then topped with your choice of one of their complementary signature sauces. 

One of our friends ordered the grilled wild gulf grouper with French green beans and potatoes au grautin.   The tender, flakey grouper was perfectly grilled with nice hash marks.  The au grautin potatoes were rich and creamy.  This delicious entrée was a real keeper!

I ordered the grilled Atlantic salmon topped with sautéed spinach, goat cheese and bacon, with baked spaghetti squash and steamed broccoli.  The perfectly grilled salmon had a buttery texture.  This was a very enjoyable entrée, filling yet low calorie.

Our dining experience at this Bonefish Grill location was delightfully pleasant.  The friendly waitstaff were attentive and efficient, much in keeping with the cozy atmosphere.  The food was perfectly cooked and  nicely presented.  The portion sizes were a good size but not too big.  All in all, we certainly will be visiting Bonefish Grill again!

Our Seafood Feast

Today's diet tip:  Substitute salad dressing with a splash of fresh lemon juice for a fresh, sparkling flavour without the calories.  This will cut 45 calories or more!

We eat a lot of fish at home, at least once a week but often two or three times a week.  Our fish of choice is locally caught yellow lake perch, pickerel and bass but we also eat a lot of cod and wild salmon.  When we bought our vacation home in sunny Florida in 2010, I fully expected to be eating a lot more seafood when there!  That certainly has not been the case especially when eating out.  We have discovered several excellent BBQ joints so ribs are the order of the day.   Our favourite seafood restaurants in Florida is Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille and Red Lobster.  We discovered during our recent stay that Long John Silvers isn't too bad (I pick the coating off). 

Fish and seafood is a dieter's delight because it is so low in calories.  You can have a nice filling piece of fish without breaking your calorie budget as long as it isn't coated and deep fried.  I like coated and deep fried fish though but never eat the coating.  About the only fish I will eat coated is yellow lake perch but that is just a very light coating to begin with.  I also don't like shrimp or any other seafood coated and deep fried. 

We were at our vacation home for most of October, home for almost three weeks then back to our vacation home for five weeks.  I decided to make a seafood feast during the first part of our stay.  The night before we had been to Red Lobster with friends for their crab leg feast so I brought home the crab legs I couldn't eat to make a crab meat salad.  Imitation crab meat salad is good but imitation crab itself has a higher carbohydrate content as well as food colouring.  Real crab meat is the healthier, lower calorie choice!

Our seafood feast consisted of bacon wrapped scallops (169 cal/3 scallops), steamed littleneck clams (168 cal/4oz), baked mahi mahi (93 cal/3 oz), crab meat salad (140 cal/half cup) and steamed asparagus (26 cal/8 spears).  This dinner as shown would have been 596 calories at the full amounts but we had less asparagus and clams.  We also had a small garden salad (not shown) at 20 calories sprinkled with fresh lemon juice instead of dressing which made up for the calories cut by smaller servings.  It would have been lower omitting the bacon by about 100 calories.  At any rate, a healthy meal under 600 calories is always a good thing whether or not you are counting calories!

Carol's & Earl's Restaurant & Farmer's Market Ltd., South Baymouth, Ontario

We stayed in Gaylord, Michigan the first night of our great road/camping adventure.  The next morning we headed north on I-75 finally crossing back into Canada at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario just before lunch time.  After a few detours around Sault Ste. Marie we proceeded along the Trans Canada as far as Espanola, Ontario where we turned south for our evening destination of South Baymouth.  We had booked a room there and had reservations for the Chi-Cheechmaun ferry that would take us to Tobermory, Ontario the following morning. 

It was a cold, dreary day with on and off rain yet we happily made our way through the amazingly beautiful Canadian landscape.  It was our anniversary and having spent many a mile traveling together over the past 36 years, it was a rather fitting way to celebrate this milestone!  We arrived at South Baymouth shortly before 7 PM and decided to stop for dinner before going to the motel.  South Baymouth is in Tehkummah Township, population 406 (2011).  It is the northern terminal for the Chi-Cheechmaun ferry, the southern being Tobermory.  This is very much a tourist pass through point as thousands make the trek from Espanola through Manitoulin Island with a destination of Tobermory saving considerable time and kilometer in comparison to driving the northern route.  The town has access to the Canadian mainland during the winter months via Highway 6 as the ferry does not run during the winter months.  Essentially the town shuts down for the winter months.  We have driven through Espanola several times staying on the Trans Canada during the winter months and let me tell you, folks up there have no choice but to keep very well stocked pantries and necessary supplies on hand to get them through the long winter months!

Carol's and Earl's Restaurant & Farmer's Market Ltd., is located at 21306 Hwy. 6, South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island, Ontario.  It's on the left hand side of the road heading into South Baymouth.  The building is rather non-descript but don't let that fool you.  Through those door you will be greeted with some of the most delicious homemade pies I've ever seen.  They are made from scratch daily.  To the left of the doors is a small dining area then archways lead to the larger dining area under the roof peak (centre).  The restaurant seats 100 at full capacity.  I can't comment on the 'farmer's market' portion of their name as there were no signs of produce when we were there although I suspect that is what the two picnic tables were set up for.  As is customary with many farm stands in this area, local white fish and wild blueberries are often sold.  I sure would have loved to been able to buy some of either for the camping portion of our trip! 

We planned stopping at Carol's &  Earl's who specialize in home cooked meals for their yellow perch.  Yellow perch is a local fish, mildly flavoured and just down right delicious.  It is usually lightly coated and pan fried.  We both ordered the yellow perch dinners that came with a choice of soup or salad.  My husband ordered the homemade chicken noodle to accompany his meal.  Carol's & Earl's make all of their soups from scratch.  The chicken noodle soup was about as close to the way I make it as you could get starting right from homemade stock.  The soup was chuck full of broad egg noodles and chunks of chicken.  Served piping hot, it was a pleasant way to warm up after a chilly, damp day that was only getting colder.

The yellow perch came with a choice of mashed or fried potatoes and a side of coleslaw.  I ordered mashed; my husband ordered the fries.  We ordered a side of gravy.  The mashed potatoes were real mashed while both the gravy and coleslaw were homemade.  The mouthwatering pan fried yellow perch was delightful! 

Carol's & Earl's is a must stop at eatery when visiting South Baymouth.  Their food is delicious!  Their service is friendly, very much home style and they love to talk to their patrons.  We bought a cherry pie on the way out the door sure that it would be a lovely dessert at the campground.  We were not wrong!  Even if you don't stop for a meal, be sure to stop for a pie.  Originally the pies were made by Earl's Mom but now they are made by Earl.  Honestly, they are amazing!   If you visit this restaurant, they do not accept debit or credit cards.  I recommend carrying sufficient cash for fuel and meals when traveling through northern Ontario as many places are cash only.

Whole Cooked Salmon

I have seriously been wanting to home can salmon for quite some time.  I have been told that home canned salmon is far superiour to commercially canned salmon.  The problem here is finding fresh salmon and when I do, it is such a treat we cook it from fresh without worrying about canning it.  That's ok and I don't mind, still one of these days I will get a nice piece of salmon to can.

I bought a frozen whole salmon that initially I planned on thawing then canning but I'm not really a huge fan of canning a product that was initially froze.  So, the salmon sat in the freezer biding its time until I decided to soak a cedar plank and grill it or cut the beauty into salmon steaks and bake them.  This was a small salmon coming in at about $10.50.  Sorry I didn't note the weight but I would guess at a little over 3 lb.

Our local grocery store sells salmon this way as a loss leader.  If I am lucky, I can find whole salmon once or twice a year there and while I know I should stock up, I don't mainly because it is frozen and I really would prefer fresh.  The salmon sold this way comes beheaded and gutted but tail and fins are still on as is the belly fat.

Salmon is absolutely wonderful cut into steaks then grilled or baked.  I ended up with about 12 salmon steaks.  Had I bought these steaks at M&M Meats, they would have cost me at least $2 per steak on sale so right off the bat I saved money by cutting my own salmon steaks.  Cutting my own salmon steaks saved me about $12 which isn't bad at all.

I found it easier to cut the salmon steaks while the salmon was partially frozen.  The only real waste was the fins and tail.  Salmon is rather interesting in that the steaks are always cooked bone in but if you home can the salmon steaks the bones break down nicely giving an excellent source of calcium.

I baked all of the salmon steaks with two going for our dinner that night and the rest reserved.  Dinner consisted of salmon steak with a little butter and lemon pepper, baked potatoes with Greek yogurt and my number one favourite, baked acorn squash.

Baking salmon steak is really quite easy.  the main concern is drying out the fish by over cooking.  I simply put the salmon steaks onto a Silpat lined baking sheet, add a small pat of butter and sprinkle with lemon pepper.  Salmon can be cooked rare but for this purpose I wanted it cooked through meaning opague yet still tender and juicy.

I let the remainder of the salmon cool then refrigerated overnight.  The following day was the Grey Cup so I pulled one of the salmon steaks from the refrigerator to make a dip for a bit of finger food snacking.  This was a very easy, impromptu dip to make.  I simply deboned a salmon steak then mashed a bit with a fork.  Then I stirred in about a quarter cup of Miracle Whip, a dash of yellow mustard, a bit of sweet pickle relish, and just a tad of prepared horseradish.  I served the dip with cholesterol free golden rusk, cooked shrimp and home canned seafood cocktail sauce (not shown).  It was simple, easy yet rather tasty as a snack to munch on while watching the game.I

Salmon is a rather firm fish especially when cooked.  The following day, I set about deboning the rest of the salmon.  As I said, I really would have liked to can the salmon but since that wasn't an option, I was onto Plan B.  That dip went over very well so I reasoned vacuum sealing some of that salmon for dip made a lot of sense.  I routinely freeze what I affectionately call meal quick starts.  This includes a wide variety of pre-cooked meats that can be used for easy meals like chicken strips, thin sliced meats for sandwiches and pre-seasoned cooked meats for a quick chili, pasta dish or salad.  They really are ideal quick starts during the summer months.  I can't tell you how many times I have been able to pull together a nice meal using these packets I keep safely tucked in the freezer!  At any given time I have the starts for a meal in my freezer already cooked and ready to use so why not do the same thing with the cooked salmon.

Despite the fact I really wanted to can this salmon I moved onto Plan B which was to debone then vacuum seal and freeze.  So, it was a bit of a new one on me.  I have routinely cooked and froze all types of meat but not so much seafood.  BUT you can buy pre-cooked seafood both commercially canned and frozen so why not do it at home?  So a couple of months ago, I started experimenting with freezing quick start packets of various fish.

Some cooked seafood freezes better than others.  I have had good luck with salmon that tends to freeze nicely and when thawed tastes so much better than commercially canned salmon.  It is a thicker, oilier fish which I think helps.  I now have several packet of vacuum sealed salmon in my freezer to use as meal quick starts although most of them will likely end up being used in dips for entertaining.  You just can't go wrong having a variety of quick meal starts in the freezer!

Grilled Salmon

We are very fortunate to have a few fisheries within a 100 mile radius of our home in addition to being able to fish ourselves.  It is an interesting way so spend a bit of time watching the fishing boat dock with their delicious cargo.  As a result we are able to enjoy local fish like perch, pickerel (walleye) and bass of a fairly regular basis.  Most of these fisheries also have fresh fish like Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout and whitefish as well as other fish and seafood.  We recently stopped at one of the fisheries, Purdy's Fisheries who have three locations in Ontario:  Grand Bend, Point Edward and Port Franks.

We live in a smaller community with two grocery stores but only one carries a very limited supply of fresh fish.  That fish is transported to the grocery store and while it is fresh fish, it is not a fresh as the fish at the fisheries.  We brought home a lovely pickerel fillet and salmon fillet.  I cooked them on foil over charcoal along with acorn squash wrapped in tin foil and grilled potatoes.
Salmon is a nice, sturdy fish that lends itself nicely to grilling directly on the rack, in a pouch or on a prepared cedar plank.  Pickerel, on the other hand is a bit more delicate and sticks to the grill easily so needs to be cooked on foil or in a foil packet when grilling.  The fillets were lightly seasoned with lemon juice, butter and garlic pepper.

Fish is the ideal fast food because it does cook quite quickly.   Charcoal adds a lovely flavour to the fish that can be enhanced using wood chips if desired.  Salmon can be cooked to rare if desired but pickerel should be grilled until the flesh is opaque and flakey yet moist.  It is important to not overcook the fish as it will become dry.  Place the fish on a baking sheet with holes or tin foil with a few holes poked into it.  Let the fish fillets cook without turning.

We certainly love our fish but the two fillets were too much for dinner.  I vacuum sealed the remainder of the salmon fillet to be frozen.  Pre-cooked like this, salmon is excellent for making salmon dip for entertaining, flaked for salmon sandwiches or used in seafood chowder.  It certainly will not go to waste!

Smoked Salmon Appetizer and Spiral Ham

We had our big Easter celebration this past Saturday.  The kids and grandkids were home with the Easter bunny making a special appearance for the little ones.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous so the Easter egg hunt was held outdoors.  We had a lot of delicious foods, shared a lot of laughter and took lots of pictures for our picture albums. 

All family members from the youngest to oldest pitch in helping with food prep for any family get together.  We made a smoked salmon appetizer.  This is a very easy appetizer to make.  You need small crackers, cream cheese, a couple of small packets of thin sliced smoked salmon and capers.

Capers are the pickled, edible flower buds of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa).  They are traditionally used as a garnish, in pasta dishes or in tartar sauce.  Their intense flavour pairs quite nicely with the smokiness of smoked salmon.

Ham is our traditional meat for Easter.  I seldom buy a boneless ham because it usually pressed meat (higher processing) and the bone can be used for other meals.  Our local Wal-mart had spiral hams on sale for $20 regardless of the size.  Needless to say I bought the largest one I could find.  Spiral hams are a great deal because not only do you have a thin sliced ham for dinner as well as left overs for sandwich meat. you have a nice sized bone for making soups or stock.

Most spiral cut hams come with a honey and spiced glaze, as did this one.  The glaze is used during the last 10 minutes of cooking.  These types of hams are usually cooked for about 2 hours (12 - 15 minutes per lb) at 250ºF.   I served the ham with dressed up mashed potatoes, niblet corn and crusty French bread.  It was a delicious, unpretentious home cooked meal.

Honey Dijon Salmon Fillets

Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids making it a good food to include in any healthy diet.  Salmon is available year round as fresh, frozen or canned sourced from wild or farmed.  However, wild salmon is superior to farmed salmon.  It is very important to read the label as some farmed salmon is dyed to the characteristic pinkish colour and may be high in dioxins and PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl).  Even though wild salmon may be slightly lower in Omega-3 fatty acids, the frugal choice between wild or farmed salmon is wild. 

Salmon has a stronger flavour that pairs nicely with maple syrup or honey as well as stronger herbs like dill or rosemary but it also pairs nicely with citrus and creamy type sauces.  It can be smoked for a delectable treat, used in dips or as the meat portion of a meal and as a filling for sandwiches.   We typically enjoy salmon three or more times per month.  We love salmon baked or grilled usually without a lot of added flavours but raw, unpasteurized honey (the only kind I use) really adds a sparkle to salmon. 

I made honey dijon salmon fillets served with zucchini melody for dinner.  This wonderfully delectable meal was quick and easy to prepare while being healthy.  Honestly, for those gardeners complaining about having too much zucchini, please ship them to me!  I can't wait to be harvesting zucchini from our new garden beds.  Just a tip for those growing zucchini, harvest when about 8 - inches long and deliciously tender. 

Honey Dijon Salmon Fillets
recipe by: Garden Gnome

½ c unpasteurized honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sliced almonds
2 salmon fillets

Mix the honey, mustard and pepper together.  Place salmon fillets in oven proof baking dish.  Dab butter equally over the fillets.  Pour the honey mixture over the fillets.  Bake at 350ºF until salmon is cooked through (opaque).  Remove from oven.  Plate then garnish with sliced almonds.

Servings: 2

Baked Salmon with 7 Cheese Mac 'n Cheese

I grew up in a small town with a population just under 2,000.  We had one restaurant, a soft ice cream shop that was open only in July and August, a tavern,  a bakery and two very small and I do mean small grocery stores.   Oh, and we had a canning factory so the whole town smelled deliciously like tomato soup in the fall.  To this day, my favourite fall drink in the morning is not coffee but rather tomato soup.  My high school Home Economics teacher was adamant that using good quality food and easy recipes  was all that was necessary to prepare tasty home cooked meals.  Well, she would have to because she lived in the same small town where the choice of ingredients to cook with was rather limited.  Mind you back then there was not the variety of ingredients readily available like sea salt, organic sugar, fresh seafood, exotic seasonings and those types of things.  There was a lot less commercially prepared convenience foods (eg. cake mixes, etc.).   Even back then she taught us the value of food dollars and how to get the most for our food dollars.  I still use many of the recipes learned in that class!  One of the very first dishes she taught us was how to make macaroni and cheese.

When I was growing up, the only fresh fish we had was smelt.  We had canned tuna, canned salmon and once they came to town, frozen fish sticks.  My Mom was not a huge fish fan.  I can remember my excitement the first time I saw fresh fish at the market!  Now I buy fresh fish at one of the grocery stores or nearby fisheries.  We also enjoy locally caught fresh fish like bass, perch and pickerel.  While I enjoy a wide variety of fish, salmon is one of my favourite.

I baked a salmon fillet for dinner a couple of nights ago.  The fillet was about 10 - inches long, enough for two people.  I served the salmon with homemade 7 Cheese Mac 'n Cheese (recipe below) and an Asian vegetable mix consisting of yellow and orange carrots, snap peas, shelled edamame, whole baby corn and garlic sprouts.  It was delicious, easy to prepare, and frugal meal!

Baked Salmon
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

1 salmon fillet
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp Herbes de Provence

Place the salmon fillet on Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Divide the butter into four portions then put the portions along the centre of the fillet.  Sprinkle the herbs evenly over the fillet.  Bake at 350ºF until salmon is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Our Home Ec teacher taught us to make macaroni and cheese from scratch using a simple cheese sauce consisting of milk, flour and cheddar cheese.  It is still a classic method but I love experimenting with macaroni and cheese.  There are so many wonderful cheeses available so I've developed several versions of macaroni and cheese. The cheese sauce in this version is rich and creamy.  The liquid smoke is a secret ingredient I discovered in the macaroni and cheese served at Mike's Smokehouse BBQ & Grill in Tampa Bay, Florida.  It adds a wonder note to macaroni and cheese!  The trick when using liquid smoke is to add one drop at a time until you get the desired aroma and flavour.

7 Cheese Mac 'n Cheese
recipe by: Garden Gnome

¼ c Asiago cheese
¼ c Parmesan cheese
¼ c sharp cheddar cheese
¼ c mozzarella cheese
¼ c colby cheese
¼ c cream cheese
1 tbsp Cheez Whiz
¾ c milk
7 cups cooked elbow macaroni
4 - 6 drops liquid smoke

Grate the Asiago, Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella and colby cheeses.  Stir the grated cheeses to mix.  Cook the elbow macaroni and drain.  Pour the hot pasta into a mixing bowl.  Stir in the cream cheese and Cheez Whiz.  Mix then stir in the grated cheeses.  Mix well then stir in 4 - 6 drops of liquid smoke.  Mix.  Pour the macaroni mixture into a 2 quart baking dish.  Pour the milk over the macaroni mixture.  Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF until cheese is bubbling.  Remove foil and bake until the top starts to brown slightly.  Remove from oven and serve.

Pan Fried Smelt

I am an avid fisherman or should that be fisherwoman.  My husband does not fish and really doesn't like a fresh catch on the boat but a couple of times a year I persuade him with an AutoTrader and a couple of drinks/snacks so I can get to the bigger catch.  Other than that I have to resort to fishing from shore.  Now, I do not use a net unless trying to land a fish but when it comes to smelting, the only way to go is via a fishing net.   Smelt is a very small, about the size of your pointer finger, fresh water fish usually caught off the shores of Lake Erie here but can be found throughout any of the Great Lakes.   I have some rather unpleasant memories of smelt.  A very generous person gave my Mom a whole bushel full of smelt so we got to clean them and all I can say is YUK!  Don't get me wrong as I don't mind cleaning my catch but smelt are tedious at best to clean. 

Smelt are seldom found in the grocery stores and when they are available the price is rather high.  Sobey's has them on occasion priced at about $15.50 per kilogram.  A better price can be found at the fisheries along Lake Erie and in Erieau, Ontario.  The price is lower if you clean them yourself. 

I bought a 0.288 kg package of cleaned smelt (pictured) for $4.44.  This was enough smelt for two with a little left over.  Towards the centre is the head of a smelt so you have an idea of what they look like.  Usually when you buy cleaned smelt there are no heads but one occasionally slips through.  Smelt is best lightly coated then pan fried.  Cleaned smelt should be rinsed then patted almost dry before coating.

I made a simple coating of flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt and pepper to toss the smelt in.   Smelt cooks rather quickly because of it's small size making it ideal for those meals where shorter prep times are required.  Fry until the coating is a golden brown.   Avoid stirring but rather use a flipper to gently turn the smelt to prevent them from breaking up.  I served the smelt with mixed vegetables and roasted mini potatoes with garlic and shallots.  It was a simple, easy to prepare yet delicious home cooked meal.  This meal from start to finish took about 30 minutes but it could have been shorted by serving another side besides the roasted mini potatoes.  Plain or wild rice would go nicely as a side as a substitute for the potatoes.

All fish have bones but some are more problematic than others.  Smelt have a small backbone that unlike canned salmon does not soften much with cooking.  The backbone is edible and a good source of calcium.  However, this backbone can be problematic for children causing a choking risk and some simply prefer not to eat it.  The backbone will pull away freely from the cooked smelt.  I recommend removing the backbone after the smelt is cooked before serving it to children.  Children can be quite curious so this presents a wonderful learning moment to see what the backbone looks like, touch it and understand why they shouldn't eat it until they are older.  The backbone is not as fragile as it looks so you can rinse it off, allow to air dry then your child could take it to school for show and tell.

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Let's Talk Fish

I've mentioned several times that we enjoy eating locally caught fresh water fish (eg. bass, perch, pickerel, whitefish).  In addition to what I catch and the generosity of some of our friends who also like to fish, I end up buying a considerable amount of fish.  Fish is generally more expensive than other meats but it is a frugal choice in terms of healthier eating and vastly reduced cooking time.  Fish is one food I prefer fresh (aka still swimming) or frozen.  Fish is versatile lending itself nicely as the meat component in meals, sandwiches, salads, soups and chowders.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 focuses on fish.

• fresh fish - You can catch fresh fish yourself or it can be purchased directly from fishermen, fish mongers (eg. retail from commercial fisheries), fish farms or in the fresh seafood section of your grocery store.  It is best to clean your fish catch as soon as possible then prepare what cannot be used that day for freezing (see methods below).  Fish bought fresh from other sources may have the head and scales still on so you need to descale the fish and remove the head.  The head should be used to make fish stock.  The flesh behind the operculum especially on bass is quite tender and sweet.  It is considered a delicacy.  When buying fresh fish with the head on the eyes should be clear not cloudy and it should not have a strong 'fishy' smell.  Cleaned fish is usually sold as descaled and beheaded or as fillets.  The flesh should be translucent, free of blemishes and there should be no strong 'fishy' smell.  Transport fresh fish on ice or in insulated grocery bags.  Fish that is still living can be transported in a bucket with water from the source where the fish was caught.
• frozen fish - Frozen fish is available from fisheries and the grocery stores.  It is usually vacuum sealed as fillets or steaks.  Frozen fish is also available already coated but I do not recommend buying fish this way.  It is more expensive per unit price and many fish products like breaded fish sticks are made with chopped fish as well as having additives and preservatives.  Frozen fish should be kept frozen until ready to cook.  When buying frozen fish look for the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) certification indicating the fishery has met the environmental standard for a well-managed and sustainable fisher. Avoid salmon that is farm raised as dye may have been added to give the reddish flesh colour.  Instead choose 'wild' salmon.
• canned fish - Both tuna and salmon are available canned.  I am not a big fan of either but they do have their place in a well stocked pantry.  Choose tuna that has the 'dolphin friendly' symbol indicating the fishery uses methods that don't entrap dolphins.  Tuna that has been packed in water is healthier than that packed in oil.  Always shop the sales when buying canned fish.  Smaller fish such as sardines and anchovies are also available canned.  These are usually packed in oil.
• cooking fish - Fish can be cooked using most cooking methods although one method may be better for one type of fish than another.  Fish should be cooked until the flesh is opaque and flakes nicely.  Avoid over cooking!  Keep coatings and seasonings on the lighter side.  Citrus pairs nicely with fish to brighten the flavour.  For a crispier coating use a dry flour mixture with cornmeal but use a batter mixture for a smoother English style coating.
• freezing fresh fish - Fresh fish is delicate so it does need to be well protected when freezing.   There are three ways to package fresh fish for freezing. 
• freeze in water - Clean the fresh fish.  Place in freezer containers.  Pour cold water over the fish leaving ½- inch headspace.  Freeze.  Thaw before using.  This works great for perch and pickerel.
• ice dipping - Place cleaned fish fillets in a single layer on a baking sheet then freeze.  Quickly dip in cold water then refreeze.  Repeat this process a few times to form an ice barrier on the fish fillet.  Place fillets in freezer container and freeze.
• vacuum sealing - Place cleaned fish fillets in vacuum bag.  Vacuum seal.  For best results, use one meal's worth or one fillet per vacuum bag.
• canning fish - Fresh caught fish can be home canned and while I have not canned fish many of my fellow home canners have.  I certainly would home can fish given the opportunity.  In general stick to tuna or salmon but in reality any fish could be canned.  
• smoking fish - Fresh caught fish can easily be hot or cold smoked for a lovely flavour.  This is a preservation method for keeping excess fresh fish while adding flavour.  Smokers can range from simple DIY set-ups to outdoor grill add-ons (inc. foil smoke packets) to rather fancy smokers.  The average home cook will likely use an outdoor grill add-on or small specialized smoker (~$100).

 

Baked Basa Fish

We enjoy a fish dinner at least once a week, usually on Fridays but we often have fish a couple of times a week.  Fresh caught local fish here is bluegill, bass, perch, pickerel and whitefish.  Since I like to fish and we have friends who are very generous with their catch, we eat a lot of local fresh-water fish here but more salt-water fish at our vacation home.  One of the local grocery stores has a few rather good sales on various fish fillets.  I took advantage of the sales to stock up on wild salmon as well as try a couple of fish we haven't had before.  One of those fish was basa.

Basa fish (Pangasius bocourti) is a type of catfish native to southeastern Asia (Mekong River Delta in Vietnam and Chao Phraya basin in Thailand).  The package I bought was farm raised rather than wild.  The fillets were good sized enough for one serving each.

I baked the basa fish seasoned with lemon pepper.  Sides included roasted mini red potatoes and steamed asparagus.  The basa fish had a light, clean flavour.  My husband really liked it however I found the texture to be a bit mushier than I like in fish.

The package cost me $5 for two fillets, enough for a meal for two.  In comparison to chicken, pork and ground beef the basa fish at $2.50 per serving is a bit higher priced but it is a healthier meat choice.  Fish is lower in calories and fat especially in comparison to red meat.  Fish also has a short cook time making it a frugal meat choice.  In this respect, even though fish costs a bit more per serving, it is still an excellent value for your food dollar.

Cod Fingers

Appetizers are the meal starters that many home cooks overlook except perhaps when entertaining.  I admit that we don't have appetizers as part of our evening meal daily but we do have them a couple of times a week.  An appetizer is meant to stimulate the appetite so the serving size should be small and the choice should compliment the main course. 

Cod fingers are a wonderful appetizer that is quite easy to make at home.  They are served simply with a tartar or lemon sauce.  You will need one small cod fillet per person.  Cut the cod fillets into 3/4 - inch strips.  Coat with a simple beer batter.  Deep fry until golden brown.  Drain and serve with the desired sauce.  

Cod fingers easily double as fish sticks for children.  Now the neat thing is you can fry up beer battered cod whole fillets for the adults then make cod fingers for the kids.  This is a time you want to use individual dipping bowls too.  I find our grandkids love dipping especially when they have their own dipping bowl.  

Grilled Maple Salmon

We eat a lot of fish, mainly locally caught bass, pickerel and perch.  However, we love cod, tuna and salmon.  I'm very picky about the quality of the fish we consume.  Salmon in particular is available as farm raised or wild.  Farm raised salmon is usually a bit cheaper but not by much.  The problem with farm raised salmon is it is often dyed to get the beautiful pink salmon colour and it lacks the deep, rich salmon flavour of wild salmon.  We always buy wild salmon with no additives even when dining out.

Simple is always a good policy when grilling but that doesn't mean the food needs to be bland or plain.  I paired Canadian maple syrup with wild salmon on the grill.  There is just something about this pairing that works so I use it quite often.  The sweetness of the maple syrup enhances the deep salmon flavour without overpowering it.  I used maple syrup as a mop while grilling then as a finishing glaze and finally as dipping sauce.  I served the grilled maple salmon with camp style potatoes made with red onion and seasoned with garlic pepper. 

I just love salmon grilled this way.  It is absolutely delightful!  Unlike some fish, salmon does lend itself well to grilling.  It is a nice firm fish so you don't have to worry about it breaking up on the grill like some fish would.  Salmon is definitely one of my favourite grilling fish!

Walleye Dinner

A month ago yesterday I injured my leg quite badly while getting into a friend's truck after a fish fry.  We go to several fish fries over the winter months to help support the community and service clubs.  It's a nice way to enjoy a great meal while socializing a bit.  My husband wanted to go to a fish fry last night hosted by a local service club.  The thing is the healing has been a very long, drawn out process with my leg still looking quite ugly as if I have a second knee.  The haematoma measures 4 cm wide and is raised about 2.5 cm with considerable bruising and swelling, painful to walk on.  Mobility is still an issue so I really wasn't too anxious to go to a fish fry or anywhere else for that matter.  My husband thought getting out of the house would be a good idea so after a bit of discussion I agreed.  What the heck!  I tend to have a bit of a rubber arm when food is involved :)

We, along with another couple, a friend and his young daughter went to the weekly Friday night dinner hosted by the Moose Lodge.  They have a different dinner each Friday night throughout the month with one of them being some type of fish.  After dinner there is music with karaoke and socializing for those who want to make an evening of it.

The dinner was fried walleye with wild rice, home style fried potato wedges, corn bread and cole slaw.  The fish was absolutely delightful, perfectly cooked.  The wild rice side consisted of wild rice, red pepper, mushroom, onions and bacon pieces.  It was good but both my friend and I thought it was missing a base note.  I can't quite put my finger on it but will be experimenting this weekend with wild rice.  With the ingredients it should have been quite tasty so this should be a rather fun experiment.  I really liked the home style fried potato wedges.  These are easy to make at home by cutting a potato into quarters or sixths then deep frying the wedges.  The corn muffins were a really nice change from the standard dinner rolls offered at these types of events.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Roasting Thick Cut Fish Fillets

When browning thick cut fish fillets (eg. cod loin) in the fry pan for baking in the oven, they will dry out before browning occurs.  Sprinkle a little sugar on each side for nice golden brown crust.  Sear on each side then finish in oven at 425ºF to finish cooking through. 

Fish Fry Fare

How is that title for alliteration?  I have written a few times about fish fries on this blog.  These small, volunteer run events are run as fund raisers for the organization hosting the fish fry.  Fish fries are always a lot of fun.  They are very much a social event usually with the same people attending each time.  They are a nice way to enjoy eating out while providing community support.  

We went to a community fish fry two weeks ago this Friday.  The food served at fish fries is simple, home style cooking by volunteers.  This was an all you can eat fish fry with the regular offerings that included perch, pickerel, baked beans, French fries, corn. coleslaw and dinner rolls. There were cheese, pickle and vegetable trays.  As always the food was delicious!

Due to an injury that night I find myself still on crutches which means no cooking.  What this really means is boredom is starting to set in as I haven't been able to do much especially in the kitchen.  Don't worry though as I still have plenty of cooking to write about until I'm back in my kitchen.  In the meantime I going through recipe books looking for new recipes to try.

Seafood Breader Mix (Foodie Find)

We eat a lot of local fish (bass, perch and pickerel) as well as non-local fish (cod, haddock).  My husband is always picking up fish coating to try in addition to our homemade fish coating.  As a result we have been able to tweak our homemade fish coating to give a couple of different results.  We have also discovered a lot of nice fish coating mixes in the process.

One of our foodie finds from Bravo in Florida was Dixie Lily Seafood Breader Mix.  This coating can be used dry as a breading or mixed with water to form a batter for fish, seafood, and vegetables.  The 24 oz bag cost $3.19 which is rather inexpensive as fish coating goes although it is still more expensive than homemade fish coating.

The main ingredients in any fish coating is flour, yellow corn meal or yellow corn flour, and seasonings.  Other ingredients such as powdered eggs, corn starch, baking soda, sugar and preservatives may also be added.  Fish coating really is a mix that can be made at home with simple then tweaked to get the desired results.  You can even make up a couple of different versions.  It will keep nicely in the pantry.

Cod is one of our favourite fish usually enjoyed deep or pan fried.  This is such a nice thick yet tender and flakey fish.  When we have cod in a restaurant we usually order it English style (beer battered) or broiled with orange sauce.  We tried the seafood breader mix on pan fried  Atlantic cod loins.  I served the fish with fresh cut French fries. 

The mix performed nicely giving a gorgeous golden coating without being too heavy or overpowering.  It was light yet tasty.  This would be a nice mix to create a clone recipe for.  I had best get doing a bit of tinkering in the kitchen!

How It's Made - Frozen Fish Sticks

Fish is a delicate meat that quickly spoils after being caught.  For that reason hobby anglers and commercial fisheries know the sooner the fish is cleaned and frozen for longer term storage the better.  Commercial fishermen clean the fish aboard the ship then it is rapidly frozen.   Depending on the variety it may be minced and rapidly frozen into large blocks that will later be cut at the processing plant into logs and finally sticks.  Other fish is rapidly frozen as fillets on the fishing vessel. 

Frozen fish sticks are the fish of choice for many families.  They come conveniently packaged,  breaded and ready to pop into the microwave  or oven for a quick meal.  Most kids like fish sticks so moms tend to buy them.  Have you ever wondered how fish sticks were made?  Here's a video that shows the process.  Enjoy!

Willow Creek Mill Stoneground Fisherman's Choice Breading & Batter Mix

We eat fish at least once a week but quite often a few times a week.  Our fish of choice tends to be locally caught perch, pickerel and bass but we enjoy other fish as well.  My husband has a tendency to pick up a pack or two of fish coating to try. 

One of the foodie finds we brought home from our recent vacation was Willow Creek Mill Stoneground Fisherman's Choice Breading and Batter Mix.  It was packaged in a resealable, waterproof bag inside a cotton bag decorated with a small bobber.  Willow Creek Mill is located in Valders, Wisconsin.  The added tag gave the nutritional information and best used by date.  Ingredients on the back of the cloth bag indicated the mix was made with unbleached flour, cornmeal, triticale flour, seasonings and salt. Checking their online site, lemon pepper and horseradish root are also listed as ingredients for this product.   Instructions for using dry or a batter were also printed on the back of the cloth bag. 

We made a tradition perch fish fry using the Fisherman's Choice mix served with fresh cut French fries.  Pictured is our perch fish fry dinner.  This was a good coating but somewhat lacking in flavour.  Until I read online that the coating had lemon pepper and horseradish root in it, I definely would never have guessed it.  The coating mix was quite on the bland side.  Not that you want a really spicy coating for perch but you need a little flavour besides the taste of flour.  It did not adhere to the fish as it should have but other than that, the fish was good. 

I would rate this fish coating mix just slightly under average in terms of flavour and performance.  Don't get me wrong as it was still a good dinner but nothing spectacular with respect to the fish.  The fresh cut French fries on the other hand were superb as always.  We enjoyed the meal in front of the television watching Coronation Street while the snow fell is swirls outside the window.  This was a great Friday fish fry without having to leave the house!