Steamed Ginger Garlic Fish with Peanut Udon Noodles

This is a different very healthy way to cook fish. Fast and flavourful   My brother and sister in law made fish this way in the 70's in Vancouver.  I haven't made this for a long time.  My new pots came with a steamer basket which I thought I would put to good use.  I am using Basa fillets that I have bought frozen.  I like Basa as it is very reasonably priced, and firm fleshed.  It is a type of catfish.  If you don't like catfish  (or you are kosher)  you can easily use any white fish fillet (sole, haddock, Pollock etc).

I am making the fish with a family favorite.  Udon peanut noodles.   This is a yummy slightly spicy dish that would complement chicken or pork as well.   Udon noodles are readily available in the Asian section of most supermarkets. I have also made this dish with rice noodles for the gluten intolerant.  If you can't find Udon noodles, plain old Spaghetti will do.  I used dark soy sauce on the fish.  I changed the recipe as next time I will use a lighter soy sauce.  Everyone enjoyed it with the dark soy, I thought it would look better with a lighter soy sauce.

Tip of the day:  Frozen fish works very well for most dishes if you defrost it either by leaving over night in the fridge or in a bowl of cold water.  Once the fish is defrosted drain it well on paper towels to get all of the excess moisture out and if you can leave it in the fridge on uncovered on a bed of paper towels to dry completely.  

Steamed Fish

Ingredients

4 white fleshed fish fillets

1/2 cup medium soy sauce

1/4 cup sliced fresh ginger

4 large garlic cloves peeled and sliced

Instructions

In a dish that will hold the fish or in a zip lock pour soy sauce over the fish and make sure all of the fish gets coated.

Ginger and Garlic in bottom of steamer basket

Fill pot with water just below where the steamer basket will go so the basket is not touching the water.

Heat  water on high to boiling.  Place 1/2 of the sliced ginger and garlic on the bottom of the steamer basket.

Remove the fish from the soy sauce and place on top of the ginger and garlic in the steamer basket.

Place the remaining ginger and garlic on top of the fish.

Put the steamer basket into the pot and reduce to medium heat (water should still be boiling if it isn't turn up the heat until it retains its boil)

Cook for 15 minutes until fish is flakes easily.

Peanut Udon Noodles

Ingredients

1/2 cup chicken broth 

Sauce for noodles

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 

3 tablespoons soy sauce 

4 tablespoons peanut butter 

1 1/2 tablespoons honey 

2 teaspoons hot chile paste (optional) 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

8 ounces Udon noodles 

1/4 cup chopped green onions 

1/4 cup chopped peanuts 

Noodles with sauce

Instructions

Put Udon noodles in a bowl.  Cover with hot water and let sit for 3 minutes.  Drain noodles.

Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, chili paste, and garlic on medium heat in a medium saucepan. Cook until peanut butter melts. Add noodles, and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and peanuts.

Udon Peanut Noodles

Tsippi's Chicken - on the grill with Cous Cous

It is a beautiful day.  Now that the days are a little longer I am able to barbeque.  We had this once at our friend's home.  They called it Tsippi's Chicken because they got the recipe from their friend Tsippi.
I like it because it is fast and flavourful.  When you use a lot of lemon juice you don't need to marinate for a long time.   I love this combination of lemon, cumin and garlic.  You can use a cut up whole chicken, chicken thighs or as I am doing tonight, chicken breasts, bone in, skin on.
I was going to serve this with hash browns but after I cut the peppers and onions I found I was short two potatoes, so I looked in my cupboard and there was cous cous, the food so nice they named it twice.  So I am making cous cous and broccoli to accompany the chicken.  I usually use zucchini in this dish but I didn't have any so I left it out and used a carrot instead, now I will add carrot with the zucchini  I had to stop Andrew and Naomi from eating it all as we had to save some for Lauren who is working and will eat when she gets home.

Today's Tip: You may have noticed broccoli on a lot of my dinner plates.  Broccoli is a favorite of my girls and is also considered a "super food", high in Vitamin C and Vitamin K.  I cut a bunch of broccoli into manageable pieces (little trees) discarding the big "trunks", wash it and put it into a microwave proof dish.  I cover it loosely with wax paper and microwave it on high for 3 - 4 minutes.  This process steams the broccoli, it is easier, takes less time and you can serve it in the dish you cooked it in.
Broccoli has more nutritional value when it is steamed, please go to  http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=9&tname=foodspice to find all of the benefits of eating steamed broccoli.

Tsippi's Chicken


Ingredients


4 chicken breasts
juice from two lemons
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon cumin.

Directions


Put lemon juice, garlic and cumin in a zip lock bag.  Add chicken and seal.  Move the bag around to make sure all of the chicken is coated in the marinade.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Grill on medium (350 degrees) 30 - 40 minutes.

Marsha's Cous Cous


Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
1 red pepper diced
1 zucchini diced
1 carrot diced
1 cup cous cous
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a large covered skillet on medium and add olive oil.  Add onions, peppers, zucchini and carrots reduce heat to medium low and cook until softened - about 5 minutes.  Add cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook for one minute.
Add chicken stock, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Add cous cous, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Andrew's world famous Hummus - easy to make and good for you

Superbowl Sunday.  I am making chili - the recipe is on the blog in the archives.
Andrew is stepping up and making is "world famous Hummus.   Hummus is Andrew's one culinary skill and he does it well.
I know most people just buy their hummus.  It is surprisingly easy to make and very cost efficient.
You need to buy Tahini (sesame seed butter) which is expensive but can be kept - like peanut butter - in the cupboard for a long time.  Other than that it is just a can of chickpeas (under $1) garlic, lemon and olive oil.


Check out the nutritional values of hummus at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus#Nutritional_information.  It is high in fiber and a good source of protein.


Tip of the day:  Make a sandwich in a whole wheat pita pocket or wrap with hummus, left over or deli chicken, lettuce and tomato, a yummy healthy lunch!


Hummus


Ingredients 
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 can chick peas drained and rinsed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup tahini
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Paprika - either sweet smoked or regular for dusting on top


Directions
Put all of the ingredients (except the paprika) in the food processor and process until smooth.

Serve with pita wedges.

Buttermilk Biscuits - the one I just tried - do you have a recipe to share?

I once made these fabulous biscuits and cannot find what I did with the recipe.  I have been looking for a good biscuit recipe ever since.  If you have one please send it to me.
I made these today.  Naomi's friend Laila is visiting.  She is my surrogate daughter who appreciates me.   Naomi wanted to go out for dinner, Laila want to stay in as she loves my cooking.  This morning I asked the girls if they wanted biscuits for breakfast.  Naomi said no it was OK, Laila said yes please.  This is a recipe I modified from one I found online.

Naomi said they were a bit too light an fluffy.  Laila said they were light and fluffy and delicious.

“Buttermilk” Biscuits made with Soured Milk

Preheat oven to 450

Ingredients

One tablespoon of either vinegar or lemon juice with milk to equal one cup of liquid

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup butter chopped into small chunks

Instructions

Put lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup and pour in milk to equal one cup. Set aside.

In a large bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cream of tarter.  Mix with a wooden spoon.

Add the butter.  Cover your hands with the flour mixture and start rubbing your palms together mixing the butter into the flour until it is still has some pea sized pieces but is mostly incorporated.

Stir in the soured milk and continue stirring only until the mixture forms a ball and begins to hold together.  The dough will be fairly wet. 

Turn out onto a floured surface and pat or roll out to 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick,  dip your cutter (I use plastic cup) and cut into rounds.  Gently gather up the scraps, pat them down and cut them into more rounds.

Line  a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange biscuits about 1 inch apart.

Bake  for 12 or 15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with jam.

Chicken Pasta Puttanescish - another 30 minute dinner

There is a dish called Pasta Puttanesca.  This is my version made with chicken not quite the same but similar flavours which is why I call it Pasta Puttanescish.  If you like kalamata olives and sun dried tomatoes this is the dish for you.  It is a raunchy strong flavoured pasta and is a favorite of Andrew and Naomi.  The best part is it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

You can substitute a two cans of tuna for the chicken.

Tip of the Day  Stock up on boneless skinless chicken breasts or bone and skin them yourself when they are on sale.  Package them individually in sandwich bags inside freezer bags and freeze them so you can easily take out as many as you need.  Defrost them in the microwave. This allows you to make a variety of dishes quickly and gives the flexibility of making as much or as little as needed.

My friend asked me why I use Passata.  I like it because it is pure tomato puree with nothing else in it.  It is packaged in a jar which makes it easy to use as much as I need and refrigerate the rest.  Crushed canned tomato is very thick, tomato sauces have a a lot of other ingredients.  Most canned tomato products have a lot of salt in them.  I like to control the salt.  In a dish like this one with the sun dried tomatoes and the olives you don't need any added salt.

Pasta Puttanescish


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Passata (Italian tomato puree)
6 sun dried tomato halves (packed in oil) sliced

                                                              

1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives (you can buy them sliced in a jar if you can't find them smash the olive with a knife and remove the pit, then slice)
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

Whole Wheat Spaghetti  (or what ever pasta you like)
Parmesan cheese to grate on top


Instructions


Put the water on to cook your pasta.  Add pasta when water is boiling and cook to package directions.
Meanwhile heat a large skillet on high, add olive oil, add chicken and reduce heat to medium.  Leave to cook check to see if chicken moves easily, do not stir until it does.  (the meat sticks when it is raw but releases from the pan when it is cooked).
Add onions and stir until softened.  Add garlic, olives and sun dried tomatoes and stir.  Add Passata and stir to blend.  Reduce heat to low and leave until pasta is done
When pasta is done add parsley to sauce.  Put pasta into bowls and divide the sauce over the pasta and serve.
Pass the Parmesan to grate over the pasta.

Baby Arugula, Goat Cheese and Maple Pecan Salad

Tonight I am going to a "pot luck" dinner to support a wonderful charity called The Women of Afghanistan.
100% of all funds raised go to the charity, everyone who works for the charity is a volunteer and all administrative needs are donated.
We are hoping to raise enough money to fund a teacher for the school the charity built.
I was asked to bring a salad.  The ladies always go for the sweet salads when I cater.  So I am making a salad to please the ladies tonight.
Arugula is one of my favorite greens.  It's peppery taste goes well with the sweet maple pecans and the fruit.  The goat cheese lends a creaminess and richness to the salad.  I will also throw in some blue berries and blood oranges for both colour and texture and of course taste (and because I have them on hand).  You also can use strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds or clementines.  Salads are a blank canvas for your creative touches - don't be afraid to experiment.

Baby Arugula, Goat Cheese and Maple Pecan Salad


Ingredients
Salad
1 package Baby Arugula
2 oz goat cheese crumbled
1/2 cup blueberries
2 small blood oranges in sections
1/2 cup maple pecans - see recipe below


Dressing
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Maple Pecans (I always double this as we are "nut nuts" and they are delicious on their own)
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Heat small non stick skillet on medium.  Add pecans stir until fragrant.
Add maple syrup stir to coat and separate nuts and remove from heat.

Instructions
Make maple pecans and set aside to cool
Put all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and whisk until blended
In a large salad bowl add Arugula, goat cheese, berries, blood orange and pecans.
Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Pot Roast - make ahead, make extra, freeze for later

I would rather eat Pot Roast than steak.  The girls are both working tonight, we are eating beef.
I have tried various Pot Roast recipes over the years.  I come back to my mother's onion soup and ketchup.
It is delicious.
My mother always made a brisket.  Living in Oakville it is not always  easy to get brisket.  I am making a boneless Blade Roast (also called Chuck Roast).
You need a roast with some fat in it.  Eye of the round is too lean for this recipe.
I am not fond of outside round, it tends to come out dry.  Any other "pot roast" cut will do.
My brother and mother swear by seasoning the roast the day before.  Many times I just season the roast and put it right into the oven and it comes out great.  If you have the time, do it ahead if you don't no problem.
You can put all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and leave it for the day.
This roast is best made ahead, cooled, sliced thinly and then put back into its juice and warmed.
I like to make a big roast, slice it up and package portions in the freezer in zip lock bags for a quick meal.
Pot roast makes the best sandwiches.  You can freeze sandwich size portions as well.

Pot Roast
1 3-5 pound Pot roast (Boneless Blade, Chuck, Brisket)
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/2 cup ketchup
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup coffee (I save some from the morning or make instant)

Rub the granulated garlic into the roast.   Cover the roast with ketchup, pour the onion soup over the ketchup and rub into the roast.  Put roast into roasting pan with cover.  Pour coffee over the roast.  Cover to bake.  If you don't have a covered roaster cover a pan or casserole dish tightly with foil

Bake at 350 for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until soft.  Test with a meat fork - if it goes in with no resistance the roast is done.  Remove roast from pan and let sit at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Slice as thinly as you can.  Place in casserole dish and pour juice over roast to serve.  You can cut the roast ahead of time, cover the casserole dish with foil and keep it warm in the oven.
Serve with Horseradish

Meat and Juice ready for the freezer for another meal

A sandwich size portion