Fish Chowder

I was going through all the draft posts I never published and came across this one for Fish Chowder from a few years ago. You can tell because the soup pot is sitting on the table I used to use for my blog photos when we still lived in our townhouse. We moved to our new house in April 2017, so my best guess is this is from sometime in 2016. Better late than never, right?



I remember I wanted to find a recipe for fish chowder because I was reading a book where they talked about fish chowder. This was absolutely delicious and I'm scratching my head as to why I never remade it. Maybe because I'm not the world's biggest soup fan? Who knows. With the arrival of fall and cooler weather likely here to stay, this is a great, hearty meal with a salad and some crusty bread.

Fish Chowder
Simply Recipes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 cups clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay (optional, can use a little paprika and a dash of cayenne)
1 1/2 to 2 lbs cod*, or other firm white fish, pin bones removed, fillets cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil and butter in the bottom of a large pot (6-qt) on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and turn up the heat. Cook, uncovered, until the wine reduces by half.

Add the potatoes, clam juice, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, and Old Bay. The potatoes should be just barely covered with the liquid in the pot. If not, add water so that they are. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost done, about 10-15 minutes. In a separate pot, heat the cream until steamy (not boiling).

Add the fish to the pot of potatoes and add the heated cream. Return to the stove. Cook on low heat, uncovered, until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Keep your eye on the heat to avoid curdling.

When the fish is just cooked through, remove from heat. Mix in the parsley. The flavors will improve if the soup rests 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.

Salmon Sushi Bowls

We recently discovered that the salmon we buy from the local fish market is sushi grade. Ahhhh! Such a game changer. We've gone a bit overboard since then, buying huge slabs of salmon so we can grill some on a cedar plank and cut up the rest for sashimi. One time Steve bought a whole side of salmon. That was $$$ but so damn good.



These sushi bowls were everything I wanted them to be and more. I can't wait to make them again but next time I'll also buy some tuna so we can enjoy both types of fish.

Salmon Sushi Bowls
Inspired by Fox and Briar

1 pound sushi-grade salmon
1 avocado, cut into cubes
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
3 scallions, sliced on an angle
4 sheets nori, cut into strips
sesame seeds, for garnish
cooked edamame, optional
pickled ginger, optional
wasabi, optional

For the Sushi Rice
1 cup short grain white sushi rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

For Soy Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced

For the Spicy Mayo
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sriracha (or more, to desired spiciness)
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Remove the skin from the salmon and cut into bite-size chunks.

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then add to a pot with the 1 1/2 cups of water and let sit for 30 minutes. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes. While the rice is cooking, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Once the rice is cooked, cool for a few minutes and then pour the vinegar mixture over the rice and stir until combined.

Mix the soy ginger dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, then do the same for the spicy mayo.

To assemble the bowls, add sushi rice to a bowl and top with a portion of salmon, avocado, cucumber, scallion and a few pieces of nori. Drizzle with the soy ginger dressing and some of the spicy mayo. Garnish with sesame seeds. You can also add cooked edamame, pickled ginger and/or wasabi.

Smoked Salmon Pizza

I'm not sure how or when I came across this recipe for Smoked Salmon Pizza, but every time I looked through my huge stack of printed recipes I'd see it. While we're on the subject, yes I print recipes I want to make because I like having a hard copy in front of me while I'm cooking so I can make notes. And yes, I desperately need a better filing system than stuffing the pile of papers into a reusable grocery bag.

Ahem.



I've been eyeing up this recipe for a while but I could never find a good time to make it. Then our friends invited us over for brunch and I finally got a chance to try it. As an aside, I love that my friend didn't blink when I asked if I could use her kitchen, or when I busted out my pizza stone, parchment paper and all the various toppings I'd put in individual containers.

This was a cinch to make and I loved the crispy pizza crust with the luscious smoked salmon, salty capers and the tang of the red onion. Next time I think I'll swap the sour cream (which I subbed for crème fraiche) for cream cheese to make it more like a bagel, while also adding some of the same seasonings found on my favorite bagel of all time, the everything bagel. I hear Trader Joes makes an everything bagel seasoning blend. I really need to get my hands on some of that!

Our Best Ever Smoked Salmon Pizza
Modified from Spoon, Fork, Bacon

1/2 a ball of pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
Olive oil
1/2 cup cream cheese, sour cream or crème fraiche
4oz sliced smoked salmon or lox
Thinly sliced tomato
Thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup capers, drained
1/2 cup baby arugula
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dried dill

Preheat the oven to 425°F with a pizza stone on the center rack.

Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour. Pierce the surface all over with a fork and brush with small amount olive oil. Remove the pizza stone from the oven and transfer the parchment paper to the stone. If you have a pizza peel (I really need to get one of these) just put the pizza dough directly on the heated stone.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and allow crust to cool a bit before adding the toppings.

Spread the cream cheese/sour cream/crème fraiche on the crust and top with pieces of the salmon and tomato. Sprinkle on the red onions and capers. Toss the arugula with some lemon juice, salt and pepper and add that to the pizza. Add a sprinkling of dill, cut into wedges and serve.

Mustard-Roasted Fish

We all love fish but I'm not great at changing up how we eat it. We have two family favorites - homemade fish sticks and tilapia francese. I buy a club pack of frozen tilapia filets and those are the two dishes I make over and over again.

Then Ina's recipe for Mustard-Roasted Fish came into my life. I follow Ina's page on Facebook and it was re-posted there as an easy weeknight meal recommendation. I've had a jar of grainy mustard in my pantry for ages just waiting to be used and this sounded easy and delicious.

Ina recipes never steer me wrong but this was outstanding. I loved the flavors in the sauce (I was glad I made rice to sop up the extra) and it really was one of the easiest meals I've ever made. All you do is mix the sauce ingredients, put the fish in a baking dish, top with the sauce and bake. I'm happy to have a new fish dish in the rotation.

Mustard-Roasted Fish
From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Cooking spray
4 fish fillets (tilapia, cod, red snapper, etc.)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers

Preheat the oven to 425.

Spray an ovenproof baking dish with cooking spray. Place the fish fillets in the dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. You want the fish to flake easily at the thickest part (test by pulling at the fish with a fork).

Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Fish Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

While I was making the menu for the week I asked SP if he wanted anything specific for dinner. The first thing he said was "know what we haven't had in awhile, fish tacos." I'll admit, I was a bit surprised. We eat fish regularly but not usually in tacos. I was up for the challenge, especially since Josie had just posted a recipe for Grilled Fish Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa. Those tacos were my inspiration for these beauties.

I've mentioned before that we don't own a gas grill, and grilling something as delicate as fish on a charcoal grill would be tricky for a weeknight. My grill pan recently experienced a small catastrophe, so that was out as well. I felt like making a battered fish taco, so I turned to my recipe for tilapia francese. I added a bunch of seasoning to the flour, which resulted in very flavorful fish. When it came to the salsa I knew the peppers had to go since they don't agree with me. I just swapped those out for grape tomatoes. I mashed up some avocado with a little cilantro and lime juice, shredded some lettuce and dinner was served.

We all LOVED these. I had to fight SP for the leftovers. Baby Girl took her taco apart and ate everything separately (such a strange child) but she cleaned her plate. These will definitely be on our permanent rotation. And since I used canned pineapple, we can make these year-round. They'll be such a great burst of summer flavors in the cold depths of winter.

Fish Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt and pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
4 pieces tilapia filets, cut into strips
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 can pineapple rings, drained, juice reserved
grape tomatoes, finely diced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon minced red onion

1 avocado, pitted
lime juice, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
Flour tortillas

Place flour in a pie plate and add the chile powder, oregano, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Beat the egg and water in a second pie plate. Coat each piece of tilapia with flour, then coat with egg, then pit it back in the flour for a second coat.

Heat butter and oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place tilapia in pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Meanwhile (or you can do this ahead of time), grill the pineapple in a grill pan over medium-high heat until brown on both sides. Transfer the pineapple to a large cutting board and finely chop. In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, grape tomatoes, cilantro, and red onion. Add a splash of the pineapple juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill the tortillas for 30 to 45 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with a dishtowel or foil.

Mash the avocado in a medium bowl. Add the lime juice, and continue mashing to form a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, top tortillas with fish, pineapple salsa, lettuce, avocado, and cilantro.

Lemon Tilapia Parmesan

My friend Jaida recently posted this recipe for Lemon Chicken Parmesan that looked so good I could almost taste it. We eat a lot of chicken, though, so I've been trying to replace some of our favorite chicken dishes with fish for some variety. I'm really into tilapia - it's so versatile and Baby Girl loves it, too. I figured it would be easy to swap out the chicken for tilapia in this recipe.

Since tilapia is so thin and quick-cooking, I didn't need to bake it. I just cooked the pasta, tossed it with the sauce and served the fish on top. Super simple and so delicious. I know you may think melted mozzarella and fish is a strange combo, but it was so good. The lemon sauce was so bright and flavorful, too. I may try this with chicken next time, just to see which protein we prefer.

Lemon Tilapia Parmesan
Modified from Sweet Beginnings

Pasta:
8 oz angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Fish:
4 tilapia filets
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the butter, lemon zest, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and water in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine the Panko, Parmesan, dried basil, salt and pepper.

Place the flour in a plastic food storage bag. Add the fish filets, seal the bag, and toss to coat the filets in the flour. Working with one piece at a time, dip a filet into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere the crumbs. Repeat with all the filets.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice and garlic. Add the fish filets and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Distribute the mozzarella between the 4 filets and cover the pan briefly so the cheese melts. Remove to filets to a plate.

Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat, thinning the sauce with some of the pasta cooking water. Serve some pasta in a shallow bowl topped with a piece of fish per person.

Sponsored Post: Campbell's Dinner Sauces, Holiday Version

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

The folks over at Campbell's asked me to create another recipe using their Skillet Sauces. This time they were looking for a holiday theme, something I'd serve to my family for Christmas or New Year's. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I'd had a tough time choosing between the various Skillet Sauces (also available in Marsala, Toasted Sesame, Scampi and Thai Green Curry, which I chose the first time I reviewed these), so I was eager to try another variety.

I always serve fish or seafood for Christmas Eve. I happened to have two tilapia filets in the freezer so I chose the scampi sauce. Traditionally scampi is served with shrimp, but I knew the delicate white fish would go well with the white wine and garlic scampi sauce.

This is an incredibly easy dish that comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta. I coated the fish in egg and flour before shallow frying it in vegetable oil. I drained off the oil and added the sauce to the skillet to heat through, added a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and then tossed the cooked pasta with the sauce. You could also add the fish to the sauce instead, but I wanted to maintain that nice, crispy coating. The meal was on the table in 15 minutes and we all enjoyed this immensely.

You can check out Campbell's Dinner Sauces on their website and on Facebook.

Tilapia Scampi
Makes 2 servings

1/2 cup flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 pieces tilapia filets
vegetable oil
1 pouch Campbell's Scampi Skillet Sauce
freshly squeezed lemon juice
8oz spagetti, cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Place flour in a pie plate. Beat the egg and water in a second pie plate. Gently coat each tilapia filet with flour on both sides, then place in the egg wash, coating on both side, then put back in the flour and coat on both sides.

Add vegetable oil to a large skillet, about 1/2-inch deep. Heat over medium heat. Place tilapia in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the fish from the skillet and drain off the oil. Wipe the skillet clean. Add the Scampi Skillet Sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce, then add the fresh parsley.

Divide the pasta between two bowls. Add one tilapia filet to each bowl and serve.








This post brought to you by Campbell’s Dinner Sauces. Weekend-worthy dinners with only weekday-level effort needed! Learn more at http://www.campbellsauces.com/

Crispy Baked Tilapia with Tangy Dill and Pickle Sauce

I don't know why but I've rarely cooked fish in the last few years. It wasn't until I was looking for a Mexican-themed recipe to remake that I stumbled upon fish tacos. SP bought me a 2-lb bag of tilapia so after making the tacos I still had four filets left to use. Then Ali posted this recipe for Crispy Baked Cod with Tangy Dill and Pickle Sauce and I couldn't wait to try it.

Since I had tilapia I subbed that for the cod. I also opted to pan fry the fish. Our new stove has an in-oven broiler but I haven't used it yet. I've always had ovens with broilers underneath, which means I've never broiled anything that doesn't fit into my toaster oven. I didn't want to experiment on this meal and who doesn't love fried food?

The next day I took my leftover fish and sauce and made it into a delicious sandwich. When I told SP my plan he was a bit miffed not to have his own sandwich. I will definitely be making it this way next time. The sandwich was perfect.

I was holding my breath to see what Baby Girl would think of the fish but both times I made it she yummed it up. Score!

Crispy Baked Fish with Tangy Dill & Pickle Sauce
Modified from Sparks From the Kitchen

1 large egg, beaten with a splash of water
1 cup panko
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 4oz skin-less fresh cod (or tilapia) filets
vegetable oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
splash of pickle juice
1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Place egg and water in a shallow dish. In a second dish combine panko, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Place the flour in a plastic food storage bag, then add the fish filets. Seal the bag and toss to coat the fish evenly in the flour. Remove from the bag and dip each fillet in the egg and then roll in panko.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with about 1/2-inch of canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the fish. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 4 minutes, then flip (very carefully, the fish is flaky and may fall apart), and brown the other side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off some of the oil.

While fish is cooking combine the mayo, pickle, pickle juice and mustard in a bowl. Stir and serve on the side with the fish.

Tilapia Francese

Melissa has had a photo of this Tilapia Francese as her signature picture on our cooking board for awhile now. Every time I see it I think, "why haven't I made that recipe yet?" When I had 3 filets of tilapia left after making the Tilapia Parmesan recently I knew exactly what I was going to make.


We recently went to a 1st birthday party at an Italian restaurant. One of the dishes they served was Tilapia Francese. I wish I'd known it was coming so I could have saved some room. It arrived at the table after the stuffed mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, salad, three different types of pasta, eggplant rollatini and chicken parmesan. Like I said, it was an Italian restaurant. Eating a small piece at the party made me even more excited for this dish.


I'm happy to report this was exactly like what was served at the party. Even SP agreed this was a restaurant-quality meal. I wanted some extra sauce to toss with the pasta so I increased the white wine and lemon juice but also added chicken broth to mellow out the flavors and add some body. It was perfect. Silky smooth from the flour on the fish and just tangy enough from the lemon juice.

Thanks for an awesome recipe, Melissa!

Tilapia Francese
Slightly adapted from I Was Born to Cook

1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
3 pieces tilapia filets
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/2 lb spagetti or other pasta, cooked according to package directions

Place flour in a pie plate and season with salt and pepper. Beat the egg and water in a second pie plate. Gently coat each tilapia filet with flour on both sides, then place in the egg wash, coating on both side, then put back in the flour and coat on both side.

Heat butter and oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place tilapia in pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add lemon juice and wine and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Do not flip the fish over once the liquid has been added. Remove the tilapia from the pan. Add the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top the tilapia with some of the sauce and garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley. Toss the spaghetti or pasta with the rest of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Tilapia with Roasted Tomatoes

We don't eat enough fish, especially since we discovered we just don't like salmon. In an effort to continue eating healthier, I've been on the lookout for fish recipes that don't sacrifice flavor. Enter this recipe for Parmesan Tilapia that's been circulating on my favorite food blogs for awhile now.


It may seem like Parmesan, mayo and butter on top of fish negates any healthy properties this recipe might have, but you're using so little of each and spreading it over 4 filets. I wanted to cut the richness of the topping while using up a few grape tomatoes that needed to be eaten, so I added a roasted tomato and basil topping. It was the perfect accompaniment, light and summery and packed with delicious tomato flavor.


Since I've never used my broiler (mine isn't in my oven) I just baked the fish. The topping didn't get brown and bubbly, but the flavor was still amazing, especially when paired with the roasted tomatoes. This is a simple, delicious meal that takes practically no time to make. I served it with roasted asparagus that cooked alongside the fish. Perfection.

Parmesan Tilapia with Roasted Tomatoes
Modified from Mrs. B Cooks, as seen on The Way to His Heart

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup basil leaves, lightly packed, finely minced
1 lb tilapia filets
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon onion salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 350. Toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes until soft. Allow to cool slightly, then remove skins (optional). Toss in a bowl with the minced basil and any juice from the baking sheet.

Switch on the broiler or keep the oven at 350. Line a baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange tilapia filets in a single layer on baking pan. Broil a few inches from heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or cook for 8 minutes. Flip the filets over and broil for an additional 2 minutes (only do if broiling).

In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Remove the fish from the oven and cover filets with Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Return to broiler and continue cooking until the top is lightly browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork. If baking, cook another 8 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven. Place one filet on each of 4 plates and top with some of the roasted tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Recipe Swap - Poached Salmon with Creamy Piccata Sauce

Want to see what other Healthy recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Healthy Recipe Swap Roundup

Since many people make one of their New Years resolutions to eat healthier and/or lose weight, I thought a Healthy Recipe Swap would be a good idea. I've been trying to lose some weight myself and have been very successful so far, although admittedly it isn't because I'm buying low-fat foods or using whole wheat pasta. I'm just eating less of the full-fat things I like. I know, I know, that isn't the best choice. But I just can't deny myself the things I love and I love food.

The recipe I received for the swap was Poached Salmon with Creamy Piccata Sauce. I was planning to sub the salmon for cod or halibut, but when SP went to the store he told me both cod and halibut were way too expensive ($30/lb for halibut? Seriously? I can buy filet for that much money). So despite not being a huge fan of salmon, we went that route.


This was definitely an easy recipe to make and I'd venture it's pretty healthy since you're poaching the salmon instead of pan-searing it (which is the only way I've liked it in the past). The sauce was really good, but a little thin. I think some cornstarch would have helped to thicken it up a bit. And no, I didn't use reduced-fat sour cream. I also subbed parsley for the dill since I don't cook much with dill and didn't want to have the leftovers go to waste.

Poached Salmon with Creamy Piccata Sauce
Cheese Curd in Paradise

1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skin removed and cut into 4 portions
1 cup dry white wine, divided
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or parsley

Place salmon in a large skillet. Add 1/2 cup wine and enough water to just cover the salmon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, turn the salmon over, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine; boil until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and capers; cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and salt. To serve, top the salmon with the sauce and garnish with dill.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Fish/Seafood

Fish/seafood was the theme for this recipe swap. I don't cook fish often, but that's going to change. There are so many delicious recipes below I'll be able to make one once a week for the next few months. I just wish shrimp was cheaper. I could easily eat it once a week.

Nicole was pleasantly surprised by her recipe for Grilled Salmon and Potatoes with Quick Tomato Chutney:


Jenna is new to cooking seafood, so she was happy with her super easy and delicious recipe for Garlic Lime Shrimp Pasta:


Jessy satisfied her love of lobster rolls with her recipe for Shrimp Salad Sandwiches:


Caitlin had a hometown connection to her recipe for Hot Crab Dip:


The Cooking Nurse had one of my favorite shrimp recipes, Ginger, Scallion and Garlic Shrimp:


Peace, Love and French Fries cooked outside of her comfort zone with Almond Crusted Salmon:


I rarely cook salmon but this Honey Mustard Salmon with Potatoes and Asparagus has made me anxious to cook this delicious meal again:


Melissa was happy to add another delicious salmon recipe to her repertoire with Lemon-Dill Salmon:


Jey turned her recipe into Spicy Shrimp and Mango Tacos:


Coleen was excited to expand her fish/seafood palate with her recipe for Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa:


Jaida tried a new twist on salmon with Juice Box Salmon with Creamy Russian Dressing:


Dawn loves seafood and really enjoyed her recipe for Zesty Shrimp with Arugula:


The Cookaholic Wife took a trip down memory lane with her recipe for Parmesan Tilapia:


Joelen recently discovered she has a gluten sensitivity so she modified her recipe for Tilapia with Chile Garlic Orange Relish:


Nicole enjoyed her Shrimp Bisque:

Fish Filets, Fries and Corn

Warning - The only thing homemade in this post is the tartar sauce.

I have to admit, even if some of my readers are disappointed, that since having Baby Girl my food standards have gone way, way down. Whereas before I frowned upon convenience foods like boxed potatoes, powdered sauces, soup from a can, heck, even frozen veggies, these days I've actually cooked (and enjoyed) Hamburger Helper. I just don't have the same kind of time to cook that I once did and while I hope that as Baby Girl gets older I can return to my from-scratch ways, I'm shocked to say we're doing just fine with some of the prepackaged items. Like these fish filets that I served recently:


They were Gorton's and all I had to do was bake them, along with the fries, and dinner was served. I added frozen corn since that's SP's favorite veggie and homemade tartar sauce (just mix mayo and relish together).

Baked Fish and Salad

Baked fish and salad seemed like a simple dinner. I seasoned the fish with salt, pepper and lemon juice and then baked it at 350 for about 15 minutes.


The salad came from Everyday Food - it was a Mediterranean Salad with green beans, oranges and red onion. I left out the feta and white beans.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks with Herbed Dipping Sauce and Fries

I wanted to do something different with fish this week when I remembered my friend Colleen had posted a recipe for panko-crusted fish sticks that seemed simple and tasty.


I had to modify the recipe slightly because I didn't have enough panko and we didn't have horseradish for the dipping sauce. I added seasoned bread crumbs to the panko, which resulted in a less crispy crust but the fish was still very good. And the sauce makes quite a lot, way more then you need for two servings, so next time I'll halve the recipe. I served the fish sticks with frozen fries.

Fish Cakes with Red Pepper Gravy and Spinach Mashers

We've always liked these fish cakes with red pepper gravy and spinach mashed potatoes:


... so I made them for dinner on Wednesday. I prepped a lot of the ingredients ahead of time so it was pretty easy to assemble these on a weeknight. Can you tell I'm into quick cooking, easy meals these days?

Baked Tilapia, Potato Salad, Roasted Asparagus

We're trying to clean out the freezer in preparation for a trip to the wholesale club. We had three tilapia filets that I decided to bake for a healthier dinner.


I seasoned the fish with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice and baked it for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.


About 5 minutes before the fish went into the oven I put the asparagus tossed with oil, salt and pepper in to roast:


I've always wanted to cook with leeks but I never knew what to make with them so I don't buy them. But they looked so good at the farmers market a few weeks ago that I couldn't resist. SP wasn't in the mood for soup and I was running out of time to use them, so I sliced them up yesterday and left them to soak while I thought of an idea. I asked for ideas on my cooking board and was directed to this recipe for a warm potato salad. I used the basic idea to create a warm leek and potato salad:


... that was a half success. I slow-cooked the leeks in some butter until they were soft and mixed them with the cubes of potatoes tossed while they were still hot in a dressing made with lemon juice, white wine vinegar, fresh thyme, lemon zest, salt, pepper and olive oil. The potatoes soaked up the dressing, which was nice and tangy, but SP said next time I should just use the vinegar. I also thought the salad needed something crunchy like the fresh green beans that are part of the original recipe. It's definitely something I'll try again.

Tilapia with Herb Butter

On Wednesday I made myself some tilapia and broccoli for dinner:


To prepare the tilapia I seasoned it with salt and pepper and cooked it quickly in a tiny bit of oil. I also made an herb butter using rosemary, thyme and basil to melt over the fish. Lemon juice was squeezed over the fish right before serving. The broccoli was simply steamed.

Tilapia with Corn Gravy and Chive Mashed Potatoes

I was looking through recent issues of Everyday with Rachael Ray when I came across this recipe for fish with a corn gravy. I decided to give it a try with tilapia because that's what we had in the freezer.


The end result was pretty good, but I think we're both off the corn chowder-type dishes for awhile. The gravy would have been better with the requisite bacon, but I couldn't find any in the fridge. Turns out it was hidden underneath something. Bummer. The mashed potatoes were quite good, as was the fish, but the corn gravy reminded us too much of that fateful Crab and Corn Chowda Mac.

Fish and Chips

On Friday my mom came over to watch the first part of the season finale of Doctor Who with us. I wanted to make something British for the occasion. Fish and chips seemed like the most obvious choice.