What has 25 calories per ounce, 27 grams of protein per serving, and only 1.5 total grams of fat?

Yes, you heard it correctly, only 25 calories per ounce! A 5 oz. serving of Red Snapper will set you back only 125 calories, provide nearly half of your day's protein at 27 gm., and only 1.5 total gm. of fat. With numbers like these, one can certainly splurge and cook with a little bit of butter and not
feel guilty.

Red Snapper, if found in your local market, should be snapped up (no pun intended) and made a part of your regular meal time entree at least once a week. It's relatively reasonable in price and can be prepared in a variety of ways, including sauteed, broiled, baked, poached, and in stews. It is a fairly firm white fish that a little goes a long ways to satisfying your hunger.

Red Snapper can be purchased filleted, as steaks, or whole (ideal for baking with a white wine braise). Just remember, as with all fish, it doesn't take much time to cook - or overcook. Once overcooked, any fish should be given to the cat. If baked, it's best to preheat your oven to 425F (210C), take your fillet or steak in an oven proof pan, drizzle a little olive oil or melted butter, salt and pepper, and bake on lower rack  uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes max for a 3/4 to 1 inch thickness. Check it at 8 minutes, it should feel tender like the mound on top of your hand between the thumb and index finger. Remove it from the oven and let it set for a minute in the hot pan, then transfer to a heated serving platter. A squeeze of lemon, fresh minced basil or dill and you'll have yourself an entree that will be every bit as good as you will find in any fine restaurant.

Another great way of preparing Red Snapper is by a high heat saute for about 2 minutes, then pouring a half cup of white wine or fish stock with minced garlic and shallots, reducing the heat, cover, and cook another 5 minutes. This preparation is what is featured in this post. Remember an important factor, whenever possible, please select fresh cuts of fish. Smell it, it should have an almost odorless scent of the sea or fresh stream. If purchasing whole, make sure the fish scales are intact, shiny, and not dried out. The eyes should be clear and not milky or cloudy. If the fish department smells fishy when approaching it, turn around and walk away.

Ingredients needed for a serving of 4:

4 Red Snapper steaks or fillets, approx. 5 ounces each, skin on
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh basil stem, leaves sliced in thin strips
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1/4 cup of hot water (if needed, you can use)
3 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of rice vineager or white balsamic vineager
salt and white pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 cup of uncooked medium grain Jasmine rice


Prepare enough steamed white rice for 4 servings, usually 1 cup of uncooked white Jasmine rice will work well. Have this ready about 10 minutes before fish is ready to serve. Follow cooking directions on package as they vary depending on what type of rice you choose

In a large saute pan large enough for 4 pieces of fish, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. When oil is hot, place the fish in the pan and saute 1 minute on each side. Next, add the garlic and shallots to the pan and saute for another 30 seconds. Finally, add the white wine, reduce heat to low, and cover. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove pan from heat, place fish in a hot serving plate. Leave the liquid, shallots, and garlic in the pan. Return pan to heat, keeping heat on low to medium low. Add the tablespoon of vineager, a couple of tablespoons of the water to the pan. Now little by little, add a bit of the butter, all the while constantly stirring as the butter melts. Continue to slowly add the rest of the butter and the lemon zest. Stirring over low heat, make sure the butter does NOT come to a boil or you will separate the fats and you'll have a mess. When you have a nice smooth and silky sauce that coats your spoon, add salt and white pepper to taste. Once satisfied with the flavor, pour the sauce through a fine strainer into a sauce bowl. Discard the solids left in the strainer. Serve over the fish and rice on each individual guest dish and finish off with  sprinkles of the fresh basil. Serve hot and enjoy.

If you're not a fish lover, this will change your mind!

This is a third recipe creation on this blog using Swai fish and from what I can tell you, I think it's my best. I call it Pan Fried Swai Mediterrane. The marriage of the ingredients used produced an incredible bouquet of flavors so refreshing and yet low in saturated fat and cholesterol not to mention very reasonable in calories. I was so excited about this creation that I had to share it with all of you without delay. Without further ado, here are the ingredients you'll need:

These quantities will serve a party of 2

2 Swai fish fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 medium avocado, diced
1/2 cup of chopped Spanish olives
1/4 cup of chopped roasted garlic
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Cracked black pepper
2 pinches of salt
Olive oil

Begin by combining the avocado, olives, and garlic in a bowl and stir gently. Add some cracked black pepper, the lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Continue to stir gently, cover, and set in the fridge.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat. Salt your fish on each side and saute until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Once turned, add a bit of cracked black pepper, remove from pan and set fish on paper towels.

Slice each fillet across and place one half on your plate, add a couple of tablespoons of the avocado preparation on top of the fish and add the second half above that. You may add another spoon of avocado around the sides. Finish the dish off with a squeeze of lemon and enjoy. As a side dish, you may want to serve boiled baby Yukon Gold potatoes. Finish off with a chilled glass of dry white wine of your choice.

Keep it Steelhead simple...

In an effort to maintaining the goals set forth by this blog from its onset, that is to demonstrating how simplicity in the kitchen can produce wonderful dishes and recipes, we are launching the "Keep it simple" series. Throughout its duration, simple yet savory recipes will be presented from time to time. These recipes will stand out from the rest in that the ingredients will be few and from preparation to presentation will be less than 30 minutes.

From personal experience, it's so important now days that with our busy and hectic schedules, we can come home and put an eye appealing and mouth watering dinner together in a minimal amount of time, whether it's dinner for one or party of 4. Not everyone has the time to spend shopping for exotic herbs and ingredients, then come home and spend several hours preparing the dish. And yet, we want to eat healthy, fresh, and flavorful ingredients, not the ones you grab out of the freezer and punch 3 minutes on the microwave dial. This series will make every attempt to achieve the success of simplicity.

As our first dish of the series, it's appropriate to present fish, an often times intimidating food item that can present itself with challenges on how to cook it as well as how to season. Beyond that, what side dishes will pair well with it besides steamed rice (yawn). Steelhead Trout (salmon) is a wonderful solid flesh fish that opens up many possibilities; however, this recipe is so simple that it will take less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Apart from having to go to the store to purchase a fresh filet, the ingredients can all be found within the confines of your pantry. As far as pairing a side dish, why not simply boil some baby Yukon Golds or Red potatoes (Baby Yukons, butter, and parsley)  and serve them tossed with butter and parsley? How simple is that?

1 1/2 lb fresh fillet of Steelhead Trout (also called Steelhead Salmon)
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon
1 pinch of dried basil
salt and pepper
parsley for garnish

Preheat your oven to 400F (200C)

For those of you that are not keen on the rich flavor of Salmon, you may want to try Steelhead. It is a more delicate flavored fish with a much lighter pink color. Be sure to purchase a fresh fillet with the skin still intact on one color. 1 1/2 pounds will serve 4 people comfortably.

Grease a long baking dish with olive oil or butter. Rinse the fillet over cold water but do NOT pat it dry. The remaining water on the fish will help to cook it and remain moist. Place fillet, skin side down, on the baking dish. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and sprinkle the juice over the fillet. Now sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then the salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Slice the lemon and place the slices around the fish.

Bake at 400 for approximately 12 minutes. The fish should have a little give when you push a finger down on it, but it should not be hard to the touch. Remove from oven and let set for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, take your baby potatoes and slice them in halves. Place them in a deep bowl, along with chopped parsley, butter, and salt and pepper. Stir to melt the butter. Dinner is now set. All this took less than 30 minutes and you didn't have to make a long shopping list. How cool is that ??!!

Curry Poached Swai Filets guaranteed to become a favorite dish

The last time we talked about Swai Fish, it was Panko breaded and pan fried. There were rave reviews on its preparation and those that tried it wrote back to comment on how delicious and moist it was. Indeed, Swai is a wonderful fish that holds very well pan fried.

Well, if you enjoyed it pan fried, you will love it poached. Curry Poached Swai Fish will even convert those of you that may not be keen on fish that isn't fried, guaranteed. This preparation was started the day before with an overnight marination with coconut milk and curry powder. We first start out with the recipe for the marinade:

Prepare the night before:

1 can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2 teaspoons of good quality curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of tabasco sauce (no more than that!)
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried tarragon
2 teaspoons of whole peppercorns (preferably red and green)
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic paste
3 teaspoons of capers
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of crushed pepper

You will notice there is a melange of East and West flavors in this marinade. One might think the mix of these ingredients might not work. You will be very delighted as to how well they work. Prepare this the night before. Add all ingredients together in a bowl and blend thoroughly until everything is well mixed. Now add 2 large Swai filets making sure they are well coated and marinade completely covers the fish. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, transfer to the fridge and forget about it (until the next day).

This dish will take only 15 to 20 minutes to cook, so be sure that any starch you prepare is pretty much ready by the time the fish goes in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400. Spray or coat a shallow large baking dish with either cooking spray or sesame oil rubbed with a paper towel. Place each Swai filet side by side in the dish. You will notice the marinade will have solidified a great deal, which is normal. Now restir the remaining marinade until it is smooth and pour a tablespoon over each filet, paying special attention to include as much of the peppercorns and capers that were in the marinade.

Place the dish in the oven, uncovered, and reduce the heat slightly (to 380), bake for 20 minutes. When ready, serve each filet on a heated dinner plate with a side of asparagus and boiled baby red potatoes. At your liking, you may sprinkle some chopped parsley for garnish. Enjoy this wonderful way of serving not only Swai, but also Halibut filets, Snapper, and Cod. You may also bring the left over marinade to a slow boil, adding a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock and serve over the potatoes.

Pan Fried Rex Sole; so easy, so how can it taste so good?

One of my favorite fish of the sea, Rex Sole is often overlooked in favor of the more popular species of what is considered "flat fish". Don't make this mistake, this flat fish is absolutely delicious and so easy to prepare. If that weren't enough, it's very inexpensive. It's almost always available fresh at your local supermarket. For those of you residing in Europe, you're going to have to look it up online as to what it is called in your country. In the U.S., I simply call it good!

The easiest and and lip smacking way to prepare Rex Sole is to simply dredge it in flour and pan fry it over medium high heat until it is rendered to a golden crisp color. No need for a list of ingredients here, just add salt and pepper, 1/4 cup of olive oil and pan fry away. Finish it off with a lemon wedge at plating.

There is another wonderful thing to remember about Rex Sole (and most other flat fish), very few bones except for the backbone down the center of the fish. When ready to eat, simply take your knife and cut right down the length in the center of the fish and carefully separate the flesh with that knife. Once one side is complete, turn the fish over and repeat the process.

Serve this fish with steamed or boiled baby red potatoes, cut in wedges, and drizzle with a bit of melted butter. Garnish with chopped parsley. Doesn't that sound wonderful? And rather healthy, I might add. Butter isn't that bad for you in moderation. This is the time to moderate. As a finishing touch, serve a chilled plate of frisee lettuce with a lite vinegrette. There you go, I've just planned your dinner menu and I'm sure you won't regret it.

Skate Wing will have you flying to a new taste sensation

Most of you have probably never heard of Skate fish. I, for one, had never heard of it until I visited the local Asian supermarket. In the fresh seafood aisle, I saw these packages of seafood that looked like fans, so fresh and clean in color, and very reasonably priced. So, as is common with me, I decided to try something new and report back to you. I can tell you I was not a bit disappointed.

Skates are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. There are more than 200 described species in 27 genera. There are two subfamilies, Rajinae (hardnose skates) and Arhynchobatinae (softnose skates). (information provided by Wikipedia)

The Skate wings are totally edible, as there are no bones, only cartilage. If you don't like cartilage, you can easily remove the meat by sliding your knife dull side down and running it the length of the wing. Turn the wing to the other side and repeat the process. This seafood meat is very delicate in flavor, very much like sole. This recipe provides for a quick preparation by dredging it in flour and quick pan frying it to a golden brown, lightly seasoning it with salt and pepper with a final drizzle of Meyer lemon juice, chopped scallions, and parsley for garnish. Pair it with a tossed salad of mixed greens and you've got yourself a very healthy, low calorie, and low fat lunch or dinner. Here's what you'll need for two servings,

2 medium fresh Skate wings
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 chopped scallions
1/2 Meyer lemon, squeezed
2 tablespoons of flour (for dredging)
Salt and pepper to taste
Bouquet of fresh parsley for garnish

Start by heating the oil in a large saute or fry pan over medium high heat. While oil is heating, use a plastic bag to dredge the wings in the flour. Add the flour to the bag and then add the wings and shake until well coated. You may add the pepper and salt during this process or wait until the wings are frying. It's your choice.

When oil is hot, saute the wings about 3 minutes on each side or until fried to a nice golden brown. Once finished to your liking, remove them and set them on paper towels and pat them to remove any excess surface oil. If you haven't already done so, salt and pepper to your taste. Place them on your serving plates, drizzle some of the Meyer lemon juice and a scattering of the scallions. Garnish with a small bouquet of fresh parsley and enjoy.

(drawing of Skate provided by Wikipedia.com)

Poached Halibut in a Saffron Jus --- Can you believe it came out of a microwave?

Yes, this wonderful Halibut steak was poach in my microwave.  It is so easy to prepare and makes a very nice presentation at your dinner table. As I have previously mentioned, I have found that my microwave produces the nicest, moist, and succulent poached fish I've ever made. There are a few things to remember, however. First, make sure it's the solid species of fish, i.e. halibut, salmon, bass etc. Second, you really want your piece of fish to be a good inch in thickness. And last, always cook it with liquid and in a container that you can seal with a little opening for steam to escape, otherwise the lid will pop out and all bets will be off. If you use clear wrap, make sure it's tightly sealed and can't loosen up. Cut a couple of little slits to allow steam to escape.

As for the sauce that we will use in this recipe, you will need:

1 cup chicken or seafood stock (seafood stock is best)
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
2 tablespoons large capers
2 pinches of saffron threads
2 tablespoons of cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter

In a sauce pan, melt your butter with the olive oil at medium heat. Once butter is well melted, add peppers, onion, garlic, and capers and sautee for about 5 minutes. Now add your stock and saffron. Continue to cook for a few more minutes while turning heat to medium low. Finally, add the cream and blend with other ingredients, salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat off.

In your microwave dish, lay your fish in the middle and slowly pour your sauce over it. Don't pour too much sauce into the dish because you don't want your fish to boil. The liquid should come up about 1/3 up the side of the fish. Save the rest of the sauce for plating (keep on stove at "warm" setting). Cover your microwave dish as I instructed and set in the center of your microwave. Since microwaves vary, start by microwaving your fish on high for 4 minutes. If you want a little more doneness, just microwave for 30 to 45 more seconds but no more. If you leave covered and sitting for another minute, the fish will cook a bit more.

Remove fish from container and set it in the center of a heated plate and carefully pour the sauce over the top until the base of the plate has been coated. Serve immediately with thin slices of toasted French bread. Enjoy!

Where Are You, Seafood Lovers?

This is a question that has pondered me for a long time. Whenever I plan dinner parties, I always think about a nice seafood venue; however, there always seems to be one or more guests that are not fond of the jewels of the sea. Alas, I end up nixing that idea most of the time.

I love seafood. Whether it be shell fish, crustaceans, or any of the fishes of the sea, if you put seafood on your menu, I will be there for dinner. Wait, I said that too fast. Anything from the sea or rivers that resembles a snake, throw it back in, I hate eel. The weird thing is that when I was a wee wee young lad in boarding school in France, I loved eel. I was staying at an eel farm and we frequently would have sauteed eel at the dinner table. How the palate changes over the years. I absolutely hate sea urchin as well, for no reason except that a friend of mine ordered it when on an overseas trip. If memory serves me right, it was sea urchin omelet. It looked awful and my friend ate the whole thing! Other than those two things, the oceans and rivers hold the jewels of my taste buds.

The complaints I hear from those that tell me they aren't seafood lovers is that it's "rubbery", "dry", or "bland". My friends, it's all in the cooking. There is simply one rule and one rule only when cooking seafood, don't overcook, period. I have a simple rule (sticking with our theme) and that is when you are cooking fish, cook it as long as you would a steak done rare, about 2 minutes on each side. Of course, the thickness of the fish plays a role. The two minute rule is great for about 1 inch thickness. It's that simple. If it's shell fish, cook covered for 4 minutes, check. If shells are all open, it's ready. If not, cook for 2 more minutes covered. I tell you, all your shells will be opened and the meat will be succulent and moist. All I can say is the longer you cook seafood the better it will be as new soles for your shoes. It's your choice.

I recently have experimented with my microwave oven and fish. Now I know the first thing you're going to say is that's a whole lot of rubber. But wait, hear me out on this one. You can make the most wonderful poached salmon or halibut with your microwave. Start with a piece of halibut or salmon about 3/4" to 1" thick and a microwave dish that has a lid. You can use a plate to cover the dish if you want. Spray the bottom of the dish with Pam (I love her, she's so slippery and everything slides off her). Place your fish in the dish and add a teaspoon of olive oil or butter, salt, pepper, dill or basil (if you have some), and 1/4 cut of water or white wine. You can also add minced parsley and garlic and a squeeze of lemon, if you wish. Cover the dish well and microwave on level 8 for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Keep dish covered for another 60 seconds, then remove and place on your dinner plate. Take the liquid you have and add about 2 tablespoons of cream, mix well, add a teaspoon of tartar sauce, dilute into liquid. Cover and microwave for about 45 seconds on level 8. Remove from microwave and pour over your fish. Sprinkle a bit more parsley or basil, a slice of tomato, a few capers, and enjoy with steamed french haricots (petite green beans). Bon appetite! (photos provided by www.freedigitalphotos.net)