trout

i grew up catching and eating trout - nothing beats fresh caught trout when camping in the mountains by a pure stream (do they exist any more?).
Pan roasting was my favorite, but i am no long near the mountains and the trout i was used to are far away (rainbow and cutthroat, especially the cut throat).
Found some beautiful fillets at the store and it brought back all those memories,
yes i am big on memories and you would also if you had lost some like i did.
I looked a dozen recipes (every notice how many there are for something that should be simple?)
and created my own after finding each lacking

Trout plated with a smokey paprika rice

TROUT ALMONDINE

§       4 trout fillets

§       4 tablespoons all purpose flour

§       1 teaspoon smoked paprika

§       2 teaspoons salt

§       2 teaspoons black pepper

§       2 tablespoons lemon juice

§       1 teaspoon orange zest

§       1 tablespoon parsley, minced

§       8 lemon wedges

§       3 tablespoons butter, melted

§       3 ounces almond slivers

Mix flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon black pepper

pour a portion of lemon juice over the flesh side of the fish

sprinkle the smoked paprika on the same

Season the fish on both sides with the remainder of salt and pepper

place fish in a well greased, shallow baking pan, skin side up

pre heat the oven to 250

when the temperature is reached, turn off oven and turn on broiler

broil fish about 4 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes or until the skin is just browning

In small skillet, sauté almonds in the remainder of until golden brown

Plate fish skin side down

pour a small portion of lemon juice on the flesh side

spoon the buttered almonds on top

garnish with parsley, orange zest and lemon wedges

that irish day that just passed

I got a bit confused because i read all the different ways to "roast" corn beef and forgot I had this recipe in my file.  I tweaked it a bit, because there was no salt left in the meat changing the water 6 or 7 times and you want a little salt and adding the spice in the last soak added the flavor into the meat nicely

Corned Beef and Cabbage

my way

§       2 pieces of corned beef ~ 4 pounds each (it really shrinks)

§       1 medium head of Green cabbage sliced very thin

§       2 onions, quartered

§       2 tablespoons my own pickling spice, ratio:

-        1 tablespoon mustard seed,

-        2 bay leafs, crushed

-        1 tablespoon black pepper corns,

-        1 tablespoon allspice

-        1 cinnamon stick, crushed

§       4 red potatoes

§       2 tablespoons deli mustard

§       1 tablespoon brown sugar

§       1 tablespoon maple syrup

§       1/4 teaspoon dry hot peppers, crushed

§       1 beer (Guinness is what i use)

The corned beef is soaked in water and refrigerated for 2 days with the water being changed 3 or 4 times - this removes excess salt from the beef.

Add the pickling spice to the last water.

The day of serving, the corn beef  and water is placed in a large pot

Add the onions simmer for 2 hours.

Removed the beef from the pot and placed in a pan with the beer in it

glaze the beef with a mixture of mustard, syrup, dry peppers and sugar

Covered tightly and cook at 180 F in the oven for 3 hours.

While the beef cooks, add the potatoes to the pot and continue to simmer

uncover the meat and increase the heat to 425 F for 30 minutes

Add the cabbage to the pot

To char the top of the meat, broil on high for 2 or 3 minutes.

Drain the cabbage and potatoes and serve with thin slices of corn beef 

something different - Pasta carbonara, premavara, OK i will just call it primadonna!

what to do?
What to do!
It is a meatless Monday and i want pasta carbonara,
but that uses an Italian bacon panchetta, not meatless.
It could have done it without the bacon, but wanted vegetables.
I think of Pasta primavera, but my heart is set on trying for the first time a carbonara sauce.
I went where i should not go and so i called it my own name:
Pasta primadonna!

I have tricks, taught by my Greek mother on how to incorporate egg into a hot liquid with out cooking it to a "scrambled egg" mess, but rather infusing it to what you have,
ask any Greek cook who makes avgalemono soup, which is a chicken lemon soup with a egg white froth on top and is wonderful!
This is not for the faint of heart, but it was so good!

Pasta Prim-a-Donna

§       1 lb of your favorite pasta (fettuccine for me)

§       2 whole eggs

§       2 egg yolks

§       1/8 cup half and half or cream

§       1/2 stick butter

§       1/8 cup olive oil

§       1/2 cup Parmesan grated cheese

§       3 oz Parmesan cheese, diced

§       1 onion, diced

§       1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

§       2 cups fresh vegetables, diced

§       1 teaspoon or more black pepper (according to your taste)

§       grated Parmesan to top dishes

§       parsley, minced

§       salt to taste

          (except salt the pasta water to sea water)

Whip the eggs and yolks with the milk

melt butter and olive oil in a separate pan and sauté the onions

add the garlic and continue

begin the pasta water

add vegetables to the onions and garlic

cook the pasta and reserve a cup of the pasta water

add vegetables and Parmesan cheese chunks to the pasta

add some of the pasta water to the eggs, slowly to bring to a warm temperature and mix thoroughly

add to the pasta mixture and mix well

add grated Parmesan cheese and black

salt to taste

serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese and parsley

etouffee

I was going for gumbo, but became lost and ran into this recipe by Emeril:


Ingredients
1 stick butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-etouffee-recipe.html?oc=linkback


Save, i did not have crayfish, but rather had shrimp and cod and so i used them
i added some roux because i cooked the vegetables in some reduced white wine, topped it with parsley, green onions and lemon zest and came up with this lovely dish:

I never made this before, but fine it wonderfully different and will do it again