Baked Cod Packets

Tonight we had these quick, easy, and delicious cod packets. It is almost a complete meal with a fillet of fish nestled in a bed of spinach, leeks, and bell peppers. I served the packets with a side of white rice and the kids wanted a drizzle of soy sauce on theirs. Last week we even cooked the foil packets in the fireplace which added a bit of smokey flavor but tonight we opted for the oven. Either way it is terrific and cleanup is a snap!!!
Baked Cod Packets - 4 packets
4 cod fillets
1 leek, (I cut the bottom, white portion of slice it in half and thoroughly rinse it in the sink)
1 handful of spinach per packet
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
Place 4 large pieces of foil on the counter. Tear a handful of spinach leaves apart and place in the center of each piece of foil. Thinly slice the leek and add a quarter of the leeks to each packet. Place the bell pepper slices on top of the leeks, reserving two to three for the top of each fish fillet. Drizzle vegetables with a small amount of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place one fillet on top of each packet and place the remaining peppers on top of each piece of fish. Drizzle with a little more oil and season lightly again. Pull two sides of foil up over the fish and fold over two times. Next, fold the open edges over a few times to completely close. Repeat with remaining packets. Place on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. If the fish is white and firm to the touch it is ready. Serve with a scoop of rice.

Fresh Corn Soup

This fresh corn soup is a great way to make use of all that sweet corn on the cob from the farmers' market or roadside stand. I came home with a dozen beauties the other day and needed to use them up in two days' time. Last night we had half for dinner and the rest were shucked for this tasty soup. We made it into a meal by topping it with a few shrimp and a little extra corn for garnish. Next time I think I'll fry up a few strips of tortilla for a bit of fun and crunch.

Fresh Corn Soup
4 ears sweet corn, cut off the cob

3/4 cup milk

1 T butter

1 T olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups chicken broth

1 t salt

pepper

8-10 basil leaves

In a medium pot, place corn and milk. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large pot melt butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and celery, saute until tender, Add garlic, cook 1 additional minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add corn and milk mixture. At this point you could eat, or, place half in a blender or food processor and puree. Add pureed mixture back into pot and serve.

Grilled Herb Shrimp

Tonight we're having company...yay. I love to entertain. Plus I haven't seen my brother and his family in months, so it should be fun catching up and seeing how much my neice has grown. Tonight I'm making grilled shrimp, mushroom pasta, salad, bread, and lots of Prosecco (yummy sparkling wine) with dinner. Dessert is simple, but lovely - Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream.

Grilled Herb Shrimp
Adapted from Food Network's Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa
2 pounds large shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled and deveined (see note)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small-diced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Combine all the ingredients and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Skewer the shrimp. I use 3 or 4 shrimp on a 12-inch skewer for dinner. Heat a grill with coals and brush the grill with oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking. Grill the shrimp for only 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
Note: Ina leaves the tails on when peeling the shrimp.

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes
adapted from Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis
1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
1 1/3 cups water
3 large eggs whites
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (6-ounce) containers fresh raspberries, cut in half or 1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting
Line 18 muffin cups with muffin papers. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, water, egg whites, melted butter, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until the batter is well blended. Using about 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake, spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake the cupcakes until they are very pale golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely on a cooling rack.
Using a fork, coarsely mash 1 1/2 containers of raspberries in a medium bowl. Beat the cream and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold the mashed raspberries into the whipped cream.
Remove the muffin papers from the cupcakes and cut the tops off of each cupcake. Spoon the raspberry whipped cream atop the cupcake bottoms. Place the cupcake tops on the cupcakes. Dust with more powdered sugar and serve with the remaining berries.

Seafood and a Trio of Desserts

I really do like Valentine's Day. I like the idea of it, not so much for the cards or the flowers, but just the idea that I can spend the whole day creating things for 1 person. It is a calm holiday without guests or gifts or much hoopla at all. It actually creeps up out of nowhere and is gone in a flash.
Each year I spend the better part of the day preparing special dishes that will excite our taste buds but ooze romance as well. This year I decided to focus on seafood simply because it is out of the ordinary. I should say fish is out of the ordinary. Shrimp makes a regular appearance at our house. I love shrimp in all forms and I think it has been a staple at every holiday event I've hosted for as long as I can remember. I thought Joseph would see that coming...so I decided to play a little switch-a-roo on him. This year I went with big succulent scallops and a cod dish. We've eaten cod before, but I had never cooked any so I knew he would never guess it was coming. The salad course came from epicurious and I must say it was a huge hit. I was totally thrilled with it all around. First of all, it came together in just a couple of minutes, I got to try cooking escarole-I'd never actually put lettuce in a hot pan before, and the prosciutto chips were so so tasty.
The cod on chowder dish was terrific as well. I was able to make the chowder an hour or so in advance and simply sear off the cod right before serving which made it pretty easy as well. I wouldn't mind eating the chowder on it's own...or the cod for that matter. It was just a super tasty dish. So good, in fact, that I didn't end up making the mushroom ravioli I had planned(my back up plan in case the other two went up in flames) and we went straight to the desserts. I made three tiny desserts, two of which were terrific, and the third was just okay. There was a texture issue with the lemon custard...next time I will be replacing it with lemon cheesecake. The chocolate mousse was terrific though. It totally made up in the texture department where the other was lacking. Gabe loved the mousse, he kept licking his spoon saying "ice cream," we just nodded and smiled as he enjoyed his "ice cream." Finally, the third was delightful as well. It actually reminded us of strawberry shortcake - even with it's blackberry cream.

Warm Escarole Salad with Seared Scallops
adapted from epicurious.com

2 paper-thin slices prosciutto
2 T olive oil, divided
1 head escarole
4 sea scallops
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t grated lemon peel
First, brush each side of the prosciutto olive oil. Slice each piece of prosciutto into 3 strips. Heat a heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add slices of prosciutto. Cook until bottom is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn prosciutto over and cook until bottom is browned, flattening with spatula, about 1 minute longer. Using tongs, transfer prosciutto to paper towels to crisp. Reserve skillet.
Slice head of escarole into quarters. Drizzle two of the quarters with olive oil. Place in a large skillet over high heat. Cook until slightly wilted on edges and warmed. Remove and roughly chop.
Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until brown and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add lemon juice, lemon peel, and a touch more olive oil to drippings in skillet. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Pour pan juices over greens and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 2 plates and top with scallops. Garnish with prosciutto chips and serve.

Roast Cod with a New Engliand Chowder Sauce
adapted from Alfred Portale's Simple Pleasures
2 oz slab bacon, diced
1 cup clam juice
1 T oil
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced leek
1 t finely chopped garlic
2 medium white potatoes, diced
2/3 c heavy cream
1/3 c milk
salt pepper
4 skin-on cod fillets (4 oz each)
2 T olive oil
green onion or parsley to garnish

(I took a shortcut and used clam juice and skipped the first step of steaming 16 littleneck clams. If you happen to like eating those little rubbery guys do as suggested and steam the clams and serve the dish with the clams as well.)
Heat a large pot with 1 tablsepoon of oil and add bacon. Cook until fat has been rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon.
Add the onions ot the pot of rendered fat and saute until soft, but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the leeks and the garlic to this and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return half of the bacon to the pot along with the potatoes, cream, and clam juice. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, bringing to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
In a large saute pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Season cod with salt and pepper on both sides and then place skin side down in the pan. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook through...roughly 3 minutes depending on how thick of a but you have.
Serve cod atop chowder. Garnish with reserved bacon and green onions or parsley.

Check out Bea's blog for the chocolate mousse/custard: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2007/09/28/dark-chocolate-custard/
(Here I changed out bittersweet for semi-sweet, personal preference)
She also inspired the lemon custard dessert: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2006/11/30/blackberry-tartlets-with-lemon-cream-tartelettes-aux-mures-et-creme-au-citron/
The strawberry dessert, again roughly inspired by Bea: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2007/04/15/revisiting-the-idea-of-a-fraisier-idee-de-fraisier-revisite/

Gumbo

We recently had dinner at our local Heaven on Seven and ever since I have been craving more of their famous gumbo. I found this recipe courtesy of ABC Chicago News station and I have to say it is really good. Even without a few ingredients, namely the okra, clam juice, or lobster base, this was a winner. I'm sure if I had the last few ingredients it would be stellar, but I can still recommend my version. It is a little redder than the original but that is because I added more tomato paste than called for simply because I didn't want to waste it.
I'm simply reposting the recipe as given, however I made less than half a batch for us.

Jimmy Bannos of Heaven on Seven gumbo recipe

2 Pounds Chicken Thigh Meat- Diced
2 Pounds Sausage- sliced
1 Gallon chicken stock
1 Cup green peppers- diced
1 Cup celery- diced
1 Cup onions- diced
32 Ounces clam juice
3 Ounces crab base
2 Ounces lobster base
1/4 Cup cajun seasoning
1/8 Cup cayenne pepper
1 Cup tomato paste
1/4 Cup corn starch
2 Cups cut okra
2 Cups frozen shrimp-medium
Directions:
Sauté diced chicken in sauce pan. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add green pepper, onion, celery, cooked chicken, and sliced sausage.
Stir in cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, crab base, and lobster base. Let simmer, then add clam juice. Simmer while stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
Add okra and shrimp.
Cook for another ten minutes and add corn starch (diluted) and gumbo file.
Serve over rice

Crabcakes

Crabcakes are one of my favorite things, but it is often hard to find a good one that is chock full of crabmeat. This recipe makes a crab cake that is virtually all crab. We enjoyed these with a bowl of gumbo, a scoop of rice, and some tartar sauce.

Crabcakes

8 ounces crabmeat
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I use panko)
1/4 t lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 egg
a pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything except the egg in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings and then add the egg when satisfied. Shape filling into 2 inch crabcakes. Roll the cakes in bread crumbs and then refrigerate for about an hour to firm up.
Heat 1/4 cup of canola oil in a shallow pan and cook cakes for about 3 minutes per side, try to turn them only one time. Serve with your favorite tartar sauce or aioli.

A Picnic Celebration

Thursday night we celebrated Joseph's birthday by throwing him a little picnic party in the living room. Gabe and I spent the entire day running around gathering supplies and making lots of finger foods to nosh on. We made these cute little caprese salad bites, toasted ravioli with marinara sauce, coconut shrimp, bacon wrapped shrimp, beef skewers, cheese and crackers, and strawberry margaritas. We moved the furniture out of the way and layed everything out on a big blanket and set to work devouring as much as we could. Later we cleared the way for cake and games. The cake was yummy, but the games were the highlight of the night. We had a little baby pinata and we let Gabe take the first few swings and we nearly fell on the floor laughing because of how cute he looked. I was really amazed by how well he could hit that swinging hat full of candy. I was also delighted by his reaction to Joseph breaking it open and seeing snickers bars fly out of it. He started laughing and he actually ran to collect candy, which was sooo funny.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade Dipping Sauce
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 c flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c shredded coconut (I ran this through the food processor to make it a little finer.)

Dust shrimp with flour. Dip each shrimp in the beaten egg and then dip into the coconut. Fry in small batches in peanut oil heated to 375 degrees.

Marmalade Sauce

5 T orange marmalade
1 T Grey Poupoun Harvest Coarse Ground Mustard
1 T Horseradish Sauce

Mix all ingredients and serve with coconut shrimp.

Wild Canadian Walleye Shoreside

It has been over a week since returning home, however I am just now getting back into the swing of things. After much vacationing and traveling I am craving some time to relax. This summer has been so packed with weddings, showers, trips, and outings that I am truly looking forward to fall and all it has to offer.

This simple lunch of fried potatoes, baked beans, and freshly caught walleye was one of the highlights of our Canadian fishing experience. Everyone gets excited about the prospect of catching fish, cleaning them riverside, and cooking them up for lunch. I think it makes us feel like pioneers living off of the land. That is a good thing in our book!

The one gripe that I have with our annual shore lunch is that my father, a lovable guy - always insists that I be the one to cook everything...yet he directs my every move. "Get the fire started." "That's not enough wood." "You need more oil in there." "I like my potatoes crispy." "Flip those fish." "Move that pan over to the other side."
He claims to love shore lunches...somehow I think that he loves giving me a hard time even more!

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

"Would you like to eat this tonight?" I asked Gabe as I pointed to a picture in a favorite cookbook. He nodded and I quickly got to work. I'm so thrilled that my son is starting to understand what we say. It is so rewarding to get a response when I talk to him now. He doesn't say much, but I get lots of nods, pointing, and actions. He can follow simple directions and he learns quickly. Yesterday I pointed to his belly button and said "Look at your belly button." Later on in the day I asked Gabe to show Daddy his belly button and he lifted up his shirt and pointed at it. It was so cute.
This recipe comes from my Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook which I love. Not one recipe has failed yet. I did however alter this one to accomodate a smaller amount and I did have to make a few concessions when making it for an 18 month old. It has less lemon and a little less parsley than the original recipe but amp it up if you wish.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

Kosher Salt
1/2 lb linguine
1/3 stick unsalted butter
2 T olive oil
2 T minced garlic
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 t black pepper
2 T chopped fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

Boil pasta according to directions. In another large pan melt the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute on medium-low heat. Add the shrimp, 2 tsp. salt, and pepper. Cook under shrimp are just pink - about 5 minutes. Removed from the heat and add the lemon juice and parsley. Toss together with the pasta, add the lemon rounds, and serve.

Grilled Salmon

This salmon recipe turned out to be so easy and delicious that Joseph said it was one of his favorites. I mixed up a quick marinade of honey, soy sauce, and ginger and used half for the actual marinade and reduced the other half for a quick and flavorful sauce. An impressive looking dinner for such a small amount of effort!

Honey Ginger Salmon

2 6 oz salmon filets
1/4 c honey
1/3 c soy sauce
1 T grated fresh ginger
1 orange, juiced

Mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add half to a medium ziploc bag and add salmon. Gently turn bag over and over to completely coat fish. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before grilling. Grill on medium-high heat until fish pulls apart easily when poked.

For sauce, heat remaining marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce until slightly thickened or add a small amount of cornstarch to thicken quickly.

Shrimp Wonton Salad

Tonight's meal was full of flavor. We had Shrimp and Avocado Salads, Wonton Wrapped Prawns, and we even had light and crispy Meringues for dessert.  This shrimp and avocado salad is worth the effort it takes to fry the wontons.

Shrimp and avocado salad with crispy wontons
adapted from wok by Vicki Liley

Grapefruit Dressing
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 t brown sugar
1 T white wine vinegar
1 t peeled and grated fresh ginger

Salad
2 T vegetable oil, plus 3 cups for frying
3 cloves garlic, crushed
20 jumbo shrimp
12 wonton wrappers
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 red onion or 1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

To make the dressing, place grapefruit juice, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, and ginger in a screw-top jar. Shake well to combine and set aside.
To make salad, in a wok over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons oil Add garlic and stir-fry until aromatic, about 1 minutes. Raise heat to high, add shrimp and stir-fry until shrimp change color. Remove. Heat 3 cups oil in wok until it reaches 375 degrees. Working in batches, add wonton wrappers and fry until golden and crisp, about 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
In a bowl, combine avocado, tomato, onion, and parsley/cilantro. Add shrimp and grapefruit dressing and gently stir. Cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes to develop the flavors.
Place one wonton on each plate and top with salad. Add another wonton and layer salad. Top with third wonton and serve immediately.

Meringueadapted from Bills Food by Bill Granger
4 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place the egg whiteand salt in a clean, dry bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until a glossy, stiff mixture forms.
Spoon out 8 meringues onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Top with whipped cream, berries, and sauce.

Shrimp Risotto with Sweet Peas and Leeks

This week I'm working from Alfred Portale's (Gotham Bar and Grill's Acclaimed Chef) Simple Pleasures a cookbook that I picked up from the library. I chose it, along with 3 other books, in a matter of minutes as a friend of mine was playing with the little one downstairs. This method of simply ripping down a few cookbooks without much time to ponder has been mostly hit and miss. Lately I seem to have been missing a lot. However, this one seems interesting with it's colorful pictures and stripped down recipes. Yesterday I chose two or three recipes that I wanted to try and went out to gather ingredients. This risotto was my first choice and it sure is a keeper.
It turned out so good that I thought I would submit it to Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Tomato. This weekly event features recipes containing vegetables and herbs as the focus and this dish fits the bill. The leeks are spotlighted in this wonderful risotto and the opportunity to use a variety of herbs such as parsley, chervil, and basil make it fun to prepare. The leeks in this dish lend a delicate onion flavor. They also have a nice texture and proved to be a great way to sneak in a veggie (not that I really need to "sneak" them in)for my 13 month old who isn't yet able to handle bold flavors.

Shrimp Risotto with Sweet Peas and Leeks
adapted from Simple Pleasures

2 quarts Chicken Stock
Coarse salt to taste
1 cup frozen peas - fresh when in season
4 small leeks, white and green parts only, thickly slices, rinsed, and drained
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 t finely chopped garlic
1 t coriander
2 cups Risotto Rice-Canaroli or Arborio
1/2 cup dry white wine
12 to 14 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped chervil - I replaced this with basil (a suggested variation)
4 t fresh lemon juice (I omitted this for person preference.)

Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Keep the stock at a low simmer.
While the stock is heating, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Add the peas to the boiling water and blanch them for 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking and set their color.
Add the leeks to the boiling water and cook until tender, 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the leeks to the ice water. Drain the vegetables and set them aside.
Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and coriander, and cook for another minute. Add the rice and saute until coated. Add the wine and cook, stirring until it is almost completely absorbed, 3 minutes.
Add about 1 cup of simmering stock to the rice. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring often, until the stock is almost completely absorbed. Gradually add more stock, a cup at a time, stirring gently until it is absorbed by the rice before adding the next cup. After about 15 minutes taste the rice which should be firm yet cooked through. It should take a total of 18-20 minutes total.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan set over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add them to the pan, and saute until firm and pink, about 3 minutes.
Add the peas, leeks, and shrimp to the risotto. Stir in the butter and cream. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, and chervil. Season to taste.


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Bucatini with Shrimp Skewers and Pesto

Tonight's dinner comes from a cookbook put out by Williams-Sonoma simply called Pasta.  It turned out very tasty and I really enjoyed the shrimp skewers.

Bucatini with Shrimp Skewers and Sicilian Pesto
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Pasta
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
24 fresh basil leaves
salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3 T extra virgin olive oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t cumin
salt and pepper
1 pound shrimp
1 lb bucatini

To make the pesto, combine the almonds, garlic, and oilve oil in a blender or food processor and grind to a coarse paste. Add the basil and process until just blended. Add cheese and salt to taste. It should have some texture.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat a grill pan over high heat.

Meanwhile, combine the oilve oil, lemon zest, juice, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste in a lratge bowl to make a marinade. Shell the shrimp, leaving the tails intact, and devein them if the vein is visible. Add the shrimp to the marinade and miz well. Thread the shrimp on 4 long metal skewers.

Generously salt the boiling water, add the bucatini, and cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, sear the shrmip skweres on the grill pan or in a broiler without moving them until they start to turn pink, 1-2 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until evenly pink, 1-2 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Put the pasta in a bowl. Pour on the pesto and toss, adding a few tablespoons of the cooking water to loosen the sauce, Serve the pasta alongside the shrimp.

Wild Canadian Walleye

We've just gotten back from the most wonderful vacation in the Canadian Wilderness. This was our second visit to Mache - Kino Lodge, which is located northeast of Chapleau, Ontario. We've spent the past 5 days fishing for walleye and spending time with family and friends. We had a terrific time motoring around the lakes and rivers taking in the natural beauty of the land and dropping our lines in to see what we could catch.
We ate plenty of fish while there. Two afternoons were spent preparing shore lunches...a lunch including the freshly caught fish (cleaned on the side of the river), fried potatoes, baked beans, bread, and roasted marshmallows. We also enjoyed two fish dinners prepared by the wonderful staff at the lodge. So, I was anxious to try something new with the fish that we brought home with us. I looked around and found a delicious looking take on one of my favorites - crab cakes. Here I've made Walleye Cakes with Dill Sauce.

Walleye Cakes with Dill Sauce
http://www.lake-erie-fishing.com/recipe.html

1 pound cooked walleye fillets, flaked
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 large egg slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
A few drops of hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp. Veg Oil
Sauté onions and celery in the oil. Mix into walleye and add
all other ingredients except the cracker crumbs. Form into patties and coat each side with cracker crumbs like you would for salmon patties. Brown in butter or margarine.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Dill sauce

1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill weed
Combine and serve on cakes.
These turned out to be quite delicious and very different than the fried walleye that we've enjoyed this past week.

Japanese Steak House Dinner

Yesterday I moved a tuna steak from the freezer to the fridge...not exactly sure what I was going to do with it. While out today I passed by a Chinese take-out place which made me think of fried rice. I thought that sounded good and I remembered I had a couple of zucchini I needed to use up. All of this came together to form tonight's dinner. It is closely related to the dinner we had at a local Binihana's a few months ago. (This one's for you Dad.)

Fried Rice
2 cups cooked rice - cooled
2 eggs
2 T soy sauce
1/2 c frozen peas

Heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan (or wok) and add the rice. Fry rice for a minute or two while moving it about in the pan. Make a well in the center and add the two eggs. Let cook for a minute or so before stirring. Add soy sauce while stirring constantly. Add peas and remove from heat.

Onions and Zucchini
1 large sweet onion slice (1/2" x 1 1/2 ")
2 zucchini (same size as onion)
Soy sauce
Pepper

Heat a little vegetable oil in a pan. Add onions and cook until slightly softened. Add zucchini. Move about in pan. Add soy sauce and pepper to taste. Cook until desired texture. (We like this rather firm, so we only cook the entire dish about 5-7 minutes.)

Shrimp and Tuna
1 - 8 oz piece of fresh tuna
1/2 lb fresh shrimp
butter
salt and pepper

Melt 1-2 T butter in a pan. Add tuna, season, and cook for about 1 minute. Turn cook 30 more seconds. Remove from pan, add shrimp. Cook until pink. (I added a little garlic to ours.)

Everything was very yummy. We really like the vegetables. Too bad I forgot to make the onion into an erupting volcano...it would have added some pizzaz. Maybe next time!!