Ideas for Cooking Fish for Lent

Ideas for Cooking Fish for Lent
Only fish? No shrimp, crab?

My favorite way to cook fish is broiled. I prefer flounder or red snapper, but tilapia works, too. Blot the fish dry, put your favorite seasoning (I like Cajun seasoning), and some butter on top.

Broil in a hot oven for maybe 20 minutes (depends on the thickness of the filet.) You can sprinkle bread crumbs on top, too, if you like that.

I also like it cooked with a tomato/garlic/onion sauce-like stuff on top.

Goes well with rice.

Shrimp Creole is my all-time favorite way to cook shrimp. Lately I've been making jambalaya, though, and it's good, too.

Suzanne
(3/3/11)

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I cook fish in the microwave -it's foolproof and fast. I like salmon with a little bit of seasoned butter on it - dill, chopped shallot, salt and pepper... that's about it.

I'm not keen on tilapia - I don't see what all the excitement is about.

I like haddock - and TJ's has nice frozen haddock filets in batter. With some home made tartar sauce and a good bread it's a nice sandwich. Needs some red onion, lettuce and maybe cheese on it.

I like shrimp and pasta dishes, lemon and parsely and butter and olive oil - or if I've been REALLY good - a fettucine alfredo type thing with shrimp.

My big lent treat is a pound of scallops seared in garlic butter served with pasta, peas and little onions.

Kate
(3/3/11)

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Wheat bulgar made up as a risotto with garlic; sauteed shrimp and corn added.

Simple grilled salmon with lemon and garlic seasoning and dill. Likewise catfish grilled with dill and sprinkled with Alessi Aged Balsamic Vinegar.

Huge salads of spinch, spring greens, pickled beets, feta cheese, toasted almonds and shrimp boiled and then cooled, with Alessi aged balsamic vinegar. Or alternate that with strawberries instead of pickled beets. Strawberries and Alessi aged balsamic are to die for.

Are we sensing the theme that I like/love Alessi Balsamic vinegar.

marni
(3/3/11)

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Clove and Nutmeg Mulled Wine

Clove and Nutmeg Mulled Wine
3 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered clove
2 tbsp whole cloves
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan over very low heat. Warm carefully, stirring frequently. Serve warm.

This recipe can easily be cut in thirds. Also, rather than doing it on the stove, a crock pot or other slow cooker makes a better warming device. It may not be the most elegant way to serve mulled wine, but you don't have to worry about cooking out the alcohol. Alcohol boils at around 175°F at sea level as opposed to 212°F for water. If you are mulling wine on the stove top and start to see bubbles it's too late, you're already boiling the alcohol away. (Something which most people who quench red hot pokers in their rum toddies or add boiling water to their whiskey fail to realize.) It kind of defeats the purpose to boil it away if the effect of the alcohol is what you're after. Oh, and on that note, warming alcoholic drinks in a microwave is never a good idea unless you really hate your current oven and want a new one. It can, however, produce a really impressive display as the alcohol flashes.

Randall
(11/9/10)

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Chicken Kubbeh or Cubba Thoomiye

Chicken Kubbeh or Cubba Thoomiye

This one landed in my inbox a minute ago at work. It's from my friend Hilda, who is of Syrian descent and originally from Manchester. She makes a chicken version of kubbeh, which is quite unusual. - Avital

Cubba Thoomiye

Sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp tomato puree
8 cloves of garlic, sliced in rings
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Mint, chopped (not fine)
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp sugar

Cubba:
1/4 kilo minced chicken
1.5 cups semolina (solet)
Parsley (petrozilia), chopped
small onion, chopped fine
1/4 tsp salt
less than 1/4 tsp pepper

Prepare the sauce:
Fry the chopped onion in the oil.
Add pepper.
When golden brown add the tomato puree and 1/4 cup water.
Brown for a 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and salt and mix.
Add lemon juice and sugar and mix.
Add enough water to cook the cubba and bring to the boil.

Prepare the cubba:
Keep aside 1/2 tsp of the minced chicken.
Mix the minced chicken, chopped onion and parsley, salt and pepper.
Add the 1/2 tsp of minced chicken to the semolina.

Add water to the semolina until you get a dough.
Take a small ball of dough.
With your hand, thin it like the pastry of a tiny pizza.
Add a flat tsp of the chicken mix.
Cover with the dough and round.

IMPORTANT: Work with wet hands otherwise the dough has a tendency to stick.

Put the cubba into the boiling sauce and cook for 10-15 mins.

Make sure there is enough water. There should be a good amount of sauce but it should be of a thick consistency.

Add the mint, stir and cook for another 2-3 mins.

(2/11/09)

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Great Aunt Eunice's Graham Cracker Squares (with frosting)

In case there's anyone out there who hasn't yet OD'd on holiday sweets, here's something guaranteed to send you into a sugar coma. Don't say I didn't warn you. And yes, I really did have a Great Aunt Eunice. Not a cookie, more of a sweet, but a holiday tradition in my family. Cut 'em small, they'll make your teeth sing.

Great Aunt Eunice's Graham Cracker Squares (with frosting)

1/2 lb butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
36 squares Graham Cracker
1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Melt butter in top of a double boiler. Add sugar, then add the unbeaten egg - be careful; if the butter's too hot, the egg will poach on contact. (Ask me how I know this.) Stir continually but gently when you're adding the egg; you don't want to scramble it or poach it.

Cook 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. You want the water in the lower part of the double boiler just simmering. If it gets too hot, the butter-sugar mixture will turn into cement on the sides of the pan, or worse, burn. Take off the stove and cool.

Crush the graham crackers. and add them to the cooled butter-sugar mixture. Stir in miniature marshmallows and if you like 'em, 1/2 cup of chopped nuts. I skip the nuts. You don't want the marshmallows to melt, so make sure the butter-sugar really is cool before you mix everything in. It'll be hard to stir, but keep at it til everything is evenly mixed. It will seem very dry and crumbly at this point, but don't worry. All that butter and sugar will hold it all together once it's refrigerated for a bit.

Press the whole thing into an 8" x 8" pan, or a 10" x 7" pan if you have one. Frost with buttercream frosting, and put into the fridge to harden before cutting, then let it warm up a bit to make it easier to cut.. Cut into 1" squares and eat.

Frosting:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cream
1/4 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until completely blended and of a good consistency for frosting. You might need to add a little more cream.

The Scullerymaid, not responsible for resulting sugar-induced coma
(12/1/2007)

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Booze Balls

Booze Balls

This is the perfect time to make these, because they taste a lot better after they've been sitting around for a few weeks. No baking required

6 oz chocolate chips
3 tbsp corn syrup
1/4 cup booze (rum, bourbon, or your choice)
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped nuts
4 oz chocolate sprinkles

Melt chips in a double boiler. Blend in corn syrup, booze, sugar, cookies and nuts.

Roll into balls one teaspoon at a time. Press chocolate sprinkles around the balls.

Place on a cookie sheet, cover and chill. After completely cold, store in a cool/cold place in a tupperware or zip lock baggie.

For a more festive look, roll some balls in chocolate sprinkles, some in granulated sugar, some in sweet cocoa powder, some in non pareils (sp?) etc.

Denise
(11/30/2007)

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Challa Bread Pudding

Challa Bread Pudding

Tear a loaf of challa into bits.  (If you have it every week, you can save the half from one Friday night to blend with the half from the next Friday night. It is also an excellent place to dispose of stale dinner rolls, buns, bread ends, etc.  The only thing that has ever failed has been bagels.  When I catered, we used stale croissant.)

Mix 2 cups of milk with four eggs (if cholesterol bothers you, call a cardiologist vbg)

Add 1/2 cup sugar OR 1/4 cup honey OR 1/4 cup maple syrup (the tree kind) and 2 tsp vanilla.

Pour the egg mixture, beaten, over the bread bits, mix around until all liquid is absorbed.  Turn into a greased 8" by 8" pan.

At this point, you can put it in the fridge so that it can be baked in the morning, or pop it straight into a 350°F oven.  If it has been refrigerated, bake for 45 min.  If straight in, usually 30 -35 min.

Mmm, tasty.
Laura in ALameda, CA
(11/26/06)

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Mum's Bread Pudding

Mum's Bread Pudding

Heat the oven to 350°.

Scald together:
2 cups milk
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar

Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Beat together 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla.

Once milk mixture is cooled, stir in egg mixture.

Pour over 4 cups of cubed bread in a baking dish, stir to combine, place the baking dish IN a pan of warm water then place them both into the oven.

Bake for 1 hour. Serve with warm cream or maple syrup, hot or cold.

I turn off the oven after baking and let it sit, without opening the oven door for a half hour, helps it stay tender and light. Take it out, cool to room temp. then refrigerate any leftovers. (yeah, right)

In this recipe the ingredients make a BIG difference, so use good stuff. I used a local bakery's cinnamon raisin bread, because I like this recipe with raisins. I've had excellent results with challah and brioche too.  My mum also adds toasted chopped pecans, but I don't like the
crunch in my pudding.

And I always double the recipe. Because it is yummy. *g*

Elaine
(9/17/06)

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Denise's Divinity

Denise's Divinity

I don't like divinity, so I had never made it, until it was assigned in my foods class. I made a note of this recipe because it's small, the instructions are explicit and it worked.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tbsp water
1 egg white
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking without stirring to 127° C.

When syrup is almost cooked, beat egg white and cream of tartar to the upper limit of the soft peak stage.

Pour syrup in steady fine stream into egg white while beating constantly with an electric mixer. Do not scrape syrup pan. Add vanilla and beat mixture until it holds its shape and loses its gloss. Drop by teaspoons onto buttered pan.

Denise
(12/17/03)

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How to Cook Wild Turkey Breast from Mary

How to Cook Wild Turkey Breast from Mary

Here's what we did with a wild turkey breast. Can't get much leaner than that. I guess for your goose, I don't think I'd roast it whole. Maybe a braised treatment, still keeping it rare, browning a bit at the end after rubbing with butter and sprinkling on some flour.

Anyway, here's how we did turkey breast: floured, then dipped in beaten egg, then grated parmesan cheese, and/or shredded veggies, like onion/carrot/celery, shredded extremely thin.

This is what we did with a wild turkey breast: maybe both the veggies and the parmesan cheese. Roasted carefully, until the juices were just the palest of pink, when the breast was pierced with a skewer used for stuffing.

Boneless breast, wrapped in bacon, grilled until rare.

Sounds delicious however you cook it.

Mary
(11/26/03)

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Matzo Balls (sent in by Mary)

Matzo Balls (sent in by Mary)
from "The Settlement Cook Book"

2 tbsp marrow or chicken fat, chilled
2 eggs
1/4 cup matzos meal, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
a grating of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoonful chopped parsley

(I'll bet that, (the parsley), was added by one of classy German ladies, somehow I don't see parsley in Ponivez; it was probably she who also suggested you could use cracker crumbs or bread crumbs.)

Split bones, remove marrow and cream marrow or other fat, add well-beaten eggs, season, add enough matzos meal to make soft dough.

Add parsley, shape into balls the size of a marble. Try one in boiling water; if it doesn't hold together, add more meal. Drop into boiling soup 15 minutes before serving.

From Esther Vail
shared by Mary
(11/1/03)

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This is how I make them, about once a year:

Beat 2 eggs with 4 tbsp. chicken fat (yum!) or vegetable oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup seltzer. Stir in about 1 cup of matzo meal for a fairly thick batter. Chill one hour.

Form into balls and cook about 30 minutes in boiling water.
Barbara

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I am telling you people, USE OLIVE OIL in your matzoh balls. I use more eggs, too, btw. It took an Italian to build a better Matzoh ball. . . trust me. They are just jewish gnocchi, is all.
Carolyn

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A friend made matzah ball soup with beef marrow. OMG, that was sooooo good.
Mary

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Barbara's Matzoh Ball Recipe

This is how I make them - about once a year.

Barbara's Matzoh Ball Recipe

Beat 2 eggs with 4 tbsp chicken fat (yum!) or vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 cup seltzer. Stir in about 1 cup of matzo meal for a fairly thick batter. Chill one hour.

Form into balls and cook about 30 minutes in boiling water.

Barbara
(10/31/03)

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Black-eyed Peas (2 recipes)

Black-eyed Peas (2 recipes)

I made mine on New Year's Eve:

Bring as many bean s as you want to a boil, while cutting up one or more onions. Sauté the onion in olive oil (in the microwave) while you cut up Polish sausage and one Chourico (Portuguese for chorizo) sausage, and add them to the microwaving onions, preferably in your removable crockpot pot.

Drain the beans (which have boiled) and bring them back to the boil. Dump the whole thing into the pot and microwave it while you drive someone to a party. When you get back, put the pot back on the crockpot base and leave it on high while you have a nap.

Cut up the greens and put them into a Ziplock with a big lump of butter.

Unplug the crockpot and take it and the greens to the party you are going to. Plug the crockpot back in; your beans should be pretty much done. Not too long before midnight, put the greens in Pyrex with a splash of water and a lid, and zap them till tender.

We had none left by 1 am.

Yum.

Laura
(1/2/03)

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Wow, Laura, you go to a lot of trouble :-) We just put the peas in a soup pot, dump the slivered onions in with them, put some chopped up bacon slices in with them, bring them to a boil and let them simmer about an hour or so. Even without the fancier meat, they're still pretty darned good.

Now, I may have to try your greens recipe for some types of greens. But I learned about 10 years ago that I like turnip greens *only* if they were simmered for hours. Either that or my tastes changed overnight cuz I couldn't stand the nasty little buggers before. My cousin puts about a 1/4 tsp baking soda in with them, but I think that takes the zap out of them that I like. She likes 'em better without the zap.

Jola Gayle
(1/2/03)

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Peanut Nut Brittle in the Microwave

Peanut Nut Brittle in the Microwave
Makes one pound

In case anyone needs a more specific temperature, my recipe says cook until thermometer reads 293° degrees.

I talked my MIL to come out to the house for supper during the holidays, and afterwards making peanut brittle on the pretense that she was showing me how to make it :) Two things seem important enough to her for the process that she brought along her own, a heavy pan, and a thermometer. And one does boil that syrup hard for a long time before it reaches that temp. An indication that it is getting close is that the peanuts start to make a popping sound.

I found this recipe but have not tried it:

1 cup raw peanuts
1 tsp butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

In a 1-1/2 qt casserole, stir together peanuts,* sugar, syrup and salt.

Cook 8 minutes on high in microwave oven stirring well after 4 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla.

Microwave 2 minutes longer on high.

Add baking soda and quickly stir until light and foamy.

Immediately pour onto lightly greased baking sheet, buttered foil, or marble; spread out very thin.

*roasted peanuts may be used instead of raw, but they must be added right before the baking soda.

Cindy W in Ky
(12/31/02)

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White House Nut Brittle

White House Nut Brittle

My dad calls this stuff "The only good thing to come out of the Reagan White House." The recipe was created by Reagan's first White House chef.

Spread 1 to 1-1/2 cups salted mixed nuts (with no peanuts) onto a buttered cookie sheet.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup molasses
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. water

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Boil covered for 2-3 minutes. Uncover, clip on candy thermometer, and cook over moderate heat at a slow boil to 290°F. Pour hot syrup over nuts.

Allow to cool. Enjoy.

I pretty much cook it by smell. When it smells like it's burning, it's done.

--SpindleRose
(12/29/02)

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Adirondack Bear Balls

I have renamed my Christmas rum balls, Adirondack Bear Balls. They are getting very popular with the characters up around the High Peaks.

Adirondack Bear Balls

I add confectioner's sugar and dry cocoa to the vanilla wafer crumbs so that I can double the quantity of rum. Confectioner's sugar has cornstarch in it. Helps recipes that are seriously overloaded with liquor. I use pecans instead of walnuts. I dash a lot of Triple Sec into the rum. Melted bittersweet chocolate mixed with the rum, a little vanilla, the Triple Sec and cornsyrup is the base. Toss in the crumbs and finely chopped pecans. Let sit an hour. (Don't sit too close to the fumes. Open a window, or better yet a door.) Make small balls and roll them in confectioner's sugar and more cocoa.

These are guaranteed to ward off frostbite, or at least all sensation of frostbite.

Linda
(12/22/02)

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Candied Nuts - A FAST Recipe for Gifts

Candied Nuts - A FAST Recipe for Gifts

Okay, after all the great recipes here, thought I would give you a really fast one  people seem to love.  I have made them for years for gifts, pretty jar or container and you're set. They're really fast and easy to make.

Take 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup liqueur (I have used Amaretto or Grande Marnier, but there are other flavors that work well too.)

Simmer on the stove to a 'soft ball' stage, and stir in 2 to 3 cups of nuts (pecans or walnuts are good) to coat them.  Spread out on a cookie sheet to cool and dry.

You can then sort of break them up a bit if they've clumped, and store them for a while too.

Enjoy!
Gail
(12/16/02)

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Toffee

Toffee

1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp light corn syrup
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or to taste)

I use (2) disposable aluminum pie pans.
If you use non-disposables it is best to line them with foil.

Line cookie sheet or pan with chopped pecans.

Butter sides of heavy sauce pan. In saucepan melt butter. Add sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium high heat until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat to medium. Continue at a controlled boil, stirring frequently until mixture reaches 290° F (soft crack stage).

Remove candy from heat, remove thermometer, pour candy into prepared pan(s). Let candy stand about 5 minutes, until firm then sprinkle with chocolate chips. When chips melt spread chocolate evenly over top of candy with a spatula. Chill until firm. Break apart and store tightly covered.

Liz
(12/14/02)

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Buckeyes

Buckeyes

1 stick butter
1 pound confectioners sugar
1-1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz bag dark chocolate chips

Mix everything together except chocolate. Mixture should not be crumbly. I think it feels alot like brand new play dough. If it sticks to your fingers too much add more sugar, if it crumbles instead of rolling up into balls add more butter. Brand name peanut butter works best, no generics and no low fat. No chunky!

Roll into balls about the size of shooter marbles- 1 (one) inch or so in diameter.Place on wax paper lined trays. Chill the balls while you melt chocolate. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Using a skewer, nut pick or fancy candy dipping tool, dip balls in molten chocolate until just the "eye" remains uncovered. Let stand until chocolate is firm on wax paper.

lizdemeyners
(12/14/02)

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Helen's Bourbon or Rum Balls

Helen's Bourbon or Rum Balls

60 vanilla wafers
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup bourbon or rum
1/4 cup light corn syrup

Grind vanilla wafers and walnuts to fine crumbs in blender or food processor (or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin). Add other ingredients.

Shape into 3/4" balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Store in covered container.

Helen
(12/10/02)

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Elizabeth's Rum Balls

Elizabeth's Rum Balls

4 cups crumbs graham crackers
2 cups confectioners sugar
4 tbsp cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups chopped nuts or coconut
4 tbsp corn syrup or honey
1/2-2/3 cup rum or juice

Mix the dry ingredients together. Stir in the syrup.  Add rum (or juice - apple cider is good) until it sticks together when squeezed but not until gooey.

Form into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place in sealed container and store for three weeks (if you can wait that long).

Good luck.
Elizabeth/zinlizzie
(12/10/02)

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