Blackened Catfish with Cantaloupe Salsa

(2-3 servings)

Catfish was on sale this week! I haven't had any in what seems like forever, and it's a fish I have always loved. I have no idea why some people frown at the mention of them. In my opinion, a catfish is much nicer looking than say, a monkfish. Mind you both are very tasty! :P

I still had a decent amount of cantaloupe leftover from yesterday. Sue, from The View from Great Island, recently made a delicious looking cantaloupe salsa which inspired me to give that a try. It went really well with the blackened catfish. I loved it's slight sweetness in contrast to the spicy catfish.

Often when fish is blackened, both sides are dipped in melted butter and dredged in the spice mixture. I prefer to brush garlic butter onto one side and season only that side. There's usually plenty of butter and spice mixture in the skillet for the other side. You can always double the amount of spices and butter if you prefer the more traditional method.

cantaloupe salsa
1 1/2 cups cantaloupe, small dice
1 green onion, sliced
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper (washed, seeded and finely chopped), to taste
small handful fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
juice from 1/2-1 small lime, to taste

I made this a few hours ahead of time to give the flavours a chance to mingle. Combine the cantaloupe, green onion, jalapeno (these vary in size, so use an amount you are comfortable with) and cilantro in a small non-reactive bowl.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from half a lime over the salsa and toss. Check and adjust the seasoning and lime juice, if needed.

Set aside for a few hours.

blackened catfish
1 large clove garlic
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste
1 lb catfish fillets, about 4 fillets
2 tsp fresh lemon thyme, minced
1/2 tsp olive oil


1 lime, sliced for garnish

Press the garlic clove through a garlic press, catching any juices into a small microwave safe bowl.

Add the butter and microwave until the butter has melted. Set aside.

Combine the paprika, cumin, pepper, salt and cayenne. Set aside.

Heat a large cast iron skillet (this is the preferred utensil, but I used a large non-stick skillet instead) over high heat. Coat the pan evenly with the olive oil. I do this with a paper towel, using only the tiniest amount.

Brush the garlic butter evenly over the tops of the catfish fillets. Use all of it, dividing it evenly between the top sides of all the fillets. Press the lemon thyme evenly over the fillets, then dredge them in the spice mixture.

Fry the fish, placing the fillets (buttered and seasoned side down) into the hot skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the edges become opaque. Turn the fillets over and cook for another minute or until the fish flakes easily and is done.

Serve immediately with the salsa and lime wedges.

Cantaloupe & Prosciutto

(about 6 servings)

This has got to be one of the easiest appetizers to prepare. Wrapping paper thin prosciutto slices around wedges of juicy cantaloupe.

I picked up an enormous cantaloupe a few days ago and have been waiting patiently for it to fully ripen so I could prepare this elegant and delicious Italian dish.

1 fully ripe cantaloupe
12 very thin slices prosciutto

Wash the cantaloupe, then cut it in half lengthwise. Scoup out the seeds.

Slice each half into 6 wedges. Carefully slice off the rind (keeping it in one piece) from each wedge. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each piece of cantaloupe, then place that back onto the rind.

The rind step isn't necessary, but I think it looks nice. :P

Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

(about 1 1/2 cups)

This delicious and flavourful sauce is quite simple to make and pairs well with a variety of dishes. It's wonderful with steamed vegetables such as cauliflower, fish and shellfish, poultry, roasted meat, even over cooked rice or noodles.

I like to keep mine simple adding just a small amount of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. You can always add minced garlic, shallots, chives or parsley to yours, if you wish.

3 red bell peppers
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 450°F.

Wash the peppers. Cut in half and remove the seeds. Place the peppers skin side up onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil, keeping everything in one single layer.

Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20-30  minutes or until the tops are blistered. Remove from oven and cool.

Slip the blistered skins off the peppers and place them into the bowl of a food processor. I like to do this directly over the bowl to catch any juices that might be dripping. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and process until smooth.

Check and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Marinated Zucchini

(4 servings)

Marinated vegetables are often found on tables throughout the Mediterranean. This is an easy dish to prepare and works well with various vegetables. I've made it with red and green bell peppers, eggplant, and several different types of summer squash.

I try to purchase local produce whenever I can. This week the markets were filled with organic green and yellow zucchini grown near Dallas. This rather bland (in my opinion) vegetable can be transformed into a delicious side dish when prepared this way. You just need the patience to wait for 24 hours or so, (when it seems to taste best), although I have prepared it early in the morning and served it later that evening and it was already very tasty.

This is one of those dishes that's easy to experiment with. You can try different types of vinegar, swap out the wine with broth, or use different herbs such as basil or mint. I have even added hot seasoned sesame oil on occasion.  Whatever works with the meal you plan on serving it with. This make ahead dish is quite versatile.

It can be served warm or cold. I love it best at room temperature.

1 1/2 lbs zucchini
salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
salt (if needed) and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
a pinch or two red pepper flakes
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Wash and trim the zucchini, then slice it into pieces about 1/2 an inch thick.

Lay them out in a single layer and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside for about an hour.

Dry the zucchini with a kitchen towel.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and  saute until it begins to brown. Carefully remove all of the garlic and reserve.  Add the zucchini and fry the slices until they are lightly browned.

Place the fried zucchini slices onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with salt, if needed and freshly ground pepper.

Pour the vinegar and wine into the skillet. Add the honey, red pepper flakes, parsley and reserved garlic slices. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then spoon it evenly over the zucchini slices. Cover and set aside for about 12, up to 24 hours before serving.

Bread & Butter Pickles

(2 pints)

Recently I've been noticing cute small pickling cucumbers at the market. This week they seemed larger, so I dug through the bin and grabbed the smallest ones I could find. Ever since I made those Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles, I've wanted to try a sweet cucumber pickle.

I looked at a number of recipes and settled on one from The Columbus Dispatch, as my base. The method it suggests using ice cubes was new to me, and I was excited to give that a try. I have no idea if the ice was responsible, but these pickles were nice and crispy when they were ready.

As usual, I made a few tweaks. I reduced the amount of sugar by half and the resulting pickle was pleasantly sweet. You can always refer to the original recipe, if you prefer your pickles even sweeter. I also changed up the seeds and spices a bit, adding a few whole black peppercorns as well as a bit of celery seed.

adapted from The Columbus Dispatch
1 lb small pickling cucumbers, washed & sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 dozen regular size ice cubes (full tray)
1/4 cup distilled vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp turmeric
6 black peppercorns
1 pinch ground cloves

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover the mixture with the ice cubes and set aside for 2 hours.

Pour off all of the liquid and drain well. I tasted a cucumber slice and it struck me as rather salty, so I briefly rinsed all of them under running cold water. Divide the mixture between two sterilized pint size glass jars.

In a pot, bring the vinegar, sugar, seeds and spices to a boil. Simmer for a minute or so until all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.

Carefully divide the liquid mixture between the two jars of cucumbers and onions. It didn't reach all the way up to the top of the jars, so I added a small amount of cold water to make up for that. I used about 2-3 tablespoons (of water) for each jar.

Cool on the counter, and cover. Shake the jars gently, then refrigerate up to three weeks.

The pickles were really tasty this morning. I made them yesterday.

Carrot Risotto with Peas

(about 4 servings)

This is probably the best risotto I have made yet. It was so good! Beautiful colours and bursting with flavour!

I used mostly carrot juice, some wine and a small amount tangerine juice. I planned on adding both lemon juice and cumin for Moroccan flavours, but changed my mind at the last minute. I'm glad I did, the tangerine juice was interesting, giving this dish an unexpected dimension. I still added a small amount of Harissa for a touch of heat which offset some of the sweetness nicely.

The peas were added primarily for their colour. They were quite tasty here.

1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 - 4 1/2 cups carrot juice, heated
1/3 cup tangerine or orange juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Harissa, or hot sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (reserve a teaspoon or so)
1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas (no need to defrost first)
2 tbsp heavy cream

Melt the butter in a large wok (or skillet) over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or until it becomes fragrant. Stir in the onions and stirring frequently cook them until they begin to caramelize; about 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the rice and cook for another 2 minutes or so, then stir in the wine. When most of the wine has been absorbed into the rice, begin to add the warmed carrot juice, about 1/2 cup at a time. Cook and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Continue to add the carrot juice until the rice is almost ready. It should still have some bite to it. This will probably take 25-30 minutes,

Stir in the tangerine juice. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as the Harissa. Stir in the cheese and peas. Cook the risotto for another 3-4 minutes or until the peas have heated through and the rice is al dente.

Stir in the cream and serve. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and dust with cracked pepper if desired.