Cheesy Halibut

Everyone has cravings and I'm no different!  Now that I live in the middle of High Desert country (land locked) my cravings for FRESH seafood are more intense.   Even growing up near the ocean I don't remember having halibut very often.    I had my share of tuna, swordfish and sole which, I guess, are warm water fish.  We were given a gift of some halibut fillets recently and I couldn't wait to try this recipe.

It would work just as well with cod, snapper or sole, too.  Any mild flavored fish will love the blanket of cheesy goodness and you will also!

Cheesy Halibut

Serves 2

2 halibut fillets

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2-3 Tbsp green onions, chopped

a sprinkle of salt (optional)

a dash of hot sauce (optional, but gives it some heat)

Turn the broiler to high.  Spray or butter a baking dish.  Place the halibut in baking dish.  In a bowl add the remaining ingredients from cheese to hot sauce.  Mix well and set aside.

Broil the fish for about 8-10 minutes or until just done and flakes using a fork.  Spread the cheese mixture on top and continue to broil for another 1-2 minutes or until it's bubbly.   Serve on top of rice or orzo.  Delicious!!

Almond Crusted Baked Halibut

I really miss the days gone by when I lived on the ocean.  I love the beach, eating fresh fish (there is a difference) and that salt air that allows me to breathe better and use less lotion.  But, I live in the high desert, for now!    The last time I had halibut was when my son flew it home from Vancouver, BC, Canada.  Delicious!

I knew it wouldn't come close to being that fresh, but I purchased some halibut for the hell of it!  I had a craving I had to oblige.  The weather outside wasn't cooperating for a barbecue and I don't like to cook fish on the stove top...the smell lingers for hours, if not, days.  On my recent "eating plan" I can have a few handfuls of nuts.    Almond crusted halibut coming up!  Keep in mind that this is a lower calorie meal so ...no butter.

Almond Crusted Baked Halibut

For a serving for two I bought about a 5 inch piece.  I have no measurements.   Use enough chopped almonds or any other kind of nut  to cover the fish surface.  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and pat dry the halibut.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.  I also used paprika but with no noticeable taste.  Spray a baking dish or use a bit of olive oil.  Put the fish in, skin side down.  Apply the coarsely chopped almonds and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Butter can be used if you're more fortunate to be svelte.  Cook until done, usually 15 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Serve with tartar sauce or on top of veggies and brown rice like I did.   

Dover Sole with Avocado Mango Salsa

Dover sole is a fish that frequents my kitchen.  Why?  Because it's so versatile, inexpensive and just plain good no matter what you do with it.  It is very mild in flavor and texture and prepared simply, it melts in your mouth!

The avocado mango salsa was incredible!  I'll be making that again for tacos, dip or quesadillas.  It was that great!

Avocado Mango Salsa

This is better made ahead and allowed to chill in the refrigerator.

1 mango, peeled, cored and diced

1 avocado (ripe but not mushy), peeled, cored and diced

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 tsp or more of jalapeno, minced

1/3 of a lime, juiced

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix all the above ingredients and it's ready!

Dover Sole

I like to cut the sole into 4 inch pieces.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge in a bit of flour on both sides.  Melt 2 Tbsp butter into a 12 inch non-stick skillet.  On medium high heat, place the fish fillets in and cook for about 3-4 minutes on both sides.  Other fish can be used, however, if thicker, cook longer.  Serve immediately and garnish with the avocado mango salsa.

Note:  No quantity given for fish or flour.  For 2 people I used 1/2 lb or less of fish and maybe 1/2 cup of flour for coating.

Panko Crusted Baked Cod

You, too, can cook like a chef and achieve a beautiful, healthful meal at home.  Lately, I've been watching, "Chopped" on TV.  It's the show that gives a chef four completely weird and random ingredients in which to work their magic.  They're judged on taste, appearance and creativity.  And they must come up with an appetizer, main course and dessert, provided they aren't "chopped" along the way!   It's interesting to see what they come up with in 20-30 minutes.  Of course, I'm the "armchair chef" always thinking  how I would transform those same ingredients.  I know, that's weird, but that's the way I am!  Getting to the dessert round would be easy; I'm sure I'd choke trying to create a dessert!  Not enough practice!

Getting back to the cod.  I made this complete dinner somewhere within the time frame, without getting chopped!   Ingredients were cod, mango, kale and couscous.  I ran out of time as I was preparing to make a mango sauce for the fish.  Oh well...next time!  Believe me, though, the cod was simple, crunchy and moist at the same time!  Good stuff!

Ingredients:

2  pieces of cod, cleaned,  de-boned and pat dry

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs on a small plate

a drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

a sprinkling of garlic powder

a pat of butter on top of each cod piece
 (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a baking dish add a drizzle of oil.  Season the fish.  Brush the fish with oil on both sides.   Dredge and coat the fish in the panko crumbs.  Lay them in the dish and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until done.  If you want a crunchier finish, top with a pat of butter and broil for a minute or two.  Serve with couscous, sauteed kale/spinach mix and sliced mango.  Done!

Special Seafood Risotto

What makes this recipe/meal so special?  I wasn't the one hovered over the stove top!  My "guest post" of the week was none other than my son and his girlfriend, Leilani!  For some reason they wanted to come over and cook dinner for us a few Sundays ago.  I'm not one to say no to this.  Any one is allowed in my  kitchen, especially them!  And especially when seafood risotto was on the menu.  One of my favorites (I have so many) is seafood and my hubby's is rice, so risotto would be a real treat!

Unfortunately, for you, I didn't get the exact recipe but It came from Leilani's whimsical like cookbook called Kitchen Scraps by Pierre Lamielle, who is an illustrator/cook.

I have to say most of the preparation (99%) of this seafood risotto was done by Leilani, and it was wonderful!  What I liked about this recipe is that it had virtually no cheese!  It also had anchovies for the base, which I had never worked with. (because they received a bad rap at one point in my life)

The risotto was creamy and flavorful with a hint of the sea and lemon.  Just perfect!  It was filled with cod, scallops and prawns!   We enjoyed this meal immensely and Leilani, you are welcome anytime to grace my kitchen!  Thank you for the lovely dinner.

Leilani and Jeremy, chefs of the day!

The Best of the Big Island - Part 3

This last "installment" of the Best of the Hawaii, the Big Island has been percolating in my mind for over a month now.  With Christmas and all, it seemed out of place with all those blogging about cookies, cakes and sweets.  But, I'm ready to divulge the BEST with a day trip to volcano country.  Off to Kilauea we go.

Madame Pelee was in a very good mood that day.  The lava was not flowing like you see in all the pictures, however it was spewing a bit of ash and smoke.  If we had gone another 1.5 hours drive toward the ocean we might have been able to view the lava flowing into the ocean.  Maybe next time.  On this trip we hiked the edge of the crater. (I think it was a 4 mile round trip)  Destination, Jaggar Museum, (hoping to see Mick there, ha ha, but all we saw were displays of history and seismic activity graphs, etc)


Hope this doesn't erupt, now!


The volcano is a "must see" and being a "foodie"  I was more than eager as we veered into a rest stop/bakery on the way and BACK (It was that good!) for lunch and a snack.  One minor problem was that I was "in maintenance" on my diet plan and what appeared before me was definitely not on the plan.  I snapped a few pictures and triumphantly stepped away from the display case, empty handed.  How was I to know that my hubby was experiencing a sweet tooth meltdown!  What he chose, I would not have chosen, but, he needed help so I took a bite or two of his blueberry turnover!  Amazing!



Can I have one of each?!!



If you're ever in the area you need to stop at the Punalua Bake Shop which is the southernmost bakery in the USA.  It warranted a second visit on the return trip!

Making it back to our friend's condo in Kailua-Kona area, we stopped briefly, shared some libation on the deck overlooking the ocean and then set off for the return trip North to our hotel.  The sun was beginning to show its colors as it sank into the ocean.  Another beautiful finish to an adventurous day!

But wait!  On the way back we happened upon an eating place that served some of the best fish tacos I've had in a long time.  It was an unassuming place on the harbor just south of the airport. "Bite Me"  was the name of the place!   It looked like some one's backyard with red picnic tables scattered around the area.  Not much ambiance but my tacos made up for it.   If you're looking for great fish tacos at a more than reasonable price ($2.50 each!) check this place out.

After a days "rest" with only beach activities, walking, snorkeling, swimming with turtles, we headed back out in a different direction, this time to Hilo.  More in Part 4 of the BEST of the Big Island!  

Cocoa Crusted Scallops with Citrus Sauce

The other night I came close to "the edge".  I was craving chocolate in the worst way!  Remedy..chocolate scallops.  Sounds kind of gross but actually only a hint of cocoa was detected.  Just a little tidbit...there is such a beast as chocolate scallops.  On my last year's trip to Costa Rica, it was one of the local delicacies!  I never got to try them but they don't taste like chocolate...sorry!  Just a name!

So, back in my kitchen, I experimented with a few ingredients to come up with a beautiful scallop dish. (that I can devour and lose weight doing so)

Chocolate Scallops with Citrus Sauce

About 9-10 dry sea scallops (the large ones)

1 Tbsp olive oil (for scallops)

1 Tbsp butter (for scallops)

1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional - I experimented on 2 scallops this way)


Sauce

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest

1 tsp grated ginger root

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp FF half & half

1/2 tsp truvia sweetener

pinch of salt

pinch of saffron threads (optional)


Wash and dry the scallops with a paper towel.  Sprinkle a little sea salt on them and set aside.   Make the sauce first since the scallops only take a few minutes to cook.

In a small saucepan  on medium heat, pour the oil.   Add garlic, and after 1 minute,  add the zest, ginger and broth.  Stir and heat just until it starts to boil.  Turn down the heat and add the salt, saffron and half and half, while stirring.  When it starts to thicken remove from the heat and start the scallops.

Dust the scallops with the cocoa powder, if using.  In a large skillet add, oil and butter and turn it up to high.  Watch carefully.  You'll add the scallops before the oil/butter starts to smoke.  The pan needs to be hot to develop that nice crust.  Turn the heat down slightly and cook on one side for 2 minutes, turn and cook for another 2 minutes.  Done.  Plate them and drizzle on the heated  citrus sauce.  Yummmmmmm!  You have a gourmet dinner for a fraction of the cost and time!  Enjoy!

The chocolate ones are the darker "experiments"

Disclaimer: If I had not been "on a diet", these could be a little more decadent with the addition of butter and heavy cream in the sauce, but try these first!

Simply Baked Cod

It doesn't get any easier than baked cod fish.  To me, cod is the sea's "chicken".  It's very versatile when it comes to the many things you can do with this firm whitefish.  Fish and chips, fish tacos or simply baked cod are just a few ways to prepare it.  For now, I choose to bake...a no fuss recipe.

The first tip is to purchase your fish from a reputable source.  You never know these days.  As I grew up on the ocean I took for granted, at the time, the ease of fresh fish availability.  Being landlocked I tend to scrutinize my selections.  When stores aggressively advertise fish on sale, I'm a little wary.
I guess I've been spoiled by living on the ocean and, also, by being fortunate enough to travel to different coastal regions where the fish is "same day" fresh.  There is a difference!

I purchased the cod "fresh" and got lucky, but you could certainly try frozen fillets. 

Simply Baked Cod

Ingredients:  Serves 2

2 cod pieces, about 6 oz. each

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

a couple sprigs of fresh dill

1/2 Tbsp grated ginger (optional)

1 garlic clove, grated

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of 1/2 lemon

Place the cod pieces into a glass baking dish with either pan spray or a little drizzle of olive oil

Sprinkle fish with the salt and pepper, ginger and garlic.  Arrange the dill on top, drizzle with more olive oil and the squeeze of lemon.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, maybe less.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - Shrimp Marinade

After our kitchen remodel, there were several people I needed wanted to have over for dinner.  They so graciously invited us into their home while the kitchen chaos was being played out.  These friends, and they know who they are, probably fretted a bit over what to feed us.  After all, I write a food blog, and I must be this world renowned chef!  Truth be told, I fretted over what to serve them!

I decided to serve grilled shrimp and gnocchi for one couple.  A few weeks later I served steak and the exact same grilled shrimp.  This marinade recipe is a "keeper" and with a few revisions it morphs into a great salad dressing or vinaigrette.

Grilled Shrimp Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp dried rosemary

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1-2 tsp honey

about 1lb (16-20) uncooked, cleaned shrimp, tail left on (for appearance only)

Mix all the above and place all but 1/4 of the marinade into a plastic bag along with the shrimp.  This will easily marinade about 20 pieces.  Put the bag into the refrigerator until ready to use.  Place the 1/4 reserved liquid in a small bowl and refrigerate also.    This you will use for brushing the shrimp with on the grill.

After guests have arrived all you need to do is skewer the shrimp and put them on the BBQ. 

With one simple revision, substituting the honey with "truvia sweetener", I was able to have these after I started my current "slim down" plan.

To Grill or not to Grill!

Yesterday I awoke to some seasonal yet unsavory weather.  The roses, irises, petunias and anything else trying to sprout were covered in snow.  Thankfully, I had sense enough to leave my new tomato plants in the garage.  They'll probably have a temporary home for a few days, because you never know around here!

Springtime in the Sierras

We went to my parents for a barbecue, however, snow and barbecue grills don't mix.  My mother rose to the occasion and had her stuffed chicken recipe, she labels "Jeremy's favorite chicken".  She would make this chicken at his request for his birthday dinner for several years. Being in a funk from the depressing inclement weather, I forgot my camera.  No pictures!!  I promise to get this recipe from her.  It is yummy!   We had her potato salad, fresh corn on the cob and fruit salad.  All the fixings of a barbecue, just no grilled meat! 

Even though we cherish our meals together, on Memorial Day especially,  we must remember all the service men and woman who have made the ultimate sacrifice,  so we can gather together unencumbered and enjoy our freedoms and bounty that we so often take for granted!

If you decide to brave the weather in your part of the country, here are some grilling ideas from past posts.  Enjoy the day and remember the true reason for the "celebration".

Minted Lamb Chops

Gorgonzola Sliders

Grilled Maple Salmon

Swordfish Skewers

Seared Ahi Tuna with a Honey Ginger Lime Glaze

As the weather finally warms up I gently steer away from the comfort foods of Winter such as soups, and pasta.  My eyes lit up when I saw this beautiful piece of sushi grade ahi tuna at Trader Joe's.  I actually went there to get unsweetened cranberry juice.  (I'll explain in a later post; It has something to do with slim down plan, revisited!)  If you've been reading this blog at all, you know that I love fish and seafood.  So I was going to pull out all the stops for this meal and then savor every bite!

I purchased a piece just under one pound.  That fed the two of us, plus a tuna salad the next night for me.

Ingredients:

For the glaze:

1/4 c honey

1 Tbsp thinly sliced ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp light reduced sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

juice from 1/2 lime

Place all these in a small pan.  Heat to boiling, stirring for about a minute.  Remove from heat and reserve.

To prepare the tuna, I cut it into 4 oz size pieces.  Lightly dust with five spice powder  (optional) and spray with pan spray (otherwise it will stick as you sear it).

I served the tuna with roasted bok choy brushed with cilantro butter alongside portobella  mushrooms, garlic and onion.

For the Bok Choy side dish:

2 baby bok choy

2 portobella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion

cloves of garlic, as many as you want.

Arrange in a roasting pan and drizzle with about 1 Tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 400 degrees in the oven, turning once,  for about 15-20 minutes.  Soften or microwave 1 Tbsp butter.   Add 1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro.  When the veggies are done, remove and brush with the cilantro butter.

Back to the tuna.  In a skillet, preferably cast iron, heat the pan on high heat.  Add the tuna and sear on both sides to your degree of done.  I like mine rare in the middle but I cooked this longer so hubby would eat it.
When done, plate it up and pour the glaze on top and serve with the vegetables.  This meal was full of flavor and light, but satisfying.  I'll definitely have this again, soon!  It would be great with salmon or halibut, too!

Lentin Baked Cod

Okay I admit this is not what people are clamoring for before Easter.  Growing up Catholic we had alot of fish during Lent.  (not that I'm complaining)  So, while I prepare to do more baking,  I 'll give you another way to serve a delicious and moist fish.  You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now.

Ingredients:

4-5 cod fillets.  I used frozen and thawed.

1 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp brown mustard

pinch of thyme

pinch of salt and pepper

3 Tbsp flour

3 Tbsp cornmeal

2-3 Tbsp butter, melted

  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Mix the mayo, mustard and spices together in a small bowl.  Brush both sides of cod with this.    Put flour and cornmeal on a plate.  Dredge the fish in the flour mixture and put in a baking dish that already has the melted butter in it.   Turn them once before baking so butter is on both sides.   Bake for about 10 minutes or until  done and flaky.  This was flavorful and moist.

I served them on a bed of brown and wild rice with roasted cherry tomatoes and edamame.  Yum!  And good for you!

Fish Fridays - Dinner for One

Again, if it's Friday we must have fish!  If anyone can tell me why growing up Catholic we had to have so much  fish, please let me know.  I'm still trying to figure that one out.  Sometimes, I think it was a plot to help the fishermen who were primarily and devoutly Catholic.  Maybe it was the beginning of the "buying local" movement which I try to support.

So, on Fridays the menu was either tuna on toast, a direct descendant of chipped beef only with tuna, or fried fish.  Once in a while we would poach  have shellfish fresh from the tide pools.  That was decades  ago and now you'd  probably get a jail term plus a hefty fine!  Shameful!  Now that I'm landlocked those trips to the beach are few and far between.   But wait!  There's always trout!   Now I buy my fish from the local fish market.   Even though I ate plenty of fish growing up I still prefer it over any kind of meat.   I've also made tuna on toast for my family.  Doesn't everyone eat that?!

Since hubby is not as fond of salmon as I am I made him a pizza and this was "dinner for one".

Ingredients:

fillet of salmon
1 tsp minced garlic
sprinkle of ginger
1 T of sliced scallions
1-2 T maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a piece of foil place the fillet and top with all the ingredients, reserving a drizzle of maple syrup for the end.  Fold the ends up making a loose packet so the salmon will steam.  Bake for about  15  minutes.  Open the foil packet and turn on the broiler (low) and broil until slightly golden and done. (3-5 mins)  Transfer to a plate and enjoy.  No dishes to do with this...I love it!  Don't forget to drizzle with the remainder of the maple syrup.   So good and ridiculously simple!

Steamed Mussels, Wine, Bread and Thou!

Once again, if it's Friday, we must have fish! If you grew up Catholic you know what I mean! But, instead of a negative it has turned out to be a pleasurable treat in our home. I've had good mussels and I have had some terrible ones at restaurants around town. I've learned my lesson not to order mussels during certain times of the year. I've heard they should only be eaten in the months ending in BER, as in December. Or so they say...

So, I found myself wandering the aisles in the grocery store once again trying to figure out something different for Friday's meal. I standoffishly viewed the meat area and decided against beef or chicken. This is easy for me. The mussels looked good and the price was right. I purchased about 2 lbs for $7.18. You can't get an appetizer serving for that amount! With this "bounty" I prepared the following:

2 lbs rinsed and scrubbed mussels. Do not use any broken or open ones!

2 T olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 T dried thyme (fresh sprigs could be used)

1/2 cup white wine

1 c chicken broth

1 lemon, juiced

red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tomato, diced

1 handful chopped parsley

2 T butter

Place oil into a large stockpot. Saute with onion, thyme, garlic. Add mussels and stir. Add the wine, broth, pepper flakes and lemon juice.. Cover the pot and steam for about 5 minutes. When the mussels open add the tomato, butter and parsley. Only cook for another minute or so. Serve with some basic bruschetta or a loaf of bread and wine. This could easily be served over fettuccine, too!

A Costa Rican Fish Feast - Home Cooked Meal

On our recent vacation to Costa Rica we rented a house in Playa Flamingo on the Northern Pacific Coast. While I do love to cook, it's not one of those things that I like to do in a strange house on vacation. (I can be a snob when it comes to pans and cooking utensils, a sharp knife, etc) But, I did warm up to the idea after we figured out that the sun set very early (5:30 or so) and the not so great roads became even more treacherous after dark! So, instead of venturing out into the jungles of Costa Rica at night along with the howler monkeys we arranged to have several meals in our house.

Early one day Ralph and I went exploring only to find the one and only fish market in the area. A local excursion guide showed us the way to a little house where the fish was abundant in her own personal freezer type chest which sat on her front porch! When she opened this chest our eyes probably got as big as saucers! She had quite the collection of every type of fish that was caught in the area. Corvina (sea bass), slabs of fresh mahi mahi, bags of prawns, snapper and tuna. Yum! We decided on a large chunk of mahi mahi about two feet in length!

On the way home we stopped at the local market for items that would complete the meal. Back at the house everyone pitched in to help, with lots of chopping, marinating, attempting to fire up the grill, table setting, attempting to fire up the grill, again! Evidently there was a problem with our barbecue, so without a blink, plan B was implemented. Stove top grilling the chunks of marinated mahi mahi would have to do and it did. With our concerted efforts we sat down to a wonderful home cooked meal of grilled mahi mahi, gallitos de papa (potatoes) papaya and chips and guacamole.

Our marinade included:

juice of lime

garlic

mandarin juice and zest

cilantro,

olive oil

onion

Cost of meal around $20.00

Dining in Costa Rica, at home with good friends, PRICELESS!

Melt in your Mouth Snapper

As you can tell I'm cooking fish and more fish! I can't get enough of it! I must have been a fisherman in a past life. If I were to pick one word to describe this meal it would be "simple". There is nothing elaborate about it. Simply salt and pepper the fillets, grate fresh ginger root to your taste, and dust lightly with flour. Place in a pan along with 1-2 T olive oil. Fry on each side for about 7 minutes depending on their thickness. I made a side dish of swiss chard sauteed with raisins and garlic and was finished within 30 minutes!

Easy Salmon Pockets-Costa Rican Style

The inspiration for this fish feast came from way back in my memory. I was a campfire girl lots of years ago, and actually a Bluebird before that! I learned many things and was fortunate to go to Summer Camp. If my memory serves me well (sometimes not!), our troop made a kind of "Hobo stew'. We wrapped hamburger, potatoes, carrots, onions and seasonings together in foil and barbecued or baked them. No cleanup. Very smart troop leader! Anyway, That's where I got the idea for these salmon packets or pockets.

All you need to create these pockets is a piece of foil and the following ingredients.

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

salmon filet (card size)

1 slice onion (optional)

salt and pepper

handful of fresh spinach

drizzle of olive oil

drizzle of honey (optional)

Lay the filet on the foil and add the spices first, drizzle of honey, spinach and finish with the oil. Wrap up and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or less at 375. They will steam cook in the foil and be very moist. Enjoy! Pura Vida!!

Seared Tuna Salad with Ginger Wasabi Vinaigrette

As a farewell to summer salads my ginger wasabi tuna salad was an overwhelming success. Quite the surprise! So much so that Ralph put aside his favorite dressing (blue cheese) for a drizzling of my homemade vinaigrette. I'll toot my own horn on this one. I even had visions of bottling my dressing it was that great! Any takers?

Growing up I always had an endless supply (so I thought) of tuna fish. There were several canneries in the port of LA town I was from. Most of them are now gone. Over the years I've found myself actually craving tuna for whatever reason, I'm not sure. Could it be the protein or the taste or both? Was I conditioned from living in "fish town, USA"? Was I experiencing homesick tuna syndrome? After doing a little research I suppose I could be lacking in omega fatty acids, protein, magnesium or potassium, all of which are found in abundance in tuna. Listen to those cravings, your body may be trying to tell you something!

Before I met my husband I would dine on tuna sandwiches and chocolate milk! My kitties loved me for that. Very affordable when you're living on your own. Another way I like to enjoy my tuna sandwiches is with a slice or two of jellied cranberry sauce! Pretty weird but it works for me!

As I strolled through the market the other day the tuna caught my eye. I must have had that craving again. Almost as powerful as a chocolate craving! I have to say thanks to my hubby for letting me experiment from time to time (quite often). This time the payoff was great. I only purchased a small amount but what I bought went a long way with the following recipe.

Ginger wasabi Vinaigrette:

Whisk together

1 tsp finely grated ginger root

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp wasabi powder

1 T minced cilantro, fresh

2 T oil, canola

1 T garlic infused rice wine vinegar

1 T honey

Season the tuna steak (1/3 -1/2 lb piece for 2) with salt and pepper. Using a grill or griddle pan on med-high heat, sear on both sides for a total of about 5 minutes. Slice thinly and add to your salad greens, tomatoes, onions, etc. Drizzle with ginger wasabi dressing. Yum! Another great addition would be orange or pineapple slices or toasted almonds! Serves 2.

Sicilian Swordfish Skewers

I'm continuing my trek around Italy even if it's only in my mind. One area we haven't visited is Southern Italy and Sicily. I can't even say we've come close. The farthest was a town called Termoli on the Mediterranean. We sensed a definite change in architecture, grape growing techniques and foods that were served as we meandered down from Tuscany with its rolling green hills dotted with villas and castles.

Someday, hopefully soon, I will return but would love to experience a different region. Maybe start off in Rome and head south into Sorrento where I've been told the air smells like lemons! Pompei would be interesting and the Amalfi coast I'm sure is gorgeous. From there I'd travel through Campania and over to Sicily. I've heard that the Sicilian people are a boisterous bunch and I'd like to experience that firsthand. To taste the fresh fish grilled to perfection and dripping in olive oil, tomatoes and peppers would be enticing. I'll visit the small fishing villages and probably be served a rendition of this recipe I made the other day. Delicious!!

Sicilian Swordfish Skewers

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp rosemary, crushed

1 tsp lemon thyme, crushed

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 T parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp chives or shallots, minced

1/2 lb swordfish steaks, cut into 1 inch cubes

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a non-metallic bowl, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins or longer. These would be great barbecued but I used a stove top griddle pan. Using 4 (for 2 servings) skewers (approx 10 inches long) load them with about 5 pieces each. Cook on medium-high for 3 minutes, turn over, splash some white wine or butter for additional moisture and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.

These were sooo good I surprised myself and wondered why I had been avoiding the succulent swordfish for so long! Enjoy..

Gingered Maple Salmon with Edamame

Growing up Catholic I had my fill of fish. If it was Friday it was fish day. That was a good thing! I lived in a fishing port outside of Los Angeles. Every Friday like clockwork Tony's fish market truck would slowly roll through the neighborhood. It was similar in concept to the ice cream man. Only the back of his truck opened up to a large display of seafood. The women (most didn't work outside the home in those days) were beckoned by the horns streaming into their homes. Fish was always in great supply back in the 50's and 60's. If you wanted fresh tuna, clams, swordfish, etc, Tony would deliver. He even had octopus and other rare species for the more adventurous. How I wish that could happen in my neighbor now.

Whenever we go on vacations it is more than likely to be where we can get FRESH fish. Also, if I ever splurge on a diet I would rather choose seafood over desert! Pretty weird but that's what satisfies me. Go figure! The gingered maple salmon tasted as if I was falling off the diet wagon but I wasn't. Now if I could only figure out how to get Tony delivering fresh fish every Friday in this day and age, I'd be a happy girl!

Gingered Maple Salmon with Edamame

In a zip lock plastic bag put in the following for the marinade:

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 T soy sauce

1/2 lime, juiced

1 T onion, diced

2 T maple syrup

2 salmon fillets, remove pin bones if you can beforehand

Marinade for at least 1 hour.

Using a stove top grill on medium-high heat, place the salmon skin side down. Turn after about 10 minutes, grilling the other side for another 10 minutes and it's done. (If fillets are thicker than 1 inch it may need a longer grilling time.) Serve on a bed of mixed greens and top with shelled and steamed edamame beans. Serves 2.