Fish – Buen provecho…2022

Seafood Lasagna

“The time has come”, the chicken said. If you have been following Buen Provecho since the beginning, you have access as of today to 500 of my recipes! A few have been there since the beginning in March 2011, which is incredible. Many of you are “newbies” to the site and may not be aware of all of the recipes herein.

Probably FAKE NEWS, but my stats show viewers in 118 countries around the world, with 8,305 in USA, 8,177 in Canada and 3,350 in Mexico. The rest are an A to Z spread, from Australia to Zimbabwe…Thank You all so much!

Looking back, I have had many delicious recipes of which you may or may not have been aware. I encourage you to use the search feature to continue to enjoy the site. Alas, this is the FINAL recipe, which in fact appeared in October 2013. It is and has always been one of my favourites of the 500!

It’s certainly a special occasion recipe and involves lots of preparation, but it remains a very special one which I prepare on special occasions with special people, who obviously must enjoy seafood!

SEAFOOD LASAGNA

8 tbsp. butter
8 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 c. cream
1 c. milk
chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
1 lb. lasagna, “no boil type”
10 oz. frozen spinach, thaw and drain on paper towels
16 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. Manchego cheese
8 oz. provolone cheese
1 can sliced mushrooms
2 sliced onions
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tomato, cut and peeled
1 1/2 lb. seafood (shrimp, crabmeat, scallops, white fish)
Parsley and rosemary to taste

To make sauce, melt butter and add flour. Take it off the burner, add cream, milk and broth. Put back on burner. Stir constantly. When everything is mixed, take it off the fire. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. To make lasagna, sauté onions and mushrooms in butter and oil. Add tomato, parsley and rosemary. Add seafood. In a greased lasagna pan, pour some sauce, place some lasagna, seafood, mozzarella, ricotta and chopped spinach mixed, provolone, and press it down before you begin second layer. Follow same order as first layer, ending with lasagna strips and sauce. Be sure to generously cover with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes.

Buen provecho amigos!!!

Baked Salmon with Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

On the road again and a little late with this week’s recipe. Visiting friends and opted to make dinner for them, as I usually do once or twice…this one looks a little difficult, but not really. The result was well worth it, served with an amazing asparagus with cream cheese and prosciutto (next week’s recipe).

Baked Salmon with Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

Salmon fillets (skinless) – 5, about 150 g/ 5 oz
Freshly squeezed lemon juice- 2 tbsp.
Olive oil- 1 tbsp.
Garlic cloves (minced)- 1
Old style Dijon mustard- 2 tbsp.
Ground black pepper- 1 tsp.
Salt- to taste

LEMON BUTTER GARLIC SAUCE

¼ Cup Unsalted butter melted
Garlic cloves (minced)-1 1/2 tsp.
Heavy cream/ half and half- 1/2 cup
Parsley finely chopped
Black pepper

In a medium bowl combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and Dijon mustard. Mix well.

Place salmon fillets into the skillet, pour the mixture over salmon fillets and rub. Season with ground black pepper and salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven.

In the meantime, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Pour in heavy cream and bring to a boil. The sauce should thicken a little bit.

Take off the heat and stir in parsley and season with black pepper and salt to your liking.

Pour the sauce over the baked salmon and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes

Preheat your oven to 425°F /220°C with the rack in the center.

In a medium bowl combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and Dijon mustard. Mix well.

Place salmon fillets into the skillet, pour the mixture over salmon fillets and rub. Season with ground black pepper and salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on thickness.

In the meantime, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Pour in heavy cream and bring to a boil. The sauce should thicken a little bit.

Take off the heat and stir in parsley and season with black pepper and salt to your liking.

Pour the sauce over the baked salmon and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes

Crabmeat Salad

Many restaurants offer crabmeat dishes, but in reality, what they are calling crabmeat is actually Alaskan pollock, aka surimi.. “So what is surimi?”, you ask.

Surimi is a minced fish paste, made from a cheap fish in abundant supply, usually Alaskan pollock, frequently mixed with sugar and sorbitol, a sweetener.

I actually like using surimi due to the fact that it is much cheaper than the real crab meat! I recently bought a large package of surimi sticks at Costco. I sometimes eat a stick just because it tastes so great. Having bought so much of it, I decided to make this salad for lunch.

Crab Salad (Surimi)

Ingredients

1 pound imitation crab meat flaked style, or sticks cut into slices
1/2 cup celery finely chopped
3 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped, plus more for garnish

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 2 days.

Sprinkle with additional chopped dill for garnish if desired.

Ahi Salmon Avocado Poke Bowl

In the last couple of years,”poke” bowls seem to be cropping up everywhere. Normally it is served with sashimi-grade salmon or tuna (both RAW). We first had these at a local Italian restaurant in the city and came to order it many times. I did find a recipe, where else but Pinterest, but finding the sashimi-grade salmon (raw and safe) proved more difficult until recently. Eureka! It turned out beautifully, well almost…details later.

Ahi Salmon Poke Bowl

Ingredients

1 Pound Sashimi-grade salmon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes or pieces
1/4 Sweet onion, sliced thin
1 or 2 thinly sliced radishes
1/4 English Cucumber, halved and sliced thin
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Grated ginger
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
Black sesame seeds and sliced scallions for garnish
Steamed Cauliflower rice for serving OR Basmati rice

1. In a large bowl, combine the tuna or salmon, onion, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, Sriracha, and sesame oil.

2. Serve topped with black sesame seeds, sliced cucumber* , sliced scallions, and sliced radish in bowls with cauliflower or Basmati rice.

Putting the cucumbers in at Step one resulted in a greenish gray cucumber as you can see in the foto.

Seafood Stew (otherwise known as “Bouillabaisse)

In different parts of the world, this dish is simply called “seafood chowder”. In Belgium we ate a similar dish known as “waterzooi“. I decided that I had small amounts of fish, shrimp and scallops that were not enough to cook separately and once again I turned to Pinterest to see what were the possibilities. The resultant stew/chowder/bouillabaisse/waterzooi was great!

The photo below is from Pinterest, showing oysters, lobster, etc. accompanied the original recipe. Choose whatever seafood you can get at the store…

Feel free to choose whatever seafood you have on hand…

Seafood Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
6 small potatoes, chopped
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped* OPTIONAL
pinch saffron
4 cups fish or vegetable broth
1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1-pound fresh cod or another fish of choice, diced
8 raw shrimp, shells on
8 littleneck clams* OPTIONAL
8 mussels* OPTIONAL

Garnishes and accompaniments: Chopped fennel fronds, chopped parsley, slices of toasted baguette.

To make rouille, combine one minced garlic clove, a 1/4 cup of finely minced jarred roasted red pepper, and cayenne pepper with 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

1 Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, fennel and saffron until translucent. Add tomatoes and fish broth and bring to a boil. Cook stew until thickened, about 20 minutes. If you’re planning to serve the stew immediately, continue to step 2. If serving later, allow stew to cool completely and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bring back to a simmer over medium heat before continuing to step 2.

2 Lower heat to simmer and add fish, adjusting heat to keep the liquid bubbling gently. Add cod or other diced fish first. Follow with clams about 5 minutes later. Finally, add the shrimp and mussels. Cover the pot and continue simmering until clams and mussels are open and shrimp is pink.

3 Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with toasted bread slices and rouille sauce.

Teriyaki Salmon Bowl with Coconut Rice and Ginger Sesame Greens

At first glance, this recipe seems complicated as you are cooking three items for the bowl. The salmon and the rice both require the same cooking time! Like many Asian recipes, the prep is more time consuming. The greens take very little time. Trust me, this all makes for a great meal!

Teriyaki Salmon Bowls with Coconut Rice and Ginger Sesame Greens

Ingredients for the Teriyaki Sauce OR Use store bought to simplify

1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed or finely grated
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 large salmon fillet, roughly 200g (you could also use chicken breast or thigh OR for a veg version, some firm tofu, cut into inch sized cubes)

Ginger Sesame Greens

5 large handfuls of greens – I’ve used green beans. Feel free to use your favourite green veg. Other delicious options – bok choy, snowpeas, broccoli, broccolini, baby spinach, etc.
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed or finely grated
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Coconut Rice

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed well – It’s important to rinse the rice as this helps make it nice and fluffy. It also means we add less water to the pot when cooking, 1¼ cups of water instead of 1½ cups if we didn’t rinse.
1 tbsp coconut oil
Pinch of salt
1¼ cup boiling water

Toppings

Toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds
4 spring onions, finely chopped
Japanese mayonnaise for drizzling (optional)

Teriyaki Salmon

Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the honey, tamari, mirin, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.

Add the salmon fillet (or protein of your choice) and coat thoroughly.

Place the salmon and the combined sauce into a small paper-lined baking dish.

Bake at 180C / 350F for 15 minutes then grill for 5 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Once cooked, remove from the oven.

Coconut Rice

In a small saucepan add the coconut oil, rinsed rice, and a little salt.

Add the boiling water, bring to a boil, then turn down to low heat and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes.

DO NOT remove the lid at any time. We want all the steam trapped in the pot to create that perfectly fluffy rice.

After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the rice to sit for 3-5 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork.

Set aside until ready to use.

Ginger Sesame Greens

While the rice and salmon are cooking, grab a large saucepan and add the sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.

Now add the greens then sauté on medium heat until bright green and slightly wilted.

Add the tamari and stir to combine.

To Assemble

Add a scoop of rice to each serving bowl, some salmon and surrounding leftover baked sauce, and the ginger sesame greens.

Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, spring onions, fresh chopped basil and a dollop or drizzle of Japanese mayo (if using). Enjoy!

Salt and Pepper Salmon Bites

My dilemma…do I buy a full side salmon filet or just three pieces at the fish counter? With the full side from Costco, there are thick and thin pieces, some cook faster than others.

Resolution, trim off the thinner sides of the piece, along with the tail end. Cut these into cubes or smaller slices and freeze them in a bag to make other salmon dishes not requiring small filets. The result was this recipe which makes a very nice dinner when served with some freshly steamed brussel sprouts and maybe a nice rice dish. Those pieces can also be used in a pasta dish.

Salt and Pepper Salmon Bites

INGREDIENTS

1/2-pound skinless salmon filet
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp five spice
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions
red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Slice the salmon into strips about an inch thick.

In a bowl combine the pepper, salt, five spice and cornstarch.

Add the salmon pieces and toss well making sure the salmon is well coated.

In a medium sized pan stick pan heat the oil until hot.

Gently place the salmon into the hot oil and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn the salmon pieces over and repeat with the other side until salmon is fully cooked.

Transfer the salmon to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Serve with rice and garnish with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a bit of sour cream if you like.

Salmon Loaf

Ok…here’s another salmon recipe just because we got a fresh supply of canned wild sockeye salmon from our Canadian visitors. Wild sockeye from the west coast is quite different from Atlantic salmon in colour and taste.

And since our friend is both gluten and lactose intolerant, this recipe from Pinterest was a great choice. We served it with some fresh steamed Brussel sprouts and a great yellow rice. Hope you will give it a try!

Salmon Loaf

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (coconut or macadamia oil are also great)
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large celery stick, finely diced
1 large carrot, peeled and finely grated (or 2 smaller carrots)
2/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 large clove of garlic, finely diced
600 g of canned salmon (3 x 213 g / 7.5 oz cans, drained with larger bones removed)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons almond flour
Zest of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175 C/ 350 F.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion and celery. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring once, and then add the grated carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add a couple of tablespoons of water when it feels like the oil has dried up. Finally add the garlic and cook together for another minute or two.

In the meantime, drain the salmon and remove any visible large bones. Don’t worry too much about the smaller bones or the skin as it will blend in just fine. Add the fish to a mixing bowl and flake with a fork or your fingers.

Add the cooked vegetables to the salmon. Grate some lemon zest, add the eggs and almond flour and mix everything together with a fork. Make sure the egg is well incorporated.

Grease a medium loaf tin with a little coconut oil (make sure to brush all sides with oil). Transfer the loaf mixture to the tin and press down until well compacted and even on the top. I like to bang the tin against the bench a couple of times to get rid of any air pockets inside the mix. Then place in the oven, middle shelf, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Creamy Leek and Salmon Soup

If you like leeks and also salmon, this recipe is for you. It is pretty straightforward to make. In place of the fresh salmon, I chose to use smoked salmon pieces. The flavour was great…

Creamy Leek & Salmon Soup

Author: Rachael Bryant / Meatified

Prep time 5 mins Cook time 25 mins Total time30 mins

Serves: 4 large servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp. avocado oil
2 leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced into crescents
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups seafood OR chicken broth
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 lb. salmon, in bite size pieces (thawed frozen salmon works really well here) OR smoked pieces
1¾ cup coconut milk
Salt & pepper to taste (omit pepper for AIP)

Instructions

Heat the avocado oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven at a low-medium heat.
Add the chopped leeks and garlic and cook until slightly softened.
Pour in the stock and add the thyme. Simmer for about 15 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the salmon and the coconut milk to the pan. Bring back up to a gentle simmer and cook until the fish is opaque and tender.

Nutrition for 1 serving – Calories 241, Carbs 33 g., Fat 12.8 g., Protein 29.1 g

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa

The salmon recipe was awesome, but I really did not enjoy the salsa. I will search out a different low carb one asap. Try it! You might like it…LOL. I have shown it here with the cauliflower rice. The salmon is buried underneath the salsa…sorry.

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
2 lbs. salmon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp ancho chili powder (used regular)
1 tsp black pepper

Avocado salsa ingredients:
1 avocado, chopped
½ small red onion, chopped
Juice from 2 limes
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
dash of salt

Instructions
1. In a small mixing bowl combine salt, cumin, paprika, onion powder, ancho chili powder and black pepper.
2. Rub the salmon fillets with the olive oil and rub with the spice mix.
3. Grill the salmon on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until desired doneness.
4. Mix the avocado, red onion, chopped cilantro, salt and juice from the limes in a small mixing bowl. Top the salmon with the avocado salsa.
Recipe by The Recipe Critic at https://therecipecritic.com/2014/07/grilled-salmon-avocado-salsa/