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I love making fish curries- especially in warm weather. It doesn’t take very long to cook and before I know it, I have a super healthy meal for my family.

I bought some frozen cod from Trader Joes and was trying to figure out what to do with the filets. I usually buy fresh, especially if I am simply sauteing it on the skillet. For curries, I find the frozen variety works really well.

For this dish I decided to make a green mixture out of cilantro and fenugreek leaves. I also made a spice mix that mimicked the same flavors- I used, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and a dash of black peppercorns for a little kick.

It is a great idea to brown the fish briefly, take it out and then saute the veggie mixture- this technique ensures a delicious fish flavor throughout the dish. I added some coconut milk and chicken broth. I had a delicious fish curry in no time. I served it with a spiced polenta… recipe to follow tomorrow….
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I don’t end up ordering fish dishes in Chinese restaurants- mostly because majority of the dishes are deep fried. It is generally a whole fish, deep fried in a delicious sauce. Since I gravitate towards healthier food and even though I love anything fried, I stay away from it.

I do love fish cooked in delicious Chinese flavors- so, as usual I realized I can make it better at home- yes, I realize what you are thinking- she is not too modest… at all. I think if you have the right recipe, anyone can churn out better food in their kitchen than what they get outside.

I bought delicious bronzini from the Asian store and decided to make it simply with some key ingredients- tamari, black bean sauce, ginger, garlic, etc. I browned the fish quickly and mixed up a sauce in no time. This dish was ready in less than ten minutes. This is an ideal dish to make through the week.

I wasn’t sure if my daughter will like the dish since it was the first time I made anything Chinese using fish. Well, she loved it and wanted more… if I had made a bigger quantity, she would have eaten more.

Try this dish- it is healthy and delicious and best of all, it cooks in no time….
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It is nice to start the New Year off in a healthy way. You can’t get any better than Chilean sea bass- can you? It is one of my husband’s favorite fish. My daughter and I like it too. I don’t end up making it too often- I think because I tend to forget it is there and also because it is kind of pricey- but it is still a lot cheaper than eating it in a restaurant.

I simply sauteed the fish with salt and pepper and a squirt of lemon juice. I wanted for the fish flavor to come through loud and clear. For the accompaniment- I decided on a risotto. I used a red pepper pesto I had in my fridge. I also added baby spinach at the end to make it a complete meal.

It was fabulous- healthy and delicious. If I could eat like this everyday, I would be really thin and really healthy…
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Here is another recipe adaptation I did for the Chatham Patch. It was at Supper restaurant and the soup was the only thing we enjoyed- well, kind of. I came home thinking about how I could replicate the shrimp bisque and make it yummier and healthier. My problem with bisques is the amount of cream and butter used to create a creamy soup. I wanted to avoid a lot of the fat but not the flavor.

So, I started with a roux- which is a mixture of flour and butter cooked with milk. I lightened the roux by using olive oil and a combination of milk and seafood broth. I made it supper flavorful with amazing ingredients like pancetta and white wine. A little bit of pancetta adds amazing flavor – the calories are worth the bang of flavor. I also added fresh thyme and of course aromatics including shallots, garlic and carrots.

All in all, it was a delicious try. I used store bought fish stock to save time but I do think the soup would be extra delicious with homemade shrimp stock. If you have the time- definitely use the homemade variety. If you don’t have the time- the store bought kind is adequate. Either way, you have a delicious, homemade, healthy soup for your family. I served it with crusty bread and some roast vegetables on the side….
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We all love risotto in our family as well as mushrooms and most of all, scallops. So, it was natural for me to pair all of these ingredients together.

Risotto is super easy to make and I end up cooking it quite often. It is super versatile and can be served with tons of different flavors.

For this one, I sauteed cremini and shitake mushrooms with fresh thyme. I added the arborio rice (which is a short grained Italian style rice) and sauteed for a bit before adding some delicious white wine. After that, all I did was add some hot chicken broth gradually and kept stirring the rice- it takes about 20 minutes or so. I topped it with some truffle paste, half and half and cheese- how can you go wrong with that combination??

I simply sauteed the scallops with some salt and pepper. It takes just a few minutes to cook them.

The taste wonderful with the creamy risotto. You can substitute with shrimp, chicken and even lamb chops- really anything goes.

Try this risotto next time you feel like eating some good food…
Click here for the recipe… »