Hali-but...

I am a fish person.  I've rarely eaten a fish that I didn't like, and I like it in all manner of ways.  Fried, grilled, poached, etc.  Halibut, however, has always been a little... meh for me.  I mean, it is adaptable and light but it has almost no discernable flavor.  On one hand, that makes it the most versatile fish ever!!  On the other hand it can be a fairly labor intensive fish to impart flavor upon.

My father loves to fish and makes at least one trip to Alaska every summer to do so.  Since I'm living with my parents for a stint, I have a lot of halibut and salmon at my disposal.  I made my go-to salmon recipe on Tuesday and a desire to utilize some wasabi powder that I recently purchased made me consider halibut for tonight's dinner.  I initially considered wasabi-crusting the fish, but this being my first time using wasabi powder, I didn't want to accidentally kill myself with a severe horseradish hit to my sinuses!  A quick browse through Pinterest brought me a cilantro-wasabi mayo that sounded SUPER delicious.  And may I just say, it is FAN-TASTIC.  Like, I want to dip my arms in it up to my elbows and lick it off.  (I would say I'd like to bathe in it, but I'm afraid of wasabi getting in my lady-parts.  Ye-ouch!!)  For texture, I decided to nut-crust the fish.  I used pecans because... well, that's what my mom had in her freezer.  :o/  They ended up giving a really nice flavor to the fish and I added a little Panko for a wonderful texture contrast.

The roasted cabbage recipe I found sounded superb but the execution was... lacking.  I need to tweak this one some more before blogging it.  I mention it only because there's a picture of it.  :o)

Cilantro-Wasabi Mayo
(Copied almost directly from BrokeAss Gourmet)
2/3 c mayonnaise (can also substitute 1/3 cup with plain greek yogurt)
1 clove garlic, smashed (or one heaping teaspoon minced jarred garlic)
1 bunch cilantro*, stems removed
2 t wasabi paste**
1 T soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and whir away!  When the mixture is pretty well blended, taste for seasoning and heat and adjust if necessary.  Scrape down the sides of your preferred apparatus and give it another spin.  Refrigerate covered until ready to use (up to four hours).

*You could substitute flat leaf parsley or basil if you're not a huge cilantro fan.  Although honestly, I would give the cilantro a try.  I know cilantro is usually a very strong flavor, but for some reason it is not overpowering in this sauce.  With all those other flavors, it's barely noticeable.  And if you don't like it, you're out maybe $2?  You can make another batch with other herbs just as inexpensively.

**The amount of wasabi I used in this recipe provided NO heat.  Wasabi flavor, yes, but I repeat, NO heat.  The next time I make this, I will at least double the wasabi.  But I like'a tha spice!!  (And apparently, I'm occasionally Italian?!?)

Comments:
I fed some of this sauce to my friend Nerissa, who hates cilantro and cannot handle heat AT ALL, and she was a huge fan.  She was able to taste a little cilantro flavor in a couple of her bites but it wasn't so strong that it ruined the flavor.

I also fed some to my boyfriend and he said, "That's really good.  I would use that on everything."  I agree.  I can see marinating a pork loin in this, or tossing it with shrimp.  The possibilities are endless.  :o)


Pecan-Crusted Halibut
1 c pecan halves
1 c Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c flour
1 t each salt and pepper
2 t garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
3 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 T butter
4 halibut fillets, skins removed

Pat fillets dry with paper towels and set aside.

Place pecans and breadcrumbs in a food processor and pulse until pecans are super tiny.  (If you don't have a food processor, put items in a large, sealed plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush everything to bits.  Don't have a rolling pin?  Use a wine bottle!!!  :o))  Remove to a large plate and set aside.

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together and place on another plate and set aside.

Beat eggs in a wide shallow bowl.

Look!!  A double yolk!  Ah, twinsies!

Set up your dredging station: flour mixture, egg, and nut/breadcrumb mix.  Dredge all sides of your fish in the flour and shake off any excess.  Next dredge the fish in the beaten egg.  Finally coat your fish in the nut/crumb mixture.

 

Heat the EVOO and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place your fish in the oil and cook 3-4 minutes on each side.  (If your fillets are decidedly square/rectangular make sure you brown those edges!)  Go low and slow on this.  The pecans brown quickly, so don't be alarmed if there's a decent char on the fish.

Easiest Salmon... EVER!

I found this recipe, oh 100 years or so ago, and I have used it often.  I would definitely say it's my go-to salmon recipe.  Partly because it's so well-liked and partly because it's so damn easy!

I will say, if you're not a salmon lover, this recipe probably won't change your mind.  It's very simple and only enhances the salmon flavor.  Not that I'd discourage anybody against trying new foods (or methods) but that's been my experience.  Just sayin'.

Super Easy Salmon
Equal parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), soy sauce, and fresh lime juice (approximately 1/4 cup each for four fillets)
4 salmon fillets

Place all ingredients in a large plastic bag.  Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Preheat oven to 450.  Place fillets on a baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes depending on thickness.

That's it.  Yeah, really.  :o)

Bananarchy!!

I am one of those people who is easily swayed by suggestion.  At least when it comes to food.  Unfortunately, I also LOVE to watch the Food Network.  Constantly.  Especially at night.  Often to the  detriment of my waistline.  Sigh...

Last week I was watching Arrested Development (thanks for the Season One DVD lender, Beth!) and I got a huge craving for a frozen chocolate covered banana (a Bluth Frozen Banana to be exact!).  I spoke my desire out loud.  My boyfriend yelled jokingly from the other room, "Stop being so prone to suggestion!  You're every marketer's wet dream."  Well... when he's right, he's right.

Later that night, browsing Pinterest, I came across a recipe for frozen chocolate covered banana bites.  HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!  When I followed the link, I was greeted by a picture from the very series that inspired my craving.  I knew I wasn't alone!

Of course I had to change things up a little, but ladies and gentleman, may I present...

Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Bites
(Adapted from (never home)maker)
2 4oz bars chocolate of choice (I used 60% cocoa)
3 bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice (I used cashews - OM NOM NOM!)

Chop bananas into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Rough chop the chocolate and melt in a double boiler until smooth.*  If you don't have a double boiler (raises hand) you can create one using a glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water.  Just make sure the bowl is big enough that it does not touch the water.

Dip/roll** the banana pieces in the chocolate and set on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or wax paper (Hello, easy cleanup!).  Sprinkle the bananas with the chopped nuts and put in the freezer for at least an hour until the chocolate has hardened.  When they are ready you can transfer them to a ziplock bag for compact freezer storage.

These bites are an absolute revelation!!  They're bite-sized so they're easy to eat (no more gnawing on whole bananas on a stick) and they're just the perfect amount of sweet.  You could even argue that they're good for you.  Fruit, dark chocolate (better than milk) and good fat from nuts.  :oD


*The original recipe called for melting chocolate chips in the microwave.  I did that.  It came out like this...

Shortly after this picture was taken, the paste turned to dust.  Chocolate dust sounds cool, but it's not very handy for dipping.  I think this happened because I tried to get "fussy" and added just a small splash of vanilla extract.  I don't know what chemical reaction was responsible for this outcome, but it scared me into using the double boiler technique and using a higher quality chocolate.  The microwave instructions are included in the link above, so use whichever method you prefer.

**In order to avoid having chocolate from fingertips to elbows (not that that's a bad thing) I used toothpicks as my dipping mechanism.  They allow you to stab-n-dip without losing much/any chocolate where your fingertips might have been.