Lime Broiled Cod

The original recipe for this easy and fast way to prepare fish was written for catfish, but my husband is not fond of catfish at all so I used cod, which he loves. The lime and garlic give the fish a bit of a south-of-the-border flare so it combines well with the recipe for Salsa Green Beans that was posted on 7/2/2014. The gelatin salad is Cherry Salad Supreme; find this recipe posted on 7/3/2014. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 to 4 6-ounce cod or catfish fillets

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder; mix well. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Place fillets in a shallow broiler-safe dish or on a broiler pan.
3. Brush each fillet with lime-butter sauce.
4. Broil for 4 minutes; remove from oven. Turn the fillets over and brush the second side; return to oven and broil for another 2 to 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with any remaining sauce before serving.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings
This recipe is another from a Taste of Home cookbook.

Italian Breaded Baked Fish

Fish is not one of my husband's favorite foods, but he does like wild-caught cod fillets done in very simple fashion like this. He would tell you, "as long as it does not taste fishy" I'll give it a try, and he does, thankfully. The fish takes minutes to prepare and about 15 minutes to bake, so it is great for getting dinner on the table quickly. Serve it alongside pasta and salad for a truly Italian-style meal. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 lbs. fish fillets (cod worked great)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp. grated Romano cheese (I used Parmesan)
1 tbsp. Italian herb blend
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 tbsps. olive oil, divided
1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a glass baking dish with a teaspoon of olive oil.
2. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese and spices together in a pie plate.
3. Cut the fish fillets into 5-6 oz. portions. Gently toss the fillets in the remaining olive oil then dip them into the bread crumb mixture until coated. Set the fillets in the greased baking dish, being careful not to crowd.
4. Place the pan in the preheated oven on the top rack near the broiler. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Open the oven and turn on the broiler. Broil the fillets for another 2-3 minutes, or until the breading begins to brown. Keeping the oven door open allows for you to watch the fish closely so that it does not burn. Serve with a lemon wedge, unless you enjoy the fish alongside pasta and a wonderful sauce, as we did.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Pan-Fried Fish Parmesana

This wonderful fish recipe comes from Trader Vic's restaurant in San Francisco via the "San Francisco A La Carte" cookbook. I've made a few adjustments that I thought made it better and easier for the home cook, like you and me. We love fresh Alaskan cod fillets done this way and the recipe also suggests red snapper fillets, which I'm sure are also probably wonderful, but not readily available for us. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 lbs. rock cod or red snapper fillets, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup flour
2-3 eggs, lightly beaten (start with 2)
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3 tbsps. butter
2 tbsps. olive oil

1. Combine lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, and sprinkle on both sides of the fish pieces. Salt and pepper the fish.
2. Combine the flour and Parmesan cheese in a pie plate or other flat dish for dipping.
3. In a large heavy skillet melt the butter and oil over medium heat.
4. Dip the fish pieces in the egg wash and then dip to coat generously in the flour-cheese mixture. Fry the fish until a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes and turn to brown the second side, about another 5 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes with a fork. If you happen to get very thin pieces of the tail of the fish, you won't need to fry it much more than 5 minutes total.

Yield: 6 servings
Note: This recipe is easily cut in half to serve two people.

Good Friends and Wonderful Meals

Years ago, when our family lived in Santa Cruz, CA., we had the wonderful blessing of having Marv and Sally as part of our lives. Marv was not only a very special "much older" friend, but he was also our family doctor. This man helped to save my life emotionally many times, not to mention his other gifts as a physician in our families lives, especially with two little boys.

Sally was a dear and special friend to this new bride. She was instrumental in the formation of my love of inviting new friends into our home. We spent many hours with Marv and Sally over wonderful food and wine. Sally was an exceptional cook, and very relaxed in the kitchen. We have since lost touch with Marv and Sally, they having moved away from Santa Cruz and us making a move back to Modesto, and then to Idaho. I still think of them fondly as they were a gift from God in our lives at that time.

This recipe is one Sally prepared for us one Friday evening as we all sat on their deck overlooking the bay. In Santa Cruz we could go down to the wharf and get fresh salmon that still smelled of the sea, oh what a blessing! The recipe will seem odd, but is very safe and tastes absolutely wonderful. We first had the dish about 25 years ago and I still make it regularly, so I can attest to the safety.

Salmon Marinade:

This recipe makes enough for 1 lb. of salmon fillet
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, room temperature
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, room temperature

1. Combine fresh lemon juice and soy sauce and allow to come to room temperature, if cold.
2. When ready to marinate fish, melt butter in a glass bowl in the microwave that will hold the pound of fish. Add the parsley, room temperature lemon juice and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
3. Rinse fish and pat dry. Add to marinade, pushing the fish down so it is covered with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 - 3 hours at room temperature in a cool kitchen.
4. Place the salmon on the grill skin side down and cook over hot coals for about 12 minutes per one inch of flesh. Turn once during cooking time. Be careful to not overcook and dry the flesh out. The timing is completely dependent on how hot the fire is

Tip: The layer of gray colored stuff laying on the flesh is fat. I think the salmon tastes better if that is removed. Just gently scrape it off with a table knife.