Fish and Corn Pie

Not the most creative of names, but a really yummy recipe.

It all started with an email from Bon Appetit with this recipe for Fish and Corn Cakes with Tartar Sauce.  I'm not a big fan of tartar sauce, so that part got ditched.  And the recipe called for 1 1/2 lbs fish.... I only had a pound.  And many of the reviews said that the cakes fell apart, so I planned to increase the eggs, which serve as glue in the recipe.

You know, a normal recipe for me.  Find something online/in a book and make myriad changes.

But the last change was the best!  Wait for it.....

Bake it in a pie pan, not on the stove!

You see, I love making pancakes on weekend mornings.  But at the end of the day, when I'm tired and hungry, I don't want to stand at the stove flipping burgers (or fish cakes) while the rest of the family either eats without me, or stomps around, tired and hungry.  Changing this into a pie removed that burden, and got all of dinner (and the chef!) to the table at the same time.  Yay!  I will be adapting my Black Bean Burger recipe in the same way...  Bean Pie!

Note, the fish needs to be cooked BEFORE the pie can be assembled.  I oil a baking sheet, lay the filets on the pan, sprinkle with Old Bay, then bake at 350 degrees until cooked (around 15 minutes).  The Old Bay gives the flavor a boost, but can be omitted or substituted if you like.

Fish and Corn Pie (serves 4)
1 lb skinless firm white fish, cooked and broken into small pieces
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 large eggs
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
2 Tbsp fresh chives or green onion
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), plus 2 Tbsp to sprinkle on top
1/2 tsp each Old Bay, salt and pepper (omit Old Bay if you seasoned the fish when preparing)
lemon wedges for serving (optional)

1.  Heat over to 400 degrees.
1.  In a bowl, whisk together eggs, mayo and lemon zest until well combined.    Stir in fish, corn, chives/green onion, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and salt and pepper.
2.  When combined, pour into greased pie pan.  Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs on top of pie, pressing them lightly into pie.
3.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until topping is browned slightly and pie is cooked through.

Note:  this recipe can be made gluten free by swapping panko crumbs for any GF crumbs.

Bon appetit indeed!

Salmon Meatballs

This recipe was insipred by the Grilled Salmon Meatballs recipe from the Washington Post 10/12/11. My cooking adventure started with needing to use some frozen salmon that I found to be too fishy.  It was a good quality wild salmon-- too good to waste-- but not inspiring.

This recipe seemed like a good try to polish it off, but as usual, I didn't have all the ingredients.  Nor did I want to grill the meatballs.  And for a change, I didn't follow the directions very well.  The end result, however, was delicious.

Serve this with your favorite yogurt based dipping sauce--  raita, Trader Joe's Cilantro & Dill Yogurt Spread... all will be wonderful.

Salmon Meatballs
1 lb skinless salmon (preferably wild)
4  stems flat leaf parsley
3/4 cup panko crumbs
1  Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare the salmon by chopping it into small bits.  I have a bowl with a chopper (like a mezzaluna)- you can also use a blender or food processor.  Do not make a puree!

3. After pulsing the salmon alone a few times, add the remaining ingredients, and pulse a couple more.  Note:  If you have already overdone it with the mixer, then incorporate the other items by hand.

4. Place the mixing bowl/food processor bowl in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

5. When done, use your hands to roll the salmon mixture into 12-15 balls.  Place in an oven proof pan or on a cookie sheet, and bake for five minutes.  Do not over cook or they will become dry (still edible, but they'll need more sauce).

Blackened Fish

In an effort to eat healthy meals, we try to eat fish.  I have a hard time eating fish once a week, let alone the two-three times the food police say I'm supposed to.  Insert normal excuses here... hard to get good fresh fish, not convenient, blah blah blah. 

Phew, now that we've passed that, here's our family's favorite fish recipe.  This one is from Real Simple.
I make it with 'White Roughy'- it's found in the frozen section of Trader Joes.  This is where fish can be really easy- buy frozen, defrost overnight, cook, enjoy.  Since roughy is not as oily as catfish, bake it at 450 degrees instead of broiling it, 15-20 minutes.  Serve with sweet potato fries (ours also come from Trader Joes).

And for you with kids, my kids love this fish.  It's not spicy (provided your chili powder isn't spicy-- try cayenne pepper if this comes out too hot).  They might also enjoy rubbing the spice blend onto the fish.  It's a little like finger painting, only more delicious at the end!

I halve the spices because I'm making just 12 oz of fish.  Here's the recipe:  Blackened Fish  Bon appetit!