Hey there folks! Sorry for the delay in giving you the second installment in the 2009 lent series. I just want to say that I’ve been to flu-ville this year and lived to see the other side. Wow. What a ride. Now, I know that it’s not fun to hear about how sick someone has been, so I’ll just move right along.

One of the reasons I love this recipe is because it is quite simple to make for just one person. Since I’m not a big fan of fish and Hubby actually really does like fish, this is a great recipe when I want to make him something fast that he loves.

Having said that, if you want to make this for more than one person, just double or triple the ingredients to make however much you need.

Now, most people you cook this for won’t realize that this is a very simple recipe, mainly because it looks so fancy. It can even sound dressed up, if you want it to – calling it Fish en Papillote will make everyone think you’ve really gone gourmet (or you can just call it fish in parchment, or just baked fish, if you want.)

Let me show you how to make this . . .

Fish en Papillote

First, lay out a large piece of parchment paper. Now, if you don’t have parchment paper in your kitchen, you really should. But, never mind that, you can use aluminum foil instead. Use about ½ to 1 tsp. of butter or margarine and butter the paper.

Now, slice a medium peeled potato, half a lemon and an onion into thin slices (that’s right everyone – pull out your mandoline!)
Put the thinly sliced potatoes into a single layer on a dish and microwave for a minute or two to soften them up. While they are cooking make sure you remove the lemon seeds from the lemon wheels.

And I just wanted to throw in here that I really like calling the lemon slices lemon wheels. I just think that’s fun. And, a great name since they really do look like little yellow wheels.

In a small bowl, mix:
1/2 tbsp. Butter or margarine
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (you can use the other half of the lemon)
1 tsp. dried parsley
¼ tsp. dill weed
¼ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper

Microwave this all for 30-45 seconds, or until the butter is melted.

Now, lay the potatoes over the buttered paper (or foil!). You could also add blanched carrots or red peppers here – if you have them. That would be really amazing! Sadly, I didn’t have those things when I made this batch.

Lay a 4oz white fish fillet over the top of the potatoes. Here I’ve used tilapia.

Carefully drizzle the butter mixture over the top of the fish.

Put a layer of onion rings over the butter. Then a layer of lemon wheels (tee hee!!)

Close up the paper by folding the top over, and rolling the edges together to crimp them. They don’t need to be perfect, but you do want them to stay closed.

Now place the fish on a baking sheet.

Bake your fish in the oven at 450F degrees for about 10-15 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the fish should be 140-150 degrees when it is done. If you don’t have a thermometer, you’re looking for firm white fish that easily flakes with a fork.

You know I’m obliged to tell you how much you really need a meat thermometer, right? O.k., enough said. Moving right along. (Gosh, they really aren’t even that expensive! And, they are soooo handy at Thanksgiving and when you want your steak medium, but can’t tell if it’s rare . . . O.k.! O.k.! I’m done here!)

Carefully open the paper and slide a spatula under the fish to move it to a plate. Feel free to drizzle the lemon sauce over the top, if you would like. Alternatively, you can put the paper directly on your plate, cut it open and serve it just like that. Pretty spiffy, eh?

Now, for the purposes of photography I have moved the potatoes out from under the fish here. Remembering that I don’t really eat this, I’ll just tell you what Bob said – it went a little something like “Don’t do that. The potatoes are awesome under the fish, but when the lemon sauce gets drizzled on them they are yuck.” So, there you have it, leave the potatoes under the fish.

*****
Ingredient list, without instructions:

1 tsp. plus 1/2 tbsp. butter or margarine, divided
1 sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil
1/2 medium potato
1/2 lemon
1/2 small white onion
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tsp. dried parsley
¼ tsp. dill weed
¼ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
4oz white fish filletSimilar Posts:

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• All I want for Christmas is my Crockpot. And Stew. Regular Beef Stew.
• Real women don’t eat psarosoupa
• Ohmigawd, it’s so good to see you! Let’s make egg salad today.
• Tuscany Glazed Turduken in Hollandaise

I want to share with you today another recipe that I came across in Simple and Delicious Magazine.  If you have not bought a copy of this magazine yet, I’m telling you . . . you really need to get one.  Fast.  I haven’t found any duds.  And, with most of the stuff I’ve made, I’ve made very few changes.  They have a lifelong subscriber right here.  [Angie Pangie is not receiving any compensation for telling you this.  And I think that stinks.  Nah, I'm just kidding, folks.]   Seriously though, I just want to pass on to you how excited I am to have found a great resource for recipes.  Of course, if you stick around here long enough, you won’t need to buy the magazine, because I’m going to keep on making this awesome stuff, and then I’m going to keep on telling you all about it.

So, my BFF, Deb, is in Indiana and has been since Easter (the day she returned my lemon extract).  Her Mom is real bad sick and she’s down there taking care of her.  I miss Deb like nobody’s business.  I’m actually getting all misty just thinking about it . . . lord I hate early menopause. 

Well, anyhow, Deb is from Southern Indiana, and she has a twang when she talks.  She says things like “Darlin’” and “Y’all” and she means it.  She is all the time making me uncomfortable, because she does things that make people take notice.  Like complimenting complete strangers on random things; for instance saying to the guy at the movie theater, “Your eyes are beautiful!  You should be an eye glasses model!”  Or, sometimes she’ll just bust out and say something like “Dang it!  My butt itches!” and I just want to keel over dead, cuz it’s embarrassing.  And, sometimes, she’ll touch my straw just to screw with me.  But, a while back I realized something .  .  .  Deb is the most genuine, straight shooting, loving person you’ll ever meet.   She’s the epitome of “Keeping it Real.”  And I love her because she makes me uncomfortable.  And HOLY CRYING I miss her!

Right, so I’m not telling you all of this so as to get you to feel bad for me and my lonesome and menopausal self, but to tell you that I’ve been cooking (whenever I can) for her Hubby and daughter (who are still here in Michigan).  Her Hubby adores shrimp.  And as far as he’s concerned, the spicier the better.  So, when I came across this Confetti Pasta with Shrimp recipe, I knew he’d be happy.  So, I made it and gave half to BFF’s Hub (and we ate the other half!).  And, I was right, he loved it (and so did we!).  So, you should make some, and when you do I want you to think of one random compliment and give it to someone.  For Deb and for her Mom.

P.S.  If you pray, or something like that, Deb and her Mom could really use the prayers.  Oh and send me chocolate, cuz that always makes me feel better.  I don’t need any prayers.  I’m good.  Really.  I’m fine.  Good grief, o.k., I’ve got a tissue now.  Here’s the recipe, y’all. 

 Confetti Pasta with Shrimp
Adapted from Simple and Delicious Magazine
Serves 8

1 (16 ounce) package thin spaghetti, angel hair, or pasta of your choice
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more, to taste)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound (size 50-55) frozen shrimp, peeled, tail removed, deveined
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Start out by thawing your shrimp (if frozen) under cold water in a colander.  Once they are cold, but not frozen you can begin to peel and devein the shrimp.  To devein simply use a small paring knife to make a tiny slit down the inside of the curve, along the black line.

Use your knife to pull out the vein and discard.  It’s yucky!  Once you have peeled and prepared all the shrimp, give them a good rinse and set them aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large (5 quart, approximately) pan, sauté the peppers, onion, garlic, salt, oregano, crushed red pepper, and black pepper in olive oil until vegetables are tender.  We like stuff a little on the spicy side, so I add closer to 3/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper.  You can adjust it to your own taste, or leave it out if you’re wimpy (don’t worry, I was like that for many years, but thanks to Prilosec, I’m livin’ it up now)!

Add the shrimp; cook and stir until shrimp are hot, slightly firm, and pink.

Drain pasta; toss with shrimp mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

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You all remember Popeye, right?

“I had all I can stand.  I can’t stands no more!”

No. More. Fish.  I can’t stands no more!  Except for one small problem.  I said I would make one fish recipe a week during lent.  And I just counted, and there are 10 days of Lent left.  Crap. 

I’m really trying.  Fish is o.k., I just don’t want to eat it once a week, ya know?  Thank goodness I’m not Catholic.  I just couldn’t deal.  I guess I don’t have the wherewithal.  (I’ve always wanted a reason to type that word:  wherewithal.  Strange word, don’t you think?)

Well, anyhow, since I promised I would make one fish recipe a week, I’m going to follow through.  That’s right.  You can count on me.  I’m trustworthy, honest, and sick to death of fish.  So, I’m going to cheat a bit and make King Crab Puffs.

 That’s not really cheating.  It’s crab, which is seafood, and it’s the same thing as far as the food pyramid is concerned.  Of course, I’m pretty sure chicken, beef, and fish are all the same thing on the food pyramid.  But, let’s not think about that.  Let’s think about cheesy, delectable King Crab Puffs.  Hot from the oven . . . Mmmm.

These are super simple.  They would make a great appetizer, or you can use them like I did and serve them along with soup and salad (we’re having potato soup with our puffs).  And, in a pinch, they count as a fish recipe for Lent. 

It’s kind of interesting how I found this recipe, you see, my Mother in Law is one of the kindest ladies I know.  If your kid is selling something, you really need to seek her out, because you’re pretty much guaranteed a sale.  This is how she ends up with a dozen magazine subscriptions – she buys one from every kid that’s selling magazines.  Recently she brought over her latest stack (she gives them to me, I told you, she’s kind) and it included a publication I’ve never purchased before, Simple and Delicious Magazine.  So far, I’m really impressed with this magazine.  It has good recipes for everyday food that my family will like.  I was able to pull 30-some recipes from one issue that I knew I would be willing to try.  That’s a lot for one magazine, folks!  Anyhow, that’s where this recipe comes from, along with many others recipes I’ll be cooking in upcoming months.  Well, on with it then . . .

King Crab Puffs
Adapted from: Simple and Delicious Magazine

(can be doubled)  As written makes about 2 dozen.
1 can (6 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
1 large green onion, chopped
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In small bowl combine crab, green onion, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil.
Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.  Stir in crab mixture.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Remove to wire racks, serve warm.

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• 2009 Lent Series: Fish en Papillote
• Tuscany Glazed Turduken in Hollandaise
• Thwak Biscuits and Garlic Bread
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• Real women don’t eat psarosoupa

Hi.

I’m not Angie.

But you probably guessed that from the title of this post.

My name is Bob.  Angie Pangie is my better half.  I’m posting here today because Angie Pangie has come down with the flu that seems to be going around.  She just got up out of bed a few minutes ago, walked out here in half a daze, and said, “Do you know where the camera is?  I have to fish the blog of the Friday recipe now.”

“Angie,” I said.  “Go back to bed.  I got this.  It’s all good.”

She didn’t argue.

Mistake!

As if the title wasn’t bad enough today.

Boy will she be pissed when she wakes up from her stupor.

I can see it now.

———

Now, I don’t know jack about cooking.  I make a mean hamburger helper, and I’m passable with the grill.  But anything she posts here?  Please.  I have no frickin’ clue. 

But I sure do love to eat it.

Anyways, let’s see what I can do with “fishing the blog of the Friday recipe,” shall we?

This week’s Lenten fish recipe was totally awesome.  We had our friends John and Sophia, as well as our friend Phil over last Friday.  This is what Angie made:

 Here it is again:

It was the best dang salmon I’ve ever had.  No foolin’.

Now, I think that I’ve found the recipe for this thing.  There’s a magazine here on the counter with an advertisement for McCormick spices.  In the ad is a recipe called “Paprika Roasted Salmon” with a bunch of notes scrawled on it.  Says it’s from the McCormick Gourmet Collection Recipes.  Let me see if I can make sense of it.  Maybe tomorrow, when Angie is feeling better, she can correct my inevitable mistakes.

Stuff you use:

1/2 cup OJ
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp thyme leaves, divided
2 lbs salmon fillets
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp kosher salt

How to do it:

To make the marinade, in a small bowl combine Orange Juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp thyme.

Place Salmon in a large glass dish;  cover with the marinade.  Cover dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.

In a small bowl mix brown sugar, paprika, cinnamon, orange zest, remaining 1 tsp thyme, and kosher salt. 

Remove salmon from marinade;  discard extra marinade.  Place salmon in a lined baking pan.  Rub top of salmon evenly with paprika mixture.

Roast salmon in 400 degree oven 10-15 minutes, or until flakes with a fork.

Finally, get a Babs to make some cornbread to go with your fish:

Finally, serve it up to me so’s I can eat it!

The END

Similar Posts:

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• 2009 Lent Series: Fish en Papillote
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**Before I start today, I want to let you all know that I did find my SD Card, it was at the restaurant, as I had hoped.  Thank you to everyone who emailed me saying they hoped I was able to find it.  Now, back to business . . . **

During my time at Culinary School, on one of my many turns at the soup station, I was paired with a fellow student who was from a Greek family, Phil.  On this particular day, Phil suggested we make Psarosoupa and I happily agreed, because I thought it sounded cool, and because it meant I didn’t have to come up with something.  What I didn’t know was that Psarosoupa is Greek fish soup. 

So, when you’re cooking on the line it’s sorta like this . . .

stir
taste
add (something)
stir
taste
stir
taste
add
stir
taste

Oh, and then taste again for good measure.

Because (just like in Hell’s Kitchen) if you send something out of the kitchen salty, or bland, or under cooked, or over cooked, or, well wrong, you are SO going to hear about it (and there is always the whole grade report thing, too).  So after tasting so much Psarosoupa that I might have floated away, I decided right then and there, on that very day, that I hated fish.  Sure, I’d still eat an occasional tuna sandwich, and I might hop in line at LJS, but otherwise, I wasn’t going to eat any real fish.  Ever.  Again.  I mean never, ever.

Nevertheless, things change, and picky eaters grow up.  So one of my latest projects has been to make at least one new fish recipe each week (during lent).  And, even though I’m (sorta) grown up, it’s been quite a challenge for me.  I have, over the last couple of years, managed to stretch my myself to Lemon Pepper Tilapia and I think I tried Hubby’s Orange Roughy a couple of times, but honestly, beyond that . . . I’m just having a really tough time with this.  Last week I made Stuffed Tuna Shells, which were good.  But this week, it was time to move on to something a little more risqué.  So, I delved into the world of Catfish.  I was determined to at least try it.  And.  It wasn’t bad.  Not really bad at all.  Kinda, almost, well sorta, good.  Actually, it was good.

I found a recipe in my Southern Living for a Black Eye Pea Relish that sounded divine.  The recipe mentioned that it would be good served over grilled catfish, and I figured if anything could save that icky ol’ piece of fish, it would have to be black eyed peas.  So I made the relish (Which is also supposed to be good over crackers with cream cheese – but what isn’t good over crackers with cream cheese?) and I grilled the catfish on the indoor electric grill (because it’s 6 below zero here with 12 inches of snow on the ground and I’m not going outside to do it).

I hope you enjoy this.  Be SURE not to skip the relish.  It really makes the dish.

Grilled Catfish with Black-Eyed Pea Relish

For the relish:
15 ounces of seasoned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ranch dressing
2 cloves garlic, pressed/minced
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and chill.  Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For the catfish:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 lb catfish fillets

Mix olive oil, lime juice, wine, mustard, chili powder, pepper, cilantro and salt in a medium bowl.

Reserve 1/3 cup of marinade for basting.  Transfer the remaining marinade mixture to a shallow bowl and add catfish, turning to complete coat the fish.
Marinate for 15 minutes.
Drain fillets and discard marinade.
Place fillets on an oiled grill rack.

Grill, basting with reserved marinade, for about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

To serve, spoon relish over the top of the catfish fillets.Similar Posts:

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I had a really interesting conversation with one of my good friends this morning.

She was telling me about some venison tips she made for dinner last night, how they didn’t turn out, and about how she attempted to salvage them (and failed).  She talked about her frustration in having a failed recipe, why she thought it might have failed, and how she’s been very lucky in that she’s had very few failed (inedible) dinners over the years.

Well.  Let me tell you, that’s really not the case here.  I have had some real doozies . . .

like the time I made California Sushi Bars.  Spent. All. Freakin’. Day.  Took them to a party.  Looked amazing!  Cost a fortune!  Tasted like ASS. 

Or, how about when I made chocolate bowls.  The idea was great (paint melted chocolate on bottom half of balloons – deflate balloons).  The result was hot, splattered chocolate everywhere when the balloon burst mid-painting.  Three times.

Then there was Monday.  I’ve culled my recent magazine purchases for a number of fish and dairy recipes to try out and share with you during the Lenten season.  My first pick was Stuffed Tuna Shells from a publication that must not be named (lest I go off on a completely different tangent).

Anyhow, the picture in the magazine looked great.  The idea was compelling – use jumbo pasta shells instead of noodles in a casserole type dish.  The result was crap-tastic.

I was frustrated.  I mean, there were multiple problems with the recipe.  There is no way anyone had tested the recipe, because it just didn’t work.  But, I refused to give up, because I love the idea.

So, tonight, we had Stuffed Tuna Shells, again.  My kids just roll their eyes.  Hubby tolerates me.  Look, I was on a mission, o.k.?  Good news.  They worked.  They worked pretty darn well, too.

The first attempt tasted sort of like a salmon patty stuffed in a crunchy shell, covered with a bitter, parsley laden sauce.  The second attempt tasted like good ol’ fashioned comfort food, dressed up just a tad.  Oh, and these came in around 180 calories and 8 grams of fat for two stuffed shells with sauce.  Yippee!!

Stuffed Tuna Shells
Not from a magazine title that starts with Eating and ends with Light

Serves 8

16 jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to package directions
7 oz. of light white tuna in foil pouch
2-4 oz. of sliced mushrooms (I used canned)
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup of 2% milk shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup of light mayo
1 1/4 cup of fat-free evaporated milk, divided
1 10.5 oz. can of low-fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. celery salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp. black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (Panko works well)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl mix tuna, mushrooms, onion, 1/2 cup of cheese, mayo, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, celery salt, and pepper.
• Mix soup and remaining evaporated milk in a seperate bowl, whisking to remove lumps.
• Pour 1/2 cup of soup mixture into the bottom of a shallow casserole dish.
• Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of tuna mixture and place the shell on top of the sauce.
• When done stuffing the shells, drizzle the soup mixture over the shells, and sprinkle the open section of the shells with bread crumbs.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top of the shells.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until bubbly.

One last little thing.  This is not the first time I’ve made a recipe from this magazine that comes out nothing like it is supposed to.  The ideas are good, but the recipes are not well tested.Similar Posts:

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