Pan-fried Rainbow Trout with New Potatoes and Button Mushrooms

                                                                       

  Catching and cooking pan-sized rainbow trout are fond memories from living on Porcupine Lake, Alaska.  The seasoned, lightly floured fish frying in a little oil sent the smell of thyme wafting through the rustic cabin.

Fresh water trout are one of the better buys at your fish monger.  Try this easy preparation to enjoy them today.

Pan-fried Trout with New Potatoes and Button Mushrooms

Serves two

Ingredients:

1 medium fresh water trout, cleaned,
washed, and blotted dry

2 Tablespoons plain flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme plus extra shake
over frying potatoes and mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 to 6 small new potatoes, each cut in
half

1 packet (200g) button mushrooms

½ cup/4 oz white wine

2 Tablespoons toasted flaked almonds

Put the flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bag with the trout and shake to coat.
Remove trout from bag.

Par-boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.   Drain

Place oil in a large heavy skillet and heat to medium. 

Add the potatoes and mushrooms; sprinkle with a bit of dried thyme; cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Add the floured seasoned trout to the middle of the skillet, making way between the potatoes and mushrooms.  Cook for 5 to 6 minutes continuing to turn over the potatoes and mushrooms occasionally during the cooking.  Turn over the trout.  Add the white wine and cook for 2 minutes.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

Divide trout into 2 fillets, removing the back bone in the process. Sprinkle each with a tablespoon of flaked almonds.  Serve with the potatoes, mushrooms, lemon and a green vegetable.

Serve hot with fresh lemon and your favorite green vegetable.

           

             

Minestrone with Pesto

This known comfort food is given a tasty twist with the addition of a spoon of homemade pesto into each bowl at the table.  Especially welcome on cold winter days.









Ingredients:

About 200g of button or small cap mushrooms

1 can broad beans, including juice

1/2 cabbage, roughly cut or shredded

200g French beans, cut into mouth size pieces

3 large courgettes, sliced

1 can chopped tomatoes with juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 litres/quarters water

Salt and Pepper



80g/3 oz short pasta

Put all of the above ingredients, except the pasta, into a large soup pan.  Turn on the heat and bring up to simmer for two hours.  Add the pasta for the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Serve hot letting everyone add a spoon of pesto (below) at the table.

Pesto:

100g pine nuts, toasted and cooled

1 packet fresh basil, or the leaves from one small plant

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 heaping tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Put all the ingredients for the pesto in your food processor or blender.  Process a few seconds until smooth.  Transfer to a small serving bowl to pass at the table.

Vegan Sushi

This colourful and tasty sushi is easily done.  My first attempt is shown.  Christopher, nephew, and talented cook demonstrated how to put the few needed ingredients together for the this pleasing result.  It made a hit at our recent piano recital gathering.







Ingredients:

1 kg Sushi Rice (allow 1 cup rice to 2 cups water)
Sushi Seasoning liquid, one bottle (you'll have lots left for other times)
Roasted Seaweed, Sushi Nori, several sheets
3--4 Carrots, Peeled and very thinly sliced lengthwise
2 Ripe Avocados, Peeled, seed removed, and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Cucumber, Cut in the width of the Sushi Nori, and thinly sliced lengthwise

Ginger pickles, fresh preferable but bottled may be what is available in your grocery

Soy Sauce (Optional)



Have ready:  Bamboo mat (plastic film wrap can be substituted if necessary)

Preparation:

First cook the rice in your rice cooker or in a large heavy pot.  When cool, add a few shakes of sushi seasoning liquid; do not over mix or rice will become too sticky.

Lay one sheet of seaweed on the bamboo mat, short side nearest you.  Cover evenly with about 1 1/2 cups rice.

Place one slice each of carrot, avocado, and cucumber on top of rice (at end nearest you).

Using both hands, roll up starting with the vegetable end, slightly stretching the seaweed as you go.

Cut the roll into the sushi sizes desired.

Continue until the desired amount of sushi is made or until you are out of rice, seaweed, and vegetables.

Place the ginger pickles in a small bowl near or on top of the prepared sushi.  Soy sauce can be offered if desired.