Chocolate Cherry Sorbet with Cherry Compote

Roasted Halibut with Butternut Squash Coulis , Edamame and Mushroom Sauce

5/27/2016

Pretend your are in a fancy, expensive spa and imagine being pampered with a delicious meal. I have been making this recipe for my health conscious friends for years using different types of fish. The butternut coulis and mushrooms are vegan and are very low in calories. For fish I have used whatever is available and fresh. Red snapper or cod are good choices. For this occasion I roasted some asparagus as an additional vegetable. This meal serves four with some leftover coulis.

I live in Santa Cruz where over half the population is vegetarian and some folks are vegan. This is the perfect dish because they don't have to eat the fish and all I have to do is substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. The coulis can be turned into a delicious healthy soup by adding additional broth. Last Saturday I invited some friends who were in a middle of a health crisis and needed a comforting and healthy meal. This one fits the bill. A good meal will let you forget about the problems and fears you are facing and enjoy the moment. For an appetizer, I served my baked goat cheese with fresh herbs and garlic. We sat outside enjoying the warm evening, dipping fresh baguette in our goat cheese and sipping a glass of 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Hewitt Vineyard which my friends had brought.

The meal was a great success. The halibut was a little overdone, so watch the time when you roast it. My friend’s immune system would not allow any uncooked fish. This is one dish I always plate before serving. I am sorry about the quality of the photos, it does not reflect the food. I have tried to photograph this several times before but what can I say?… I am a slow learner and I am not devoting much time to improving my photography skills. It shows! My dream is to take a workshop somewhere in Europe where I might improve my photography skills.

I had some fresh raspberries and blueberries in my refrigerator . For dessert I decided to make my favorite galette. Okay, this is where I chose not be too healthy and got some bitter caramel ice-cream from the Penny Ice-Cream Shop in Santa Cruz. These guys make the absolutely best ice cream ever. I loooooove the bitter caramel and yes, I know that vanilla ice-cream probably would go better with the galette. But I couldn't help myself. If you are ever in Santa Cruz and before you hit the beach, treat yourself to ice cream from this wonderful creamery. It is worth every bite.

Recipe for baked Goat Cheese with Herbs and Garlic

Recipe for Blueberry and Raspberry Galette

I usually make the coulis ahead of time. Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make a vegan version. I like my coulis spicy; if you don't I would recommend cutting the spices down. Try using 3/4 tsp of ground cumin and curry powder and 1 tablespoon of ginger instead of two. Make the leftover coulis into a soup by adding more liquid.
For mushrooms I like to use shiitakes but you can use button mushrooms or a mixture of both. I buy frozen edamame beans and use them while they are still frozen.
This makes 4 servings with some leftover coulis and mushroom sauce. I make my own bread crumbs by putting day old sourdough bread in my Vitamix . Before I bought it, I used my food processor

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Ingredients

Butternut Squash coulis

About 2 Ib of butternut squash
1 onion, chopped
2 TBS finely chopped ginger
2-3 TBS olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Mushroom and Edamame sauce
6 (250g) ounces mixed mushrooms
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS minced garlic
½ to 1 cup chicken broth
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup edamame beans
2 TBS or more chopped chives
2 TBS chopped basil

Halibut

1 ½ to 2 lbs. of skinned Halibut filet.

1 ½ cup fresh homemade breadcrumbs
1 ½ TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley
½ TBS finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp tested lemon peel
3 TBS butter melted

Directions

The coulis

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, using a mallet or a big knife if you have one. Scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash; I use a vegetable peeler. Cut the squash into 1-inch chunks; you should have about 4 cups.
Heat the olive oil and add the onions and ginger and cook until limp, for about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and curry and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 ½ cups of broth and the squash. Bring everything to a boil, cover and cook at a lower heat for about 20 minutes until the squash can be mashed with a fork. Blend with an immersion stick, blender or food processor until smooth. If you want a thinner coulis, add some more broth. Season with salt and pepper.

The mushroom and Edamame sauce

Wipe mushrooms clean with a wet paper towels. Cut off stems and cut the rest into ½-inch slices. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and stir the mushrooms until they are limp for about five minutes, adding the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the broth, tomato sauce and edamame beans and cook for about five minutes . The soybeans should be tender to the bite. Add half of the chives and basil and season with pepper and salt.

The fish

Preheat the oven to 320˚ degrees.
Oil a rimmed baking sheet.
Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, herbs and lemon peel . Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with melted butter. Mix well.

Place the halibut on a baking sheet and sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Cover the fish with the breadcrumb mixture and pat it down with your hands. If you have any leftover breadcrumb mixture, freeze it for later use.

Bake the halibut for about 20 minutes, making sure you don't overcook the fish. The correct cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish. Bake until fish is barely opaque, but still moist-looking in the center of the thickest part (cutting to test).

Guten Appetit!
recipe from Sunset Magazine
adapted by © Sunnycovechef

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Crepes with Salmon and Fennel Filling

5/3/2016

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This is an over-the-top salmon dish. Crespelle, an Italian pasta-like version of crepes, makes this a showpiece for a home-cooked meal. The Italians call it Cannelloni Ripieni di Salmone. With a name like this, you can’t go wrong. Crepes or cannelloni are filled with salmon, fennel, shallots, parmesan cheese, crème fraîche and basil. A lemony béchamel sauce puts it all together and creates a memorable meal to share with family and friends. Everything can be assembled ahead of time, which in my opinion is perfect for entertaining.

I found the recipe for the crestelIe in an old Gourmet magazine. I miss Gourmet! I think the crepes give the dish an elegant presentation and add flavor, but you can substitute fresh pasta made into cannoli. Although I have to say, I prefer the crepes.

First, I make the crepes and stack them between paper towels and cover everything with plastic wrap. The béchamel sauce can also be prepared ahead of time, but needs to be reheated before using and maybe thinned out a little. It will save you same time if you can have your fish monger skin the salmon and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Spring is asparagus time and that is what I serve as a side dish. I cut off the woody ends and peel part of my asparagus. I massage them on a cookie sheet with some hazelnut oil (although regular olive oil is fine), sprinkle some salt and pepper on then bake it in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes according to size. I like my asparagus crunchy.

Fregolotta, an Italian giant cookie that is easy to make and the perfect ending for this special meal. Click here for the recipe.
I missed my last book club meeting because I was in Germany. As our next book, our group choose Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, an Australian prisoner who escapes and lives in the underworld of Bombay. It’s a 936-page epic novel about living in the slums, romantic love, prison agony, criminal wars, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas. It’s a huge novel that embraces every human experience imaginable, all framed by a love for India. It was an interesting but long read. I liked it.

This recipe makes six large crepes and serves 4-6 people. Make the crepes ahead of time just in case one of them doesn't turn out, in which case you might want to make another batch. Don't let the length of the recipe scare you. Each step is straightforward and doesn't take much time.

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Ingredients

The Crepes

2 large eggs
2/3 cup water
½ cup-all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 TBS finely chopped fresh tarragon
3 TBS Butter melted and cooled
extra butter for frying the crepes

The Béchamel Sauce

4 TBS (50g) butter
4 TBS (40g) flour
8 oz. (236ml) bottled clam juice
1 ¼ cup (236ml) milk
2/3 cup water
¼ cup cream
2 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. salt
1 TBS lemon juice
several grinds of nutmeg

The Filling

1 TBS finely chopped garlic
2 TBS finely chopped shallots
1 fennel bulb sliced into bite-sized pieces
3 TBS (40g) butter
1 ½ lb. salmon, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup (150g) crème fraîche
2 TBS parmesan cheese
1 cup sliced basil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

For the Crepes

Blend together eggs, water, flour, butter, and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth but no longer than 5 seconds. Be careful not to over-process the batter. Transfer to bowl and add tarragon. For tender crepes, let the batter sit for two hours. Cover and refrigerate the batter if it sits longer than an hour. The batter should be as thick as heavy cream.

Heat a 10-inch skillet until hot, but not smoking. Add a little butter and make sure the pan is coated with the butter. Ladle about 1/3 cup batter into the skillet, tilting and rotating the skillet to coat the bottom, then put the excess batter back into the bowl. Cook until just set and the underside is lightly browned. Loosen the crepe with a spatular, flip the crepe and cook for about 15 seconds. Invert the crepe onto a clean paper towel to cool. Repeat with the remaining five crepes. If you don't use them right away, stack them after they are cooled between the paper towels and cover the plate with plastic wrap.

The Béchamel Sauce

For the sauce, heat the butter in a heavy pot. Add the flour and whisk until smooth for about two minutes. Add the milk and whisk vigorously until smooth. First add water, then the clam juice, continuously whisking until smooth. Cook for several minutes, add more milk or water to thin out the sauce if necessary. Add the rest of the ingredients and adjust taste by adding salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

The Salmon Filling

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and fennel and sauté for about three minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another two to three minutes. Add the crème fraîche and parmesan cheese, bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the salmon and basil.

Assembling the Stuffed Crepes

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F (220 Celsius). Put rack in the middle of the oven.

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking oil. Cover the bottom with the Béchamel sauce.
Divide the stuffing into six portions. Put the crepes (with cooked side down) and spoon one portion filling in a ribbon down the center of each, and roll up to enclose. Arrange the crepes in the baking dish with the crease side down. Spoon the remaining sauce over all of them. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overcook the dish.

Guten Appetit!
recipe for Crespelle by Gourmet magazine
recipe for salmon stuffing by©Sunnycovechef

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Roasted Halibut with Butternut Squash Coulis , Edamame and Mushroom Sauce

Crepes with Salmon and Fennel Filling

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