Pan-Fried Salmon Steaks

My kids and I love the taste of salmon...even plain with just the barest of seasonings - salt and pepper. And since wild Alaskan salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (a healthy fat), this also cooks on the pan with very little oil to start with, as it also releases its own oil as it cooks, and comes out with crispy crust, almost like it was deep-fried, especially at the belly part. You can pretty much say "na-prito sa sariling mantika" (fried in its own oil). When summer is here, these are the most craved for dishes for me, and would be more so when I start producing my own tomatoes freshly picked from my garden. (That reminds me, this is also a good time to make salted eggs.)

Photo depicts how we Filipinos typically enjoy our fried fish -- with slices of tomatoes, green onions (or chives, as how I used here), and onions (I used Vidalia just for the taste of it), with a drizzle of patis (fish sauce) and some lemon juice, enjoyed with plain (or fried) rice. Pinoy na Pinoy! A lot of our typical Filipino meals are not at all gourmet, but if you look at food mags of today (like bon appetit), they are looking more and more like the Filipino style of enjoying food. Maybe because of the growing concern about going back to the basics of food (a rebellion against industrialization of food)...oh well...I am babbling here, an after effect of reading the book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. Well, let's get on with how I prepare my salmon steaks -- nothing fancy gourmet-y. Just plain home cooking, Pinoy style.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
salmon steaks
salt and pepper to taste

For tomato dip/salsa (whatever you call it!)
3 medium tomatoes, diced
onion greens, snipped
thin slices of vidalia onions to taste
1-2 tbsp fish sauce (or anchovy paste)
a drizzle of lemon juice (best to use calamansi if available)
(optional) fresh baby spinach

Instructions:
Sprinkle salmon steaks with salt and pepper to taste. Heat up your pan on medium low (#4) for 5 minutes. (Meanwhile, you can start preparing the tomato dip/salsa.) Add oil and distribute evenly; wait 1-2 minutes. Place the salmon steaks on the pan and let cook one side for 2 minutes. Flip over, cover loosely, lower the heat to #2 and let cook for another 4 minutes or until salmon is done (test with fork; if fish easily flakes off, it is done).

Enjoy with prepped tomato dip/salsa and plain or fried rice.

Sinigang na Bangus (Milkfish in Sour Soup) with Cucumber and Cabbage

From sinigang na bangus

I cooked this sinigang na bangus one summer day when I had too much cucumbers and we (my family) have been getting sick of having cuke slices every supper, and I had made all the pickles I wanted to make. I just experimented cooking the cucumbers and as I envisioned, it went very well with sinigang na bangus, perfect replacement for eggplant or radish. It absorbs the tamarind flavor of the soup really well.





Ingredients:
1 big milkfish (probably 1$1/2 to 2 lbs), cleaned and degutted
enough water to cover (probably about 5 cups or more, adjust when you have placed the fish already)
1 big onion, cut in half
3-5 tomatoes, cut in half
5 black peppercorns
about 2-3 tbsp sliced ginger
1 packet tamarind flavoring (or less, if you don't like it too sour)
salt to taste
cabbage (about 1/4 head)
2-3 cucumbers cut into wedges/chunks

Instructions:
Boil water with ginger, onion, peppercorns, 1 tsp of salt and tomatoes for at least 15 minutes or until tomatoes are really really macerated and soup is reddish already (this maximizes the flavor of tomatoes in the soup and adds sourness as well).

Add tamarind flavoring to your taste. Add fish and let simmer on mod low heat for 5 minutes. Add veggies and let simmer uncovered for additional 5 minutes or until veggies are done. Season with salt as necessary (I just sprinkle patis later on when eating.)

Enjoy with plain rice. Love the effect of cukes here.

Lemon-Pepper Grilled Salmon

Salmon has become my older son's favorite fish because "it's got real flavor unlike the haddock which does not taste anything at all to me."

I myself like salmon, especially when grilled. Actually, I almost always cook salmon this way, with only the basic of ingredients, then enjoyed with rice and some slices of ripe tomatoes sprinkled with salt.




I usually cook just half of the fillet (with intact skin), which will be all I and
my two sons can eat during a meal time (husband does not like salmon; too strong a flavor for him). Whereas before I cooked salmon on a iron griddle placed atop the stovetop, now I use the George Foreman grilling machine (small one, probably costs <$20 nowaadays). The cooking time is less since it cooks both sides at the same time (max 6 minutes depending on how thick the fillet is) and tends to close in the heat; clean up is easier; and I don't have to worry about flipping the fish over. To clean, I just let the machine cool down a bit, wipe it with non-abrasive slightly soapy dish sponge while still warm, then rinse with a bit of water, careful not to get water inside the machine (I hold it sideways).

Ingredients:
1/2 salmon fillet (actually amount depends on you)

Spices -- see slideshow so you know what I mean
garlic-salt
lemon-pepper

Instructions:

Sprinkle fillet with garlic salt, approximating how much you need for the amount of fish you have.

Generously sprinkle with lemon-pepper to really cover the whole surface. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, plug in the grilling machine.

When hot, spray or brush the grilling surface with oil.

Place the fillet on the grill and let cook for 4 to 6 minutes. (Fish is done when flaky all the way. Do not overcook!) For this piece, I had to turn around the fish after the first 4 minutes to cook the thin part further, as it was not touched by the upper grill. The closed-in heat further cooked that when turned around.

Ginataang Hito (Catfish in Coconut Milk)

Catfish is one of the few fish variety that goes really really well with coconut milk cooked until creamy. I love it also grilled, because it's high fat content just makes it so ideal for grilling, and gives its yummy taste. Hubby never likes fatty fish, though.

My sons also love this ginataang hito. If not for the tedious task of removing fish bones, they would not really have anything against any fish dish I prepare. They love anything seafood.



Ingredients:

2 catfish, cut into serving pieces
3 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp sliced and mashed ginger
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted (or barely salted) lobster broth (or water)
chunks of squash (I like mine with the skin still on; the amount depends on you; I put about 2 cups)
1 14-oz coconut milk (Premium; I use Thai brand)
1 bunch bok choy, cut at 1- to 2-inch intervals
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Sautee garlic, ginger and onion. Add broth or water, let boil and add fish; season with salt and pepper. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and squash, simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add the bok choy, stems first then greens and let simmer covered another 5 minutes. If at the end of this period, the sauce is still watery and the veggies cooked fully, remove the fish, squash and veggies so as not to overcook and transfer to a bowl. Increase heat to evaporate some more liquid off the sauce then stop when creamy. Do not let it get into the oily stage. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Pour onto the fish and veggies.

Tilapia in Sweet & Sour Sauce (Escabecheng Tilapia)

From Tilapia in Sweet N Sour Sauce

My recipe here is probably so unconventional for the typical Filipino, because of one ingredient not usually found in a Pinoy's pantry: the excess juice coming from canned whole tomatoes.

My younger son celebrated his 11th birthday recently. For the kids' birthday celebration, lasagna is the most requested dish. One ingredient for the lasagna is two quarts of drained(self-)canned whole tomatoes (you can also buy these in grocery stores, FYI). As you probably are now aware of, ang pagka-Ilokana ni Manang, humihirit. I did not want to throw away the juice drained from these. I kept them in the fridge, planning to make sweet and sour sauce, to pour over fried fish. I actually came up with two quarts of finished SSS, and I kept one jar in the fridge for the next Pinay gathering. The rest, I poured onto a whole (head and all) fried tilapia we had two days after. I warned my hubby to stop by somewhere on his way home to get himself something for supper, and not to be afraid to be late. I told him the boys and I were going to eat a head, so we better eat ahead. (pun intended! haha!)

If you do not ever plan to do canning of tomatoes, or to use store-bought canned whole tomatoes, you might not have a use for this recipe. However, if you do plan to can pasta sauce, cooking only the more solid parts of tomatoes and draining off excess juice, you might want to gather that and try canning and processing your own SSS for future use.

Ingredients for SSS:
1-3 tbsp oil
3 cups tomato juice (drained from whole canned tomatoes)
6 tbsp vinegar
2/3 cups sugar
2-3 tbsp tapioca flour (depends on the consistency you want; dissolved in some water)
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 each of red and green bell peppers, cut into strips
2-3 tbsp ginger, julienned
1 medium onion, sliced
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
some drops of Worcestershire sauce
some soy sauce

[Note: If I will experiment in the future to can SSS, then I would add the last two ingredients only during reheating, as I do not know how they will affect the pH.]

Fish, slit on sides (2-3 lbs)
salt to marinade the fish while you heat up the wok
cornstarch to dredge fish in just before frying

Instructions:

From Tilapia in Sweet N Sour Sauce

Prepare the SSS. Heat oil on med high. Sautee ginger then onion, then add veggies. Add the tomato juice, vinegar, and sugar, and season with the rest of the spices to taste. Add tapioca-water mixture in thin stream until you achieve your desired consistency. Set aside 1 pint in a clean jar and refrigerate if you can't use all. Use the remaining for 1 big fish.

From Tilapia in Sweet N Sour Sauce

Heat wok over high for about 5 minutes (or until very hot). Add oil and heat on high. Dredge fish in cornstarch and shake excess off. Deep fry for about 5 minutes one side (or until browned and crisped good), then flip and cook another 5 minutes, covered. Turn off heat and immediately take out fish and let oil drip from it by placing on a cooling rack (do not let fish sit in the oil or it will absorb much of the oil as it cools down). Pour 1 qt of the SSS over the fish. Serve over plain rice.

Butter-Fried Haddock, Rice-A-Roni, and Baby Spinach

This is a re-post from my Old Kusina. Funny how, when I review

From butter fried haddock wit rice-a-roni and baby spinach

my earlier posts now that I have somewhat established family favorites and regulars, I see that some earlier food combinations to make a menu are now changed. Like the old post of mine on haddock had creamed butter and french fries as sides. Now, we regularly eat butter-fried haddock with fresh baby spinach and Rice-A-Roni. If we deviate from that combination, my husband (who is a sucker for "traditions" likes sticking to something once he really finds it good) seems lost. Haha!
Very easy to prepare, we have this menu almost every two weeks.

Ingredients:

2 lbs haddock fillets, cut into serving pieces (I have extra for lunch-dinners the next day)
spices: salt, pepper and paprika, sprinkled onto cut pieces
flour for dredging right before frying
1 stick butter for frying

Rice-A-Roni (2 boxes for a family of 4-5 with boys who eat like men, and a man who eats like a boy)
butter (see package for directions; I use 4 tbsp for two boxes)
water (I usually use 3&1/2 cup for two boxes RAR)

fresh baby spinach

Instructions:

Start cooking the rice first. Using the stovetop, I melt the butter, add rice and stir, add water and flavoring then stir. Then I place in rice cooker to finish (takes about 30 minutes to cook). I wait for about 15 minutes before starting cooking the fish.

Meanwhile, I prepare the fish. After cutting, I sprinkle with spices and let them

From butter fried haddock wit rice-a-roni and baby spinach

sit for a while. 20 minutes before the rice is done, I start heating the griddle, flat side up, on two burners, at #6 setting. After about 5 minutes, I start melting the butter. Once butter has cleared (no more bubbles; it looks more like oil), I increase heat to 8, dredge chicken pieces in flour, and place them in the pan to cook one side for two minutes, then flip over, making sure there is enough melted butter underneath (or I slice some more butter to place there before the fish piece lands on it), and cook for another two minutes, or longer (3-4 mins) for thicker pieces. At this point, I shout to my kids, "Set the table please!" and instruct them about the baby spinach and dressing (hubby loves Wish-Bone Robusto Italian), and the RAR.

Salmon Paksiw

I don't know what the English term for paksiw is, and I did not really know whether what I was doing was really "paksiw" nor do I know if there is an accurate recipe for making paksiw.

Well, put simply, any fish cooked with crush garlic and ginger, drizzle of vinegar, some salt and freshly milled black pepper, and (as my father taught me when I was a child) a little bit of oil, can be aptly called paksiw.


Now, ever since I have been attempting to cook this, I never really measured. Everything is approximation. A friend suggested I try to taste the mixture first without the fish, but I haven't done so, mainly because of habit (well, my father's habit, that is) that you put all solid ingredients in the pan first (except salt and pepper), with the fish cuts placed as a single layer on top of ginger and garlic, then approximately sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with some vinegar (to cover with thin layer every piece of fish you have on the pan) and about 1 tbsp of oil to top. Cover and cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes. (Do not mix, or the vinegar won't cook!)

Well, the photo here shows tomatoes...Where are the tomatoes in the procedure I described above???

My friend Fe visited me several weeks ago with lots of tomatoes from her garden (I had processed/canned mine so I had no fresh tomatoes by that time) and suggested we add those to the paksiw. She also brought filleted salmon which she and her husband caught from the seas of Alaska, frozen right there. So, about three big tomatoes cut into chunks were placed on top of the fish cuts, and I added some more salt to approximate how much it would take to neutralize the acidity/sourness of the tomatoes. What resulted was the best-tasting paksiw I (we) have ever had!

Approximate amounts of ingredients to serve as some sort of a guide(try at your own risk!):
4 cloves garlic crushed
2-thumbs size of ginger, pelled and crushed then cut to chunks
2 lb salmon fillet cut into serving portions
1/4 cup of vinegar (this really is a big guess, maybe 1/2 cup???)
1-2 tsp salt (I am guessing here, but actually salt to taste, depending on your taste buds)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (I used the pepper mill)
1 tbsp of oil
3 big red tomatoes cut into chunks

Goodluck to anyone who will try this recipe!

Fish Lumpia

Still on LP's theme, I have here leftover tilapia from a lunchdate with our barkada here. It was a large one, that I had more than 1 cup of flaked fish meat to make into fish lumpia. I was first introduced into fish lumpia by the "balae" of my previous MIL. I liked it so much that I asked how she made it. She said she would buy "galunggong" and steam them then flake the flesh, mix with chopped green/snap/"baguio" beans, carrots, onions, garlic, egg, salt and pepper. Now whenever I have leftover grilled fish, I do the same thing. A nice surprise was when hubby expressed liking it (yes, he did try without me asking him to!).



INGREDIENTS (amounts stated are only approximations):



1 cup flaked cooked fish meat



Chop together then squeeze out excess fluid using flour sack:

1 medium carrot

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

handful of (leaftover) green peas

handful of (leftover) grated mozzarella cheese (Of course the ingredients here depend on the availability of veggies and the cook's imagination!)



1 egg

salt and pepper to taste



lumpia wrappers (I like best the TYJ spring roll wrapper)

1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water for making paste

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

PROCEDURE:

Mix everything together after squeezing out excess fluid of veggies. Prepare cornstarch paste: Mix cornstarch with cold water, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave again for 30 sec or less, watching closely until you achieve the desired consistency (should be fluid enough to easily brush it onto the wrapper). You may have to add some more water to thin it. This is a cheaper alternative than using egg as sealant. Place about 1 to 1-1/2 tbsp of filling at the center of the wrapper to form a log. Fold over one end then roll tightly. Brush CS paste on the corners to create a good seal. I froze these until two days later when I had visiting friends. While thawing them, I cut them into three parts each and heated about 2 cups of oil on high in a wok. I did not wait for these to thaw completely; I just went ahead and fried them until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Drain on paper towels and serve while still warm (fried lumpia tend to get soggy and chewy when it has cooled down completely). I served these finger foods with Jufran sweet chili sauce (hubby's favorite dip for chicken nuggets).



This time, there were no leftovers!



Thanks to mikemina for hosting this month's lasangpinoy15

Kilawing Tuna

While many Filipinos prepare kilawin to enjoy a booze, I love it with or without alcohol. As a matter of fact, I even eat it with rice, especially during summer when it is too hot to cook nor to eat hot foods.

Here is how I prepare it basing on my Nanay's method, plus adding more veggies and less hot peppers.

Ingredients and Procedure:
Tuna steak (I bought 2 steaks, about 1/4 pound total), cut into bite-size pieces
vinegar (I used Datu Puti cane vinegar; enough to submerge the fish)

Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes, after which, drain and squeeze gently to remove excess vinegar.

Meanwhile, chop the following must-have spices:
fresh ginger (thumb-size)
onion (medium size)

Add a dash of red pepper flakes (siling labuyo, chopped, if you have), depending on your taste

optional veggies:
bell peppers, diced (I love these here)
chives, snipped
cucumbers, diced

Squeeze 1 whole lemon (My substitute for kalamansi) and remove the seeds.

Mix everything together, sprinkle the lemon, add salt and ground black pepper to taste, mix again, then let sit overnight (I like it overnight so that the lemon will fully "cook" the fish flesh. I do not want it overcooked, though, as it tends to be crumbly. I guess the size of the pieces matter. I prefer the size of the pieces to be about 1/2 inch by 1 inch by 1 inch. Any thinner and it will be "overcooked;" any thicker and it will be undercooked (with the inner flesh still looking pink, which I do not prefer. Others may prefer it that way, though, but I am no sushi lover.)

I prepared just a little amount because I expected only myself to eat it. To my surprise, my older son liked it as well, and remembered that he has had it before.

I had my FIL taste one prepared by my friend, with pieces quite thick so the inner part was not "cooked," and he could not stomach it. I could, but I really would prefer the "cooked" version.

I remember in Kamayan Restaurant, they serve the kilawin quite raw even on the outside (perhaps only mixed the the lemon-spices the moment the order was made), and I really could not take it. 

Salmon Loaf

This is a re-posting from my old kusina. Photos updated as of 7-9-09.

Salmon loaf is one of my husband's favorite seafood recipes (I only know of 3 seafoods that he likes: RED salmon, haddock, and Kippered Herring (canned). He hates squids, doesn't care for shrimps or lobsters or freshwater fishes or even tuna, nor the PINK salmon (which is sad because I love all those!). So, since I have very limited seafood dishes which I can offer to him, I asked my Mom to share the recipe with me. The very day my Mom told me how to make it, I prepared it for supper. My husband excitedly ate it!


The next day, my Mom asked me whether I have tried the recipe. And of course I told her about the previous day. She was impressed that I made it the very day she shared the recipe with me! The impression they got was that I loved my husband that much that I was willing to learn from his Mom those recipes which he used to love so much when he was still living with them. (His ex never made that salmon loaf for him, and never baked rolls for him either.)

Well, what can I say? I do love my husband that much! Besides, the recipe requires very few ingredients and is very easy to make. I once tried to add some powdered garlic and onions (just a tad!) but my husband detected the change in the recipe right away! He really prefers the original recipe...the one he grew up with. Can't blame him there...I would stick to a recipe that I have come to know while growing up.

He loves bringing some leftover to work.

Ingredients:

1 can Red Salmon (Bumble Bee brand)
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup saltine crackers, crushed (about 15 pcs)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Lightly grease an 8" x 8" square pan. Prepare the ingredients.
Crush the saltine crackers (may use plastic bag then pound with bottle or use the chopper or blender or food processor). Let soak in milk for at least 5 minutes.
Mix together the rest of the ingredients with the milk-cracker mixture.
Transfer to the greased pan. Bake for 45 minutes.