Lemon Herb Crusted Bass
thin striped bass fillets
freshly squeezed lemon juice
chopped parsley
panko bread crumbs
lemon pepper
Place the bass fillets on a baking tray and drizzle the top side with lemon juice.
Place the parsley, bread crumbs, and lemon pepper in a food processor and pulse until well combined, and mixture is light green, but still dry and not moist.
Sprinkle crumbs liberally over the fish, pressing it to stick to the fish.
Bake at 425◦F for about ten minutes until cooked thoroughly.
This is a really easy recipe to bake any kind of white fish. It adds a great punch of flavor and some texture; and is quick, easy, and convenient to do!
Baked char is super easy when you have a conveyor belt pizza oven that does all the work for you! Just season both the flesh and skin side of char fillets with salt and pepper, place on a greased pan skin side up, place a little fat on top of the skin, and place through the oven. In seven minutes when it comes out the other end it will be cooked perfectly! I know, hard to believe but it works like a charm! If you are not lucky enough to own or have access to one of these amazing pizza ovens, it works in a regular oven set to 425◦F as well.
My brother is on to something. He cooks a lot of vegetables at home and he has a genius way of doing it. We used to stir-fry chopped vegetables together for an easy side dish. Steaming also works. But my brother cuts them up, puts them all in a bowl, tosses them in a little oil, salt, pepper, and sometimes other seasonings, and bakes/roasts them. Just places them all on a baking sheet and roasts them until tender. The higher the temperature, the faster they will cook. But sometimes he cooks them at the same time as something else, such as chicken, and so the oven temperature is dictated by that.
Salmon En Papillote
salmon portions (any salmon will do - fresh or frozen thawed, portions, steaks, or fillets)
salt
ground black pepper
olive oil
freshly squeezed orange juice
julienne of carrots
julienne of red onions
julienne of chives
Place each salmon portion on a piece of parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and juice. Arrange a few pieces of carrot, onion, and chives over each portion. Seal the parchment paper closed. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400◦F for 12-15 minutes until cooked. Fish will remain moist but will flake easily with a fork. Do not overcook, especially if serving in the parchment, because carryover cooking will occur.
En papillote is a French cooking term meaning in parchment. It refers to food, most often meat, but it can be vegetables and starches as well. Sometimes entire meals are cooked in parchment paper, and then delivered to each diner at the table so they can open the package and have an entire meal in paper. Cooking en papillote allows food to cook in it's own steam - keeping it moist and flavorful. The ideal way is to cut half-heart shaped from doubles rectangles of parchment paper, placing the food in the middle, and then sealing the edges tight. However, as long as the parchment package is fully sealed, it should cook properly.
These make a nice little addition to any meal, and are a welcome change from the usual mashed or baked potatoes. They are simple to make, although they do require two steps: boiling and mashing then baking. You simply peel and wash as many potatoes as you need, boil them until tender, and mash them. Season with salt, pepper, and any other spices you would like. Add a little milk, butter, and beaten egg, and mix until smooth. Then drop onto a baking sheet lined with foil. I used an ice cream scoop to do this, which made perfectly sized and shaped potato puffs. Bake at 350◦F for 10 minutes, until just set. Drizzle each puff with a little melted butter and bake for another 20 minutes until golden. I then broiled mine for a few minutes on high to get a nice crisp exterior. This puffs are crispy and golden on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
