Seafood 101 - The Basics

Cooking seafood is fast, and best of all it's easy. These simple techniques will open up a world of seafood flavor. Just follow the 3 easy steps and these helpful tips

HOW TO BROIL SEAFOOD
We recommends these types of seafood for broiling:
Fillets or steaks 1/4" to 1-1/2" thick, shrimp, scallops, squid (preferably skewered)
Broiled Seafood is cooked in the oven, directly under the heating element. Preheat the broiler before putting the seafood in the oven. Place the rack 3-4 inches from the element. Broiling cooks seafood quickly, but be careful to keep it moist during cooking so that it does not dry out. Try marinating more delicate fish (those with less natural oil) to keep it moist during cooking. Fish with a higher fat content, like salmon, sea bass, bluefish, tuna, shark and swordfish are all good choices for broiling.
1. Lightly season with salt and pepper, or prepare a marinade. Add the seafood to the marinade, turn gently to coat the seafood evenly. Marinate the seafood in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours.
2. Preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan with foil and lightly oil. Remove the seafood from the marinade and place it in a single layer on the broiler pan.
3. Broil the seafood for half of the total cooking time. Turn and baste occasionally with the marinade to keep the seafood moist. Continue broiling until the seafood is cooked in the center. Cooked seafood turns from translucent to opaque in the center when done.

HOW TO STEAM SEAFOOD
We recommends these Seafoods for steaming:
Fish fillets or steaks, shellfish, whole fish.
Steamed seafood is prepared by placing a rack over boiling water in a covered pan. No added fat is needed for a great health-wise choice. For a complete dinner in minutes, steam vegetables beside the seafood.
1. Arrange the seafood in a steamer. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring the water to a boil in the steamer, add the seafood on the rack (be careful that the seafood does not touch the water) and cover tightly with the lid.
3. Steam the seafood until it is cooked in the center. Cooked seafood turns from translucent to opaque in the center when done.

HOW TO BAKE SEAFOOD
We recommends these Seafoods for baking:
Fish fillets or steaks, shellfish, whole fish.
Baking is a method for cooking seafood quickly at a high temperature.
Bake in a preheated oven at 450oF. Measure the fish at the thickest part, and cook for 10 minutes per inch thickness, or until the fish is cooked in the center. Cooked seafood turns from translucent to opaque when done.
Baking actually requires very little or no added fat, another ideal choice for healthy eaters. Easy ways to keep the seafood moist during cooking include coating with seasoned breadcrumbs, lightly brushing with olive oil or melted butter, or topping with thinly sliced vegetables.
1. Preheat the oven. Arrange the seafood in a single layer in a lightly oiled or buttered baking dish. If cooking fillets, fold under the thin ends so that they will cook evenly.
2. Season the seafood or add a coating or topping
3. Bake the seafood until it is cooked in the center. Cooked seafood turns from translucent to opaque in the center when cooked. Spoon any remaining cooking juices over the seafood.

HOW TO SAUTE SEAFOOD
Clearwater recommends these Seafoods For Sautéeing:
Fish fillets under 1-1/2" thick, shucked oysters, large shrimp, scallops.
Sautéing, or pan frying is somewhat similar to stir-frying. Sautéed seafoods are cooked over medium heat. The seafood is browned on one side, and is then turned over to finish cooking on the other side. Try lightly coating the seafood with flour, fine cornmeal, breadcrumbs or finely chopped nuts for a crisp outside and tender inside. Try using a skillet with a non-stick surface to avoid using a lot of fat for cooking.
1. Carefully pat the seafood dry to keep any splattering during cooking to a minimum. If desired, lightly dust with a coating of your choice.
2. Heat a small amount of oil or butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the seafood and cook until browned.
3. Turn the seafood and continue cooking until well browned and opaque through the thickest part. A good rule of thumb is to cook the seafood 10 minutes per inch thickness.

HOW TO POACH SEAFOOD
We recommends these Seafoods for Poaching:
Scallops, shrimp, shucked oysters, whole fish, fish fillets and steaks.
Poached seafoods are prepared by carefully placing seafood in hot liquid, resulting in highly flavored food with no added fat. Choose your favorite – simply water, or combine the water with seasonings, herbs, fish stock or wine.
Use a broad and shallow pan that fits the amount of seafood you plan to cook in an even layer. Be careful not to boil the water!
1. Place enough water (or other liquid according to your taste) and seasonings in a broad, shallow pan, to completely cover the seafood.
2. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat so that you see some movement across the surface, but no bubbles actually break the surface. Add the seafood. Do not cover.
3. Poach until the seafood is cooked in the center.

HOW TO STIR-FRY SEAFOOD
We recommends these Seafoods for stir-frying:
Shrimp, scallops, squid. Cubes or strips of firm fish (halibut, monkfish, salmon, swordfish, tuna, shark).
Stir frying cooks small pieces of food in a pan over high heat. Because the food cooks very quickly, don't forget to stir constantly to cook evenly and avoid sticking. Avoid stir frying delicate fish, because it will fall apart during cooking. Also avoid overcrowding the pan, or the food will release liquid and poach rather than fry; cooking in batches alleviates this. Either a wok or a large skillet is ideal.
1. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. If using vegetables, add them first and cook very quickly, stirring constantly. When vegetables are tender-crisp, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. If necessary, add more oil to the pan and reheat. Add the seafood (if necessary, cut in evenly sized pieces) and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and opaque in the center.
3. Return the vegetables to the pan, add any sauce or seasoning and toss to evenly mix. A meal in minutes!

HOW TO GRILL FISH
We recommends these seafoods for grilling:
Cod, salmon, shrimp, lobster, scallops, mussels.
Grilling is a fun, low fat way of cooking with heat and direct contact. Because most fish contain relatively little fat, marinating or brushing lightly with oil before placing on a grill is also recommended. This maintains moisture inside the seafood and prevents it from sticking to the grill.
To keep the fish from sticking to the grill, oil the grate before adding the fish.
Fish Steaks: Marinate the steaks, or lightly brush with oil. Place directly on the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked. Fish is cooked when it turns from translucent to opaque in the center.
Fish Fillets: Fish fillets are more fragile than steaks. To prevent them from falling apart during cooking, the should be carefully cooked in a grilling rack or in foil. Fillets with the skin left on one side can be cooked directly on the grill.
Lightly oil the grill and fish. Cook until done, basting frequently.
Cooking Time: Measure the fish at the thickest part. Be sure to include the stuffing or rolling. Cook for 10 minutes per inch thick.
Fish Fillets and steaks can be marinated prior to cooking. Fillets with skin should be cooked skin side down to deep the flesh form drying out. Steaks and fillets can be cooked directly on the grill; lightly oil the grate before adding the fish.
Thin or delicate pieces can be cooked on foil set on the grill, or wrapped in foil, lettuce leaves or corn husks before cooking.
Smaller seafood can also be cooked on racks to prevent them from falling through the grill during cooking.
Try threading scallops or shrimp on skewers, alternating with vegetables, for a fun appetizer. Cook 2 – 3 minutes, basting occasionally. Turn over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until done. Scallops are done when they turn from translucent to opaque in the center.
Mussels In The Shell: Lay the shells directly on the grill. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until the shells open wide. Throw away any whose shells do not open. Be very careful when removing the shells from the grill. The liquid that you will find inside is scalding.
Frozen seafood should be thawed before grilling, so that the oil, marinades, or spices will be absorbed.

Your kitchen pantry make-over.

Have you ever started cooking only to realize that something has gone bad or you are missing an ingredient (or 2 or 3…) Well you’ll never do that again! Use these helpful tips and avoid cooking interruption and a jumbled pantry. Stay organized and you can also cut your cooking and preparation time. Since I organized my pantry, there have been no mysteries, empty spots nor have I had to stop cooking to go out shopping or abandon a recipe. I only have to shop my pantry and I have everything I need, every time.





1- First step is to clean out your pantry by going through all the items and throwing out items that are too old or past their expiry date. It is important that all the items are fit for eating for your health as well as to prevent these finds mid-recipe. What ever is missing, stock up on your basics.

2- When you organize your shelves, store items like they do in the grocery stores. Sort by category, storing baking and cooking items separately, tallest in the back, and frequently used items where you can immediately see them.

3-When you stack your cans, for easier maintenance and identification of what stock is depleted, mark where the position where items or categories of items are positioned on the shelf. Angela likes to use a label maker like the Brother P-touch 1000. This makes controlling your pantry so much easier.

4-Store all your baking items separately. Use baskets, wire or wood to contain all your baking items, everything you use to bake like your flour, sugar, vanilla, baking soda and powder and getting them to the counter and back is a snap.

5-Need more space? Go vertical with expandable shelves. No assembly, but instantly increases your space. Maximize that space also by using bins or baskets and store those loose items potatoes, onions, or smaller items like soup or sauce packets, sleeves of crackers and cookies out of the box. They also add an element of esthetics.

6-Is there only one sleeve of crackers left and the box is taking up precious space? Store the sleeve in Ziploc storage bags. To ensure the freshness of the items, remove the air by rolling the bag up to press out the air. Be sure to mark it with the date you packed the item.

7-Tidy up your pantry on a regular basis. Keep it clean and free from crumbs and debris for pest free storage. Shake out and wash off your baskets, sweep out or vacuum out food particles off the shelves at least once every 3 to 6 months.

8-Rotate your stock. Anytime you get a new can or container, make sure to place it behind the oldest of the same item so that you are making sure to use the oldest item first.

9-Items rarely used or stored at the back can get forgotten. Make an inventory list of those items in your pantry and never lose sight of your food stock.

10-Do you buy bulk items like beans, rice, pasta or nuts? Buy boxes of Mason jars form the supermarket and store the items in the jars. They look lovely on the shelf but are also practical. They are airtight and you can see easily see what it in each jar.

A Romantic Valentine's Meal, Gentalmen take heed

The key to preparing a delicious and romantic meal is time and forethought. With that in mind, make sure that you are well organized if you are planning to treat your lady to a nice quiet evening at home this Saint Valentine's Day . You might be able to escape persecution if you mess up her birthday or your anniversary dinner, but on the one night that she expects you to take her out to a plush restaurant for a romantic dinner is the one night that you can't afford to foul up on your in-house culinary creation. What exactly are you going to cook for your love? If you think you can get away with Hamburger Helper, you better think again. If you're lacking ideas, fear not; here is a simple chicken parmigiana recipe that will knock her off her feet and land her in your arms. This is a fairly straightforward recipe, and any amateur or expert can pull it off.

main course

Ingredients

• Chicken fillet (at least one per person).
• Sliced bread.
• Tomato sauce (enough to cover the chicken).
• Romano and Parmesan cheese.
• Shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Vegetable oil.
• Four eggs.
• Any pasta of your choice (preferably fettuccine or linguine).
• Garlic clove.
• Butter.
• Green vegetable of your choice (green beans or broccoli).
  

Directions

• Toast the bread and crumble.
• Break the eggs in a bowl and gently beat.
• Dunk each fillet into the eggs.
• Roll each fillet in the bread crumbs until they are breaded.
• Coat the bottom of a casserole dish with the vegetable oil.
• Gently position the breaded chicken fillets in the casserole dish.
• Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken fillet.
• Sprinkle the Romano and Parmesan cheese on top of the sauce.
• Top it all off with some mozzarella cheese.

Cooking time

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cover the casserole dish and place in oven for 40 minutes.
• After 40 minutes, cut into the fillet to see if it's ready (chicken is ready when the meat is white).
• Remove the cover, set the oven to broil and cook for two minutes or until the mozzarella is slightly browned.
  

on the side

This is a filling meal that serves well with garlic bread. But since you will be exhausting plenty of energy later on that evening, you can prepare some pasta to go along with it.

Pasta

• Boil water and add a splash of virgin olive oil, to ensure that the pasta does not stick.
• Add the pasta and boil for 7.
• Mince the garlic clove.
  
• Drain pasta and place back in pot.
• Add garlic and 2 tbsps of butter to pasta and stir.

presentation

Position the pasta, vegetables and chicken next to one another on a plate. Add more sauce to the chicken if you like and top it off with a small sprig of parsley. Arrange the garlic bread in a nice basket, set it on the table and voilà, Chicken Parmigiana.

Gentlemen, there you have it -- everything you need to know in order to pull off a perfect Valentine's Day supper for the one you love. You have an easy Italian recipe, some pasta, and garlic bread. You're on your way to a perfect evening.

Edible Flowers

Flowers are not only beautiful, certain varieties are tasty, as well. Choose flower petals to color butter, or add a spring of violas to add a sweet, wintergreen flavor to meat. You can also float flowers inside of a punch bowl, use in fruit salad, or as decorations on cakes and pies.

When most people think of edible flowers, they think of the flowers made from sugar and fondant included as edible decorations on wedding cakes. However, there is a true culinary delight that incorporates eating raw and cooked flowers – the kind that you grow in your garden. Before you run out to your local florist and buy flowers to include in your next dinner, however, consider these tips for choosing edible flowers:

• Be careful. Never pick flowers for consumption if they've been exposed to pesticides, or those that grow by the roadside. Flowers from a florist should never be eaten. Since most florists use chemicals and pesticides to keep flowers fresher longer, they are considered poisonous.
• Remove. For the best flavor, remove the pistils and stamens from the flowers before eating. Also, most varieties of flowers taste best if you remove the sepals. Flowers that taste best with sepals intact are pansies, violas, and Johnny-jump-ups.
• Pick at peak. Choose flowers at their peak for best flavor, and always harvest in the early mornings, after the dew has evaporated.
• Stem size. If you are choosing flowers that are long-stemmed, make sure that you place them in a vase of cool water, storing them in a cool place, until you are ready to use them. Short-stemmed flowers should be used within just a few hours of harvesting, or store them loosely between layers of lightweight, damp paper towels.
• Refrigerator storage. While you can store flowers inside of a plastic bag in your refrigerator, make sure that you rinse them thoroughly before using and inspect for insects and dirt.

If you plan on harvesting flowers in order to dry them for use later, make sure that you choose varieties that will not lose their flavor during the drying process. Start very early in the morning, before the sun rises, and gather flowers before direct sunlight rests upon them. Take them immediately to a prepared, dark, well-ventilated area and hang them upside down by their stems. If you have chosen flowers with little or no stems, you may place them on a screen and allow them to dry. Once your flowers have dried, place them into airtight containers and label them. Store them in a cool, dark place until ready for use.

High Alititude Cooking

Cooking at high altitudes can be frustrating to the beginning and experienced cook alike. There are some completely different skill sets that need to be learned for cooking at high altitudes as compared to cooking at sea level. With a little for knowledge, the next time you go visit Great Aunt Mildred in the Rockies, you will be able to properly turn out your favorite dish

• Cooking. At higher altitudes it will take more time for your food to cook. Water does boil a whole lot more quickly when compared to sea level. However since it boils at a lower temperature, because of lower air pressure, so plan on an additional five minutes of cooking time for every 5,000 feet above sea level.
• Reduce leavening. In contrast to boiling water, cakes and breads will rise quicker at higher altitudes. When a cake rises too fast, it runs the risk of running out of the gasses that help it to rise, which leads to a cake that is coarse, sunken and completely unappetizing. When you reach 5,000 feet you need to decrease the content of your leavening agent by up to 25%. Above 7,000 feet you will need to decrease it by more than that, roughly another 5% for every additional 1,500 feet you go up in altitude.
• Increase flower and moisture. For every 3,000 feet in altitude you need to add an additional tablespoon of flour and liquid. Doing this helps ensure that your baked goods are nice and moist, and do not become too dry when getting cooked.
• Increase temperature. If you are cooking or baking above 5,000 feet, then you need to increase your cooking temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. This helps reduce the risk of baked goods rising too fast and your other types of food not getting cooked enough.
• Reduce oil temperature. When deep-frying foods, you definitely want to have an even distribution of that nice "golden" color that is so attractive in things like donuts and French fries. To ensure even cooking and even distribution of color, reduce the temperature of the cooking oil by 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Reduce sugar. Another important ingredient to reduce is sugar. If you are cooking around 5,000 feet you will need to reduce your sugar by about 2 tablespoons, and by 3 tablespoons when cooking around 6,500 feet.
• Watch mixing. For some reason, when cooking at higher altitudes it is easier for ingredients to be mixed. This means that you will need to pay attention to any mixing that you might be doing. Ensure that you don't "over mix" your ingredients. Pay attention to not only the time that a recipe may ask for in regards to mixing, but the description of the end results as well.
• Eggs. A common ingredient for baking is eggs. If your recipe calls for eggs, add one extra large egg. This will ensure that your recipe will not dry out and will, in fact, be nice and moist.

Dilled Two Salmon Chowder

This is a wonderful take on chowder. A favorite among many a friend on the west coast. I ran across this particular recipe while hiking the west coast trail with a couple of Rovers in the Scouting movement. a truly excellent finish to a 20 Kilometer day.

Serves 6

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 med yellow onion
• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 cups Fish stock
• 2 Lg. New potatoes, Diced
• 1 Lb. Salmon steak skinned and boned
• 3 cups Heavy Cream sauce
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Dill, chopped
• 4 oz Smoked salmon, chpd
• 1/2 Tsp Table salt
• 1/4 Tsp Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp lemon zest, fine grate

Melt butter in sauce pan and saute onions until tender, add flour to make a roux. Remove from heat and add stock slowly while stirring. Return to heat, add potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer 12 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add fresh salmon and zest, simmer until fish is cooked. Stir in cream, 1 Tbsp dill, smoked salmon, salt and pepper, heat until hot but not boiling. Garnish with dill and serve.

How to season a Dutch Oven or any other piece of cast iron

Regardless if it is brand new for found in a flea market or yard sale. A Cast Iron piece can become a real treasure in your cooking world. More importantly you cast if seasoned and cared for properly will last a lifetime.

So you’ve conquered the cooking aisle or the rummage sale and come home with the prized Dutch oven. So what’s next?

1. Well most cast iron oven most manufacturers put a protective coat on the item. Before you begin cooking, this coating needs to be removed. Also if you inherited or purchased a used Dutch oven it will need to be seasoned. Wash the piece with warm soapy water and scrub well. NOTE: This is the only time you will use soap on your Cast Iron.
2. Completely dry with a paper towel. Make sure the oven is totally dry, place in an oven @ 200 deg F. for 15 min to finish.
3. Remove Dutch from oven and set oven to 350 deg.
4. Coat Dutch oven including lid with quite a bit of vegetable oil. Rub it in really good and wipe off excess.
   
5. Place a oven liner in the bottom of the oven to catch drippings from cast.
6. Place lid with handle up on the oven rack and the dutch oven upside down next to the lid. Bake 1 hour.
7. Remove Dutch and wipe off excess oil.
8. Apply another layer of oil inside and out.
9. Follow step 6 bake 1 hour.
10. When timer goes off, turn off oven and let cool in oven until it is cool enough to remove with bare hand.
11. Wipe off any extra oil and apply another very light coat, wipe off any extra oil.
12. Your Cast iron is seasoned, should be slightly shiny; and is now ready to go.