Chocolate coconut macaroons recipe

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

If I am going to eat dessert, it better be good.  It better be worth falling off the wagon for.  Usually Passover desserts do nothing to tempt me from my sugar abstinence and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  But I cannot in good conscience be the bringer of a sticky, heavy honey nut cake or one of those Maneschewitz Passover cakes from a mix.  I want to share a dessert that I would be happy to eat any time of the year, not just on this 8-day hiatus from flour and other ingredients crucial to baking.  Enter coconut macaroons!

I have tried more coconut macaroon recipes than I care to admit (about 5 pounds worth on the hips and thighs), but this is truly the best.  This recipe is adapted slightly from pastry chef and cookbook author, David Lebovitz.  It is exactly what I want in a macaroon — toasted on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside, but not so sweet that it will make your teeth ache (probably because I cut the sugar a bit.)  I use almond meal instead of flour so that they are Passover-ready and gluten-free, because these days everyone knows someone who is not eating gluten.  I have a news flash — don’t be put off by the use of almond meal.  It’s nothing more than blanched almonds ground up (in the food processor, if you wish) to a fine meal.  My natural foods supermarket even sells almond meal in the bulk bins.

I happen to love coconut and I am a believer in all the health benefits that coconut has to offer.  It is rich in good fats, especially lauric acid which is an immune-boosting fat otherwise only found in breast milk.  The key is to start with unsweetened, shredded coconut which you can find in the bulk bins at the natural foods supermarket or in bags.  I try my hardest to use unrefined sweeteners whenever possible, but only if it makes for the best result.  In this case, granulated sugar is best here, so let’s make these cookies small, ok?

If you would like to bake these for Passover, or for your child’s mock Seder in religious school this week, then you can start cooking lickety-split.  You all know how I love a do-ahead!  You can make the macaroon batter a week ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator or even freeze it.  The cookies can be baked a few days in advance and kept in an airtight container far away from recovering sugar addicts, especially if they’re dipped in dark chocolate.  Stay tuned for another fabulous Passover-appropriate or all-around yummy dessert later this week!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Save Print
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Author: 
Serves: makes 30 cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon raw honey or Grade A maple syrup
  • ¼ cup almond meal or flour
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 4 large egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces, bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet combine coconut, sugar, honey, almond meal, salt, and egg whites. Please do as I say and COMBINE everything BEFORE placing over heat, otherwise you will end up with a coconut frittata. I'll give you one guess how I know this. Place over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring constantly. When the mixture just begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, almost about to scorch, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. You are going for sticky, not dry and pasty.
  2. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature. You can refrigerate the dough for up to one week or freeze up to one month.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  4. Using a small ice cream scoop, form the dough into little mounds and space them evenly on the prepared sheet pans. Shape them into little pyramids, if desired.
  5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. If desired, melt chocolate in a heat -proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, aka a double boiler. Dip cooled macaroons in chocolate (wherever you like -- tops, bottoms, sides) and allow to cool completely on cooling rack or on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you dipped the bottoms. If history repeats and you need to make like an Isrealite, stick the chocolate covered macaroons in the fridge to harden the chocolate quickety-quick.
Notes
You can also add some mini-chocolate chips to the cooled macaroon batter, then shape and bake.

 

Swiss chard frittata recipe

Swiss Chard Frittata Recipe

The conversation went like this:  Daughter #1, “I don’t like eggs.”

Me, “Did you change your name to Sam-I-Am?  You do like eggs.”

Daughter #1, “You’re not funny.  No, I don’t.”  Me, “You like frittatas, so you like eggs.”

Daughter #1, “That’s different.”

Really?  Frittatas are basically baked omelets, usually with some vegetables and/or cheese mixed with the eggs.  Unlike many recipes where you can substitute an ingredient and still have the same basic dish, you can’t substitute anything for the eggs in a frittata because it wouldn’t be a frittata.  However, I really wasn’t going to argue with a 14 year-old about why frittatas are different from just eggs, because all I care about is that fact that she really does like them.

Eggs have been so misunderstood.  For a while there, people stopped eating eggs because it was thought the cholesterol in the yolks would cause high blood cholesterol.  Well guess what?  There’s now a strong consensus among the medical community that food containing dietary cholesterol does not have a significant impact on the blood cholesterol level of most healthy individuals.  The evidence points to saturated fat as the leading culprit, not dietary cholesterol, and eggs happen to be two-thirds unsaturated fat.  Furthermore, the yolks are rich in several important nutrients including choline (a B vitamin and key component of healthy brain cells, nerves and cell membranes), lutein (a phytonutrient which supports eye health) and iodine (important for healthy thyroid function).  Eggs are also a good source of inexpensive protein.  If you have been advised by your physician to cut back on egg yolks, get a new physician you can substitute two egg whites for every whole egg and do this for a few of the eggs.  Try to buy organic, free-range eggs whenever possible.

Frittatas are my friend.  They are versatile as a breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially during Lent.  I have even made mini-frittatas in greased muffin tins or as an hors d’oeuvre cut into bite-size pieces.  They can be served hot, room temperature, or cold.  I like them with a side salad or with a ladleful of warm tomato sauce.  The girls have taken them to school tucked inside a pita.  This frittata is one of my favorites.  It is packed with lovely Swiss chard, which is everywhere right now.  It is very typical of how I like to eat something rich like eggs, by balancing it with loads of vegetables.  I love the flavor from the raw Gruyere, but feel free to skip it if you’re dairy-free.  However, it’s only about an ounce of cheese per serving.  If I ever have any leftover turkey bacon from breakfast, I will dice that up and add it in.

Mr. Picky claims he likes neither eggs nor frittatas and I believe him, although I was THIS close to getting him to try the frittata in a warm corn tortilla, one of his favorite foods.  I’ll offer ketchup next time.  As for me, I can eat them in a house.  I can eat them with a mouse.  I can eat them here or there.  I can eat them anywhere.

5.0 from 3 reviews
Save Print
Swiss Chard Frittata
Author: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard
  • 2 Tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 8 large free-range eggs
  • ⅓ pound grated gruyere, optional
  • Handful of grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup milk or water
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash the Swiss chard but do not dry all the way and chop the stems off the leaves. Coarsely chop the stems and keep separate from the leaves. Coarsely chop the leaves.
  3. Heat olive oil or clarified butter in a 10-inch oven-proof pan. Cook the onions and chard stems over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chard leaves and season lightly with a pinch of sea salt and pepper and sauté until wilted.
  4. Whisk eggs together and add cheeses and milk. Stir in the chard mixture and blend well.
  5. Add extra oil or butter to the pan if it seems dry. Put the egg-chard mixture back in the pan and place in the oven for about 50 minutes until puffed and golden. (If you're making minis, spoon the mixture into greased muffin tins and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden.)
Notes
Variations: substitute lightly steamed broccoli or sautéed spinach for the chard;

Use sautéed onions and peppers with parboiled diced potatoes for a Spanish classic;

Can add 3 ounces of diced cooked turkey bacon and/or 1 c. ricotta cheese;

Can be served with a ladleful of warm tomato sauce.

 

Almond butter and chia seed cookie recipe

Remember the commercials for Chia Pets, the clay animals with a green furry layer of sprouted chia seeds covering their bodies?  Did your parents let you have one?  I SO wanted a chia puppy!   I can’t help but chuckle at the fact that 30 years ago chia seeds were popular as an arts and crafts project and now they are the latest super food.  Chia is giving flax and hemp a run for their money.  So what’s all the hype?  Chia seeds are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, contain lots of protein and fiber and are rich in antioxidants.  Unlike flaxseeds, chia seeds do not need to be ground up or soaked for you to be able to benefit nutritionally.  What’s kind of cool about chia seeds, though, is their gelatinous quality.  If you add them to a smoothie or yogurt, they swell up and thicken whatever they’re in.  My Whole Foods sells them in the bulk bins if you just want to buy a few spoonfuls and play round with them in your oatmeal or salad dressing.

But chia seeds are not in these cookies because I think they will magically turn this dessert into a healthful food — it’s still a cookie, or as my husband calls them — the “Chia Pet Cookies.”  Nutrition aside, chia seeds just add a really fun crunch, almost like a poppy seed.  You can add more crunch and texture if you like by adding finely chopped almonds, dried cranberries or chocolate chips.  No matter how you make them, these cookies are really quite tasty and a nice change from peanut butter, which Mr. Picky eats enough of.

My friend Peggy invited me to a large dinner at her house a few weeks ago and asked if I would bring a dessert.  The dinner happened to fall on a busy day for me (whom am I kidding?  Everyday is a busy day, isn’t it?), so I whipped up two batches of batter the night before and hid them in the fridge way back there so certain people who can’t keep their fingers out of raw cookie dough wouldn’t see them.  The next day while I tested someone on vocabulary words, I scooped dough onto cookie sheets and baked them off.  Everyone at the dinner asked, “what kind of cookies are these?”  “Almond butter and chia seed,” I replied.  “Like the Chia Pet??!!”  Never fails.

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Save Print
Almond Butter and Chia Seed Cookies
Author: 
Serves: makes 20 3½-inch cookies
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup natural cane sugar (e.g. Sucanat) or regular granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup raw, unsalted, creamy almond butter
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon 100% pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free oat flour*
  • ¼ cup ground almond meal (buy this already ground or make your own by processing blanched almonds in a food processor until powdery)
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • ¾ teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoons chia seeds (optional, but fun!)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the butter, sugars and almond butter with an electric mixer until light in color, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, sea salt, baking soda and chia seeds. Add to the mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
  4. Using a 1 ¾ -inch ice cream scooper, drop batter onto prepared pans. Press down lightly on the cookie with the tines of a fork, making criss-cross marks. Bake 14-15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
  5. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
To make a smaller cookie, use a 1 ¼-inch scooper and bake for 9-10 minutes.

If you like a thicker cookie, refrigerate the dough for a few hours before scooping.

*Oat flour results in a more tender, cake-ier cookie.

 

Orange and rosemary glazed chicken recipe

It’s not my husband’s fault he can’t find his way around the kitchen.  He grew up with a mother who is a very willing and capable cook.  She made hot breakfasts every morning and power lunches for school.  Each night she lovingly prepared a fresh, well-balanced dinner.  Then I came along.  I met my husband in college when I was 18 and I already loved cooking for people.  I remember sophomore year my husband and his roommates fasted for Yom Kippur, as in they didn’t eat for 24 hours.  Who doesn’t love cooking for people who are ravenous??  We dated and I cooked.  We married and I cooked.  We had kids and I cooked a lot, and I was happy to do it.

I had two unusual days in a row last week where I had to work past dinner time.  I verbally clued my husband in to all the dinner possibilities using staples from the pantry and the fridge.  There was pesto, poached chicken meat, enough leftover soup for two, cooked brown rice, washed salad greens and vinaigrette in a jar.   With pasta and a can of beans in the pantry, I was sure he could come up with something.  Or so I thought.

I came home from a long day last Monday night and there it was on the kitchen counter — the take-out pizza box.  Sigh.  I don’t know what I was thinking that I could expect the poor guy to throw something together after a hard day of work that he and the three kiddos would want to eat.  I’m sure no one suffered eating pizza that night, but what would he do the next day??  I knew I needed to plan for an easy dinner that everyone would like and that my husband could handle — orange and rosemary-glazed chicken.  This is one of the simplest things you can make and so delicious.  This chicken has saved my life on busy weeknights and has delighted dinner guests alike.  Just marinate the chicken in a few ingredients ahead of time and pour everything into a casserole dish and bake.

I use all-fruit orange or kumquat preserves in the marinade, but I have used apricot, too.  Just make sure it’s all fruit without the addition of any sugar.  The preserves will be sweet enough.  I love rosemary with orange and with chicken, and I happen to have an out-of-control rosemary bush on my front lawn so I never have enough uses for it.  If you don’t have rosemary, thyme works well here, too.  The best part of this dish is the yummy, glaze-y sauce which we spoon over the chicken on the plate, but doesn’t get wasted if you serve this with something like rice or millet to sop it up.  With some steamed or roasted asparagus or sauteed spinach, someone looks like he knows a little something about something.  My hero.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Pamela Salzman (@pamelasalzman)

 

5.0 from 7 reviews
Save Print
Orange and Rosemary Glazed Chicken
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ - 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces* (breasts cut in half), seasoned with 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt as soon as you get home from the market
  • 8 ounces all-fruit orange, kumquat, apricot or peach marmalade, about ¾ cup (such as St. Dalfour or Sorrell Ridge)
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons whole grain or stone-ground mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons shoyu or wheat-free tamari (or coconut aminos)
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or plant butter)
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (or fresh thyme leaves)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine orange marmalade, mustard, shoyu, melted butter, rosemary, and pepper in a glass or nonreactive container that is just big enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade and coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, or longer if that’s more convenient.
  2. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you’re not in a rush, allow the chicken to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces and any marinade to a baking dish, such as a 13 x 9 - inch. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through and browned on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving, if possible.
Notes
*such as 2 breasts cut in half and 2 drumsticks

 

 

 

Spring green cleaning and a sesame spinach salad recipe

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Did you miss the January 1st detox craze?  While your friends downed maple syrup and cayenne pepper smoothies, were you cozying up to a bowl of chicken and vegetable stew?  How smart you are!  The winter is not the ideal time to detox.  Granted, if you were overindulging on alcohol, sweets and late night snacks during the holidays, going back to a more normal diet would have been a good idea.  But winter is our time to keep warm and insulated by eating warming foods and hunkered down at home to replenish our energy reserves.

The good news is that the time to start fresh is Springtime.  The energy is ascending from the ground and coming alive.  Now would be a good time to do a little physical spring cleaning, but you don’t necessarily need to go on a liquid diet to do that.  How timely that what is bountiful in the garden right now are nature’s natural detoxifiers — greens!  I always say that if you can eat seasonally and locally grown food, you don’t even need to know why it’s good for you.  Nature gives us just what we need at just the right time.  Dark green leafy vegetables are loaded with chlorophyll which helps to protect the liver and eliminate toxins from the body.  Leafy greens, especially watercress and arugula, can be slightly diuretic and help the liver flush out those toxins, but build strength in the blood with their high mineral content.

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

It’s always important to keep dark green vegetables in regular rotation in the diet whether in juices, salads, lightly sauteed or in soups and stews.  At the moment, I am juicing kale and parsley with carrots, apple, lemon, ginger and celery.  Delish!   You can try adding greens to soups — try my Mushroom-Barley Soup with Kale or Vegetable Chili with Swiss Chard or lightly cooked, such the Braised Collards and Cannellinis.  Salads are an easy and familiar way to eat greens.  The Raw Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette is always a winner, especially with the lemon juice in the dressing which helps convert toxins into their water-soluble form so they are easily flushed from the system.  Or try my favorite everyday salad dressing with lemon juice.

Today I’ll offer a new recipe for Sesame Spinach Salad which is one of the most delicious and easy salads you will ever love.  My farmer’s market sells pre-washed baby spinach so you really have no excuse not to make this.  Today I made it plain and simple with a couple handfuls of mung beans sprouts I found at the farmer’s market, but really you can add a zillion different things that would be great — grated carrots, thinly sliced red pepper, blanched broccoli florets, rehydrated seaweed, poached chicken, you get my drift?  A zillion things.   Make the dressing days in advance if you want.  No excuses.

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Save Print
Sesame Spinach Salad
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
  • ½ pound fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
  • 2 handfuls bean sprouts (such as mung bean sprouts)
  • DRESSING:
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined extra virgin olive oil (can substitute up to half flax seed oil)
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined toasted sesame oil (dark)
  • 1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon of fine grain sea salt
  • a couple grinds of black pepper
Instructions
  1. Place the spinach leaves, toasted sesame seeds and the bean sprouts in a large salad bowl or serving platter.
  2. Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified or place them in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously.
  3. Dress the salad to coat lightly. Taste for seasoning.
Notes
This is a basic recipe that can be adapted in terms of what is added to the salad. Feel free to add julienned carrots, sweet bell pepper, grilled shrimp, blanched broccoli, cooked soybeans etc. Depending on how much you add, you may need to increase the amount of dressing you make.

 

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Artichoke and spinach barley “risotto” recipe

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman

When I invited some friends over for dinner last Friday night, it seemed like a great idea.  After I finished teaching a class and picking up the kids from school, I would have a few hours to get the house organized and prepare a proper meal before our guests arrived at 6:30.  You know what they say about best laid plans.  My husband didn’t make it home in time to take Mr. Picky to baseball practice.  My girls each needed a ride here and there and then baseball practice was cut short because it was too dark to see the ball.  So my uninterrupted time in the kitchen turned into Pamela’s taxi service.  Has this ever happened to you?

It’s a very good thing that barley risotto was on the menu.  Traditional risotto is one of my favorite comfort foods, but it definitely requires a bit of babysitting.  Maybe I had a hunch that Friday would not be the night to stir a pot of rice on and off for 20 minutes, because I planned for a version of risotto which I could pop in the oven and say “see ya later.”  Barley takes the place of the classic arborio rice in this dish.  Like arborio rice, barley releases that nice starchiness which is essential to make the risotto creamy and rich.  Barley also packs a nice bit of protein and soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol levels and support digestive health, but is missing from white rice.  Unfortunately, barley does contain gluten and is not appropriate for people who are gluten-intolerant.

This risotto almost parallels nature’s transition from winter to spring.  It is hearty with the barley being a bit nutty and chewy, but the leeks, artichokes and lemon help keep everything tasting light and fresh.  I am a huge fan of leeks and how grassy and mild they taste.  If you don’t have leeks, feel free to use shallots or onions.  I am not embarrassed to admit that I don’t enjoy trimming artichokes, so I keep frozen or water-packed artichoke hearts in the kitchen at all times.  Or adapt your favorite risotto recipe to use barley instead.

There’s something about risotto which is like a warm blanket, encouraging you to slow down and relax for a bit.  After a long week and a busy afternoon of shuttling children to and fro, it was so nice to sit down to a civilized dinner with friends.  It didn’t even matter that the house never got organized.

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman

5.0 from 1 reviews
Save Print
Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto"
Author: 
Serves: 6 as a side dish
 
Ingredients
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and green parts (about 2 medium leeks), washed well
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Sea salt
  • 1 cup barley, semi-pearled or hulled (do NOT rinse)
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 3 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
  • 6 oz. artichoke hearts (frozen or water-packed is fine), quartered
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large handfuls of spinach
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and sprinkle with sea salt. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the barley and the lemon zest and stir to combine. Add the wine, raise the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add all the stock, the artichokes and 1 teaspoon sea salt (add more to taste if your stock is unsalted), and bring to a boil.
  4. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the oven. Say "see ya later!" Bake for about 1 hour, until the barley is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
  5. Remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. If it seems too liquidy, place over low heat and simmer a couple of minutes to reduce the liquid to your liking. I like it it a little looser than a pilaf. Otherwise, stir in the Parmesan, 1 Tablespoon butter, lemon juice, black pepper to taste and the raw spinach. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately. To reheat leftovers, add a little hot water in a saucepan or add enough stock to change it into a soup.

 

 

 

 

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman

Parchment baked halibut with cilantro and ginger recipe

Parchment Baked Wild Caught Halibut with Cilantro and Ginger | Pamela Salzman

Parchment Baked Wild Caught Halibut with Cilantro and Ginger | Pamela Salzman

When I was a child, my mother would announce on Ash Wednesday, “Since it’s Lent, I would like all you kids to give up something for the next 40 days that would be meaningful to you, something that would be a sacrifice.”  I wanted to give up going to church on Sundays, but my mother suggested that I give up arguing with my sisters.  Hmmm….  There was also the announcement that we would be limiting our meat intake, especially on Fridays when she would serve fish.  My sisters were carnivores and would always grumble about the lack of animal protein to be had.  This was fine by me, however, since I decided when I was 9 years old that I was a vegetarian who liked fish.

I’m not a vegetarian anymore, although I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not eating meat.  Your body will tell you if your not getting enough of something.  But every time Lent rolls around I think about fish on Fridays.  I make fish for my family once a week and I am thankful they like it.  Halibut, especially, is a favorite since it is so mild and works with many different flavors.  Cooking fish in parchment, or en papillote, is one of my favorite ways to prepare it.  Not only is it easy, the parchment keeps all the moisture inside the little packet to basically steam the fish and make it really moist.  Plus, it is a really gentle way to cook fish and protect the wonderful Omega-3 fats that we all need.

I love the combination of cilantro, ginger and green onions, but the recipe works just as well with mint or a mix of cilantro and mint.  Even though I can easily customize each parchment packet, I make everybody’s the same.  If Mr. Picky would like to scrape off his herb mixture, he can (and he does.)  But there are unlimited ways to flavor your fish if you tire of this recipe.  A drop of olive oil or butter, a squeeze of lemon, lime or white wine, a few fresh herbs, salt and pepper and that’s a delicious and light dish.  You can even add some quick-cooking vegetables to the packet, such as thinly sliced zucchini, carrots, spinach leaves, or leeks and you have a one-packet meal.  If it’s a long work day for me or if we have a Little League game just before dinner, I’ll assemble my packets in the morning and refrigerate them.  Take them out before you preheat the oven and bake them for an extra minute since they’ll still be a bit cold.  It’s like someone gave you a gift, in more ways than one.

Save Print
Parchment Baked Halibut with Cilantro and Ginger
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped or fresh mint, or a combination
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • ¼ cup green onion, chopped
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 6 4-6 ounce* portions of wild Alaskan halibut, defrosted, if frozen
  • 6 14-inch squares of unbleached parchment paper
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place each piece of halibut in the center of a sheet of parchment. Season lightly with sea salt.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients until well blended. Place a heaping spoonful of the mixture atop each piece of halibut and spread evenly.
  4. Bring 2 opposites sides of the parchment together and fold. Continue to fold all the way down until you reach the fish. Twist both ends of the parchment so that it looks like a hard candy wrapper. Place each packet on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
  5. Transfer each packet to a plate and use caution when opening – the steam will be very hot!
Notes
You can also add thinly sliced vegetables to the packets and cook with the fish.

*If you are using pieces of fish that are bigger than the recipe specifies, you may need to make a little more of the herb mixture. I would also consider baking the fish for an extra minute.

 

Minted sugar snap peas recipe

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

When I’m not teaching cooking classes, I volunteer as a garden educator for a non-profit organization called Growing Great.  I help students at a local elementary school maintain a beautiful organic garden as well as teach them the fundamentals about growing vegetables and fruit.  I think it’s really important that our kids know where our food comes from.  I am fortunate to have grown up with gardens my whole life.  My father has an unbelievable green thumb and we were lucky enough to be able to go to the backyard before dinner and find something that looked good enough to eat.  Yet, no matter how many times I plant a seed in the ground, I am still amazed at what happens.  With some sun, water and a little TLC, that little granule turns into a gorgeous plant that bears incredible-tasting vegetables.

This year our little school garden had a bounty of sugar snap peas.  We picked baskets upon baskets of them to sell at the school’s annual farmer’s market, although we would have had pounds more but the kids couldn’t resist eating them straight off the vine.  Far be it from me to discourage them!  Sugar snap peas are always the most popular spring vegetable that we sell.  They are even more sweet and juicy when they are freshly picked — a real treat!  They are perfect raw in a lunchbox or as an afterschool snack.  But I just love any peas when paired with mint.  It’s a match made in heaven.

If you can find really fresh snap peas, you won’t have to do much to them to make them taste divine.  This recipe is incredibly easy to prepare and delicious in its simplicity.  The only “work” here is trimming the peas and I usually have one of my kids do that.

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

Since the peas cook so quickly, I usually call everyone down for dinner and then turn the heat on under the pot.  I can always count on a little bickering before everyone settles down to his or her seat, so the timing is perfect.  Just keep to the short cook time.  I do think snap peas are better with a little crunch.  This preparation also works with carrots, asparagus, and English peas, too.  If you mix a few together, you’ll just have Springtime in a bowl.

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

Save Print
Minted Sugar Snap Peas
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced or 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
  • 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
  • 3-4 Tablespoons water
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
  2. Remove garlic if that’s what you used. Season to taste for salt. That's all there is to it. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Notes
Sometimes I like to add the zest of one small orange, lemon or lime to the pot.

Â