Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Chips

Healthy and Delicious!

This was ridiculously easy and super fast to throw together!  Bright fresh flavors, perfect for a summer evening entertaining with friends.

Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Chips

The Chef In My Head

1 English cucumber, washed, and sliced on the diagonal

1 pkg sliced smoked salmon

Capers, rinsed and drained

1 pkg Laughing Cow Cheese, Garlic & Herb

Purple onion, small diced (optional)

Fresh dill sprigs (optional)

Spread about a teaspoon of softened cheese on one end and one side of cucumber slice, leaving a "handle" end to pick it up.  Top with smoked salmon and sprinkle with capers.  That's it, it's that easy!!

If not serving right away, it can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated.  Keep it good and cold until ready to serve!

Enjoy!

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Chilean Sea Bass En Papillote

Chilean Sea Bass En Papillote

En Papillote (French: "in parchment"), or "al cartoccio" in Italian, is a method of cooking in which the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked. The parcel is typically made from folded parchment paper, but other material such as a paper bag or aluminium foil may be used. The parcel holds in moisture to steam the food.

The moisture may be from the food itself or from an added moisture source like water, wine, or stock.

En Papillote is perhaps most often used to cook fish and also poultry. Choice of herbs, seasonings and spices depend on the particular recipe being prepared.

The pouch should be sealed with careful folding. (source wikipedia)

Chilean Sea Bass could possibly be my new favorite fish and cooking En Popillote my favorite method!!

This fish is clean, bright white, succulent and delicious!  Cooking anything En Popillote is the fastest and easiest clean up ever!

As always, start with fabulous fresh ingredients (remember fresh fish is NOT fishy).  This creation started with a beautiful filet of Chilean sea bass, the best olive oil, fresh organic lemons and amazing sweet cherry tomatoes that burst with flavor!

Here's the layering process:

Square of parchment paper, drizzle of olive oil

and 1/2-inch thick slices of lemon

Gorgeous Chillean Sea Bass, Lemon flaked sea salt, Fresh ground pepper and garden fresh Thyme

Lightly sauteed cherry tomatoes

Garlic and flash fried Capers

photo source Google

Beautiful packages ready for the oven!

Chilean Sea Bass En Papillote

The Chef In My Head, Serves 2

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2-8oz filletsChilean Sea Bass with skin

3/4 teaspoon lemon flake sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 thin lemon slices (less than 3/4 inch thick; from 1 large lemon)

8 sprigs fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

12 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 1/2 tablespoons drained bottled capers

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Cut a square of parchment paper, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on parchment, place lemon slices on olive oil. Pat fish dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange fillets, skin sides down on top of lemon slices. Arrange thyme sprigs on top of each fillet.

Heat remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened, about 1 minute.  

Spoon hot tomato mixture over fish

   Add 1 tsp olive oil to pan, increase heat to high. Add capers to pan and flash fry.  You are looking for a quick crisp on capers.  Spoon capers over tomato mixture.

Fold parchment paper over, tenting it slightly over fish, and crimp edges together tightly to seal.

Bake until fish is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness of fish); check by removing from oven and carefully lifting up a corner of top sheet of parchment, pulling up sides of bottom sheet to keep liquid from running out. If fish is not cooked through, reseal and continue to bake, checking every 3 minutes.

Transfer fillets with lemon slices to plates using a spatula (be careful not to tear parchment underneath) and spoon tomatoes and juices over top. Serve immediately, discarding thyme before eating.

Enjoy!

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Sherry Onion Almond Soup, Grilled Halibut with Sauce Vierge ~ Guest Post

Jess and I are blessed with great friends who are amazing cooks, seriously amazing cooks!  What follows is a beautiful meal we shared at Larry and Margo Shallcross's home.  In addition to fantastic food and a lovely table, we always have a great time!  Lively and interesting conversations and finally getting a chance to catch up, were all on the menu.  We promise each time we get together, we won't wait so long to do it again.  This particular evening, they orchestrated an entire meal that was both delicious and healthy!  You would love these people, Larry is an accomplished attorney whose practice includes business, family and equine law. 

Nicole (their daughter), Larry and Margo

Speaking of equine, look at this beautiful picture of Margo!  Margo travels all across the world to judge horse shows.  She is such a beautiful woman, a fantastic friend, and just a little nuts (our favorite part), we just don't get to see enough of her.

Margo, a horse show judge, pictured showing "The Black Stallion,"

The recipes that follow were given to me by Margo to share with you.  It was all incredible with my favorite probably being the soup which can be served hot or chilled.  Mmmmmmm, delicious and pretty too!  You know I am a huge fan of sauces, the Vierge Sauce for the halibut was perfect!

We started the evening with a Soup of Sherry Onion and Almond

Serves 6 small portions


3 tbsp. butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
pinch of saffron strands (about 12)
2 oz. of blanched almonds, toasted and finely ground
3 cups of good chicken stock
3 tbsp of dry sherry (I served extra on the table to add as desired)
salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted and chopped fresh parsley to garnish


Melt the butter over low heat and add the onions and garlic, cover and gently cook for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and golden.


Add Saffron, cook 3-4 minutes then add the ground almonds and cook additional 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the stock and sherry, season. Bring to boil, lower and simmer for 10 minutes.


Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to a clean pan and reheat slowly, stirring as needed, do not allow to boil. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.


Can be served chilled or heated. Garnish with almonds and parsley.

Grilled Halibut with Sauce Vierge was, main course for my diet conscience friends:

Serves 6


9 tbsp olive oil
2/3 tsp of each: fennel seeds and celery seeds
1 tsp of mixed peppercorns
1-1/4 tsp of each: fresh thyme leaves, rosemary leaves and oregano (all chopped)
6 thick cut halibut (about 2-1/4 lbs)
coarse sea salt
lemon wedges
The Sauce:

3 tomatoes
9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and juice of 1-1/2 lemons
2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1-1/2 tsp of small capers
2 drained canned anchovy fillets, chopped
1-1/2 tsp of each: chopped fresh chives and fresh chervil


Directions for the Sauce:


Plunge tomatoes into boiling water until skins split, immediately refresh in cold water-peel the skins, remove the seeds and finely dice the flesh. Set aside.

Meanwhile, Heat grill and brush with olive oil.


Mix fennel and celery seeds with peppercorns in a mortar than stir in sea salt to taste. Place mixture in large flat dish, add the herbs and the remaining olive oil. Add the halibut pieces and coat, place on preheated grill with dark skin up. Cook about 7 minutes, turning once until skin is brown and fish is cooked through.


Combine sauce ingredients, except the herbs, in a pan and heat gently until warm but not hot. Gradually add the fresh herbs.


Spoon sauce over the halibut to serve.


I have also cooked the halibut on the stove and broiled for a minute if my grill is not available.


Salad:


Fresh asparagus, bacon with mixed leaf lettuce.
Trimmed and steamed 1-1/2 lbs of medium asparagus spears
Fried 6 oz. of maple cured, thick bacon. After cooling I cut into small pieces
Cleaned and a package of mixed leaf lettuce.


The dressing was a store bought: French Buffalo Cheese. Any light an slightly tangy dressing or a light blue cheese is works well.

My apologizes to Margo and Larry, my photos did not come out of this tasty dessert.  You will just have to make it again for me :-)

Dessert:


Mango and Lime Fool


2--14 oz. cans of sliced mango's (Do NOT use frozen)
Grated rind of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lime
1-1/3 cup low fat cre'me fraiche
12 tbsp of low fat Greek yogurt
Fresh mango slices to decorate (Optional)


Drain the canned mango slices and place in a food processor or blender. Add the grated lime rind and lime juice. Process until it forms a smooth puree.


Pour the cre'me fraiche and Greek yogurt into a bowl and whisk until it is thick then quickly add the mango puree. Pour into 6 cups and chill for 1-2 hours. Just before serving decorate with fresh mango slices.


I also found some mango filled wafer cookies at the store and they were delicious with this dessert (not part of the diet plan).


My friends were kind in letting me try all this Low-Carbohydrate Food on them.
Margo Shallcross

Margo Dear, you and Larry can try anything on us anytime you want to!!!

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