Several years ago I got a hankering to attempt the Feast of the Seven Fishes for our Christmas Eve dinner.  I carefully selected recipes, ordered specialty items ahead from our local seafood market, and rewrote my plan of attack dozens of times before the big day arrived.  I envisioned this becoming our new Christmas Eve traditional dinner and oh how that excited me.

Today is Christmas Eve and for the third year in a row we are having….Prime Rib for dinner. So in an attempt to satisfy my lust for all things seafood I’m hosting a virtual Feast of the Seven Fishes.  Sharing a couple of options for each of the seven courses.  Hope you enjoy this feast for the eyes. From what I can gather, there aren’t specific dishes that are traditionally served, in fact there are varying opinions on the number of dishes and fishes to be enjoyed.  I’m going with seven seafood courses and I highly recommend each course being served small plate tapas style.  I’ve named each course as well and selected their order to give it our feast personal flare.

1. Course One – Light & Conversational (think finger food or appetizer)
2. Course Two – Fresh & Cool (think salads)
3. Course Three – Warm & Spicy (think soup, stew or chowder)
4. Course Four – Make it Memorable (think meaty main dish)
5. Course Five – Share the Pasta Love (remember portion control)
6. Course Six – Simple yet Sensual (your chance to share your personal favorites)
7. Course Seven – Sweet & Savory (think dessert)

~ Course One – Light & Conversational ~

Smoked Steelhead Trout Dip can be made well in advance, allowing you time to mix and mingle and enjoy your guests.

Tuna Fish & Chips are the perfect way to begin the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  These tasty surreal bites are playful and light.

Fish & Chip Bites {with Crispy Caper Tartar Sauce} are a whimsical play on a favorite.

While the Italians are credited with the creation of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, I think it’s fun to incorporate seafood dishes that surprise and delight your senses.  Our Sushi Stack with jumbo lump crabmeat will do just that.

~ Course Two – Fresh & Cool ~

Our Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Bloody Mary Dressing is a wonderful way to perk up the taste buds before moving onto the heartier courses.

You can never go wrong serving Classic Shrimp Cocktail to your dinner guests.  Always a familiar favorite.

Crab Louie Salad Sliders are a fun second course.  Putting a spin on a classic is sure to delight.

~ Course Three – Warm & Spicy ~

A cup of spicy Shrimp & Corn Chowder will rev up the taste buds.

Cajun Salmon & Sweet Potato Chowder is remarkably light yet full of flavor.

Thai Hot & Sour Soup with Shrimp will clear your sinuses and cleanse your pallet.

~ Course Four – Make it Memorable ~

Grilled Swordfish with Lima Bean & Herb Butter is a nice meaty course with plenty of flavor wow.

Salmon Steaks with Curried Fennel Wine Sauce will leave them speechless.  The combination of fennel and curry is nothing short of brilliant.

Baked Cod with Montpellier Butter has the right complexity of flavor for this main course. Compound butters, like a sauce, are a great way to enhance the flavors in a dish.

Crab Stuffed Flounder is rich and festive, making it a lovely main course for your Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Horseradish & Herb Encrusted Grouper is another personal favorite of ours.

~ Course Five – Show them the Pasta Love ~

Steamed Mussels, Shrimp & Sea Scallops over Linguine in it’s garlic & white wine broth sings of comfort.

Ahi Tuna Noodle Casserole with Lemony Thyme Cream Sauce brings all the comfort of home.

Seafood Lasagna Roll-Ups are another wonderful dish that can be prepared in advance.  By this point in the evening you’ll be glad you did.

Halibut in Roasted Romesco Sauce over Pasta packs nutty big bold flavors.

Salmon & Snow Pea Pasta with Tarragon Cream Sauce is rich & creamy, just the way we like it.

~ Course Six – Simple yet Sensual ~

Sage Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi is sensual to the core.  The aromas will be first to ignite the senses.

Individual Sea Scallops with Spicy Mayo.  Delightful.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques is rich and utterly amazing.  It is meant to be savored slowly.

Seafood Newburg is a personal favorite dish that evokes fond memories, in the way that Christmas does.

~ Course Seven – Sweet & Savory ~

 Coconut Almond Shrimp with Sweet & Spicy Orange Sauce are slightly sweet & nutty with hints of citrus.

Jamaican Jerk Sugar Cane Shrimp bring the right balance of savory & sweet.

Maple Horseradish Salmon Suckers.  Fun & Flavorful.

Bang Bang Shrimp in their sweet chili mayonnaise are dessert worthy if you ask me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our virtual Feast of the Seven Fishes (and Dishes).  I’d love for you to leave me a comment and share your holiday traditions.

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Lightly beer battered fish nuggets, perched on crispy caper tartar sauce slathered onto thick cut chips.  Now that’s a mouthful of love.

We’ll call these our Fish & Chip Bites {with Crispy Caper Tartar Sauce}.  The perfect Friday night nibbles.

Our simple beer batter consisted of flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt and beer.  I wanted it to be light but also reminiscent of classic beer battered fish & chips.

This recipe is meant to be playful, one of my most favorite ways to present food.  It just happens to also be mighty tasty.  Crispy Caper Tartar Sauce played a big role in that.  So much so, that it deserved a recipe post of it’s own.  Because besides our beer battered fish nuggets, I would love to dunk Crispy Fried Shrimp in this fabulous sauce.

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We recently attended a wedding where we were treated to a most spectacular buffet of Thai food.  The appetizer spread alone captivated our attention without end (check out my collage below).  And when the dinner dishes were set out we approached them with the same enthusiasm.  That’s fancy talk for multiple trips through the buffet line.  While I was oh so happy with everything served, the Green Curry was still lingering in my mind three weeks later.

While I attempted to obtain THE Green Curry recipe from our host I’ve yet to be successful.  So this is my version adapted from about 20 recipes I’ve read since the wedding.  It’s is delicious and very easy to make.

The Green Curry sauce is prepared on the stovetop and then pureed in the blender.  I paired it with fresh cod and green beans and finished it in the oven.

The result was tender flaky fish swimming in the heavenly Green Curry sauce.  A simple bed of white rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro completed this dish.  Thai Green Curry Baked Cod was such a delightful change from our typical weeknight dishes.  However, a new 30-minute meal may have made it’s way into our regular rotation.  That makes me happy.

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Thai Green Curry Baked Cod

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 5-ounce cod portions
• 4 ounces fresh green beans end trimmed
• 1 Tbl.. sesame oil
• 3 Tbl. peeled chopped ginger root
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Serrano pepper thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbl. lime juice
• 1 Tbl. green curry paste
• 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper
• fresh cilantro for garnish
• white rice prepared according to package instructions

Instructions

• Sauté garlic and ginger in sesame oil for 30 seconds in an oven proof skillet. Add white wine and lime juice and reduce until almost dry. Whisk in the curry paste, coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce and reduce to 1 cup. Let cool slightly.
• Place cooked mixture in a blender with fresh cilantro leaves. Puree for 30 seconds. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blanch green beans for 2 minutes in boiling water. Place in oven proof skillet. Top with cod pieces. Pour green curry sauce over top and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until cod flakes easily with a fork.
• Serve with white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

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Parmesan Crusted Homemade Fish Sticks

I grew up in a very small New England town in southern New Hampshire.  There was a large Catholic population which meant every Friday night was fish night in most households.  And while some of my friends grumbled, I begged to be invited for dinner in hopes they’d be serving fish sticks and French fries.  Loved them.  Please tell me I’m not alone on this one.

30 years later I decided to recreate this Friday night comfort food classic at home.  As in homemade Parmesan Crusted Fish Sticks.

I can generally count on fresh cod being available at my local seafood counter.  Cod is the perfect mild white flaky fish to turn into fish sticks.  I cut the fillet into pieces and dipped them in egg white before encrusting them with a seasoned panko parmesan coating.  I baked them along side my fries, in this case Sweet Potato Fries, until they were both crispy and golden brown.  Served with a side of Tartar Sauce and Coleslaw and dinner is done.  Yum!

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Parmesan Crusted Homemade Fish Sticks

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb. cod fillet cut into pieces (about 2-3 oz. each)
• 1/2 cup egg whites or 1 egg beaten
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• spray olive oil

Instructions

• Combine Parmesan cheese, panko, Cajun seasoning and paprika in a shallow dish.
• Dip cod pieces in egg white then dredge in Parmesan panko mixture coating well. Place pieces on a plate and put in freezer for 10 minutes before baking. This helps the coating to adhere during baking.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray.
• When ready to bake place fish pieces on cooking sheet then lightly spray tops with olive oil spray. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until beginning to brown.

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Crisp Cod Cakes with Peach Basil Relish.

I had a moment yesterday.  A really big moment.  I was on my way to work via McDonald’s drive-thru when my phone rang.  The voice on the other end said “Lib, I’ve got to do something.”  I pulled my car into a parking lot and sat and listened.  She proceeded to share a conversation she had with her 7 year-old daughter that morning…a conversation that brought us both to tears.

I turned my car around and began driving to meet her, never hanging up the phone.  When she said “I’ve got to do something” a rush of numb sick tingle came over me.  She was referring to taking control of her health, in particular her weight.  She and I have traveled down this path together several times before.  Over the years, we’ve both seen success and sadly experienced set backs.  I too knew I had to do something, but I wasn’t ready to get back on the scale.  I hadn’t made up my mind that I was committed to sticking to a plan.  After all I love to eat and love to cook, how was this ever going to work.  I kept driving towards her, both of us verbalizing our fears and excuses.  The tears turned to laughter as we recognized how pathetic our attempt to talk each other out of what had to happen was.

As we arrived at Weight Watchers parking lot, we stepped out of our cars, took each other’s hand, and marched took two steps forward and one back until we finally reached the door.  We can do this, we must do this.

While I was there I bought a new cookbook for inspiration :)  I came home during lunch yesterday and made Crisp Cod Cakes with Peach Basil Relish.  It’s my start.

The recipe paired the Cod Cakes with a Peach Basil Relish, which I loved.  It was tart and full of fresh summer sweetness.  It would also be lovely with Fresh Tomato Salsa….now there’s an idea for next time.

I wanted to share this recipe and my big moment while it was fresh, like Peach Basil Relish.  While the cod cakes were quite good, on their own without the relish they were rather ‘plain’ for my taste.  Next time (with only 4 WW Pts+ per cake there will definitely be a next time), I will experiment with different seasonings and herbs.  I see lots of potential for recipe creativity with this one.

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Crisp Cod Cakes {with Peach Basil Relish}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 152kcal

Author Weight Watchers (slightly adapted)

Ingredients

For Peach Basil Relish…

• 2 large peaches pitted and cut into 1/4″ dice
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. honey or agave nectar

For Cod Cakes…

• 1 lb. cod fillet skinned and cut into small pieces
• 1 shallot chopped
• 2 Tbl. fresh parsley
• zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. olive oil

Instructions

For Peach Basil Relish…

• Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl and reserve.

For Cod Cakes…

• In a food processor, combine cod, shallot, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper and cayenne. Pulse until finely chopped. With damp hands form mixture into 4 (1/2″ thick) patties.
• Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook patties until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
• Serve with Peach Basil Relish

Notes

Per Serving (1 cod cake & 1/2 cup relish) = 4 WW Pts+

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Fish Chowder served in Bread Bowls. <—- click here for Bread Bowl recipe.

I approached the seafood counter at Whole Foods without a plan.  Which is often how it goes.  I’m looking for the fish to speak to me.  Someone to stand out in the crowd.  On this day, the cod did more than speak….they sang to me.

Saying that reminds me of Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market.  Where the fish mongers are so passionate about fish you’re liable to ‘catch’ them flying through the air (the fish that is).  Several years ago, for our annual company meeting theme, we adopted the practices of this world famous market.  Not the practice of throwing fish, but the practice of delivering exceptional customer service.  Leading up to the meeting, each company member read the book Fish!  Do you know of it?

If you’ve never read it, pick up a copy and set aside an hour.  Once you start reading you won’t be able to put it down.  It’s the story of how one company, trapped in mediocrity, was able to transform their ‘toxic energy dump’ aka office, into an energetic and enthusiastic work place.

The Fish! Philosophy begins by Choosing Your Attitude, choosing to make each day a great day.  Don’t take yourself too seriously.  You can work hard and Play hard while you’re at it, the results will amaze you and your stress level will thank you.  Be Present in body and in spirit; whether it’s with your family and friends, or for your customers and co-workers.  Listen with ears wide open.  And lastly, as you go about your busy day, find someone who needs a helping hand or a little extra support….you’ll be amazed at how Making Their Day will energize your own.

We had a great annual meeting that year, and have every year since.  Including the year we transformed our warehouse into Kitchen Stadium, so four teams (with individual ‘kitchens’) could compete for top honors….more about that another time.  I will share that yesterday we closed out the month of May with record sales.  Energy and enthusiasm can move mountains.

Fish Chowder anyone?

The recipe below is how I make Fish Chowder starting from scratch with raw fish.  The chowder pictured above is the love child of my Cod & Potatoes Poached in Milk and my Scotch Egg Sauce, which were dinner the night before.  I say two meals are better than one.

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Fish Chowder {in Bread Bowls}

Course Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. cod fillet
• 4-5 petite potatoes fine diced
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• salt & pepper
• pinch cayenne
• 2 bacon slices cut into 1/4-inch lardons
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 2 bread bowls see recipe link in post

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom pot, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon pieces and set aside. Add potatoes, onions, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs to pot and cook over medium heat until onion is just tender. Dust with flour and cook 1 minute until bubbly.
• Whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are just tender.
• Add in cod fillet and gently simmer for 5-6 minutes more until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with fork. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
• Serve in bread bowls, sprinkle tops with crispy bacon and sliced scallions.

The post Fish Chowder {and a Fish! story} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Cod & Potatoes Poached in Milk {atop a Scotch Egg Sauce}.

The day started with a ‘fresh as can be’ 1 1/2 lb. cod fillet.  No plan for it, just a piece of fish too good to pass up.  What I was craving, quickly became my motivation for making this dish.  What I was craving, would be made from the leftovers.  I set out on a mission to find the right recipe, that the next day, would beg to be turned into…Fish Chowder.  This brilliant non-plan to accommodate my craving, almost went very wrong.

You see as it turns out Cod & Potatoes Poached in Milk with fresh herbs & seasonings, served atop a pool of savory Scotch Egg Sauce…was a little too good.  Thankfully, on this occasion, we were able to exercise a bit of restraint.

We each enjoyed a generous serving of Cod & Potatoes Poached in Milk and managed to fridge away enough for Fish Chowder the next evening.  I love it when a non-plan comes together.

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Cod & Potatoes Poached in Milk {atop a Scotch Egg Sauce}

Course Entree, Seafood

Servings 4

Author inspired by 60-Minute Gourmet

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. cod fillets cut into 4 pieces
• 1 1/2 cups milk divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 sprigs fresh herbs like thyme and sage
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 12 petite potatoes thinly sliced
• salt & pepper
• 3 strips bacon cut into lardons
• 1 shallot thinly sliced
• Scotch Egg Sauce see recipe link in post

Instructions

• In a large skillet, layer onion & potato slices. Add bay leaf, herb sprigs, milk, water, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are just tender, 20 – 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook bacon lardons until crispy brown. Drain on paper towels, reserving pan drippings. Add shallot slices and cook until crispy. Reserve with bacon for garnish.
• Lay cod pieces on top of potato and onion layer. Add additional 1/2 cup of milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 5 – 7 minutes until fish is done and flakes easily with a fork. Remove from heat. Using a turkey baster or small ladle remove 3/4 of the cooking liquid and reserve for the Scotch Egg Sauce.
• Serve fish pieces, potato & onion slices on a pool of Scotch Egg Sauce, sprinkled with crispy bacon and shallot.

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Cod is a wonderfully mild white flaky fish.  It’s happy seasoned with anything from fresh herbs to punchy marinades.  It’s beautiful baked or grilled and when leftover it begs to be the star in a batch of fish chowder.  After recently learning about freezing fresh herbs in butter or olive oil, I began to do a little compound butter research and decided Montpellier Butter would be the perfect pairing with our baked cod.

Compound butters, like a sauce, are a great way to enhance the flavors in a dish.  They can be as simple as a one ingredient add, like parsley or red pepper.  Or they can combine a number of ingredients creating more complex flavors.  Since cod is so mild, it welcomed this flavor packed Montpellier Butter.

The recipe includes several different herbs and leafy greens, which are all blanched for 1 minute before being incorporated with the remaining ingredients in a small food processor (or by using a mortar and pestle).  Once all ingredients are well chopped and combined, they are rolled into a log using plastic wrap and then chilled.

One pat of this beautiful Montpellier Butter made this Cod by God!!  Wow.  And we returned the unused compound butter to the freezer for a quick go-to flavor add at our finger tips.  Just one more way we’re hanging on to our fresh herb flavors!!

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Baked Cod with Montpellier Butter

Baked Cod is a wonderfully mild white flaky fish begging for added flavor. This beautiful Montpellier Butter was the perfect add.

Course Sauce, Seafood

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Montpellier Butter…

• 1/2 lb. unsalted butter softened
• 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup watercress leaves
• 1/4 cup spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves
• 2-3 Tbl. tarragon leaves
• 1 shallot fine diced
• 1 garlic clove fine diced
• 2 cornichons
• 1 tsp. capers
• 2 anchovy fillets or 1 tsp. of anchovy paste
• 2 yolks of hard boiled eggs
• pinch cayenne pepper
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

For the cod…

• 1 lb. cod fillet washed and dried

Instructions

For the butter…

• Blanch herbs and leafy greens in boiling water for 1 minute, then plunge in cold water bath before drying completely.
• Combine all other ingredients except butter and olive oil in small food processor or mortar and pestle and grind until smooth.
• Empty processor bowl into small bowl and add butter and olive oil mixing with wooden spoon until well combined.
• Spoon butter mixture onto plastic wrap and roll into a log.
• Chill until well set.

For the cod…

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash and dry cod and place in baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• Season with salt & pepper.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
• Top with a Montpellier butter slice just before serving.

The post Baked Cod with Montpellier Butter appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Thai Red Curry Paste is becoming a go-to ingredient for me.  It seems to find it’s way into Salmon Burgers, Meatloaf, Soups, and certainly Curry dishes.  It’s a wonderful flavor…not too hot, just uniquely red curry. 

In fact it took discovering Thai Curry dishes (Pla Choo Chee to be exact) to open my taste buds to the other types of curry (click here for a wonderful write up on Curry Powders by one of my favorite bloggers Veggie Belly).  I remember as a kid Mom trying desperately to sneak curry into our favorite comfort foods.  Our immature taste buds were not ready for curried deviled eggs or curried potato salad….what a shame.  And poor Mom, who I’m sure loved curry, was so hoping she could convert us.

After a full weekend of cooking (and eating/drinking) we were looking for something light and healthy.  Incorporating these beautiful baby squash from a local farm stand was a plus.

That being said we didn’t want to sacrifice flavor, and that’s where Thai Red Curry Paste came in to play.  You can take a beautiful mild white fish, some fresh diced veggies, a few punchy seasonings and aromatics, pour in a can of lite coconut milk (just 50 calories per serving) and smell your kitchen come to life.  Serve with Jasmine rice and fresh cilantro…….aaaahhh!

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Thai Red Curry White Fish {with Squash & Zucchini}

Course Seafood

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. filet of thick white fish Cod, Haddock
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 2-3 Tbl. Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 onion diced
• 6-8 baby carrots julienned
• 1 small zucchini sliced
• 1-2 small summer squash sliced
• 1 serrano pepper fine diced
• 1/2 ” fresh ginger thin sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp. hot curry powder adjusted to taste
• 1 14 oz. can lite coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt or to taste
• scallion and cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chili paste, stir to combine.
• Add onion and carrot, saute 3-4 minutes, then add zucchini, summer squash, and serrano pepper, saute an additional 3-4 minutes.
• Add ginger, garlic, and curry powder, coconut milk; stir to combine. Season with sea salt.
• Pour mixture in a baking dish. Lay fish filet on top, spooning broth over fish. Bake for 12-15 minutes until fish flakes easily with fork.
• Serve with Jasmine Rice.
• Garnish with sliced scallion and fresh cilantro.

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