Fish, Get Into It!

As most of you probably know, fish is a very healthy meat, we all hear that it is full of omega 3 fatty acids blah blah blah. What does that even mean? According to the Washington State Department of Health, it is good for your heart, it is an anti-inflammatory, aids healthy brain function and can decrease the risk of some mental health disorders. It is also a high protein, low fat meat full of vitamins and minerals. Lastly, it can be super quick and easy! One of my favourite ways to eat fish is just pan fried in a little butter and salt with a squeeze of lemon like my dad always did. However, if you want something with a little more decoration and a more pleasant presentation, this recipe for rainbow trout is ridiculously easy and quick!

Quick and Simple Rainbow Trout

1 filet of rainbow trout

1 lemon

a few sprigs of dill

First, set your oven on broil at 450 then line a pan with tinfoil and set your filet on the pan.  Rub about a teaspoon of dill on the fish and salt and pepper to taste. Then slice the lemon horizontally and lay about three pieces across the fish. 

 squeeze a little more lemon juice on top then toss the fish in the oven on the middle rack for about 10 minutes or until the flesh of the trout is no longer translucent. Lastly use a spatula to pick up the fish and plate it (if you can, slide the spatula between the flesh and the skin - it should separate quite easily.) 

Lastly cut a couple lemon wedges, serve with whatever sides you desire and enjoy!

Simple But Delicious Mussel Pasta

Today my roommates and I were enjoying a relaxing Sunday and I decided to make something special for dinner. I went to Zehrs Market and it just so happened mussels were on special - $3.99 for 2 pounds! So I decided to make a simple but delicious mussel pasta. The nice thing about this dish is that the broth from the mussels is added to the pasta sauce itself to complete it adding incredible flavour. What I  like about this recipe is that it is elegant and yet rather simple to make and therefore it's impressive even though it doesn't take all that much effort on your part. One key thing to remember when cooking mussels: if the shell is not open, do NOT pry it open, just throw it away!

Creamy Mussel Pasta

Mussels:
1 lb of mussels
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
1/2 a lemon, squeezed
3/4 of a bottle of wine
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tomato, diced

Pasta:
2 small handfulls of linguine
olive oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 cups of cream
mussel broth
a nice big handful of spinach

We start with the mussels. Combine everything but the mussels in a nice big pot and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. You may notice there is not a lot of liquid in the pot but that is how its supposed to be. After cleaning the mussels (in cold water) toss them in the pot and put the lid on. Let them steam for about 5 minutes then take the lid off and give them a little stir, then cover and let cook for another 5 minutes. Now they should be open and cooked, take them off the heat and separate the mussels from the broth.

Now you can start the pasta, put a pot of water to boil, then cook the linguine until al dente (still firm). Once you have the water on, you can start the sauce, coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil and put on medium heat. Add the garlic and let it cook. Turn the heat down and add the cream. Then add the peppers, shallots, and tomato from the mussel broth and then add the pasta. Mix in the pasta then slowly add the mussel broth until you have your desired flavour. Toss in the spinach just until it wilts. Now plate the pasta and fan the mussels on top, garnish with a little salt and pepper and some chopped fresh parsley if you have it. And there you go! A delicious, quick, and elegant dish!