Note: I was sent affiliate boxes from Sitka Salmon Share in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I’m back with another post using my Sitka Salmon Share! This recipe for Pan Seared Lingcod with Wilted Spinach uses Lingcod, which is a lean white fish native to the North America west coast. It has a mild flavor similar to halibut or cod so it’s very versatile.
I adapted this recipe from one on Sitka Salmon Share’s recipe website. The original recipe served this over mashed potatoes, but I went with a cauliflower puree instead. (To read more about Sitka Salmon Shares and get a promo code for a premium share, check out my other post.)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 ounces spinach leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
2 (6 to 8 oz) pieces lingcod
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped roasted pistachios
1 lemon, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Note: I was sent affiliate boxes from Sitka Salmon Share in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I’m excited to share this recipe for a yummy Salmon Bean Salad, but I’m even more excited to tell you about Sitka Salmon Share! This responsible caught seafood company is one you can feel good about purchasing their high quality products. (You can check out my other Sitka Seafood posts here as I post them, because there will be plenty more!)
What are Sitka Salmon Shares?
Sitka Salmon Share is a community supported fishery (CSF) seafood delivery that allows you to get great quality seafood delivered right to your door. You can choose from four different options (Premium Sitka Seafood Share, Sitka Seafood Share, Sitka Salmon Share, and Sitka White Fish Share), which range from 3 to 9-month intervals. Each share includes a specific selection of the species that Sitka harvests, such as wild Alaskan king salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, keta salmon, lingcod, black bass, sablefish (black cod), Pacific cod, yelloweye, rockfish, spot shrimp, Dungeness crab, albacore tuna, and halibut.
You can either pay for your share in full at the beginning of the season or spread out your payments through monthly installments. Prices range from $18 to $28 per pound, depending on the species you choose and the quantity you buy (with free shipping).
How Sitka Salmon Shares Works:
One of Sitka’s 20 fishermen-owners or partner fishermen then catch your fish. The fishermen meticulously catch and handle each fish with care virtually unheard of in the world of large factory boats and corporate-owned fish farms. The seafood is filleted and cut into portions of about half a pound to a little over a pound. Each fillet is then blast-frozen to -60 degrees Fahrenheit before being shipped to the Midwest where it is individually vacuum-sealed.
source: https://sitkasalmonshares.com/
Every month during fishing season, you will get a box of wild Alaskan seafood hand-delivered right to your door! In keeping with the company’s guiding principles, Sitka Salmon Shares returns 1 percent of all CSF-related revenue back to fisheries conservation and habitat protection efforts, and they pay to offset all carbon that is released in our Alaska-to-Midwest distribution system. The fishermen-owners receive a fairer wage for a day’s work, and the company works to make the entire system more transparent and accountable, from the moment your fish is caught to the moment you sit down with your friends and family to enjoy the best fish you’ve ever tasted. Also, the packaging is almost entirely recyclable, including the insulation!
https://sitkasalmonshares.com/
Discount code to receive $25 off your first Sitka Salmon Share Box:
To get the word out, I received two affiliate boxes to check out their products. Even better, Sitka has given me a discount code to share with everyone so you can try out their delicious seafood as well! Use ICCTFish when registering for a Premium share and receive $25 off!
This recipe for Salmon Bean Salad is made with Sitka’s Coho salmon, which has such a wonderful flavor that it needs very little other components to make a delicious meal! It is a simple meal that delivers on flavor, and it is perfect for lunch or dinner!
Ingredients (serves 2):
Salad:
1 lb coho salmon, like Sitka Coho Salmon, defrosted overnight in your fridge
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups lettuce (I used Boston Bibb), washed and torn
1 (14 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
I absolutely love grilling. When given the chance, I’d choose it over cooking on the stovetop or in my oven. So I am thrilled that the weather is turning and I can get back to using my favorite appliance as much as possible. To start the season off, here’s a recipe for Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packets that tastes awesome and is super easy to clean up!
This recipe is also really adaptable, so I’ve given a couple of suggestions below, but definitely make this your own!
Ingredients (serves 2, multiply as needed):
2 (8 oz) salmon fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb asparagus, woody ends removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
one lemon, divided
1 teaspoon hot sauce or your favorite mustard
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
A few years ago, I realized that the concept of what I know as Classic Shrimp Scampi is kind of an American one. To Americans, Shrimp Scampi is shrimp cooked in butter and typically served over pasta. But scampi is actually its own type of crustacean. So it appears that when Italian immigrants came to the US, they adapted the recipe to substitute in shrimp and then kept both names.
Now that you’ve had a history lesson on Shrimp Scampi, let me get to the actual making of the dish. This version is relatively classic, where you cook the shrimp in a butter white wine sauce with a little bit of crushed red pepper and then finish it off with fresh parsley and some lemon juice. To soak up the yummy sauce, serve with pasta or crusty bread.
Note: I was sent a PDF copy of Beach House Dinners: Simple, Summer-Inspired Meals for Entertaining Year-Round by chef Lei Shishak in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I think we could all use a bit of escape right about now. So what better way to get in a beach-state-of-mind than through easy home cooking? I recently had the opportunity to page through Lei Shishak’s new cookbook: Beach House Dinners: Simple, Summer-Inspired Meals for Entertaining Year-Round, which is filled with over 80 recipes perfect for summer cooking.
Lei Shishak is the founder of Sugar Blossom Bake Shop in San Clemente, CA and the author of Beach House Baking, heralded by USA Today as one of the top 10 cookbooks of summer 2014, Beach House Brunch and Farm-to-Table Desserts. She is an established pastry chef who trained at the CIA in New York and has worked in restaurants in Sun Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County.
I’m not going to lie, quite a few recipes caught my eye — Coconut Shrimp, Creamy Thai Curry Quinoa, Pot Roast Tagine, Israeli Pearl Couscous — this cookbook is filled with awesome sounding recipes! I decided to highlight a beautifully simple but oh so flavorful salmon recipe to show off this cookbook.
I adjusted Lei’s original recipe of Pan Fried Salmon with Green Lentils for what I had on hand, so be sure to pop over to her blog or to pick up this cookbook to try the original version. Green Lentils have a slight peppery flavor to them, so I bet they would make this dish even more amazing!
Ingredients: (serves 4)
Lentils:
3 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup brown lentils
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, unsalted (or margarine, to make dairy free)
I am very much on the pressure cooker bandwagon. It’s awesome for tough cuts of meat, cooking beans, and other processes that can take forever, but my favorite use is speeding up recipes just enough to make them weeknight friendly!
We don’t actively follow the Mediterranean Diet, but following it can help reduce inflammation, avoid disease, and lose weight, making it popular for anyone looking to live a healthier lifestyle. The Everything Mediterranean Instant Pot Cookbook shows you how to recreate classic Mediterranean meals in under an hour using the much-loved multi-cooker, the Instant Pot. With more than 300 recipes for delicious meals, snacks, and even desserts, you’ll have everything you need to create healthy, fresh, and fast meals every day of the week!
As I mentioned, I’ve already made a few recipes in here, but I wanted to share this recipe for Lemon Orzo with Crab and Herbs, which I’ve slightly adapted from the original in the cookbook.
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups water (or chicken broth for more flavor)
8 oz orzo
8 oz jumbo lump crab meat
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
NOTE: I was sent Carthage Co.‘s Dadasi Dinner Plate in order to write this post with a recipe for Marinated Swordfish. Opinions are mine alone.
Unsurprisingly, I have quite the affinity for dishware. I especially love plates, bowls, and platters that are matte (they present and photograph beautifully!) No matter how pretty dishware is, I still need it to work for my lifestyle, so I look for options that are microwave and dishwasher safe as well.
I was recently introduced to Carthage Co., which offers exquisite, ethically-sourced pottery made by Tunisian artisans, including plates, glasses, pitchers and serving-ware. The best part? This artisan stoneware is both attractive and affordable, plus its dishwasher and microwave safe! Named after the ancient city of Carthage that once served as a connecting point of Mediterranean trade, the Carthage Co. mission is to provide a valuable point of connection that starts in Tunisia and ends at your dinner table. The company works to honor and empower Tunisian artisans and create jobs in the U.S., partnering with local manufacturers that employ and empower their communities with dignity and equity.
source: Cathage Co.
I immediately gravitated toward their Dadasi collection, which is even more beautiful in person. I personally love the basalt color, it really make the food served on it pop!
I wanted to show off my snazzy new plate with a recipe that’s really become a staple in my household: Marinated Swordfish, served over rice with sautéed baby bok choy. I’m not going to pretend it’s the prettiest recipe, but it sure looks nice on the Dadasi plate, doesn’t it? It’s amazing what a difference a good looking plate can make to the presentation of a meal!
This recipe requires very little hands-on time, but you do need to allot some time for the swordfish to marinate.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos/tamari to make gluten free)
Note: I was sent a ZOS wine saver for review. All opinions are mine alone.
Using wine in recipes both adds and enhances flavor. I love cooking with both red and white wine, but I really only drink red wine. Which means I keep a re-corked bottled of white wine in my fridge, which over time, begins to oxidize and change taste (and not for the better!)
So when I was contacted to try ZOS wine saver, I was intrigued. The ZOS wine saver is a solution that eliminates 100% of the oxygen from an opened bottle of wine, which can preserve the bottle for weeks or months. The ZOS wine stopper has an oxygen-absorbing cartridge that allows you to use a small amount of wine and still maintain its flavor for future use.
Source: zos.wine
The ZOS wine saver is made of an oxygen barrier stopper attached to a replaceable cartridge. You just insert the ZOS stopper into an open bottle of wine and the cartridge absorbs all of the oxygen in the bottle. Each cartridge lasts 5 to 15 bottles and is easily replaceable. The ZOS wine saver (paid link) can be purchased on Amazon.
With the weather warming up, I wanted to make a yummy seafood recipe that’s hearty but light. Cioppino is a fish stew originally from San Francisco, utilizing whatever was caught that day at sea. This recipe for Cioppino (Seafood Stew) includes making a broth and then making the actual soup. The broth can be made a couple of days ahead of time. Both parts of the recipe use white wine, so this recipe is the perfect test for the ZOS wine saver.
Ingredients:
Broth:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 8-oz. bottles clam juice
4 sprigs parsley
2 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 lb clams, scrubbed
¼ cup dry white wine
1 lb sea bass, skin removed and cut into 1” pieces
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes (or margarine for dairy free)
Note: I was sent a sample of Speck Alto Adige PGI in order to write this recipe for Speck and Anchovy Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs. All opinions are mine alone. #sponsored
During the winter, I cannot get enough comfort food recipes. To me, Italian food is the ultimate comfort food — usually quite simple to make, with a few high quality ingredients that make the meal good enough to share with company. Which is why I am excited to share this recipe for Speck and Anchovy Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs!
I wanted to highlight an ingredient that you may not have heard about before: Speck Alto Adige PGI. From the Alto Adige region of Italy, Speck Alto Adige PGI is ham that has been air cured and lightly smoked. It can be used in recipes that call for bacon or prosciutto, and add a nice smoky, herby flavor to the dish. When buying, look for the PGI certification. The PGI certification of Speck Alto Adige means “protected geographical indication” and ensures that you are buying an authentic product made in its area of origin under strict guidelines.
To highlight the uncommon but delicious flavor of Speck Alto Adige PGI, I decided to make a speck and anchovy pasta topped with garlic breadcrumbs.
This recipe for Speck and Anchovy Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs is based off an Epicurious recipe and delivers great flavor without a lot of effort. It just so happens to mostly use ingredients that I tend to have around my house, so that was a nice perk too!
Now that grilling season is in full swing, I am grilling anything and everything I can, and yes, that includes Grilled Clams in Lemon Butter Sauce!
This recipe for grilled clams is SO easy, and can be made completely on your grill (just make sure you have a cast iron or other grill-safe pot for the sauce, if not, you can make it on your stovetop).
It’s an awesome appetizer to share with friends, just don’t forget the crusty bready for dipping!
Ingredients:
3 dozen clams
2 sticks salted butter (1 cup)
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
I’m kind of on a Sheet Pan kick. I love how simple they are, and how easy cleanup is! And this recipe for Sheet Pan Blackened Shrimp with Citrus and Roasted Fennel is no different!
This recipe is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe to make it a pure sheet pan meal.
I know the combination of flavors may seem a bit odd, but it really comes together in the end. My husband even asked for this to be put in our normal dinner rotation!
Ingredients:
2 small oranges (I used one navel, one blood orange)
2 medium fennel bulbs with stalks
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 small shallots, halved
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
I’m sure this happens to everyone: you go out and buy ingredients for a specific recipe, but then are left with “extras” from that recipe. Normally, it’s not a big deal and you can just incorporate it easily into another recipe. But when I went to make Sheet Pan Paella recently, my supermarket was only selling 50 packs of clams. That’s a lot of clams!
To use them up, I decided to make Linguine and Clams, but used what I had on hand to make it work. So, technically, I made spaghetti and clams. And it tasted just as good. 🙂
I love the relative simplicity of this dish. It also reminds me of my grandpa; linguine and clams were his favorite. So I was surprised that I hadn’t posted a recipe for Linguine and Clams on my blog yet. Time to fix that!
I adapted this version of Linguine and Clams from Bon Appetit.
Ingredients:
1 heaping tablespoon salt
12 garlic cloves, divided
4 oz day old bread, cut into smaller pieces (I used half of a sandwich roll)
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
the zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 dozen clams, scrubbed
1 (16 oz) box linguine (or spaghetti)
1/2 cup chopped parsley (I randomly had curly parsley on hand. Flat works too)
Over the last few years, my husband and I have moved too many times. Since 2014, we have lived in five different apartments/houses. Somehow in one of those many moves, I lost (or threw out) my paella pan. Sigh.
Paella is a favorite of mine. I love the combination of crispy rice, seafood, and spice. So when I saw this Epicurious recipe for a sheet pan version, I knew I had to try it.
I didn’t exactly stick to the original recipe, given what I could find in my post-snow supermarket. But one of the best parts about paella is you can basically throw in whatever you may have on hand to make the recipe yours! So here’s my adapted version – Sheet Pan Paella!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup rice
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon saffron, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 links of Spanish chorizo (about 6 oz)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
6 ounces medium shrimp, peeled, deviened, tails left intact
~2 dozen clams, scrubbed
1 (14 oz can) fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
I’m not going to lie, the idea of a salad in the winter is not exactly appealing to me. I prefer warm food when it’s cold out, so hooray for this Warm Salmon Salad!
I have the unnecessary “skill” of setting off my smoke alarm almost every time I use my oven or stovetop. I’m going to blame it on my house having an overly sensitive smoke alarm (which I guess is better than one that doesn’t work at all). So in the summer, I basically turn every recipe into a grilling recipe so I can cook outdoors.
This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light. Making it on the grill means I didn’t get as crispy skin on my red snapper (mainly because it stuck to the aluminum foil), but that’s ok. Feel free to check out the original recipe to make indoors.