Citrus Baked Salmon with Pomegranate

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season.  We celebrate Christmas and had family in town.  Now we are trying to justify our food choices and figure out a plan of action.  This dish is on the menu for the week.

If you know a thing or two about Oregon then you know that Oregonians love their salmon.  Our home sits on a bay.  When the weather is good you will find many fishermen up early trying to land a popular Chinook Salmon.

Driving around you will see these said fishermen piled into flat boats all fishing in the same place.  Seriously, you will see 8-10 boats all together with their lines out.  Sometimes you mights see 30 or 40 fishing boats in one spot.  It's a sight to see and during PEAK season--good luck finding parking to even get your boat in the water.

Personally I don't have that kind of desire to hunt fish with a community effort. If we go, I prefer sitting by a quiet creek with little to no foot traffic or boats by the dozen.

We have yet to catch our own salmon.  Cory bought the gear and has tried a few times with his brother from the shore but without a boat I hear it can be tough. Eventually we may have to get a boat.  Although with the amount of rain we might be building an ark soon.

For now I get our salmon like most people do.  At the store.  I try to buy the freshest pieces I can.  Again, this is not hard in my area because we live in a fishing community and I go to the boat and buy it from the mornings catch.  Yes, we are spoiled that way.

If you read my blog, then you know that we don't eat much meat.  We do eat fish on occasion.  Let me explain.  Our not eating meat has nothing to do with animal cruelty.  I am opposed to inhumane conditions of these factory farms that are horrible to their animals.  I don't buy from these places when we do eat meat.  I try to shop locally from sustainable LOCAL farmers and fishermen.  I know the people who are raising the little meat that we do eat.    For me, it is a protein issue.  My body does not like animal protein.  I am able to eat fish without any visible or noticeable issues.  

For this recipe I wanted to try and experiment with spices and herbs.  I went with a coconut and orange juice bath with slices of oranges and lemons.  I added whole anise and cinnamon sticks while the fish was baking.  I also seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, and onion salt.  Use any spices you want.  My thinking was to go with flavors that I thought went well together: orange and cinnamon.  These two flavors remind me of winter.  

It's winter.  It's cold.  We had salmon.  Simple stuff Maynard.

Citrus Baked Salmon with Pomegranate 

1 large filet of salmon, this piece measured about 15 inches long
2 oranges (1 for juice and 1 slices to bake with fish)
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 pomegranate, seeds only
2 whole anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 can of full fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt, pepper to taste
garlic powder
onion powder
fresh thyme, minced

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Oil a baking dish.  Lay filet in the bottom of baking dish.

2.  Add all of the ingredients (except the pomegranate seeds).  The fat from the coconut milk I scooped on top (see picture above) and poured the liquid in the bottom of the dish.  I seasoned the fish by sprinkling said spices across the top. I don't have a heavy hand and never measure this method. I use it for all of my fish dishes.  It works for us.

3.  Lay the slices of lemon and orange across the salmon.  I added the juice from one orange to the coconut milk--notice the orange color when baked--to add flavor and to extend the broth.

4.  Bake fish until flaky.  Salmon cooks fairly fast.  I usually check it after 15 minutes.  Each oven is different so keep that in mind.

5.  We serve the salmon in steaks over rice and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds for color and flavor.

Baked Rock Fish

I have lived in Maryland for three years and in this time I have baked, grilled and poached more whole fish than ever in my life time of cooking in the kitchen.

I love the experience that a whole fish brings to the table for my family. It touches on our senses: the smells are vibrant with the scent of the ocean, the visual beauty of a whole fish is exciting for the kids to see, the ability to touch and debone the fish at the table is once again, an exciting venture for our guest to enjoy and finally the ooohs and aaaahs that escape the mouths of friends and family are music to my home chef ears.

Rock Fish is a local fish that is caught in the Chesapeake Bay.  We eat a lot of this fish in the summer time.  I find the fish to be mild in flavor.  Not too firm to the touch.  A great fish to eat, use in fish tacos, or serve as individual steaks.

For this dish I layered the flavors to create the lemony sauce that I made from the melted butter, steamed green onion, lemon, capers and of course, any juice the Rock Fish provided during the baking time.

I have a few more whole fish recipes coming in the near future. I recently bought a whole Red Snapper and grilled that on our BBQ pit.

When I buy my whole fish I try to buy it as fresh as possible. In fact, if you know anyone that goes fishing, ask if they would sell you one, give you one or barter with you.  Living by the water we have fish markets that get fresh fish daily so this is easy for my family to find the freshest fish possible.  I usually have them remove the scales and gut the fish for me.  I will trim the gills when I get home.  I find this is the easiest for me but you are always welcome to do this task at home.

The great thing about fish is that there are an array of herbs and spices to choose from when baking or grilling your whole fish.  Each time I make a whole fish I mix and match what I have in the refrigerator.  Some herbs that I have used are dill, thyme, mint and flat parsley.  I like to use citrus. Sometimes its lemons, limes or grapefruit.  I like capers a lot and of course butter or ghee always make an appearance.

This is an easy recipe and the fish and sauce have rich flavors and make a lovely dinner.

Baked Rock Fish

1-2 pound rock fish

6 whole green onions

handful of fresh dill

2 lemons, juice from one and slices from the other

2 tablespoons capers

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons cream or coconut cream (from top of coconut milk can)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a baking dish (oval or rectangular-large enough to hold fish) lay your fish across dish.  My head and tail hung over abut 2 inches on each side and did not cause me any problems while baking.

3. Use a sharp knife and cut 4 slashes across fish. In each slash place a sliced lemon. Around the fish add the dill and green onion. Squeeze half a lemon over the top of the fish. Add the salt, pepper and garlic salt. Sprinkle the capers. Add the tablespoons of butter. (see picture) Finally add the water.

4. Place in oven uncovered and bake until fish is firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and pour broth into a small sauce pan. Reduce the liquid for 5 minutes by bringing broth to a boil and simmering.

5.  When sauce has reduced add cream or coconut cream to the sauce.  Stir and taste.  Make any adjustments based on your taste buds.  

6.  I gently removed the fish from the bones to a small plate, added a few more capers and lemon slices.  Poured the sauce over the fish and served with steamed vegetables and rice.  The sauce can always be served on the side.

Written by Sherron Watson

Coconut Shrimp and Mango Salsa

I find it odd that as an adult, the memories I have of living in the Philippines as a child, are all centered around food.  I remember the pig roast, the mango's, coconuts, sugar cane and slugs (although not a fruit..I will never forget the slugs...LOL).

Up to this day, I can still taste the flavor of the mangoes.  I find that the mango's in the states just don't have the same flavor.  I believe it's because they are not as fresh as what I was used to.  This has never deterred me from having a mango though.  I still love the juicy orange flesh.  

I bought a few mangos the other day and some shrimp.  I wanted to throw together a table that was bright and sunny.  That was a reflection of our summer here in Maryland.  I wanted the colors to be vibrant and fresh.  

To round out our bright and sunny dinner, we had: Sweet Potato Fries, Grilled Pineapple, Homemade Chips, and Mango Salsa and Coconut Shrimp.  Our table was very colorful and cheery.  This was perfect.  The next week our weather changed to Fall and so this was a celebration of summer, we just did not know it that night.

Coconut Shrimp


1 pound of shrimp
unsweetened shredded coconut
3 egg whites, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.

Your shrimp should be washed, shell removed to the tail and de-veined.   This process took me 15 minutes.

Add caption

In a bowl add your egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of coconut at a time.  It's hard to say exactly how much you will use.  I bought 2 cups from Whole Foods and I had plenty.

Take a shrimp and coat it with the egg white then coat the egg white with the coconut.  I used my baking stone and lined the shrimp on this.

The shrimp needs to bake for 8 minutes on each side.  Turning the shrimp allows both sides to brown and cook.  The shrimp should be solid when touched to check for doneness.


 Recipe:  Mango Salsa

1 mango...very ripe, orange-skinned, cubed
1 slice of pineapple or a small can of tidbits
1/4 cup of red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup of red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 T. cilantro, finely chopped

Take all of your ingredients and combine them in a bowl.  Mix well and serve with chips or over fish.

If you need help in cutting a mango, go here for two different techniques.

I also found this awesome recipe for another mango style dish at Natural Noshing for Mango Bean Salad.  YUM

Written by Sherron Watson

Clam Chowder

I can't remember a time that I did not like fish.  I have always loved it.  I grew up in a very small town, for most of my childhood, by a huge lake.  We fished in it all the time.  I remember my grandpa taking me out, helping me bait my hook and then showing me how to clean the stinky fish.

Fish is wonderful in my opinion.  Oysters, clams, and squid are little pieces of happiness to me too.  I love fried oysters!  I made them, at home, a few years ago and my son and I devoured them.  I ate my first raw oysters last summer.  I started with one, and then another and another.  My husband was surprised I ate 6 with no problem.  YUMMY!

Fish is so abundant where I now live.  LOVE, LOVE this.  We were in UT before and fish was available but not like here...right off the boat!  When I decided to make clam chowder this time, I picked up the can of clams and then my hubby suggested we try fresh clams.  I have never done that before.  I wasn't sure what to expect..sand, taste, texture...would it ruin the soup?

I am here to say that it did not ruin the soup and it was so much better.  I found that the canned clams were sweet and added an artificial flavor to the soup.  The fresh clams gave you that pure clam taste.  I can't explain the taste other than, for me, it was wonderful.  I bought 40 clams at 45cents a piece...GASP...it was spendy but well worth the money. 

Clam Chowder

This will make enough for 6-8 adults.  It is wonderful the next day warmed up.

2 cups of Chicken Broth ( You can use water if you want, I just like the flavor of the broth in the soup.)

2 cups of water

clam juice (The juice should come from the can or in the container with the fresh clams)

1 cup of fresh clams or 2 small cans of clams  (Fresh is about 40-50 clams, shucked)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup of celery, diced

4 potatoes, cubed

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of flour (gluten-free- use brown rice flour)

2 cups of milk

2 cups of cream

pepper and salt to taste

2 dashes of hot sauce (optional)

2 T. Fresh Parsley, minced  (optional)

Chop your clams if they are fresh.  I usually don't have to chop the clams from the can.  If using fresh, let your clams sit overnight so the sand has a chance to sink to the bottom of the container.  I was surprised at how much was there the next day compared to the first.  Gently remove the clams from the container.  Save the juice to add to the water/broth.  If you want a stronger clam flavor you can always add purchased clam juice to the broth.

In a large stockpot, add the broth, clam juice, and water or 6 cups of water and clam juice.  Turn heat to medium-high.

In the pot, add your diced celery and onion.  Add your cubed potatoes.  Bring the pot to a boil and cook until potatoes are done.  Depending on the size of your potatoes, plan on 15-20 minutes.

In a separate pot, add the stick of butter and melt.  Stir in your flour.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the milk and cream.  This should get thick after a few minutes of cooking on medium-high.  Turn heat off and set aside until the potatoes are done. If it is not thick after 5 minutes, you may need to add more flour.

Meanwhile, you can mince the parsley if you are using it in the soup.  

When your potatoes are done, add the flour/milk/cream mixture to the soup.  Add your chopped clams.  The clams do not take long to cook, 5-10 minutes.  They should be firm to the touch.

You will need to add pepper and salt to you soup.  I find that I use a lot of salt but everyone is different.  So you will need to salt, taste, salt, etc...to find what is best for your family.  We also love a few dashes of hot sauce..this is optional of course.  The fresh parsley adds more flavor to the soup.  We love this addition.  

Written by Sherron Watson

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Tuna Pasta Salad

We eat a lot of food in my family.  Especially in the summer.  My teenagers are growing and are always hungry, the 4 yo thinks she needs to eat when they do and my hubby and I both work from home.  That is five months, 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.  Like I said, we eat a lot of food.

It's tough at times trying to find things to stock the refrigerator that is new and not a sandwich.  Although my kids love their ham sandwiches, variety is the key to enjoying and having a well-rounded love of food. With this in mind, I try to keep pasta salad stocked at all times.  We love pasta and by changing the dressing and ingredients, your possibilities are endless.

This tuna pasta salad is one of our favorites.  In fact, I grew up eating this type of salad.  It reminds me of my time in high school, returning late from a football game and grabbing a big bowl of this salad.  I love how food, like a smell, can take you back 20+ years to one night or a time of your life. ENJOY!

Tuna Pasta Salad


1 Box of  elbow pasta, prepared according to instructions on box
2 cans of tuna, drained
1/2 cup of diced celery
1 cup of diced sweet pickles
1 cup of diced red onion
1/2 cup of cubed cheese ( I used Jack, but you can use cheddar too)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
salt/pepper to taste
2 tsp. of mustard (optional)

Cook pasta according to directions on the box.  Drain and add to a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings (salt and pepper).  Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Written by Sherron Watson

Salmon Baked in Foil

My family and I would eat fish every day if we could.  It's common knowledge that Isabella is a fish, just kidding.  She just loves the water so much and would spend her whole day at the beach if we let her.LOL

Most nights we head to the beach after work.  This makes dinner time a bit tight if I want to go with them, after all...someone has to cook the dinner.  On these nights when I know that we will be gone or leaving very soon, I will make a fish dish.  

I find that fish is very easy if you stick with simple and fresh ingredients.  I love using (and not all together) olive oil, butter, lemon, capers, onions, garlic, cilantro, salt, pepper and a big piece of foil when making our fish dinners. 

We also use our outside grill when making our fish dishes.  Some times I will skewer the scallops or shrimp.  Once in a while, I will cook fish directly on the grill, but only if it is nice and clean.  I only want the grill marks not last night's rib dinner.

I don't buy fish and freeze it.  I always try to buy if fresh, and living at the beach, it is usually quite fresh.  Some times we even get a catch from that day.  YIPEE!  This salmon is not local, of course, and we did buy it from Whole Foods.  They have a wonderful selection of fish, fresh and frozen.  I learned that salmon comes in a wide range of colors and tastes.  The gentleman who helped me asked how "fishy" I wanted my salmon to be.  For this dinner, I decided to try something in the middle and you will see the piece that I selected above.

I wanted the fish to shine and so I chose to serve it with brown rice and a simple cabbage salad.  I used very few ingredients in preparing my salmon.  I wanted to taste the fish.  I hope you enjoy this simple recipe and you can see how simple and easy a piece of salmon can be to prepare for your family.

Salmon with Lemon and Cilantro

1 large piece of salmon  (this piece of fish served my family of 5 with no leftovers.)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lemon, sliced very thin

1 handful of fresh cilantro

I like to make this on our grill.  I will set the grill outside to medium heat and have this started before I prepare the fish so that the temperature and the inside of the grill are evenly heated and ready to go.

Grab a large piece of heavy-duty foil.  Lay our salmon with the skin down and the red meat up. I sprinkle the EVOO all over the fish.  I take my thinly sliced lemons and lay a row down the middle.   You can do the whole top, but this makes for a very lemony flavor.  I then add my fresh herbs.  I had cilantro for this dinner so that is what I used.  I lay them on the edges and wrap up my foil.

I like the medium heat with the fish because it cooks the fish slowly and gives the herbs and lemon a chance to season the fish.  I would check your salmon after 15 minutes to see if it is to your doneness.  Some people like their salmon not cooked all the way.  We like ours flaky and so I tend to cook the salmon for about 20 minutes.

I serve each person a piece that is 2 inches wide and cut all the way across.  This seems to be a good serving size if you are serving other dishes.  My daughter loves the skin and I don't.  The skin usually separates from the salmon during cooking and this makes it easy to serve the salmon without the skin.

Written by Sherron Watson

Fish Tacos and the BEST Sauce

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2020 UPDATE: I am just checking in. I still use this recipe and this sauce. We live at the beach now so our fish consumption is pretty high. ENJOY!

It took me about 20 years before I would even consider eating a fish taco.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love Fish. I love tacos.  Together?  I thought that was a train wreck waiting to happen inside my mouth.

So what changed my mind?  A wild hair.  I decided I was going to get it over with and try the taco's so that I could check it off my food list of things to try.  I am an avid researcher.  Before I do most anything I read and read and read.  I want to know what all of my options are before I set out to do anything.  This task was not any different especially since I was going to be eating it.  My mouth requires the best.  LOL

I learned several things to make this experience wonderful and, hopefully, one that I would want to repeat.

1.  FISH.  You must use the best fish that you can find and afford.
2.  FRESH.  Your fish should be the freshest that you can find.
3.  TYPE.  The type of fish you use, can make or break the deal.
4.  SAUCE.  The most important. It adds so much flavor to an already AWESOME dish.

I only use Halibut because it's not flaky or soft.  The fish holds up wonderfully under the frying.  I only use a corn meal or brown rice flour when frying because I want to taste my fish, not all of the batter that most places use.  I make the sauce in the morning so that the spices have a chance to BLOOM.

Fish taco's is something I would eat everyday if my family would let me.  LOL  I have shared this recipe with several family members who were not fans of the FISH TACO and they have been converted.  They love this recipe but most of all they all rave about the SAUCE.  It's very yummy!

Fish Tacos with a Cilantro Sauce

Read the whole recipe before planning on making the tacos.  The sauce is better if done in advance, although I have made it 30 minutes before dinner.

1-2 pounds of fresh Halibut.  1 pound will feed my family of 5 (2 tacos each)
1 small red cabbage
1 bunch of cilantro
corn tortilla's
oil
Fish Fry Coating Mix ( I use Hodgson Mill GF mix)
2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk

Heat 2 T. of oil in a frying pan.  Prepare the fish by cutting into 2X1 inch sections.  Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, add your fish fry mix.  YOU HAVE 2 BOWLS.  Dip the fish in the egg/milk mix and then dip in your fish fry mix. You can re-dip for a second time if you wish.  Add fish to oil and fry on both sides.  The fish will cook fast.  I set them on a paper towel to absorb any extra oil.

Shred red cabbage very thin.  I coarsely chop the cilantro.  I like big leaves.  I also include the stems. They are soft and not bitter.

Fry your corn tortillas in oil. I use a small pan with oil and cook the tortilla's on both sides until soft, not crispy.

Prepare the sauce below.

SAUCE:

½ cup plain yogurt

½ cup mayo…I like more to make it thicker

½ tsp lime

1 jalapeno pepper

1 handful of cilantro..I like a lot, I usually add more than a handfull

1 tsp onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp cumin…I add more of this too.  But taste the original first.

½ tsp chili powder

I combine all ingredients in a blender or small food processor. Blend until creamy, Cilantro is usually specks of green.  Make and let set in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.  It takes time for the spices to “shine”.  ENJOY!

Serve your fish taco's with a variety of side dishes.  You might want to try this guacamole recipe here. ENJOY!

Written by Sherron Watson

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