![Spicy Alaskan Cod with Thai Red Curry Sauce]()
by Yvonne Maffei | May 1, 2016 | Dinner, Fish & Seafood, Halal-Certified Products
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of travel shows that involve copious amounts of eating along the way- think anything and everything Anthony Bourdain is in only because of all the interesting places he visits–but, definitely not what he eats or drinks. Some of the dishes that he tries are, in my opinion, a lesson in what not to eat. At the very least, it’s education about the vast amounts of food people around the world eat that are completely and utterly a figment of our imagination here in the Midwest. I wouldn’t want his job of eating some pretty stomach-churning (and not so halal) things, but I would love his job of traveling, cooking and eating the halal stuff, for sure…
Backing away from Netflix and right back into the kitchen and I am craving some spicy Thai food- or anything spicy, at least somewhat. All the shows with such great seafood dishes reminds me that the world does offer up some incredibly great seafood recipes I just don’t see very often in restaurants around me, but I like to try making them myself. The problem is, I am usually the only one who ends up eating fish dishes because so few people are turned on by seafood. I think it’s ALL in how it’s made- the resulting flavor is the key factor that’s going to attract eaters, so perhaps just make a great dish without discussing all the details of what’s in it and what it looked like prior to cooking it. At least that’s the lesson I’ve learned…
I mean, none of the ingredients below look unappetizing, do they? No. But we’re not cooking with a whole fish that has to be cleaned up. The only somewhat scary ingredient to anyone not used to fish or seafood dishes is the fish sauce- I can just imagine telling someone that it’s an ingredient in a dish without explaining that it’s not so bad- just ground up salty anchovies or something similar–and that means you don’t need to add salt to your dish. Great, isn’t it?
For this recipe, which totally satisfied my craving for something nice and spicy but not too hot, I chose Alaskan cod in pieces as my main seafood ingredient. I like the because it takes the work out of slicing it up yourself and they’re found frozen which typically means the fish is freshly frozen rather than the ‘fresh’ fish at the grocery store that has simply been defrosted after arriving on ice and frozen from the transport trucks.
I found found this particular fish in nice chunks is at Trader Joe’s- next time I make this dish I’d probably cut them even a bit smaller just because I don’t like huge chunks of fish on my plate, but to each his own. You could even get a large piece of cod and put it in without cutting at all and it would be fine, too.
For the vegetables, I chose an Asian Vegetable Stir Fry mix which you can find at most grocery stores or just make it yourself with equal parts of sliced round carrots, broccoli, red and green pepper, red onion, snap peas, mushrooms, baby corn and water chestnuts, if you like. Leave out what you don’t.
After cooking the vegetables then fish in a neutral oil (i.e. sunflower), I add the fish sauce and Saffron Road Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauce. You can find it at many different stores – just take a look at their store locator on their website for a
The Simmer Sauce is gluten free and halal and contains the ethnic Thai flavors you would want in this dish like lemongrass, coconut milk, ginger, and paprika. It also adds a lot of nice moisture to the dish, which is important when you’re not cooking with much fat, as in this case.
To give the dish a nice kick, I added two heaping spoons of fire roasted green chilies. You can find small cans of this stuff in the Mexican aisle of most grocers. In my case, I got these from Trader Joe’s. Of course.
I let this simmer for some time (around 15 minutes) while my wonderfully fragrant Jasmine rice was cooking at the same time. Once they’re both done, it’s a really nice meal on a plate.
Perfect for dinner. Even on a weekday.
I’ll be giving away a packet of another one of Saffron Road’s Simmer Sauces this week, so stay tuned and make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to find out about all the new and exciting things we have coming up, insha’Allah.
Enjoy!
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 pound Asian stir fry vegetable mix (equal amounts of broccoli, carrot, mushrooms, red onion, snap peas, baby corn)
1 1/4 pound Alaskan cod pieces
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/8 cup fish sauce
1 packet Saffron Road Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauce
2 teaspoons fire roasted green chiles
Salute until browned
add 2 teaspoon sesame oil
Add Simmer Sauce packet
Simmer for 15 minutes
Serve with Jasmine rice
![Shrimp Harissa Tagine]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Oct 31, 2015 | Dinner, Fish & Seafood, Moroccan, North African
When I’m looking for a quick way to cook and eat healthy, I begin thinking about what I can make in a tagine. They’re easy to make one pot meals in and because they have a conical lid, you can steam the contents either while cooking or when it’s out of the oven and resting. My latest creation was with shrimp and the Saffron Road Harissa Simmer Sauce– a great combination and only minimal ingredients are needed to add to it. 
In this case, I added green peppers, garlic, onion, cilantro and parsley.
The main ingredient is large shrimp with the shells on. Boil for 5-7 minutes in water to cook them slightly.
Once cooked (they turn pink), drain the water and let them cool.
Peel the shrimp of all the shells. Place in the tagine with the cut peppers, garlic and onion.
Add a bit of ras-al-hanout, if you have it. It’s not necessary because the Harissa Simmer Sauce has spices in it already.
Just like the other Simmer Sauces that Saffron Road has in their line of sauces, they’re all natural, halal-certified and gluten-free.
Pour it over the shrimp and other ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Stir everything up before cooking then cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Once it comes out of the oven, put a lid on it and let it steam for about 5 minutes.
Serve with a side of pearl couscous or rice, if you have it.
It’s even good with just a nice big piece of rustic bread.
![Baked Shrimp with Garlic, Fresh Herbs and Red Pepper Paste]()
by Yvonne | Aug 2, 2013 | Dinner, Fish & Seafood
On my Sicilian side of the family, they really love shrimp. My aunts bake it in the oven with some very simple ingredients like garlic, parsley and olive oil. The taste, smell and flavor is everything I remember about Sicilian summers and about my family here and there. I never really learned the exact recipe for it, but after tasting it so many times in my life, I’m not really sure I even need one- I know how it’s supposed to taste and don’t mind experimenting with it until I get that right.
Tough job, I know…
So, it’s pretty easy to conclude what should be done with the gift of two pounds of shrimp. Yes, I said gift. These are the kinds of things people give me…regularly.
I’d also been experimenting with this new jar of Muhammara that Nadia Hubbi of Sweet Pillar & Co. gave me to try. It’s been in my pantry for months since we moved, had the Summer Ramadan Cooking Chicago Cookbook Tour, etc. etc. I just never had a chance to try that, until now– and now I’m putting this Muhammara, or red pepper paste, on everything.
Because it’s just that good.
So much so that I decided to put a twist on my family’s Sicilian style way of making baked shrimp by kicking up the spice a notch- and boy, was it worth it!
We had a little leftover pasta from the night before’s Iftar, so we first ate this dish with pasta; then, since we also had a bit of rice left over, we put this shrimp dish on top for the remainder of our Iftar dinner.
Ah-mazing…
And so simple, quick and easy. I mean it when I tell you that my mission is to keep you out of the kitchen as much as possible in Ramadan- who needs all that fuss over food?
I sure don’t.
Enjoy the recipe!
![Sicilian Tuna Pasta]()
by Yvonne | Aug 1, 2013 | Fish & Seafood
I’ve gone through so many situations where I’ve been in a limited kitchen space- whether it’s because of kitchen renovation, traveling, or some other reason, I’ve had to learn to adapt with minimal gadgets and even food items. It sounds challenging and frustrating, but actually some of my best recipes have come from cooking in a limited space with limited edibles, because it has forced me to think outside the box of what I dream of cooking and instead cook what is simple, practical and makes good use of what’s on hand. It’s a great skill to develop as a chef.
That’s how this Tuna Pasta recipe came about. I’m always falling back on Sicilian or Italian dishes simply because they are so second nature to me, but also because they call for the ingredients I love most and have on hand most of the time, or at least I know exactly what to do with them when I see them. Tuna Pasta is a very Sicilian dish, most likely created from the coastal villages of Sicily, using whatever was on hand and seasonal, which is why all of the ingredients are Mediterranean. Even if you don’t live in the Mediterranean, things like tuna, olives, and capers are all ingredients that are common pantry condiments, and inexpensive for the most part.
I was able to post the photos of this to my Instagram and Facebook pages, where I got many requests for the recipe.
Update: My aunts have told me that this pasta must include ground or whole fennel in it to be authentic, at least in our family repertoire of recipes, so the updated version of this recipe contains ground fennel. You can omit it, if you like, but it really does add a dimension of earthiness that transforms and elevates it. Do try, even if you don’t like or don’t think you like fennel.
Sicilian Tuna Pasta Recipe
If you love southern Mediterranean dishes and make them frequently, you probably have many of the ingredients for this recipe on hand already; if not, they’re easy to get and simple to assemble in this quick and light pasta dish you don’t have to be a fish lover to enjoy. Clickable links will take you to the products I recommend and use myself.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons really good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup onion (yellow or purple), finely chopped
2 7-ounce cans tuna packed in oil or water
3 cloves garlic, pounded and minced
1/2 cup mild red pepper paste or tomato paste
2 tablespoons Sicilian mixed olives or black cured olives
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon Sicilian sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground or whole fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried Sicilian oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup fresh basil
Freshly grated Parmesan, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Preparation
In a large saute pan, gently heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, careful not to burn the garlic. Meanwhile, on a separate burner, bring a large stockpot of generously salted water to a boil, then cook the pasta until al dente.
To the saute pan, add both cans of tuna (draining of any water, but adding the oil if preserved in oil). Mix the tuna to combine, then add the red pepper paste. Add the olives and capers.
Add the salt, pepper, fennel, oregano and parsley, and reduce heat to low.
Ladle about 1/2 cup pasta water into the saute pan and mix well. Bring the cooked pasta to the pan and use tongs or two forks to fluff the pasta in the pan so that it does not burn.
Chop the basil finely then add to the pan, combining well. Cook on low, covered, for about an additional 5 minutes.
Bring the dish to a serving bowl. When plating individual plates, add a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes, for an extra kick, as well as another drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan on top.
![Salmon Baked in Papillote with Dill & Thyme]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Feb 24, 2013 | American, Cooking Techniques & Kitchen Tips, Fish & Seafood, French, Recipes, Scandinavian
Salmon is one of the easiest types of fish to make on a regular basis. It’s thick texture stays together nicely when cooking, so whether you’re frying, grilling or baking it, it tends to stay together really well. This is great news for novice cooks or those who are a little intimidated to cook fish at all. And winter is a great time to have salmon because it’s super high in Vitamin D.
If you watch enough of the news or programs like the Dr. Oz Show, you’ve probably already seen recent reports that so many people are low in the ever important Vitamin D that protects our bodies and our immune systems from all types of diseases. (more…)
![Caribbean Shrimp Salad]()
by Yvonne | Jan 3, 2013 | Appetizers & Snacks, Fish & Seafood, Latin, Mexican
I used to do a lot of traveling in the winter months- short escapes to warmer climates like anywhere in Florida or south of the border to Mexico. Coming from the Midwest, I was indeed a young snow bird of sorts. Sometimes I did it with the excuse of studying (i.e. taking intensive Spanish language courses in Merida, Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico; other times it was just a gift-to-self for studying so hard throughout a college quarter to places like Playa del Carmen along the Mayan Riviera in Mexico.
While I sadly haven’t been back to either places in a very long time, I still have fond and special memories of the food, the people and the experiences there. The fish, in particular was so fresh- coming straight off the Caribbean– that it was served as ceviche in restaurants just a short time after being caught. (more…)
