Pan Fried Trout

Trout is probably the most often-caught freshwater fish in the western United States. Many of us have fond memories of going camping and fishing in the summer and eating these tasty fish. They have a fantastic flavor that does best with a simple recipe. If you do happen to buy your fish, make sure that it is fresh. Fresh fish will have bright, clear eyes, firm flesh, and will NOT smell fishy at all. If it has any smell, it will be a wet, semi-musty smell, but definitely not fishy. A fishy fish is a spoiled fish.

Simple Pan Fried Trout

Ingredients

Trout, freshly caught
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Lemon wedges or slices

Procedure

1. Clean the trout by slitting the belly lengthwise and scooping out the innards. Discard. Remove the vein that runs along the spine. If it is a larger trout, you can cut the head and tail off to fit it in your pan. Pull the head backwards until the spine snaps and then cut it off.
2. If the trout is from a clean water source you trust, you can eat the skin. If this is the case, wash off the slime and remove the scales by scraping the back of a knife against the grain of the scales. Otherwise, just wash the slime off. On smaller fish with smaller scales, you might not even care to remove the scales.
3. Set fish aside on a paper towel or brown paper bag. Do not dry.
3. Heat skillet to medium-high heat.
4. In a bowl, mix flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge whole fish in mixture.
5. Add butter to skillet and swirl around to coat bottom of skillet. Add fish. Cook until fish is browned and releases from pan. Flip.
6. Trout is done when the flesh is a milky opaque color but still deliciously juicy.
7. Serve hot with lemon wedges or slices.

Grilled Lobster Tails

My dad loves food, and he loves grilled food even more. So one year, my mom, my sister, and I decided that we'd grill lobster tails for my dad on Father's Day. That was by far the most memorable Father's Day meal that we've ever done! Make sure that you leave the lobster tails alone and let them be until they release themselves from the grill before turning so you don't under cook them and make a mess.

Grilled Lobster Tails

Ingredients

4 7-ounce lobster tails
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 tablespoon tarragon leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash hot sauce, your choice
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
Lemon wedges
Chive sprigs, for garnish

Procedure

1. Preheat your grill to direct medium-high heat.
2. In a small bowl blend butter, chives, tarragon, minced garlic, hot sauce, and black pepper. Blend thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
3. Using kitchen shears, butterfly the lobster tails straight down the middle of the softer underside of the shell. Cut the meat down the center without cutting all the way through. Brush the tails with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Grill lobsters cut side down over medium high heat about 5 minutes, until the shells are bright in color and lobster releases from the grill.
5. Turn the tails over and spoon a generous tablespoon of herb butter onto the butterflied meat. Grill for another 4 minutes, or until the lobster meat is an opaque white color.
6. Remove lobster tails from the grill and serve with more herb butter and lemon wedges. Garnish with chive sprigs.

Ideas for a meal:
Roast some red potatoes at the same time as the lobster tails, and spread herb butter on them. Serve with a walnut-apple green salad.

Tarbuj ka Sharbat (Watermelon Juice with Mint)

Watermelon is an ubiquitous summer fruit, and this simple Indian recipe takes advantage of the fruit.

Tarbuj ka Sharbat (Watermelon juice flavored with mint)
Ingredients
4 kg/8.8 lb watermelon
1 tsp mint leaves, chopped
Black salt to taste--can substitute table salt

Procedure
1. Cut the flesh of the watermelon into small chunks; discard the rind. Remove all the seeds.
2. In a blender, puree the watermelon chunks with mint leaves.
3. Strain through a muslin cloth and discard the pulp.
4. Serve chilled in individual glasses with a dash of black salt.

Southern Watermelon Rind Pickles

Wondering what to do with all of that left over watermelon rind? This Southern favorite is great as a side dish, condiment, or snack. Start preparing this at least three days before you intend to serve it.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

Ingredients

1 4-pound piece watermelon, quartered
8 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups apple cider or white wine vinegar
8 whole cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon pickling spice
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon fresh sliced ginger
1 lime, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced

Procedure

1. Cut watermelon pulp from rind, leaving thin layer of pink on rind (reserve pulp for another use). Cut green outer skin from rind; discard. Cut enough rind into 1 x 1/2-inch pieces to measure 4 cups. Combine 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt in large pot; bring to boil. Add rind pieces and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Strain. Transfer rinds to large metal bowl.

2. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons salt, sugar and next 8 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over watermelon rinds in bowl. Place plate atop rinds to keep rinds submerged in pickling liquid. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. 

3. Strain liquid from rinds into saucepan; bring to boil. Pour over rinds. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Repeat straining and boiling of liquid and pour over rinds 1 more time. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in covered jars.)

Homemade Sasaparilla

Sarsaparilla is an old-fashioned root beer-type soda (it is made from roots, but different roots than root beer) that is a nice change of pace from regular old root beer.

Sasparilla

Ingredients
1 gallon (4 quarts) water
9 tablespoons sarsaparilla root
3 tablespoons licorice root
2 cups brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
1/8 teaspoon champagne yeast or 1/2 teaspoon brewer's yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water

Procedure
1. Chop roots. Prepare vanilla by slicing lengthwise with a paring knife.
1. Heat 2 quarts of water to a simmer.  As the water heats, add the chopped roots, sugar, and vanilla bean.  Simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover, and let cool for 30 minutes.

2. After the sarsaparilla mixture has cooled 30 minutes, pour it slowly into a jug with 1 quart of cool water, straining as you pour. Fill the jug to the top with the extra water until there is about 2 inches of space at the top of the jar.

3. In a small bowl, proof the yeast by adding yeast to 1/4 cup lukewarm water.

4. Shake the water & sarsparilla mixture in the jug vigorously for about a minute.
5. Add the yeast mixture to the jug and agitate vigorously again.
6. Pour the mixture into your sterilized bottles.  Cap and let sit for 48-72 hours for champagne yeast, 4-5 days for brewer's yeast.  When the carbonation is right, refrigerate and use within 6 weeks.

Makes 8 12-ounce bottles.

Note: There will be a sediment of yeast at the bottom of the bottle, so that the last bit of sarsaparilla will be turbid. It will not hurt you, but you can decant carefully if you wish to avoid this sediment.

Orzo Pasta Salad

My sister Sarah makes this fantastic salad whenever we have a party or family get-together. Even though I usually despise olives of any kind, I absolutely love how they lend this salad a great zesty flavor.

Orzo Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1/2 cup kalamata olives

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Fill a pot with lightly salted water and bring to a roiling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the orzo, and return to a boil.Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

2. Place the sun-dried tomatoes into the boiling water in a bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes to plump up. Drain off excess water.

3. Toss the cooked orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, olives, parsley, and feta cheese together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Colombian Coconut Limeade

I recently posted a fabulous recipe for Brazilian lemonade, but I just found a Colombian variation that is just as delicious for coconut lovers. Cream of coconut can be found in liquor stores or the liquor aisle of your grocery store, either in liquid or powdered form. You can also substitute: sweetened condensed milk with added coconut extract to taste; 1 cup top layer of canned coconut milk (not low fat) - do not shake or stir can before skimming; or 1 cup heavy whipping cream (35%) plus 1/2 cup coconut cream powder.

Limonada de Coco

Ingredients

1 cup cream of coconut
2 1/2 cups crushed ice
Juice of 3 limes
2 tablespoons of sugar or to your taste

Procedure

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Mormon Scones

When I went to Girl's Camp with the Pleasanton CA Stake for the first time when I was fourteen or fifteen, I was introduced to something they called, "scones." My mom brought us up with tea on Sundays, holidays, when we were sick, or whenever she felt like it, and true scones often accompanied tea time or brunch, so when they called these puffy fried pastries "scones" I wondered what on earth they meant. Again, when I went to school in Utah, I was served "scones" that weren't really scones. But they were good. They were really good. Similar to beignets, Mormon scones are bits of fried bread batter, covered in whatever topping you want, from powdered sugar or honey to jam or Nutella.

Ingredients
 

Yeast Dough

1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoons sugar
4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted & cooled
3 eggs

Scones
1 batch yeast dough, risen double it's normal size
2 quarts frying oil (Canola works well)
Powdered sugar, honey butter, jam (optional toppings)


Procedure 

Preparing Dough
1. Combine water, yeast & sugar in small bowl.  Set aside and allow yeast to activate.
2. Combine Flour, Sugar, Salt in large bowl.
3. Stir together melted cooled better and 3 eggs. Add yeast mixture.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Knead lightly, put in (flour) dusted bowl, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
5. Let rise on greased baking sheet for 1 hour.

Frying the Scones
1. Prepare a drain plate and set aside.
2. Split dough into two equal parts.  Take one part and roll out on a flat floured surface to approximately 1/4" thick.  Using a pizza cutter, cut rolled dough into pieces approximately 3" - 4" each.
3. Heat oil in large heavy pan to 350 - 375 F over medium-high heat.  Once temperature is achieved, reduce heat slightly.
4. Carefully place two or three scones in the oil.  Cook for a couple minutes, or until slightly golden and flip.  Cook an additional couple minutes until slightly golden and remove immediately to your prepared drain plate.
5. Repeat cooking, two or three scones at a time, until all dough has been fried.

Serve hot with desired toppings.