But, the good (or perhaps bad for me) news is that I'm back to my real life and cooking away again! This recipe pairs a crisply made Char, a Salmon-type fish, with some delicious, vegetable filled soup. Finally, I rounded out the meal with my Bakery Dinner Rolls that were so excellent last time. Rolls and soup just work together so well! So let's get to it.
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Squash-Pasta-Parmesan Soup
We'll start with the soup and get it going, then turn our attention back to the fish. However, unlike most soups this one does not actually take that long to prepare, so keep up with the pace!
Ingredients:
6 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
bow-tie pasta (6-8 oz)
2 cups sliced yellow squash (2-3 squash)
2 cups sliced zucchini (2-3 zucchini)
1.5 tbsp fresh basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
(1/4 cup sliced fresh Basil - optional)
(this recipe comes from a similar one on Cooking Light)
Bring the broth to a boil with 3 cups of water in a very large pot. I chose to use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian but chicken broth will also work well. You can also mix them as needed. As usual, I used bouillon cubes to make my broth.
Once the broth/water is boiling add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes, letting it boil and stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom or sides. Add the squash, zucchini, basil, lemon juice, thyme, oregano, and black pepper. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every couple minutes to make sure the soup is well blended.
At this point the squash should be soft. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese and the basil strips (optional) for a pretty look! Enjoy - but be careful, it's very hot when it comes directly off the stove.
(Note: While this recipe sounds simple it is actually extremely flavorful so give it a taste before assuming you should add more spice.)
Chipotle-Lime Arctic Char
Time: 20 minutes
This recipe can easily be used with Salmon as well, but with Arctic Char in season in my area, I've been eager to use the fresh, light fish as much as possible. This recipe is made mildly, but you can always add more Chipotle (or mix in some chili spice) if you want a spicier version.
Ingredients:
1 lb Arctic Char fillets
6 garlic cloves, minced or mashed
1/8 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp olive oil
1.5 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp Chipotle
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
Cooking Spray
Preheat your oven to 350.
Mince your garlic or use a large flat knife to mash the garlic down into a pulp. Mix it together with the lime juice, olive oil, sugar, and Chipotle. The sugar should dissolve at least somewhat in the mixture.
Coat a pan with cooking spray. Place the Char fillets on the pan, sprinkle evenly with the 1/4 tsp salt (optional) and then spread the entire garlic mixture over the Char. Marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes. Make sure not to leave it any longer than that or the lime juice will start to cook the fish.
Place in the heated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until done. If you like your fish on the raw side check after 8 minutes. When it's cooked it should go from darker orange to a light pink and flake easily when tested with a fork or spatula.
Enjoy immediately.
This looks delicious!!! I can't wait to try it. But, I've never cooked with Chipotle before - where can I find it? Is it a paste??
ReplyDeleteyay! let me know how it goes when you try it! and if you have any suggestions to make it better, those are always welcome :)
ReplyDeleteYou can actually buy Chipotle in many varieties (spice, paste, or fresh), but for this recipe I used the spice version so you should be able to find it in a normal supermarket in the spice area.