Seafood Cakes

335.  A light, fresh meal is always welcome at my table.  And seafood always seems to satisfy.  I have a delicious recipe for Salmon Cakes but you could substitute crab, shrimp or any fish including tuna.  This could be used as a main dish for a dinner meal or as appetizers if you form them small and bitesize.

Seafood Cakes

3 cups salmon, crab, shrimp or other fish, chopped fine.  (May use 2 8oz cans salmon, 3 6oz cans of   

            tuna or crab or shrimp.)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 large egg or 2 small eggs

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup scallion green onion sliced thinly

1/2 cup finely chopped celery & celery leaves

1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley

salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay Seasoning

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Blend with hands until all ingredients are incorporated and hold together (If mixture is too dry you may add water by teaspoon if necessary).  Form the mixture into patties making them as large or as small as desired.

Prepare a large frying pan or griddle with olive oil and bring to high heat then turn down to medium high. Fry the patties on each side till a light brown crust forms and seafood is cooked through.  Adjust your heat to medium if using fresh seafood after you turn them over to the second side.  If using canned product, once the patty is browned it is ready to serve.

Serve with Tartar Sauce or Cocktail Sauce and wedges of lemon.

Tartar Sauce

1 cup Mayonaise or Sour Cream

1 large dill pickle, chopped in small pieces

dill pickle juice, small amount at a time

salt and pepper

fresh dill chopped

Blend all ingredients together in small bowl adding a little pickle juice till desired consistency, not runny but not too thick.

These patties are always satisfying and hit the spot!

 




Pair these patties with rice, coleslaw, fresh salad or place on a fresh roll or lettuce wrap.

“Fish should smell like the ocean. 

If they smell like fish, it's too late.”

-Anonymous

Perfect Dinner Rolls

334.  Warning!  You are about to enter into the territory of fresh, home baked, soft and fluffy, delicious dinner rolls.  My favorite recipe that always turns out perfect.

Perfect Dinner Rolls

1 cup warm water 

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

4-5 cups all-purpose flour

butter

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl.  Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, approximately 4 minutes.  Stir in the melted butter, sugar, eggs and salt.  Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time until dough is too stiff to mix.  Dough will be sticky with no kneading necessary.  Cover the bowl loosely and place in a warm draft-free place to rise.  

Grease a 13 x 9" baking dish.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Gently divide dough into 24 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a smooth round ball and place in even rows into the baking dish.  Cover and let rise until doubled in volume.  Approximately 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375∘  Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Brush top of rolls with butter.  Break apart to serve.

"The sky is the daily bread of the eyes." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rolattini

333.  Here is a simply easy and great meal for any night, Rollatini.

My process is simple and easy to follow, and you can make a meatless variation with spinach, kale, broccoli rabe or any other veggie you choose.  I made a similar meal a while back with spinach and prosciutto.  You can find that post here

Rollatini

1 16 oz container of Ricotta Cheese

2 cups hand shredded Mozzarella Cheese or 1 16 oz bag shredded

3 cups Marinara tomato sauce homemade or 1 16 oz bottle of prepared Marinara tomato sauce

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

Salt and Pepper

1 box Lasagna Noodles

1 lb ground pork or beef sautéd and drained, set aside to cool

options:   Spinach leaves, onion sautéed, Shredded cooked chicken, Kale leaves, Broccoli steamed

Boil a large pot of water and partially boil the Lasagna Noodles till flexible.  Drain and place in a cold water bath.

In a bowl place ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, egg and salt and pepper.  Mix till incorporated.  Set aside

Assemble:  

In a large greased baking dish spoon about 1/2 cup sauce onto the bottom and spread around.  

Take one lasagna noodle, spread 2 Tablespoons of ricotta cheese mixture across the noodle, then place 2 Tablespoons of meat.  Take one end and roll the noodle up to form a rollatini.  Place flat side down in baking dish.  Repeat till all the noodles and filling has been used.

Spoon remaining sauce over the rollatini then sprinkle with parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover with tin foil.

Bake in a 350∘ oven for approximately 1 hour or till bubbly and cheese is melted.  You may remove the tin foil in the last 10 minutes of baking to brown the top of the cheese.

 

Now...how hard was that?

"When your Italian mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is mere formality.

It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no.

You're going to get advice anyway."

- Anonymous

Chicken and Waffles at Pies-N-Thighs

332.  Discovering Brooklyn, New York and all its many tastes and pleasures, inexhaustible.  Driving down the many residential streets which interlock with commercial streets you get the feeling  that everything you need is right here.  Whether food or clothing, sporting events or cosmetics, the newest shoe debut or a green space to read.  Brooklyn has it all!

One little beauty, in this bustling borough is "Pies-N-Thighs". A quaint corner restaurant with vintage seating, painted windows by the season, killer fried chicken and of course pie.

The menu is filled with stick-to-your-ribs options for a very reasonable price and "Where Everything's Special!!!

 

It's a "Brooklyn" twist on southern comfort food and it delivers!

You're seated at a table with wait staff and the food is hot and fresh.

 Here is a peek at what we devoured.  Chicken and Waffles with cranberry chutney and brown butter.

 Grits...Kale with peanuts...black eyed peas

And fresh biscuit with chicken, hot sauce and slathered in butter.  The coffee was perfect and we ordered pies to go...that's one of each.

Here is the map link for Pies-N-Thighs    on 4th Street in Brooklyn, New York.  You will not be disappointed.

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars,

or salted to an unchartered land

or opened a new heaven to the human spirit."

- Helen Keller