Grilled Steelhead on a Bed of Chard and a Parsnip Puree...

Killer little dish, that's quick to get on the table!

Recipe for four:
1 and 1/2 pounds of steelhead fillets, skin on
1 parsnip rough chopped
1 red onion rough chopped
2 stalks celery rough chopped
2 carrots rough chopped
1 t garlic finely chopped
1 big double hand full of chard chopped
1 c heavy cream
2 T butter
2 T olive oil

First, cut your steelhead into four pieces, rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Now start your grill and get it nice and hot.  While that's happening, get a medium sized saucepan and over medium high heat add 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil.  When the butter has melted and is foaming add  all the vegetables, shaking the pan a bit.  Lower the heat to low and cover with a lid, cook until soft, then add the cream.

Start cooking the steelhead, presentation side down, or skin side up, turn when some nice color has been achieved, then finish in the oven if necessary.

In a separate pan, add the remaining butter and oil, and melt the chard.  While that's happening, puree the vegetable mixture and return it to the pan to keep warm!

On warm plates, add a ladle of the puree, then a scoop of chard, and then put the steelhead on top!

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Sweet Potato Cake With A Christmas Saute

Made this for breakfast a while back, using leftover mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Recipe for two:
1 c leftover mash formed into two cakes
1 small red onion chopped or sliced
1/2 c sweet potato diced into small cubes
1 c cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 T coconut oil
1 c spinach chopped
1 c chard chopped
1 three finger pinch sea salt and pepper
1 t paprika
1 t fresh rosemary finely chopped
2 t butter

In a pan melt the butter with heat on low-medium.  When the butter has melted add the cakes.  You want to cook these slowly so they heat though but not get too much color.  When you're sure the first side is done, flip the cakes using a steel spatula.

In saute pan over medium-high heat, add the coconut oil.  When the oil is good and hot add the onion and sweet potato, and cook until soft.  When done, season with salt, pepper, rosemary, paprika and stir.  Now lower the heat and add tomatoes and greens.  Just warm the tomatoes though and melt the greens, if you cook this too much the tomatoes turn to mush...

Serve on warmed plates with the cake on top.

Bon Appetit!

Chard and Spinach = Oxallic Acid

All greens are loaded with minerals and vitamins.  They're also loaded with oxalic acid.  Especially chard and spinach.  These greens should be avoided being eaten raw.  Two of my friends were helping me pick greens this summer, later that day they cooked some chard and spinach, al' dente, and about 45 minutes later they both had throat irritations!

So I did some research, and found that chard and spinach are loaded with oxallic acid.  It turns out the only way to neutralize the acid is to cook it or dress it with an acid!  That's why we put vinegar on salad greens.

I also found out that spinach is full of iron, but the body can only absorb the minerals if it's cooked with tomatoes.  And guess what, tomatoes are an acid!

This is how I cook chard when I don't have tomatoes.  After washing a bunch of organic chard, take the stems off and chop them up into fine dice.  I like to use a little onion or leek in this dish, so chop a little of either.  Now chop up the leaves and set aside.  Heat a saute pan up over medium heat, and melt butter or coconut oil.  When it's good and hot add the onion or leek and the chard stems and a little salt and pepper, and cook until caramelized.  When done add the greens and cook until just melted. Then add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to neutralize the oxallic acid.

Bon Appetit!

Sexy King Salmon, with White Bean Puree'

Don't let this dish scare you, it's easy and quick...

Recipe for two:
1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 handfull chard leaves, chopped course
1 handfull spinach, chopped course
2 good pinches each salt (Eden is the best) and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 king salmon fillets around 1/3 pound each, skin and bones removed and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 can organic (Eden) beans, pureed course

First stick two plates in a warm oven, then open a small can of white beans and place in a blender and puree course. Add beans to a small saucepan with a lid and warm over low heat; when beans are warm, then saute onion in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When onions are soft (1-2 minutes)  add the garlic and lower heat. In another saute pan over high heat, add the butter; when butter has melted and foaming add seasoned salmon presentation/"pretty" side down, cooking until brown on that side (about 2 minutes) then turn and cook the other side. It is important only to turn fish once! When salmon is almost done, remove from heat and place in an oven dish and place in the oven.

Turn the heat up to medium and add chard and spinach to the onions and melt greens. When greens are done, remove plates and salmon from oven, ladle some of the bean puree onto the middle of each plate and then place some of the greens on top of the beans, then place salmon on top of that. If you like you can drizzle any remaining butter from the pan you cooked the salmon in over the fish. It is really important to use salt on this dish, because the beans will make everything seem bland if you don't.

Bon Appetit!