RECIPE: Baked Almond Crusted Cream Dory with Potatoes

I first served this dish at home. We haven't had time to go to the grocery yet, so I had to improvise. I had limited cooking supplies in the pantry and I made use of the available ingredients. I had almonds in the cupboard and a pack of frozen cream dory in the freezer, some potatoes and cream. I thought of creating a dish that is healthy and really delicious.

I used Nestle's Cream D' Lite for the white sauce, the healthy version of all purpose cream that made use of soy. I seared the crusted fish in oil to release the nutty aroma of the almonds and to make the fish crispy. Substituting the cooking oil with olive oil/canola oil can up the healthy factor. I then added sliced potatoes to give texture to the dish. Serve this dish on your table and it will surely be a big hit, it was at ours, it definitely will be at yours.


BAKED ALMOND CRUSTED CREAM DORY WITH POTATOES

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 pcs Cream dory fillet
• 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 ½ c Almonds, chopped
• 3 c Japanese breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying
• 2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
• 2 c Flour
• 2 pcs Egg, beated
• 4 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 4 pcs large potatoes, sliced thinly (with skin on)
• Mozzarella cheese (or quickmelt cheese), grated
• Cayenne Pepper
  

For the white sauce:

• 2 Tbsp Light margarine
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1 pc Chicken cube
• 1 pack All purpose cream (for a healtier version, use cream d’ lite (soy-based cream)
• Salt and pepper

Procedures:

For the fish:

1. Marinate the fish with lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper for 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine the almonds, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Dredge the fish with flour, dip in beaten eggs and the almond-breadcrumbs mixture. Sear the fish with little oil for 30 seconds per side. Just to form a crust. Set aside.

For the white sauce:

1. In a saucepan, melt the margarine. Add the flour and the chicken cubes and stir using a wire whisk to avoid any lumps.
2. Mix in the cream and let it thicken. Do not let it boil. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble:

1. In a baking dish, spread a little white sauce at the bottom to avoid the potatoes to stick. Arrange the sliced potatoes. Add half of the white sauce.
2. Place the fish on top of the potatoes. Spread the remaining white sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parsley.
3. Bake in a pre-heated oven, 400 ° F for 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper upon serving.

RECIPE: Seafood Paella

Paella, is a dish that originated from Spain specifically the Valencian region. Paella has 3 known varieties; Paella Valenciana, Paella Marisco (seafood paella), and Paella Mixta (mixed paella). The recipe I am sharing with you is a Paella Marisco with a Filipino twist. As you might notice I replaced saffron with annatto powder more commonly known as 'achuete'. Saffron is a spice that is derived from a flower, is used as a seasoning and as a coloring agent which gives of a golden-yellow hue. Saffron is pretty hard to find and very expensive, 'achuete' on the other hand is relatively cheaper and readily available. Without further adieu, here is the recipe.
Buen Apetito!

Seafood Paella
4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp oil
• 1 cup Spanish sausage (chorizo bilbao), diagonally cut
• 2 medium size bell pepper (1 red and 1 green ), cubed
• ½ cup green peas
• ¼ kg squid cleaned w/o head, slice into rings
• ¼ kg clams cleaned (soak the clams with salt to remove the sand inside the clams)
• ¼ kg shrimps deveined and clean with head intact and skin
• ¼ kg mussels, cleaned
• 2 cups Jasmine rice (or you can use Japanese rice)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 whole onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tsp annatto powder
• 2 Tbsp Soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

1 pc. Boiled egg, cut into circles or wedges
Lemon wedge

Procedures:

1. In a paellera or cast iron pan, heat oil with the annatto powder. Saute the garlic, onion, chorizo , green peas and the bell pepper. Add in the tomato sauce and soysauce.
2. Let it simmer for a minute then add the rice. Let the rice coat evenly with the tomato sauce mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Add in the squid, mussels, clams and shrimp. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue cooking in a pre-heated oven, 350°F for 30-45 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.
4. Garnish with egg slices and lemon wedges.

You can also add other seafoods like fish fillet or crabs.
You can also add chicken and pork for Paella Valenciana/Mixta.