Poached Hake in Thai Coconut Sauce (Secret Recipe Club)

It’s that time again for another Secret Recipe Club reveal! I sat out last month with the start of our frozen yogurt store but I am excited to be back in full swing

I was given Dena’s blog Oh! You Cook! for this month’s assignment and couldn’t wait to start deciding which recipe I wanted to make. She has so many recipes that I kept drooling over but the one I kept going back to was her Broiled Haddock with Thai Coconut Sauce. I happen to love anything Thai and I’ve been searching for a savory dish that incorporates (one of the many cans of) coconut milk I purchased on sale recently – waalaa, this was the one!

This recipe was amazing, many thanks to Dena for posting this entree that inspired this oh-so-flavorful dinner! I made a few tweaks though to suit my needs and what I had on hand. I decided I didn’t want to dirty a second dish and heat up the oven so I poached the fish in the coconut sauce instead of broiling it first. I added mushrooms for more veggies, increased the amount of bell pepper, used Thai green curry paste in place of the Sambal Oelek, replaced brown sugar with coconut nectar, substituted hake (white fish) for the haddock, unrefined coconut oil in place of the sesame/olive oil to add to the coconut flare along with coconut aminos for the soy sauce and used fresh ginger for that extra ginger punch.

I had never eaten or heard of hake prior to my recent visit to Costco, but they were taste-testing these skinless, white fish fillets and I couldn’t pass them up! Skinless fillets are easier to deal with plus they were wild-caught and individually frozen for easy portioning If you don’t have hake, feel free to substitute your favorite white fish – tilapia, haddock, halibut or cod.

I even had a bit of leftover sauce; it was delicious over steamed kale and cooked quinoa for a light vegetarian meal! I love dishes that are easily adaptable and this sauce is really versatile depending on your preferences — serve over baked tofu cubes, sauteed or poached chicken, or use as the cooking liquid for cubes of potatoes and vegetables.

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Sauce (adapted from Broiled Haddock with Thai Coconut Sauce)

Ingredients

2 tsp coconut oil (butter, ghee, oil can be subbed)
1 Tbsp fresh ginger (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced (white or baby bella), optional
3 scallions, diced
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp Thai green curry paste (or Sambal Oelek chili paste)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or gluten free soy sauce, tamari or Bragg’s)
1 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
1 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (if you hate cilantro, you can leave this out but it adds brightness to the dish)
3 (6 oz) skinless hake fillets or other white fish such as tilapia, haddock or halibut
4 lime wedges

cooked grain of choice for serving (brown rice, quinoa, millet, etc)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; stir for 30 seconds.  Lower heat if garlic starts to brown.
2. Add curry powder, curry paste and cumin; stir for 1 minute to bring out their flavor and aromas.
3. Add red pepper, mushrooms and scallions; stir for 1 minute then add coconut aminos, coconut sugar and coconut milk. Stir to completely mix and bring to a simmer (do not boil).
4. Add fish to the sauce, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 6 minutes (flesh is white and no longer transparent).
5. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro. Serve fish and sauce over a bed of rice or your favorite cooked grain. Serve with a lime wedge for added brightness (this adds a nice freshness, I wouldn’t skip this) and enjoy!

*For a grain-free dish, serve this over cooked potatoes and/or a bed of sauteed spinach to soak up the sauce.
*For a vegetarian friendly meal, substitute 1-inch cubed potatoes or tofu for the fish.

Sausage Pumpkin Pizza

Back before I moved, I had to go through the fridge, freezer and pantry and start using up or throwing away items that wouldn’t make it with us to Helena. I made random meals including my empty the fridge fall stir-fry (that I’ve remade several times) including this pumpkin pizza.

My thought process went something like this — “What do I want for dinner? Let’s see what I need to use up…that lonely pizza crust from Udi’s I’d purchased awhile ago needs to be eaten. Hmm pizza, that sounds good to me! I also found 1 link of chicken sausage, one string cheese, 1/3 can of pumpkin puree and the last few tablespoons of feta in a container. Cheese – check! Protein – got it! Sauce – bingo! And there you have it – sausage pizza with pumpkin sauce and feta.

The combo is unique and every bit as delicious!! This pizza hit the spot – cheesy and salty with a slight acidity from the pumpkin sauce all topped with sauteed greens (I used spinach) and thinly sliced onion. Though I love a good tomato base on a pizza, this pumpkin sauce was a surprisingly nice change from traditional and was the ultimate way to use up ingredients. I will be making a version this again, but this time on purpose!

Sausage Pumpkin Pizza

Ingredients

1 gluten free pizza crust (I used Udi’s pizza crust) or use a homemade crust
1 tsp + 2 tsp olive oil (divided)
1 cooked chicken bratwurst sausage, sliced or crumbled
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (or other winter squash)
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp dried sage
dash of crushed red pepper
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp sea salt
2- 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup onion, sliced thinly (I used red)
2 cups of leaves of any greens (spinach, kale, collards, chard), washed and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled (goat cheese would also be good)
1 to 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (I used a string cheese)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F (or if using a prepared crust, pre cook according to package directions).
2. In a small bowl, add 2 tsp olive oil, pumpkin puree, herbs, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
3. In a medium skillet, heat remaining teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Saute onions for 3-4 minutes. Add sausage and cook for 2 minutes to heat through and add some color. Add greens, stir and remove from heat (will wilt in the oven).
4. Spread pumpkin sauce over the crust. Top with onion-greens mixture and both cheeses. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and toppings are warmed. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Serves one (2 if you aren’t that hungry)

Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce

Growing up, all I knew of cranberry sauce was the jellied variety in the can. Cranberry jelly accompanied all our holiday meals at Thanksgiving as well as Christmas through the years and was a holiday table staple. Once I started to pay more attention to the ingredients I was consuming, I was shocked to realize it was basically sugar and more sugar.

This year, I wanted to make a homemade version I would feel good about eating. I also aimed to create a recipe that embraces the tartness of the cranberry while using fruit juices and natural sweeteners to highlight the berry itself.

I prefer my cranberry sauce with smashed whole berries for texture purposes and so I know I am consuming the real deal! If you like nuts in your cranberry sauce, chopped pecans or walnuts would be lovely additions to this homemade condiment.

Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce

2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (I bet you could use frozen too)
4-6 Tbsp coconut palm sugar, honey, agave OR 9-11 medjool dates OR a combo (adjust sweetness to taste if too tart)
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup orange juice (can be subbed with apple juice if desired)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, optional (ginger or other sweet spice would be great too for a different variation)

For a stronger orange flavor, add a teaspoon or orange zest
For a different flavor, add 1 or 2 diced apples to cook alongside the berries
For a chutney, add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans after cooking

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to bring to a simmer  on medium-low and let cook for about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Halfway through cooking (5-6 minutes) use a fork or a spoon to mash berries and release more of their juices. Let cook for another 5 minutes, occassionally stirring and mashing until thick. (sauce will thicken more as it cools)
3. Serve immediately warm or refrigerate until ready to serve for a chilled sauce. Heat on low to reheat if preferred warm and enjoy!

*If using dates for your sweetener, soak them until soft and puree them along with the orange juice before cooking.

Serve this cranberry sauce over stuffing, roasted meat or even a veggie burger (recipe to come)!