gina moore
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 4
Lentil Salad
1 cup cooked green lentils (cook according to instructions)
1 small English cucumber, diced
½ red onion, finely diced
½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
½ cup sundried tomatoes, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Cod
1½ pounds cod fillets (or tilapia, haddock, sole or halibut)
1–2 teaspoons homemade SPG seasoning (salt, pepper, and garlic)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Add the cooked lentils, cucumber, onion, mint and tomatoes to a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl or lidded jar, add olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk (or shake if using a jar) until totally combined. Drizzle lentil mixture with just enough of the dressing to moisten.
Season cod with seasoning blend. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add fish, skin side down, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip fish over and add butter. Cook, basting with butter until fish is cooked through. Transfer salad to a large serving platter and place fish fillets on top. Serve with lemon wedges.
Chef’s tip
SPG seasoning
Salt, pepper and garlic (SPG) is a common all-purpose seasoning blend. Make a big jar of it and keep it on your cooktop to add to all your favorite dishes.
½ cup fine kosher or sea salt
¼ cup medium ground black pepper
¼ cup granulated (not powdered) garlic
Combine ingredients well and store in a lidded jar. Shake before each use.
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Cooking with shrimp
Ready to cook shrimp like a pro? Use these tips.
Fresh vs. frozen. Frozen shrimp can be used interchangeably for fresh shrimp in any recipe. Thaw shrimp in the refrigerator overnight before cooking, or, if you’re in a hurry, in a bowl under slow-running cold water until thawed.
Should I remove tails from shrimp? This is a personal preference. Generally, the tails are removed to make the dish easier to eat. However, in more sophisticated dishes, the tails may be left on for appearance and presentation.
What’s your favorite color? While there are over 300 species of shrimp worldwide, the four main types available in our area are white, pink, brown and red. Once cooked it is almost impossible to visually tell them apart.
Keeping count. Shrimp is graded by size based on the number of shrimp per pound.
Colossal (also referred to as U15) = 15 shrimp or less per pound
Extra Jumbo = 16 to 20 shrimp per pound
Jumbo = 21 to 25 shrimp per pound
Extra Large = 26 to 30 shrimp per pound
Large = 31 to 40 shrimp per pound
Medium = 41 to 50 shrimp per pound
Small = 51 to 60 shrimp per pound
Tiny = 61 to 70 shrimp per pound
Prawns vs. shrimp. There is no distinguishable difference in the taste of prawns
and shrimp. They are interchangeable in recipes.
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What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda
Can’t get enough of shrimp recipes? Neither can we! Visit SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda for these recipes and how-to videos.
Springtime flavors—Springtime is here, and with it comes an abundance of fresh and colorful ingredients. Try this menu of light meals to help you enjoy the season.
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Black Bean, Corn and Shrimp Chowder—Grab a spoon and dig into a warm bowl of happiness to ward off the winter chill.
Seafood and Sausage Chowder—Savor the combined flavors of shrimp, scallops and Italian sausage for a hearty winter meal served in a homemade bread boule.
Deveining shrimp. In this how-to video, Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shows us how professional chefs devein shrimp.