Food, Main Dishes, Pescetarian, Soups + Stews

Thai Coconut Fish Curry With Kabocha Squash

THIS RECIPE IS SPONSORED BY AUSTRALIS BARRAMUNDI | OPINIONS ARE MY OWN

As much as I love grilling on the patio, I’m always eager to pull out my stock pots, Dutch ovens, and braisers come September. In North Carolina, most of September and even October can be quite warm — but that fall feeling still fills the air!

Or maybe it’s just my Canadian blood. Either way…

I’ve wasted no time in whipping up pots of steamy soup, vats of vegetarian chili, and now, this incredibly belly-warming Thai Coconut Fish Curry With Kabocha Squash.

This silky and slightly spicy curry brings meaty barramundi to your bowl with it’s mild and buttery flavor, and it’s everything pescetarian dreams are made of.

Continue Reading

September 21, 2017 by
Food, Homespun, Main Dishes, Pescetarian, Sides, tapa-tizers + snacks

Homemade Crispy Baked Fish Sticks

Who didn’t *love* fish sticks dunked in ketchup as a kid? I mean, my breaded seafood of choice was definitely deep-fried scallops with a vat of tartar sauce (I had a refined palette for a six year old), but fish sticks were definitely up there — even above chicken fingers.

The fact that I grew up to be a pescetarian is a surprise to no one.

But as I grew up, it became increasingly obvious that the stuff I once loved from the frozen food section of the supermarket was lacking a certain je ne sais quois; basically, it’s battered mush. (And I swear that’s not me being a food snob, because Totino’s® Pizza Rolls FTW.)

But as far as fish stick go, we can do better.

Enter: flaky cod covered in golden crisp panko bread crumbs.

Continue Reading

September 18, 2017 by
Food, How-To, Sauces, Dressings + Spice Blends, Vegetarian

Homemade Ketchup

This recipe has taught me two things:

  1. homemade ketchup tastes much better than store-bought, and
  2. homemade ketchup offends a lot of people.

Ketchup is a very personal thing; who knew?

Within less than a week of making this good stuff, I stumbled upon not one, but TWO circulating articles listing “things that are better store-bought than homemade”. Lo and behold, ketchup was on both of these lists and I, stuck in my fit of excitement over my latest creation, was shocked.

This homemade ketchup is much less of a sugar bomb than store-bought. It’s savory and tart; the addition of pure honey gives it just the right amount of sweetness and a whirl of Worcestershire sauce deepens the flavor.

Continue Reading

September 17, 2017 by
Food, Main Dishes, Pescetarian

Pan-Seared Salmon With Apple Cranberry Sauce

THIS RECIPE IS SPONSORED BY REGAL NEW ZEALAND KING SALMON | OPINIONS ARE MY OWN

If I could describe this melt-in-your-mouth King salmon in one word, it would be ‘euphoric’. The texture is silky and buttery, the color is a bright coral hue with distinct marbleization, the flavor is clean, and it’s got omega-3 fatty acids like whoa.

King salmon all day, every day!

It pains my little pescetarian heart that people tend to limit fish consumption to the warmer months. I fully understand the excitement that comes with grilling and throwing salmon fillets onto a cedar plank or impaling shrimp and scallops with skewers — but fall flavors and fish get along swimmingly, too!

This recipe smothers your King salmon fillets with warming spices and a savory blend of apples, onions, and dried cranberries, and it’s quite possibly the best thing ever.

How did I think of this? And why did I think throwing apples and cranberries onto salmon would be okay? Welp, before my pescetarian days, I’d slather this saucy medley over pork chops. And whenever I find myself searching for new ways to jazz up my fish, I think about meaty recipes I used to enjoy and try to bring the essence of those dishes to the pesce world. Fish is versatile, and it usually works out nicely.

This experiment-turned-success is no exception.

Continue Reading

September 14, 2017 by
Food, Homespun, Sauces, Dressings + Spice Blends, Vegetarian

Homemade Basil and Walnut Pesto

Friends, I’m on a homemade condiment kick.

I won’t lie — I buy jarred pesto from the grocer quite often. Though I love homemade pesto, it hasn’t quite turned me into a purist in the same way that homemade ketchup has. (Never buying ketchup again. That recipe is coming soon!)

But all summer long, my balcony has been taken over by my basil plants. This year was my first time planting an urban garden and despite my fright at first blush, I’m feeling pretty confident in my basil-growing abilities these days! /flex

I’d normally chalk pesto up as more of a summertime post, but now is the perfect time to turn your overabundance of herbs into tasty things you can pack up and freeze before those frosty mornings turn up.

So here we are.

Side note: if any of my pals need basil, I’m your gal!

Continue Reading

September 11, 2017 by