Herb-Walnut Encrusted Wild Alaskan Ling Cod with Kale Pesto

Ling cod is mild and buttery, perfect for fish-and-chips or broiling with a crusty topping. We had a hunk of it caught in Alaska by the other adult last summer that I wanted to use up.

Herb-Walnut crust that crisps under the broiler, with a layer of Parmesan cheese forming a crunchy topping, seemed like the way to go. Typically, butter is used for the crust, but I went with olive oil in this recipe.

Paired with Kale Pesto made with sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, this was a nutty, seedy treat one winter night.

I did leave the fish a tad longer in the broiler than I intended... that seems to happen a lot when I ignore the oven timer and focus on something the kids have drawn me into... but, it was still all good. It helps to keep an eye and check often when broiling.


Kale Pesto:
1½ cups chopped kale
½ cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Pulse the ingredients till desired coarseness/smoothness for the pesto.

Herb-Walnut Crusting:
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil or freeze dried basil
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste


Ling cod cut into portioned chunks
1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (or any oil)
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
3 to 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese,grated, to use as topping

Preparation

1. Start the Crisp Julienned Veggie Salad as below, and allow it to marinate while the fish is getting ready
2. Pulse the Herb-Walnut crust ingredients and keep handy
3. Preheat the oven to Broil at about 370 °F
4. Rub the fish with some salt and smoked paprika, if using
5. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet, place the fish gently, allow to brown a bit, then flip and brown the other side, on medium low heat, till mostly cooked through on the inside
6. Turn off the stove, apply a layer of the Herb-Walnut crust on the fish and place the skillet with the fish under the broiler and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes till the crust turns brown and crunchy
7. Sprinkle a layer of grated Parmesan and continue to broil for a few minutes more till crisp on top
8. Remove from the oven, serve on a bed of Kale Pesto, accompanied by Crisp Julienned Veggies salad.

Crisp Julienned Veggie Salad:
Julienne some beets, colorful bell peppers, yellow sumer squash, purple onions, carrots, ginger
Toss with some lemon juice, salt, and apple cider vinegar
Serve as a side salad to add a cleansing freshness to the palate

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

'Tis the season... for baking...

A lot of standard soups and stews and casseroles and breads and rolls come about this time of the year, with not many new recipes to share. I resort to comfort foods and sail through the winters without much fanfare. Except around the holidays in December, when quite a bit of baked goodies come about just to make the kids happy.

This Pumpkin Bread, much like the Zucchini bread and Apple Walnut bread and Rhubarb Banana bread and Sweet Potato bread and others that I've shared here already, is a simple no-fuss bread.

For the most part, it is a fairly standard recipe, only, I am not into adding a lot of sugar and butter. However, without the right amount of fats and sugars, baking can fail miserably... unless, I manage to substitute with the right kind of ingredients that work and that I can feel comfortable incorporating in copious amounts that is required to make it work.

Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) pureed pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup combination of flax meal and wheat bran
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
a few teaspoons of water as needed (or maple syrup, if preferred)

Some raw green hulled pumpkin seeds for topping

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F; grease the bottoms of two standard loaf pans
2. Beat together the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs
3. Mix the dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, walnuts
4. Fold in the dry ingredients mix to the wet ingredients to form a thick batter
5. Pour into the greased loaf pans and bake in the 350°F oven for about an hour, checking for doneness when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
6. Cool on a wire rack and add on the icing and sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top
7. Icing (optional): Stir a few drops of water to the icing sugar and stir till desired consistency, spread over the bread