SeaFarer's Stew

Cooking time (with homemade stock): 3.5-4 h (using prepared stock about 30 minutes)
Serves: 4-6

As a child I hated fish. The smell, the texture, and the taste were all too "fishy" for my beef-inclined palate...although fish sticks I could handle. Luckily with age and a move toward where tasty fish actually live, ie the ocean, I fell in love with all things fishy. Albacore, oysters, and everything in between became regular vocabulary in my food dialogue, where the resounding refrain is "fresh fish makes the dish". Not everyone is a fan of the treasures of the sea, but if you are, I think you'll find this recipe as good as gold.

I came up with this chowder when I was in the grocery store preparing to make a Portuguese stew and stopped short in the fresh fish section: fish heads. Yes, big, beautiful, sockeye salmon fish heads, peering up at me with their glassy wide eyes. I gave them a wink and grabbed one: homemade stock here I come. I decided a nice soupy savoury fish chowder is just what this damp cool weather calls for.

Usually I've make fish stock from an assortment of mussel and clam shells, or fish bones. Today was my first head, and staring it down I remembered this past summer cooking a bounty of fresh sockeye: stuffed with thyme and barbequed on a wood fire, fried fillets with butter, and salmon burgers. All were delicious, so why not grab those fabulous fish flavours in a no-fuss stock? Of course you can substitute with store-bought stock, but next time try using a head. Also, you can make the stock a day ahead if it's more convenient. Finally, I tried the stew without cream and it wasn't quite a success, so be sure to add the cream to your preference.

Since this recipe covers all of the food groups perfectly, it makes a great lunch or dinner so come sail away....

For the stock:

1 large fish head (or two small)
10-20 sprigs fresh thyme
1 medium onion, quartered
3-5 tsp salt

1) Place all ingredients in a medium pot.
2) Cover with water and bring to a boil
3) Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2-3h until the taste is no longer watery; remove the cover if necessary. Enjoy the steamy aroma and drain through a sieve.

For the Stew:

1 lb salmon or snapper filets, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
pinch of red chili flaskes
1 fennel bulb (cutting directions below)
0.5 lb green kale, stalks removed, leaves thinly chopped
1 lb nugget potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons butter
~1/2 cup heavy cream
8 cups stock (best is at least 4 cups fish stock, and the remaining amount in vegetable stock)
salt  and pepper to taste

Fun with Fennel:

At the market or grocery store, fennel looks a bit like an alien vegetable, not quite an onion and not quite celery....plus dill appears to be growing from the celery portions. On top of that it smells like old man licorice. What do you do with fennel? So far, I'm not sure besides making soup. But here's how to cut it:

1) Cut the green stalks off of the white bulb.
2) Remove the slightly discoloured outer layer of the bulb.
3) Slice off a piece of the bottom , removing the dry and hard end of the bulb.  Cut in half and slice out the tough core at the base.
4) Chop the remaining fennel as you would chop an onion and set aside.

For the Soup:

1) Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2) Add the onion, potatoes, fennel, chili flakes, parsley and thyme as soon as the butter has melted. Season with salt and pepper as you like. Cook until the onions and fennel are soft.
3) Add the fish and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to medium-low.
4) When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the kale and stir until the greens are soft. Increase the heat if needed.
5) Stir in enough heavy cream to reach the desired consistency (will vary depending on the cream).
5) Add the fish and stir, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
6) When the fish is cooked through (about 5 minutes), ring your dinner bell and dive in.

Saucy Rice and Beans

Serves: 4-6

Cooking Time: 2h if using dried beans, 45 minutes if using canned

Rice and beans have been keeping me warm regularly since the air has become crisper and cooler. It's similar to Spanish rice or the Mexican rice that you get as a side dish in restaurants, however this version is more saucy and flavourful (according to me). It's full of fibre and protein so it's satisfying, plus it makes great leftovers because its taste improves after being in the fridge overnight. Sometimes I eat it as a side dish or wrap it in tortillas for a veggie burrito, but usually I just eat it as my main course.  It's not likely it'll cost you more than a few bucks to make, so really, you can't afford not to make it.

Usually I would simply buy beans in a can and add them in later in the recipe but lately I've been buying dried legumes. For years I thought dried beans and lentils were a lot of work to prepare;  I was indoctrinated with the belief that beans needed to be soaked in water overnight. I'm not sure if this is the canned beans companies' doing, or if most  people out there are just lacking in legume education but it's simply not true. This method takes about an hour for the beans to be softened enough, which is still not as convenient as canned beans but I urge you to give it a whirl sometime since it makes a considerable difference in texture and flavour, especially in a dish like this where the black beans have one of the starring roles.

Feel free to jack up the amount of spice by leaving your jalapenos as they are and not removing the seeds. This all depends on the heat of your peppers and the tenderness of your tongue... for me I used 1.5 unseeded jalapenos which was just right, but for something milder try seeding them first.

Start the beans:
1 cup dry black beans
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 tsp salt

1) Rinse the beans in cold water and pick out any stones.
2) Place beans in a small pot and cover with water until there is about and inch of water over them. Add the garlic.
3) Bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and let cook fro 45 minutes, adding water if needed to keep the beans covered.
4) Taste the beans for softness and add the salt (if you add the salt at the beginning the bean skins will break down too quickly). Cook until beans reach the desired softness, 15-30 minutes.
5) Drain and set aside.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp cumin seeds
1.5 tsp oregano
1 onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 tsp chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder)
1 tsp paprika
1.5 cups brown  rice
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable stock
fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

Garnish with:
sour cream
cilantro, chopped
green onion, chopped

1) Heat the oil on medium to medium-high heat in large pot or dutch oven .
2) Cook the cumin seeds, oregano and fresh ground pepper until aromatic.
3) Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the onion, green pepper, and jalapeno. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4) Add the rice and roast for about 2 minutes, which will give the rice a nice texture that is not too soft after it's cooked.
5) Pour in the tomato sauce and stock and stir well. Add the paprika and chili powder, stir, then salt to taste.
6)When the rice and sauce come to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover, cooking until rice is tender, about 35-45 minutes. Add stock or water if it becomes too dry, but try not to uncover it too often...as tempting as it is!
7) Add the beans and stir gently until heated through. If using canned beans, you would add them now.
8) Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and green onion to serve as a main course.

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