HOUSTON – Marcia Smart, culinary instructor, mom, and blogger, is back in the Houston Life kitchen. We love having her on the show because not only are her recipes so delicious, but they are also easy to make at home.
Today, she’s showing us a quick fish recipe without making your house smell fishy, along with two additional recipes for a complete dinner meal.
Scroll down to see the recipes or watch the video above.
And remember - don’t fear the fish.
Ginger and Scallion Braised Cod
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons of unseasoned rice vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane
4 skinless cod fillets, (about 6 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4-6 green onions, green parts cut on the diagonal very thinly
Optional garnish: Black sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS
Combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, and finely grated ginger in a large skillet. Season both sides of 4 skinless cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each) with kosher salt and ground pepper; place in a skillet with vinegar mixture.
Bring to a simmer, then scatter julienned scallions over fish and turn to the lowest possible heat. Cover the pan and cook until fish is opaque and scallions are wilted, about 6-8 minutes. Serve immediately with optional garnish.
NOTES
Use haddock, cobia, halibut, or rockfish if you can’t find cod,
Use a stainless-steel skillet, sauté pan or a good non-stick pan. You can also use an All-Clad stainless steel skillet, but use one that isn’t too large or the liquid will evaporate too quickly.
Cucumber Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 pound Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
¼ a red onion, thinly sliced (or less to taste)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, toss the cucumber slices with the sugar and salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and onion and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Stir to combine and serve.
Sushi Rice
INGREDIENTS
3 cups short-grain Cal Rose or sushi rice
Water (see notes)
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
Add the rice to the bowl of the rice cooker. Rinse it with cool water 3-4 times, using your fingers to agitate the rice by moving it in circles. After rinsing the rice for the 4th time, fill the rice cooker bowl with water just under the 3-cup mark.
To make sushi vinegar, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Keep stirring over low heat until sugar dissolves. You can also add everything to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for one minute. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
Use a sushi or rice paddle to slice through the rice at a 45-degree angle in 3-4 spots. Make a grid or diamond pattern in the rice. While the rice is still warm, drizzle the sushi vinegar over the rice and make some additional cuts with the sushi paddle. Cover with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel to keep from drying out while you use it or return to the rice cooker on the “keep warm” setting and close the lid.
The recipes above are provided by Marcia from Smart in the Kitchen School.
If you want to cook like Marcia, she has a yearly membership to her Smart in the Kitchen School where you can access the entire library of classes and videos, professionally recorded lessons, knife skills from her kitchen, and more. For a direct link to her membership page, click → here.