Sake Marinated Black Cod

I have already extolled the virtues of the LCBOs Food & Drink magazine on this blog.  I have found so many "keepers" from within it's pages.  This recipe comes from Summer 2008.  I have always thought that sablefish and black cod were the same fish, but wikipedia tells me they are not.  So I have to say, I prefer this recipe with sablefish if available.  You will want to keep a close eye on the fish while under the broiler as the sugar in the marinade means it will darken quickly.   I served it tonight for dinner with a soba noodle salad, and even the kids ate every bite.  Enjoy!

Sake Marinated Black Cod (or Sablefish)


1/4 c soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
1/4 tsp grated, peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp grated garlic
16-24 oz black cod or sablefish

Whisk together first 6 ingredients.  Pour over fish, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to overnight.
Preheat broiler.  Remove fish from marinade and place on a tinfoil lined baking sheet.  Broil 3-6 inches from heat source for 8-10 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you don't already own Martha Stewart's Cookies, I recommend you buy it.  Every cookie I've tried has turned out exactly as pictured or described.  These are our current lunchbox favourites.  Crunchy oatmeal, reminiscent of Dad's Oatmeal Cookies.  Martha's recipe calls for raisins, but we like them with chocolate.  If you do want to try them with raisins or dried cranberries, I'd recommend increasing the quantity to 1 1/2 cups.  (Hmmm, just thinking about it, they might be nice with white chocolate AND cranberries, for the holidays.)   Makes 5-6 dozen.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


3 c old fashioned rolled oats
1 c plus 2 tbsp flour
1/2 c wheat germ or wheat bran
1 tsp b soda
1 tsp b powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, b soda, b powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together butter and sugar with electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low, add oat mixture and mix until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and flatten slightly.
Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes, rotating half way through cooking.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

NB.  I usually freeze half the dough to take out and use another time as I find 6 dozen cookies a lot for one time.

Peanut-Pecan Oatmeal Cookies!

My new Bon Appetit magazine arrived this week.  I love the RSVP pages near the beginning, where readers write in to request recipes from their favourite restaurants.  Usually the recipes are unduly complicated for me, but I still like reading about the dishes and learning about new restaurants.  This month, a reader requested a cookie recipe from a farmers' market stand in Carrboro, North Carolina.  The recipe looked easy and good, so I tried it.  And I am glad I did!  This cookie recipe is a keeper!  Peanutty but not too peanutty.  Just sweet enough.  And unusually, I don't recommend changing a thing!

Peanut-Pecan Butter and Oatmeal Cookies
(Makes 3-4 dozen cookies)


1/3 c smooth peanut butter
1/3 c pecans, toasted and cooled
3/4 c flour
1 tsp b soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/4 c quick cooking oats

Combine PB and pecans in a food processor and puree until almost smooth.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, soda and salt.
Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add PB mixture and vanilla and beat to blend well.  Beat in egg.  Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  Add both oats.  Continue to blend at high speed for 1 minute.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.*
Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375.  Line two baking sheets with foil.  Roll balls of about 2 tsp dough and place on cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.  Bake until golden brown - about 10-12 minutes.  (NB.  Because of the foil, the bottoms will brown so do not over bake.)
Let cool on sheets for 2 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

*  I made the dough at night and baked the cookies the next morning.

Easy Linguine with Scallops and Spinach

I don't often post a recipe the day I make it for the first time.  But this one is so very easy and so good, I wanted to share it right away!  It comes from an Anne Lindsay cookbook, where the word EASY features in the title.  The kids loved it, and it's made from ingredients I tend to have on hand.  I used the frozen bay scallops from Loblaws, but I imagine it would be quite special with nice scallops from the fishmonger!  We served steamed baby carrots and caesar salad on the side.

Linguine with Scallops and Spinach


8 oz whole wheat linguine or spaghetti
1/2 c chicken stock
1 onion, minced
8-10 oz scallops
1/3 c light cream cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3 c shredded spinach
2-3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan or asiago

Cook linguine to al dente.
Meanwhile, bring stock to simmer in a small saucepan.  Add onion and scallops.  Simmer for 4 minutes, until scallops are opaque throughout.  (Only 2 minutes for bay scallops.)  Using a slotted spoon, remove scallops to a bowl and keep warm.
Stir cream cheese, dill and lemon rind into the hot cooking liquid.  Stir over medium heat until smooth.  Feel free to add some of the grated cheese to the sauce to thicken it.  Toss sauce with pasta and add spinach and scallops.  Toss again.  Sprinkle with cheese.