A delicious, quick meal to throw together.  Great with a side of potatoes, veggies or salad.  We've made it many times.  I find the really thin fillets of fish are perfect for this recipe.  They cook up quickly and more evenly than thicker cuts.  Enjoy! 

Fresh cooked haddock with a side of peas and potatoes. A comforting winter meal. 

Easy Herb & Garlic Haddock Fillets

Preheat oven to 400 F.

About 20 minutes before I'm going to start baking the haddock, I like to put into the oven some small, speared potatoes to bake, OR roast some baby potatoes or wedged potato slices that I've tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever herbs I am in the mood for: oregano, chives, chili powder, dill, etc.  I find those blends go nicely with the fish.

On a baking sheet or glass dish lined with foil (to help with clean-up, you don't have to do this) place: 

3 - 4 thin haddock fillets

In a small bowl, mix together: 

2 heaping Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tsp minced/crushed garlic (I love the jars of garlic you can buy and keep in the refrigerator)

1 tsp freeze-dried basil (or 1 tsp dried basil or 2-3 tsp fresh basil, minced)

1 tsp freeze-dried dill (or 1 tsp dried dill or 2-3 tsp fresh dill, minced)

1 tsp freeze-dried chives (or 1 tsp dried chives or 2-3 tsp fresh chives, finely sliced)

salt & pepper

Spread the herb mixture over the top of the haddock fillets.  Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked and flaky.    

Fish topped with the herb mixture, ready to bake.

Flaky fish, fresh from the oven. 

Delicious served with roasted potatoes, baked potatoes, peas, green beans, or salad.  Enjoy! 

Easy Herb & Garlic Haddock Fillets by Successfully Gluten Free!

Homemade gluten-free fish cakes!  The fish and potatoes are cooked first, then mixed with some seasoning before being breaded.  Pre-prepared fish cakes can be frozen after chilling to cook later.   They're fully cooked, they just need pan-frying to reheat.  However, my kids love them so much, they like to eat them for breakfast and snacks if I cook them all at once and keep leftovers in the fridge.  We like them with oven-roasted broccoli (drizzle lightly with olive oil, salt & pepper, mix well, and roast at 400-425 F until browned at the edges.  You can cook fresh broccoli or frozen, straight from the freezer. :) ) Enjoy! 

Homemade Gluten-Free Fish Cakes with a side of oven-roasted broccoli

Homemade Fish Cakes

Based off a recipe from The Fish and Seafood Cookbook - from ocean to table

*I like to make the potatoes and fish at the same time on the stovetop. 

Boiled Potatoes

In a large pot, put the following and cover with cold water: 

1 lb red (or white) thin-skinned baby potatoes, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp salt

Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium heat and continue boiling for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Drain and put potatoes in a large bowl.  Mash potatoes until mostly smooth (some chunks are fine).  

Simmered Fish

In a low wide skillet that has a lid you can use, place: 

1 lb cod fish fillets (Make sure the skin and bones are removed.  You can use salmon OR a mix of both fish, if you prefer)

Cover the fish with water, until JUST covered.  Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.   Once boiling, cover with a lid.  Lower heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Remove fish with a slotted spoon (to drain gently) and place on a plate.  Use a fork to flake apart the fish, double checking for any bones (remove and discard if you find them).  

Cooked fish, flaking apart nicely.  Ready to remove with a slotted spoon and flake apart. 

To Assemble the Fish Cakes

Line one cookie sheet with parchment paper (if desired), to place your fish cakes prior to baking.  

In your large bowl that has the mashed potatoes, add and mix together: 

cooked, flaked fish, from above

2 Tbsp cream OR whole milk (thick coconut milk will work, too)

zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1-2 tsp freeze dried chives OR 1 - 2 Tbsp fresh chives, finely diced

2 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Taste a sampling of your fish and potato mixture and add extra salt and pepper, to taste.   

In three separate bowls, place: 

Bowl 1:  

1/4 - 1/3 cup gluten-free flour (can just use brown or white rice flour or Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix)

Bowl 2: 

2-3 eggs, beaten

Bowl 3:

1-2 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs (I prefer the ones made from rice flour)

*This next part is easiest if you have TWO people helping.  One to make the fish cakes and dip in flour and dip in the egg.  Then another person to dip them in the breadcrumbs and place them on your parchment-lined pan.  I find it keeps from getting egg/breadcrumbs all over fingertips. 

Make round cakes with your hands by scooping out small, plum-sized balls and flattening them, rounding the edges with your fingers.  Dip each flattened fish cake in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.  Place the fish cake on your parchment paper lined baking tray.  Repeat until finished.   I find it makes about 1 full tray of fish cakes.  

Fish cakes dipped in flour, egg, and gluten-free breadcrumbs, then placed on a cookie sheet to chill. 

Gently cover the tray with plastic wrap.  Place your coated fish cakes in a refrigerator and let chill 30-60 minutes.  This will help them hold together really nicely.  You can easily flatten them with a spatula to make them neater looking once they've chilled.   At this point, you can freeze extras in a flat layer in a ziploc bag, then cook them later straight from frozen - they'll just need an extra couple minutes per side.  Just make sure your fish cakes are nicely flattened and aren't too thick, so they won't take too long to heat thoroughly.  

Heat 1/4 - 1/2" oil in the bottom of a frying pan over medium heat.  Cook the fish cakes ~5 minutes per side, until nicely golden brown.   Remove to a paper-towel lined baking tray after frying.  

Flattened after chilling, these fish cakes fry up nicely in a bit of oil.  About 4-5 minutes per side, until nicely browned.  They're already cooked, so they just need to heat and crisp. 

Cooked and placed on paper towels.  Yum!

These fish cakes are delicious served with fresh lemon wedges, tartar sauce, and a side salad.  The kids, of course, like them with kethcup.  Enjoy!  

Isn't that a nice looking fish cake.  My kids even ate leftovers for breakfast the next morning.  

Gluten Free Homemade Fish Cakes by Successfully Gluten Free!

Flavorful Homemade Seafood Chowder

Packed with flavor, this wonderful, easy, homemade seafood chowder continues to be a favorite around here.   The nice thing about this seafood chowder is that it's usually easy to find a nice white fish, some salmon, and some fresh shrimp to cook into the chowder.  Although, when in season, I do love my seafood chowder packed with fresh lobster, too!  I made this flavorful homemade seafood chowder for a book club luncheon one day, and we had ladies going back to get another bowl!  Enjoy! 

Delicious bowl of fresh seafood chowder, half eaten because it's too delicious to wait! 

Flavorful Homemade Seafood Chowder (Gluten Free)

Serves 8

Saute in a large pot over medium heat for 4-5 minutes:
1/3 cup butter
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced
dash salt and pepper

Add, and saute, stirring regularly for 5-7 minutes: (lower the heat a bit, if you're finding it's browning/sticking to the bottom of your pan too much)
1.5 lbs potatoes, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 - 3/4 cup diced fennel bulb (I LOVE the flavor this adds)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced OR 1/4 - 1/3 cup garlic scapes, sliced (if in season)

Add and cook an additional 1-2 minutes:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2-3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (adds spiciness, so use less if you prefer less bite)
3-5 dashes Tabasco sauce (can add extra, if you want more of a kick)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano

I like to saute the vegetables for a longer period in the pan, then they can simmer for less time in order to really bring out the flavors and taste.  

Add, then simmer vegetable soup for ~7-8 minutes:
~3 cups water (just until top of veggies)
1 tsp lobster bouillon paste (this really adds a wonderful flavor to your chowder, but you can use a GF chicken bouillon or Asian mushroom seasoning, if needed)

Add to the pot, letting it start to simmer/bubble again while you mix the small bowl of cornstarch and liquids to thicken:
1 cup 10% cream OR whole milk (lactose-free works great)

Mix in a small bowl:
1/4 cup 10% cream OR whole milk
1/4 cup water
2-3 Tbsp cornstarch OR 1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

Once you've mixed the cornstarch together, you want to add it a little at a time to the bubbling soup.  Stirring and returning soup to a low boil to adjust thickness after you add each 1-2 Tbsp.  I prefer a less thick chowder, but cook and adjust, as you prefer.

Here's the chowder after being thickened a bit.  I prefer a just barely thickened creamy soup to the thick chowders sometimes served.  In this picture the soup is ready for seafood to be added. 

Once you've achieved the desire chowder thickness and returned your soup to a boil over medium-low to medium heat, add the following and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally:
2 fillets white fish (cod, haddock, or tilapia), cut in large bite-sized pieces
1-2 fillets salmon, cut in large bite-sized pieces
1-2 large handfuls of fresh shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails off), cut in half, if they're large

You can vary up the fish you use, as you prefer - scallops are great, too.  I like to use more mild-tasting fish, or they can overpower the other ones.

Taste test the soup at this point to adjust with salt and pepper, as desired.  The Old Bay Seasoning has quite a bit of salt, so I usually just add a dash of pepper.

This flavorful seafood chowder is wonderful served alongside garlic bread.  A few breads we enjoy eating as garlic bread are: a tasty Gluten Free French Bread-Style Bread, GF white bread, GF naan bread, and homemade GF sourdough bread. 

Gluten Free Homemade Seafood Chowder Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Sweet & Spicy Baked Tilapia with Lime

Sweet & Spicy Baked Tilapia with Lime combines a blend of Mexican flavors with the sweetness of maple syrup and the tartness of lime.   Served alongside rice, quesadillas, sauteed onions and peppers, it's an easy to whip together, but absolutely delicious feast of a meal.  I cooked 2 lbs of fish, so we'd have leftovers for another day.   The fish would be perfect used for fish tacos.  You can use all the same toppings, but serve it inside the corn tortillas. 

Mexican-style Tilapia with all the trimmings - would you believe this was the plate handed to my nana for dinner?  She was one happy eater.

Sweet & Spicy Baked Tilapia with Lime

Preheat oven to 400 F.

On a foil-lined cookie sheet, place 1-2 lbs fresh tilapia filets.

Mix together in a small bowl:
3-4 Tbsp lime-infused olive oil (or olive oil + 2-3 tsp fresh lime juice)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chilli powder
pinch cayenne powder (for a spicier fish)

Spread spice mixture evenly over filets.   Top fish with thin slices of fresh lime. 

Topped with glaze and fresh lime and ready to bake.

Bake at 400 F for about 17-22 minutes, just until fully baked and fish flakes apart.

Serve alongside spicy rice (below), cheese quesadillas, fajita-style sauteed onion, green & red bell peppers (below), pineapple salsa (or salsa of your choice), guacamole, and canned green chilies for a Mexican-style feast!   The leftovers are just as delicious!  Yum! Enjoy!

Fish fresh out of the oven - yum!

Spicy Rice

For 1 cup rice, add to rice/water when beginning to cook, then cook as directed:
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder

You can add more spices, to taste, once the cooking is complete.  I like to serve the rice alongside canned green chilies which add a nice flavor that compliments the fish nicely.

Fajita-style sauteed onion, green & red bell peppers

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and roasted to desired amount:
3-4 Tbsp oil (appropriate for high-heat cooking)
1 onion, sliced
1-2 green bell peppers, sliced
1-2 red bell peppers, sliced
salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste

This was my dinner plate - tilapia, rice, green chilies, pineapple salsa, guacamole, cheese quesadillas, sauteed peppers & onions. Mmm...  

The Best Homemade Seafood Chowder!

The wonderful thing about making seafood chowder at home is that you can use whatever fresh, local (or not-so-local) seafood that is in season.  The recipe here is for a delicious vegetable-packed chowder filled with lobster, scallops and haddock.  You can easily add shrimp, salmon, or other types of fish in addition to or as a substitute for these.  You can even add in mussels, too.  The pictures here are of a chowder I made while visiting Nova Scotia. It was filled with fresh, local scallops, lobsters, and haddock fillets.

Wonderfully delicious homemade seafood chowder, packed with lobster, haddock and scallops.  This version is packed with vegetables, too, and packed with flavor. 

The Best Homemade Seafood Chowder
Serves 6-8

Saute in a large pot over medium heat for 4-5 minutes:
1/3 cup butter
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced
dash salt and pepper

Add, and saute, stirring regularly for 5-7 minutes:
1.5 lbs potatoes, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 - 3/4 cups diced fennel bulb
3-4 cloves garlic, minced OR 1/4 - 1/3 cup garlic scapes, sliced (if in season)

Add and cook an additional 1-2 minutes:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2-3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (adds spiciness, so use less if you prefer less bite)
3-5 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano

I like to saute the vegetables for a longer period in the pan, then they can simmer for less time in order to really bring out the flavors and taste.  

Add, then simmer vegetables for ~7-8 minutes:
~3 cups water (just until top of veggies)
1 tsp GF chicken bouillon seasoning (optional)

Add:
1 cup 10% cream OR milk (lactose-free works great)

Mix in a small bowl:
1/4 cup 10% cream OR milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

Once you've mixed the flour/cream together, you want to add it a little at a time to the bubbling soup.  Stirring and returning soup to a low boil to adjust thickness after you add each 1-2 Tbsp.  I prefer a less thick chowder, and so would recommend just a bit being added.

Here's the chowder after being thickened a bit.  I prefer a just barely thickened creamy soup to the thick chowders sometimes served.  In this picture the soup is ready for seafood to be added. 

Once you've achieved the desire chowder thickness and returned your soup to a boil over medium heat, add the following and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally:
8 large scallops, diced (or equivalent amount of small scallops)
3 haddock fillets, diced

Taste test the soup at this point to adjust with salt and pepper, as desired.  The Old Bay Seasoning has quite a bit of salt, so I usually just add a dash of pepper.

Just before serving, add:
cooked lobster meat from 2 large lobsters, diced (I remove and use the tail, claws, knuckles)

This flavorful seafood chowder is wonderful served alongside garlic bread.  A few breads we enjoy eating as garlic bread are: a tasty GF French-Style Bread, GF white bread, GF naan bread, and homemade GF sourdough bread.

In my opinion, the perfect accompaniment to a fresh seafood chowder and garlic bread dinner is a homemade apple crisp.  If you can find Cortland apples, you'll truly be in heaven.  Enjoy!

A homemade GF apple crisp made with local Cortland apples - yum! 

Pan-Fried Lightly Breaded Cod

Yum! It's the only word for this lovely, flaky fish. Not laden down by deep-frying, but not dried out by oven-baking, the pan-fried method works marvelously!  It's an easy and delicious gluten-free breaded fish.  If you don't have cod, any thin, white-fleshed fish will work well.  It's great with a big salad, steamed peas and/or oven-roasted potato wedges.  Enjoy!

Pan-Fried Lightly Breaded Cod

Makes 4-6 servings

Mix together in a large bowl or shallow pan:

½ cup milk (lactose-free works well)

1 egg

Place in the pan, and set aside to soak:

18-24 oz cod fillets, cut into serving sizes (you can also use other white-fleshed fish)

I like to mix occasionally, so the fish is all coated/soaked a bit.

Mix in a low, shallow bowl (for dipping fish):

1/3 cup Kristin’s gluten-free flour mix

1/3 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs

1 - 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (OR ½ - 1 tsp pepper, ½ - 1tsp salt, ¼ tsp cayenne)

½ tsp pepper

Heat ½ inch of oil (I prefer Canola oil) over medium-high heat in a wide frying pan. 

Remove the fish from the milk mixture and coat thoroughly in breading before placing in the frying pan.

This was only about 12 oz of fish, but obviously more could fit in the pan, or you can cook in batches since they cook so quickly.

Cook the fish 2-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Use a spatula to flip because fish gets more tender and flaky as it cooks (ideally one that can allow the oil to drain).  

Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. 

Delicious served with a bit of tartar sauce and oven-roasted fries and steamed peas or salad.  Enjoy!