Spring officially starts in March, but April is when that warmer weather really starts to arrive. It is good to celebrate with colorful dishes of seafood and fresh vegetables. For a light appetizer, simple lunch or a perfect Easter brunch serve White Rillettes, using smoked white fish instead of pork; delicious at room temperature
SMOKED WHITE FISH RILLETTES
Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minutes. Serves: 6 – 8
1 lb. smoked white fish, de-boned and skin removed
6 Tbsp. Créme Fraiche, or to taste
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
3 Tbsp. fresh finely chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of sea salt, maybe
Remove any remain bones of the white fish. Shred the fish into small pieces. Add the créme fraiche and gently mix it with a fork. Add lemon zest and lemon juice; taste and adjust if needed. Mix in the chopped chives. Season to taste. Serve: with cut veggies crackers, or crusty bread.
RAW OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL AND STEAMED SHRIMP
Prep time: 20 minutes. Chilling time: 1 hour or overnight. Serves: 4 – 6
Cucumber Sauce:
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
½ hothouse cucumber, peeled and minced
1 shallot, minced
3 drops Monk fruit or 1 Tbsp. sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, shallots; ginger, cucumber, sugar, and black pepper; mixing with a fork, Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to a day before using. Serve with oysters.
Cocktail Sauce:
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Mix all ingredients in a blender to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with shrimp.
Steamed Shrimp:
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes. Serves: 4 – 6
18 large raw shrimp with shell
3 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
Lemons
¼ tsp. hot sauce, or to taste
1 fresh lemon, juiced
Use kitchen scissors to cut up back of each shrimp exposing the vein, if there is one. Rinse out any dirt or vein with cold water. Leave the shell around the shrimp. Place all cleaned shrimp in a steamer and season them well with Old Bay Seasoning. Add steamer to a pot of simmering water. The water should not touch the shrimp. Let shrimp steam for about 6 minutes until they turn pink and are cooked through. Serve with Cocktail Sauce.
Oysters:
Prep time: 5 minutes. Serves: 4 – 6
12 large fresh oysters, shucked
Crushed ice or rock salt
Nestle the oysters in a bed of crushed ice or wet rock salt to keep them steady. Serve immediately with Cucumber Sauce.
CHOCOLATE RICE CAKE BARS
Prep time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 1 minute. Chilling time: 1 – 2 hours. Serves: 4 – 6
½ cup chopped chocolate (I prefer dark)
1 tsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 rice cakes
1 tsp. almond flour
Pinch of salt
Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in the microwave in 20-30s intervals, until completely melted. Stir in between to speed this process up. Stir in the peanut butter until well combined. Break and crumble the rice cakes and add them to the mixture. Add almond flour and mix it all together until all the rice cakes are covered with the chocolate.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until completely firm. Slice in pieces and enjoy! Keep refrigerated as these bars melt pretty quickly at room temperature.
Jan Robinson, Captain, Health Coach, Chef Competition Coordinator/Judge, and author of the Ship to Shore Cookbook collection; available on Amazon and www.shiptoshoreinc.com
