Salmon with Indian Spices, poached in oil by John Spottiswood

I love salmon and am always looking for creative ways to make it. This is the first time I've tried it with Indian spices and poached in oil (adapted from a recipe in Fine Cooking). Honestly, I thought it was just fabulous. The spices and the cooking method combined made it one of the best salmon dishes I have had. It is amazingly…

Crab Wontons by erin de martini

Mexican Garlic Broiled Tilapia by John Spottiswood

I love the lime-garlic flavored fish that I get when I'm down in Mexico, especially in Puerto Vallarta. Normally it is grilled down there, but I think the recipe on the broiler does an even better job. The fish stays very moist, but still gets a little crispy on top from the broiler. The lemon-garlic-butter flavor is to die for. My…

Simple pan fried trout by John Spottiswood

We use this recipe for both pan fried trout and Kokanee salmon. We recently caught some Kokanee up at Lake Tahoe and made this dish. It is super simple and really delicious!

Flavorful Grilled Shrimp by John Spottiswood

This is a classic grilled shrimp recipe originally from Craig Clairborne's NYT cookbook, then adapted by Ina Garten, and then finally perfected by me. :-) Seriously, this is a wonderful staple to have in your pantry of recipes. You can serve this over pasta (which we did the other night), as an appetizer with a variety of dipping…

Fish Tacos with Lime-cilantro salsa by Nancy Miyasaki

Cumin, coriander, and paprika give these fish tacos a wonderfully warm flavor. The tangy sour cream, lime and cilantro sauce contrasts perfectly. Try shrimp for the snapper or romaine in place of cabbage to change it up if you like.

Simple Himalayan Salt Block Salmon by John Spottiswood

My wife got me a Himalayan Salt Block to try grilling on this summer. We made our first attempt last night with salmon, trying it two ways. This is the first...a very simple effort and very delicious. My instinct with the salt block is that I am going to enjoy simple recipes the best, since they will allow the flavor of the salt…

Thai Basil & Curry Shrimp - Pattaya by John Spottiswood

This is a delicious curry flavored shrimp stir fry without a heavy curry sauce. The combination of curry and basil is really delicious. This is normally not served very spicy, but you can spice it up as much as you want.

Tuscan shrimp marinara with chickpea pasta by John Spottiswood

This is a great Tuscan recipe adapted from the Flavors of Tuscan cookbook by Maxine Clark. Maxine recommends making fresh chickpea pasta. We use Barilla Plus pasta, which is made with chickpeas just like Maxine recommends. By skipping making your own pasta, this becomes a very easy and healthy dish.

Shrimp in Green Garlic Sauce by John Spottiswood

Wow, this is a really powerful and delicious dish. If you are looking for subtle flavors, search elsewhere. But if you're in the mood for a garlicky, "must dip my bread in every last bit of that sauce", type of dish, you cannot beat this. I'll admit our kids are not normal, but all four of them downed these shrimp and were dipping…

Grilled Tuna Steaks over Arugula Salad by John Spottiswood

I adapted this recipe from one in Cook's Illustrated and served it during a trip to San Luis Obispo with friends. The vinaigrette was fantastic and the technique for marinating the fennel bulb slices in the vinaigrette to soften it is definitely a keeper. You could try this with just about any fish with good results I think. I…

Greek Fish Soup Avgolemono by John Spottiswood

The Greeks supposedly invented fish stew and there are many versions of the dish. This version, which I adapted from a recipe in the Frugal Gourmet's Three Ancient Cuisines (a great book), is really phenomenal. We served this during a holiday party with greek salad and spanakopita. Friends of mine who have made regular chicken…

Asian-Style Grilled Black Bass by John Spottiswood

This fish is simply delicious. The flesh is like butter and the flavor is from heaven. I know that sounds extreme, but it's true. I was in Costco and the fresh fish counter had whole black bass. I'd never made it before, but the woman behind the counter said it is similar to yellowtail (hamachi) which is one of my favorites, so I…

Grilled Whole Salmon Indonesian Style by John Spottiswood

This is an excellent and flavorful way to cook fish that I adapted from the Barbecue Bible. I had a large, whole salmon (not a smaller snapper or pompano as recommended), and was hoping the flavor would be strong enough to impact the Salmon. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! The fish came out delicious and my guests all asked me to…

Steamed Fish with Black Bean Sauce by Nancy Miyasaki

This is one of the recipes I remember most fondly from my childhood. It's a Chinese dish, and I'm of Japanese heritage, so my mom used a large fish fillet as opposed to a whole fish. I know it's probably delicious both ways, but this is a bit easier on the eyes! Season the fish just before cooking...don't marinate...or the fish…