Seared Lois Lake steelhead

Serves 4

Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Cakes (start the day before you want to serve)

• 1 cup white quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable stock (or water and salt)
• 2/3 cups roasted red pepper puree
• 2 Tbsp of diced canned piquillo peppers
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp pureed garlic
• 1 pinch of chili flakes
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs

For Breading – 1/3 cup flour + 2 eggs whisked + ½ cup salted panko breadcrumbs

• Preheat oven to 400° F
  add vegetable stock to quinoa, bring to a boil, lower heat put on a lid and gently simmer16-18 minutes
• Remove from heat, lightly fluff with a fork and set aside
• toss red peppers in a little canola oil and salt, roast in preheated oven until the skin is a little charred, 10-15 minutes
• put roasted peppers in mixing bowl covered with saran wrap for 5 minutes, then peel and de-seed under cold water.
• puree peppers in blender until smooth consistency
• in mixing bowl, mix quinoa with pepper puree, diced piquillo peppers and salt.
• shape cakes in round cookie cutter about 2-5 oz depending on how big you would like them (we do 2 oz and serve 2 with our dish)
• freeze overnight

Next day

Dip frozen shaped quinoa cake in flour, then egg and then the panko crumbs.

Either deep fry or pan fry with canola oil

Smoked Tomato Butter

• 1 cup of smoked roma tomatoes
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 5 Tbsp butter
• preheat oven to 325°F
• smoke tomatoes in smoker 10-12 minutes then roast in oven for 40-45 minutes
• peel off skins
• sauté onions in a little oil over low heat until translucent
• dice or julienne smoked tomatoes
• add tomato to onions, take off heat adding 1 Tbsp butter at a time slowly whisking together

Sautéed Spinach

• 2 Tsp butter
• 1 Tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups spinach
• Melt butter in pan, sauté garlic, add spinach cook 45 seconds – 2 minutes depending on how wilted you like it.

Steelhead

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 larger-sized filet (de-boned, skin on), cut into 4 portions about 5-6 oz
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• preheat oven to 400°F
• season both sides of fish
• over medium high heat, heat up a non-stick frying pan, add 1 Tbsp canola oil
• place fish skin side down lowering the heat and sear for 1-2 minutes until skin is golden brown flip over and place pan into oven for 2-5 minutes depending on the wellness you prefer your fish