Salmon and Sole Croquettes

After cutting off the perfect fillets from our recent fish purchases, I had a few end pieces left over.  Too thin in my opinion to make a lunch meal with but just perfect for croquettes. So the freezer held a piece of sole as well as two pieces of salmon.

I did not want to use a bunch of bread crumbs so I decided to make a baked potato and use that as the filler.

Salmon or Fish Croquettes

• 1/2 lb of fish

cook the fish in a frying pan on medium heat with a small amount of oil, until almost cooked through. Set aside and let cool. Once cool separate into chunky pieces.

• 1 large unpeeled potato, washed, stabbed a few times and microwaved until cooked set aside and let cool. Once cool peel and cut into bite sized pieces.
• 1 tablespoon of chopped onion
• 2 tablespoon of chopped celery including leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh herb, basil or thyme or cilantro would work well
• 1 large egg, whisked to combine
• a few slices of chopped red pepper or a dash of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper

I kept the sole separate from the salmon by using two bowls and putting half of the ingredients in each bowl, but I think it could work combined also.

Combine fish and potato and mix together.  Add the balance of the ingredients. Mix well. Form into patties.

In a large frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil on medium heat, add your fish patties.  Cook until crispy and turn and do the same on the other side.

I love a horseradish ketchup sauce where as Joe prefers a tartar sauce.

Serve with a big salad. Enjoy – we sure did!

Fish Market at the Buseo Port

On Saturday we walked down to the Buceo Port as Joe was asking for fish. We got the salmon again, and just like the first time, it was fabulous.

All the fish looked good and even things like calamari, octopus and the mussels looked fresh and very appealing. Prices are in Uruguay Peso, convert to US Dollars by dividing the number on the card by .28.  All of these prices are for a kilo which is a little over 2 pounds.

You can buy a whole fish or you can buy steaks or fillets.

There are two other stores including a store with local trinkets as well as a vegetable and fruit stand that carries spices, herbs, a few live herb plants and has a cooler with drinks.

A new addition from the other times we were there was a van backed up to the sidewalk and the back door opened. As you can see it had a variety of cheese, wine and salami.

We got our salmon and ran home to have lunch.

Sunday Market or Feria

Early Sunday morning Joe and I headed out for our daily walk. Joe had several places in mind for us to at least walk by if not visit.  One was the planetarium another the zoo and the third was……..  But instead we got totally side-tracked as we discovered a Sunday Market about five blocks from our apartment.

The vendors block off the several streets and set up their tents, some even come with what looks like a food truck that opens to show cold cases for cheese, meat and fish.The first thing that caught my eye was the flowers, but I only picked up one plant and that was thyme.  And it joined my other herb basil on the washing machine in our laundry room.We figured a tray of 30 large eggs would cost $3.00 and they even had one man selling household products, cleaning, TP, paper towels.  There were several vendors set up selling cheese, pork, chicken, beef and even fish. The fruits and vegetables looked fresh but we had just gone shopping on Friday and our refrigerator was filled with everything we needed for the week. I have not had the time to check prices but I am sure this Sunday Market is cheaper than Tienda Inglesa.Grapes run $1.42 per kilo, that is cheap cheap cheap.  They are grown here so maybe that is why they are so inexpensive. Next Sunday these will be on my shopping list.Everything is marked so you know what you’re spending.I just could not resist the strawberries, they are one of my favorites.  They were small with a hint of tartness. Just perfect to eat with sugar and cream, and that is just what I did.$1.60 a kilo for peaches. That works out to about 72 cents a pound. This stand was selling all different dried herbs and even had nutmeg nuts in this bowl above.  Need to spend some time finding out what these are but I did buy some of the adobo which I knew had red pepper flakes and seeds in it.  I have used it on several things and it does pack a punch. This will be our Sunday morning ritual.  Buying fresh fruits and veggies five blocks from the house.  Now all we need is one of those Old Lady Carts, yes, I am prepared to drag it around. ha ha

Oh BOY! Salmon

A quick walk from our apartment we come to the port in Buceo, Montevideo. At the port there are several fishmongers, a small fruit and vegetable stand, a trinket shop as well as El Italian Restaurant.  Our first visit I saw the most beautiful salmon filet that looked fresh and I HAD TO HAVE IT.

The small fruit and veggie stand had some very nice green beans so that is what I bought to have with the salmon.

Most things here are sold by the kilo and that was not a problem with me because I was open for fresh fish for a few days in a row.

For lunch that day I made it with this outrageous Asian sauce.  It had soy sauce, fresh grated ginger, garlic, a few slices of hot red pepper for a nice punch, honey (sorry I miss Eva Honey, Eva is our neighbor in San Clemente and that is the most flavorful honey I have ever had) a grind of salt and a bit of pepper.  Heat that in a small sauce pan and top your sautéed salmon with it.  YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY

So we had two nice pieces for our next lunch, yes I can eat fish every day of the week.

I served the same sauce but a bit more ja ja as I love the sauce as much as the fish.  And I served it with a fresh salad and even added peach slices to the salad and made a yogurt dressing with a bit of honey and herbs and spice.

Well the salmon was a huge success and we will have it again very soon. One problem we really need to try more of the local fish as well. So we will see what I pick next.

PS I know this is farm raised in Chile. I know all about the antibiotics but honestly we just had to have it.  We will not be eating it every day so once in awhile I will take the plunge and have salmon….

Las Velas Restaurant – Malecon, Manta

One of our favorite restaurants here in Manta is Las Velas. It is located right on the malecon. We have eaten there at least five times on our past visits and have found the food and service excellent each time. On Sunday afternoon Joe and I walked down to the malecon and took a table for another excellent meal.

This is swordfish in a white wine sauce with clams and shrimp. The side dish is mushroom risotto.  I have ordered this every time I have been to this restaurant and have enjoyed it every single time. Why order something different if this is so perfect? Actually, the gentleman sitting near us overheard me raving about this dish to our waiter and asked the waiter what it was and could he have it also!The restaurant is outdoors with a great wine selection and an outstanding menu all with a view of the beach. Always ready for a great meal.

Another good job!

Blue Footed Boobie

John and Mary MacDonald just posted on their blog about seeing the Blue Footed Boobies in San Jacinto this past week. While walking this morning Joe and I spotted one just sitting on the sand at the beach in San Clemente.

I was within just a few feet and he allowed me to get closer.

We have noticed a great deal of birds around the shore the last few weeks, diving, soaring and diving again feasting on the fish that are bountiful near the waters edge. I have been told that the change of weather has drawn different fish to our shores making the birds who follow them more interested in our area. Blue Footed Boobies are normally only found in and around the Galápagos Islands.

Reflection

When the fishermen are pulling in the nets they start out with as little as five guys to each side. By the time the nets are hauled in there can be as many as 50 people and hundreds of frigate birds and pelicans ready to share in the haul.

I felt that the reflection of the wet sand made for a very interesting photo. Hope you enjoy your day as much as we will.

Nuestros Perros de la Calle

There are three dogs that protect the street we live on, The alpha dog Café is not as sociable as the other two. Beethoven and Baby Dog (my name for him as he has none that I know of) will sometimes come with me on my walks. That can be a good or bad thing depending upon the other dogs that are out and about.

This picture was taken from an empty lot near our home that overlooks the water. Joe and I bring our coffee many mornings and sit here just enjoying the water. This day the fishermen were dragging in their nets and two of our street dogs were very interested in the catch – or could it have been the birds?

They are working dogs and do an excellent job of informing all the neighborhood if something is not right. I did find that they do not like yellow taxis, have a true hatred for certain cars or maybe a driver who is driving too fast. Caution is necessary as they are not friendly. A friend from San Jacinto dropped by to visit one day while Baby Dog was sitting at our gate – Ken went to pet the dog and was snapped at. Thank goodness his reaction was fast or he would have gotten bit.  Because we have been feeding them for some time these two are very friendly towards both Joe and I. As soon as they realize it is us walking the street or disembarking the dreaded yellow taxi, they stop their barking and go about their business. It is good to be accepted!

Found on the Beach – WHAT Is It?

Now if you are going to start to ask what this is, I am going to let you know right off, I have no idea. It was on the beach one day while I was walking, it looked to me like half sting-ray and half fish…maybe half shark.

I did not get too close, I know it was already dead but again I did not get too close. Sometimes when the fishermen are hauling in their nets things get tangled up and end up in them that are not of interest to the fishermen. Usually within a few minutes a frigate bird has scooped it up. And the beach is once again clean…works for me!

Here is a close up to help you name this fishy for me.

My first email and comment came from John and Mary MacDonald our neighbors here in San Clemente. See what they wrote”

John Macdonald	8:38 AM (50 minutes ago)

Nancy,

I did a little reading on the guitarfish after Mary found the picture in our book and learned that they are in the ray family.  Google search has a lot of material on them and notes that the body is sort of a blend between shark and ray.  I think if you saw this swimming toward you near the surface the dorsal fin would convince you that it was a shark.

When I was out whale watching we saw some fish that I was sure were large sharks, but the fishermen told me they were Manta rays.  They have a large dorsal fin that looks like it came straight out of “Jaws!”

Have a great day,

John and Mary

Thanks John and Mary, I am learning so much about our new hometown.

Nancy

La Cocina Ecuatoriana

My Easter gift is this beautiful cookbook. A collection of 278 pages of recipes from all over Ecuador purchased this morning at my gate.

The first recipe that I will be trying will be encocado of either pescado or mariscos. I miss being able to enjoy this beautiful coconut milk recipe that is not available here in San Clemente. Encocado is an Esmeraldas specialty. We have found it in Salinas as well as Puerto Lopez but so far in our travels around this area the Manabí folks use mani (peanut butter) but encocado (coconut milk) is used further up the coast.

Wish me luck!