Fare Exchange: Like catfish? We're offering up a passel of recipes

Jane Henegar

We're gathering around the home fires, or the campfires, with a few requests in mind: smoothies for the lactose-intolerant, George Cress's curried rice salad and cooking instructions for a cured ham roast, six pounds in weight and three inches thick.

Roseann Strazinsky is searching for the smoothie; "Haricot" (the French word for "bean") wanted Cress' curried rice salad; and D.K.G. wanted help with cooking a ham received as a gift.

Haricot reminisced about George Cress, not only a noted artist and head of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's art department for many years but "also a gourmet cook and longtime family friend."

"When I first sampled his curried rice salad at the old Plum Nelly art show in Rising Fawn, I thought it was the most wonderful food I had ever tasted," Haricot says. "When The Chattanooga Times food page featured George and some of his recipes, I clipped this one. Sadly, it is lost and George is deceased. I'd love to make the dish again, but have forgotten some of the ingredients. I hope someone has kept this recipe and will share it."

COOKING CATFISH

Marian Willett serves up for us a trio of catfish recipes. In the first one, if you only like fish if it's fried, this is a low-fat alternative that any fried fish lover will appreciate.

Oven-Fried Catfish

2 tablespoons skim or 1 percent milk

1 whole egg or 2 egg whites

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound catfish fillets (or other whitefish)

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

In a shallow bowl, beat together milk and egg or egg whites. In another shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, paprika, salt, onion powder and garlic powder.

Dip each fish fillet in the egg mixture, then coat thoroughly in the cornmeal.

Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then add olive oil, turning the dish to coat. Place the fish in a single layer in the baking dish.

Bake in a 500-degree oven for about 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Makes 4 servings.

Catfish Poppers with Spicy Dipping Sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

1 3/4 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 11/2 inch pieces, or substitute catfish nuggets

1 1/2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)

Vegetable oil

Spicy Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; in another bowl, whisk together egg and milk.

Dredge catfish pieces in flour mixture and dip in egg mixture.

Put breadcrumbs in another bowl, then dredge the fillets in breadcrumbs.

Pour oil to a depth of 1/2-inch in a large skillet; heat to 375 degrees.

Fry catfish pieces, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels. Serve with Spicy Dipping Sauce.

Makes 15 appetizer servings (about 45 poppers) or as a meal.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup spicy cocktail sauce

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

Old Bay seasoning (optional)

Stir together the first 4 ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning, if desired.

Garden Catfish

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1/4 cup olive oil

4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper; mix well. In a large skillet, heat the oil until hot.

Dip catfish fillets in flour mixture, coating completely. Cook catfish in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden and fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove catfish to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted. Add sundried tomatoes, wine and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and basil, stir and spoon over catfish.

Serve immediately.

SALT-FREE

Rose Secrest has provided many a recipe to Fare Exchange, notably without a grain of salt. I wondered why, and this is her reply: For those who have high blood pressure.

"I want people who have that to be able make my recipes," she says. "People without high blood pressure can simply taste the recipe and add as much salt as they want. One woman put Hershey's chocolate syrup on my fruit salad. That proves that the sky is the limit.

"I actually bought a Himalayan salt block, solely because they are beautiful. I then bought a book telling how to use it in cooking. I made a few recipes, but I thought it made such things as strawberries too salty, so I went back to just having my salt blocks on display. You need two blocks for the recipes, because some recipes call for pressing ingredients between the blocks. I have no idea if the salt is good for you. I learned by trying sea salt that just two or three crystals are all you need."

For those of you who are careful about salt, please add your comments to this conversation thread.

HEALTHY EATING

A collegiate reader, Jenny O. Mann, has become quite a health nut in her first year of college. She brought this recipe home, adapting it loosely from a blog called "Averie Cooks." She described it as easy, one-skillet and ready in 30 minutes. You use quinoa or the Sprouted Rice and Quinoa Blend (Gluten-Free) from Costco instead of taking the trouble to roll up flour tortillas.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Quinoa and Rice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups onion, peeled and diced small (about 1 large onion)

1 cup quinoa (I used white) or the Sprouted Rice and Quinoa Blend

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups shredded chicken (use about half of one store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken in a skillet)

1 cup red enchilada sauce or salsa

1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or substitute regular paprika)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (will vary based on how salty the brand of enchilada sauce used is, how salty the rotisserie chicken and cheese are, and personal preference)

Pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced small, optional for garnishing

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely minced, optional for garnishing

To a large skillet or saucepan add the olive oil and onions and sauté over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften. Stir intermittently.

Add the red pepper and sauté over medium-high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until peppers begin to soften. Stir intermittently.

Add the quinoa, stir it into the vegetables, and let it toast for about 30 seconds.

Add the water, reduce the heat to low, cover pan and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed.

Add the chicken, enchilada sauce, corn, black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, pepper, salt, optional cayenne and stir to combine. Cook uncovered over medium heat until all ingredients are warmed through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir intermittently. Taste and check for seasoning balance. Add more salt, pepper or spices, if desired.

Reduce heat to low, evenly sprinkle the cheese, cover pan, and cook until cheese has melted, about 2 to 4 minutes.

JUST A DASH

Lennis DuBan has ideas for purchase and preparation of chicken salad.

"Chicken salad is one of my favorite meals of all time. I discovered a few years ago that using rotisserie chicken for the salad and also for chicken noodle soup is wonderful. I have tried just about every grocery store's version and have found that Sam's is the best of all for me. I had thought that Wal-Mart's might be like it since they are the same company, but there is no comparison. Normally, I buy two, go home and remove all the meat, have some for supper that night, and freeze the rest for any recipe that needs chicken."

There are so many good things in the inbox, and I can promise you more like this next week. Please come and see.