Grilled Stuffed Rainbow Trout

STUFFING:

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves, chopped

¼ cup pine nuts

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ each: salt and freshly ground pepper

FISH:

6 fillets rainbow trout, about ½ pound each - also works well with tilapia, whitefish or snapper

1 Saute onions in oil of nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until softened. Add sherry, spinach and pine nuts. Cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; add breadcrumbs, lemon juice , salt and paper; mix well.

2 Place 3 fish fillets on flat surface. Divide stuffing over each. Top each with remaining fish fillets; tie loosely with kitchen string to secure stuffing.

3 Preheat grill on medium-high to 400F. Place stuffed fish on lightly oiled grill rack. Close lid and grill for about 20 minutes (10 minutes per inch of thickness) or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

4 To serve remove cooked fish by sliding a large spatula between skin and fish; cut each stuff fish fillet in half and serve.

Makes 6 Servings

Maple Fruit and Nut Granola

4 cups large flake rolled oats

1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped

1 cup sliced almonds

⅓ cup green pumpkin seeds or unsalted sunflower seeds

¾ cup maple syrup

¼ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt, optional

1 cup dried apricots, slivered

1 cup chopped pitted honey dates, optional

½ cup dried cranberries

1 Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; or butter lightly; set aside.

2 In a large bowl, combine oats, walnuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds, if using). In separate bowl, whisk together syrup, oil, cinnamon and salt, if using. Drizzle over oat mixture; toss to coat the nuts and flakes thoroughly.

3 Spread evenly in prepared baking sheet. Bake in centre of preheated 300F oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until evenly golden brown, about 70 minutes.

4 Scrape into large clean bowl; stir in apricots, dates, if using, and cranberries. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Stores for 2 weeks at room temperature or 1 month in freezer.

Yields about 9 cups

Maple Fruit and Nut Granola4 cups karge flake rolled oat

Banana Pudding with Meringue

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

⅓ cup cornstarch

Pinch of salt

3 cups milk

8 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoon butter

3 cups vanilla wafers

4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon cream of tarter

1 Preheat oven to 350〫In a large saucepan, combine ⅓ cup cup sugar, cornstarch and salt; stir until blended. Mix in milk. Cook custard over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and boiling; boil 1 minute, then remove from heat.

2 In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, then whisk in about ½ cup hot custard until blended. Pour yolk mixture back into saucepan of custard; cook over medium heat, stirring 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla and butter until blended.

3 Place vanilla wafers on bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish. Top with layer of banana slices, then one of custard. Repeat layering, ending with custard.

4 In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and ¼ cup sugar at low speed until frothy. Add cream of tarter; increase speed to medium and gradually beat in remaining sugar. Beat until egg whites hold stiff peaks.

5 Spoon meringue over hot custard immediately, making sure that meringue touches baking dish on all sides (this prevents it from shrinking). Transfer to oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.Remove pudding from oven and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Oven Fried Pork Chops

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

½ cup finely chopped pecans

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary

½ teaspoon sage

4 1-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops

¼ cup olive oil

Garnish: fresh rosemary

1 Preheat oven to 400〫

2 In a shallow dish, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch until smooth.

3 In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, pecans, salt, rosemary and sage. Dip pork chops in egg white mixture to coat. Dredge in bread crumb mixture, pressing bread crumbs gently to adhere.

4 In an ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add pork, and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place skillet in oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pork is cooked through. Garnish with rosemary, if desired.

4 Servings