Chef’s Plate is one of the first meal kit companies we worked with, back in 2015, and I’m still a fan today. While the company has evolved, their boxes remain a great value with quick, simple recipes, suitable for any level of cooking experience. Their online recipe hub is also a great resource for meal inspiration. With each week’s box, there are 19 recipes available to select from and 3-4 weeks worth of recipes are posted at a time.

All of the recipes I looked at had less than 10 ingredients and only 5-6 steps. Nutritional value and portion sizes were clearly detailed and I loved the 15-min meal callouts. Going through the recipe hub, Chef Plate’s recipe for Oven-Fried Fish Tacos caught my eye. I knew we had basa fillets in our freezer and this dish wasn’t something we would normally make. The instructions were easy to follow and, even with photography, quick! We used more fish to have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Stephen learned about massaging cabbage to soften it for slaw, which he’s already made a few more times. Using seasoned mayonnaise as the binder for the panko crumbs was also brilliant! The fish was so crispy and flavourful from the oven. We did have to guess a bit on the proportions of the “chili-cumin spice blend” and substituted lemon for limes, but overall I really enjoyed Fish Tacos. To the point that we’re adding flour tortillas to our weekly grocery list along with red cabbage.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Chef’s Plate. All ideas and opinions expressed are wholly mine.

To learn more about other delicious food and beverage products from Virginia, all of the best quality, visit Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. All ideas and opinions expressed are wholly mine.

The Basics

Gunther’s Gourmet is a company started by the Lampros brothers that offers a variety of marinades, salsas and dips. Ingredients are all natural avoiding preservatives and artificial colours. Their products are low sodium and low cholesterol with unique flavours like Chesapeake Bay Crab Salsa and Fiery Peri Peri Dark Cherry Salsa. The brothers are continuously experimenting with flavours to create exceptional products vs what’s in the market.

The company is named after younger brother, Chef Mike’s dog who passed in 2008. A portion of Gunther’s profits are donated to non kill animal shelters in memory of Gunther and following the company’s belief in giving back to their community. For more information and to purchase salsas, check out https://www.gunthersgourmet.com/

What I liked

We tried 3 types of salsa from Gunther’s Gourmet, Lime Mango Salsa, Spicy Chipotle Pepper & Smoked Corn Salsa and Chesapeake Bay Crab Salsa. Unboxing the jars, I could not wait to try the crab salsa. Such an interesting combination but also so natural when I thought about it, caesars! I liked the chunky texture of each salsa and how you could really see the ingredients, whole corn kernels, chunks of mango and shreds of real crab. 

The flavour of the salsas were closer to ones I’ve made at home versus store bought varieties and quite sweet. The smokey chipotle flavour really came through and the lime mango had a great balance of sweetness and acidity. With the Chesapeake Bay Crab Salsa, there was a distinct seafood taste, but just a hint and not overwhelming. It would be perfect paired with any kind of seafood. All of the salsas were truly light on salt and I didn’t feel any guilt loading up my sampling chip.

Inspired

Before tasting the salsas,I knew I wanted to make something to pair with the Chesapeake Bay Crab Salsa and a kind of fish pakora seems perfect. Once I tasted the Lime Mango though, my tastebuds were blown away. The sweet mango and sour lime would be perfect with anything deep fried. No need for a wedge of lime, just spoon on more salsa. The Crab Salsa was equally delicious and the mild seafood flavour mellowed out the saltier bites of fish. I can’t wait to serve a bowl of the Spicy Chipotle Pepper & Smoked Corn salsa on our next taco night.

Yum

Crispy Fish Bites with Salsa

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Gunther’s Gourmet Chesapeake Bay Crab Salsa
• 1/4 cup Gunther’s Gourmet Lime Mango Salsa
• 1 lb of basa fillets
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Chinese cooking wine
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Cut basa into 1 inch chunks and season with salt, black pepper and Chinese cooking wine.
2. For the batter, combine potato starch, flour, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cilantro, water and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. In a wok (or crock pot), fill with oil until 2 inches deep and heat oil to 325°F.
4. Dip each piece of fish in the batter and slowly place in oil. Flip each piece periodically as it fries to ensure even browning. Fry for 3-5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F.
5. Serve with a bowl of Gunther’s Gourmet Chesapeake Bay Crab Salsa and Lime Mango Salsa.

0.1

I’m convinced that in a previous life I was a pampered house cat. I love afternoon naps in a spot of sun and love eating fish, from head to tail, skin, fins and all. My favourite way to eat fish is steamed whole, a traditional Asian method of preparation. Whenever my parents went grocery shopping, a freshly cleaned live fish would often be in their basket. Tilapia is generally the cheapest live fish at Asian grocery stores in Toronto and what I grew up eating. Stephen loves to fish, but he doesn’t love eating fishy things. Stephen finds tilapia to taste especially muddy. This means that since we’ve been married, my consumption of fish has decreased drastically unless we’re eating at my parents.

However, because he spoils me, we’ve recently started cooking steamed fish at home (all for me). We are spending a little more to buy Green Bass or Striped Bass, fish that Stephen enjoys more. I’ve also learned how to say Striped Bass in Mandarin from a helpful lady while I struggled to order at the grocery store. My level of Mandarin is grade school, meaning I know how to ask for fish at the grocery store, but not Striped Bass.

Steamed Fish

2017-04-14 02:02:23

Serves 4

Steamed whole fish covered in ginger and green onions

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

15 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

15 min

Ingredients

1. 1 fresh striped bass, cleaned (1-1.25lb)
2. 4 stalks green onion
3. 1 1/2 disc of ginger
4. 3 tbsps Steamed Fish Sauce (seasoned fish sauce)

Instructions

1. On a plate or pan, steam fish until done (~ 9-11 minutes).
2. Julienne the ginger and green onions, separate the ginger in half.
3. In a pan, heat oil and add half the ginger, fry until golden brown and crisp. Set aside.
4. Once the fish is done steaming, drain 80% of the liquid from the plate. Place the green onion and remaining raw ginger on top of the fish and pour the hot oil and cooked ginger over it. Top with Steam Fish Sauce.

Notes

1. We use Kimlan brand Steam Fish Sauce, which is a seasoned soy sauce. If you can't find the specific type of soy sauce, you can substitute with light soy sauce mixed with a touch of sugar

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Steam fish until done

Julienne ginger and green onions

Fry half of the ginger to top the steamed fish

Whenever I visit a Sichuan restaurant, I have to order the Shui Zhu Yu (water fish). To me, this dish is the measure of authenticity for the entire menu. The numbing, peppery flavour is one I crave for often. After eating different versions of Shui Zhu Yu at many Toronto restaurants, and making it at home using pre-packaged spice mixes, The Hubby and I decided to try making the recipe from scratch. I was surprised with how easy it was to make and how well it turned out. However, I did have a secret ingredient available, Sichuan peppercorns straight from China that were incredibly fragrant (much more than the ones I’ve bought in Toronto). I would adjust the number of peppercorns and peppers depending on personal preference and the strength of the spices.

Shui Zhu Yu

2016-05-16 01:41:06

Serves 4

A traditional Sichuan dish highlighting the cuisine's signature numbing spice flavour

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

1. 2 large basa fish fillets (2 cups sliced into chunks)
2. 2 tbsp rice wine
3. 3 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
4. 1/2 cup oil, seperated into two 1/2 cups
5. 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
6. 1 inch chunch of ginger, sliced
7. 3 green onions
8. 1/8 cup ground red chilies
9. 1/4 cup dried red chili peppers
10. 2 bay leaves
11. 2 star anise
12. 1 cinnamon stick
13. 1 tsp fennel seeds
14. 2 tbsp spicy doubanjian, fermented soybean paste
15. 4 cups bean sprouts (or more)
16. 2 cups water
17. 1 tbsp soy sauce
18. salt to taste
19. 1 cup of cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Marinate the basa fillets in cooking wine for 15 min.
2. Grind the peppercorns until fine, I used a manual coffee grinder for this.
3. Roughly chop the green onions into 1 inch long sections.
4. In a pot on medium heat, add half the oil, garlic, ginger, half of the green onions, ground red chilies, dried red peppers, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds. Stir until the garlic begins to brown and the spices become fragrant.
5. Add the doubanjian to the pan and stir constantly. Add the water, soy sauce and bring the pot to a boil.
6. Add the fish slices to the pot, making sure there's enough liquid to cover the fish. Cook until the flesh turns opaque. Once the fish is cooked, add the bean sprouts to the boiling pot, pushing them to the bottom. The bean sprouts just need to be blanched for 1-2 minutes.
7. In another pan on medium heat, heat up the remaining oil until it just begins to smoke.
8. Top the fish with the remaining green onions, ground Sichuan power, additional dried pepper s (optional), in a pile. Pour the hot oil onto this pile before serving.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Assemble ingredients

Chop fish into chunks

Marinate fish in cooking wine

Stir fry the ginger, garlic and spices on medium heat until aromatic

Stir fry the ginger, garlic and spices on medium heat until aromatic

Add doubanjiang

Add water, soy sauce and fish, cook until the fish becomes opaque

Add remaining green onions and ground Sichuan peppercorn, pour over with hot oil

With the weather cooling down, I’m always craving comfort foods. For some this means stews and soups, which I also love but one dish I’ve been making repeatedly this year is yellow curry using Malaysian curry paste. The recipe is simple, quick and can be adapted for chicken or fish. So far, The Hubby and I have already made two batches and both turned out delicious. With lots of potatoes, the curry is perfect for lunch and freezes well for future meals! (I still have one portion of chicken curry waiting for me in our freezer now).

Yellow Fish Curry

2015-12-18 20:12:46

Serves 4

Yellow Curry with fish featuring Malaysian curry paste

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 2 heaping tbsp yellow curry paste
2. 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
3. 1 tsp white sugar
4. 2 1/2 tsp curry powder
5. 1 tsp salt
6. 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
7. 1 (5.6 ounce) can coconut milk
8. 2 tbsp canola oil
9. 2 basa fillets (400g)
10. 2 tbsp minced garlic
11. 2 tbsp minced ginger
12. 2 onion, sliced
13. 4 potatoes, cubed

Instructions

1. Grate the ginger, mince the garlic and onion, and set aside. Peel the potatoes and chop into approximately 1cm cubes.
2. In a crock pot on medium heat, add 2 tbsp cooking. Once the oil heats up, add the potatoes fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. To the crock pot, add curry powder, yellow curry paste, onions, garlic, ginger and stir fry together for until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Then add the fish chunks and let simmer until the flesh turns opaque.

xiaoEats | Toronto Food Blog http://xiaoeats.com/

Step by Step Photos

Assemble ingredients

Chop and brown the potatoes

Slice basa fillet into 1 inch chunks

Add garlic, ginger and onions into the pot with the potatoes and fry until onions brown

Add in remaining wet ingredients and bring to a boil, add in fish and simmer until the flesh turns opaque

Bonus: More efficiency happens if your cat supervises

After reading the exceptional reviews online for Coconut’s Fish Cafe, we went out of our way to stop by while in Maui. Our visit was two hours after breakfast and neither the Fiance or I had much of an appetite. The restaurant was located in a strip mall, occupying two units with ample seating outside. The interior decor was made up of picnic tables and surfboards. Coconut’s Fish Cafe was named after the owner’s cat, Coconut, and pictures of her decorated the walls.

We placed our order at the counter, were given a number and choose a free seat. Once the dishes were ready, a server delivered them to us. Since we weren’t all that hungry, we stuck to two dishes, the Coconut Shrimp and Grilled Fish of the Day. The plate of 6 shrimp was $10.99 and compared to the quality and value of Geste Shrimp, I much preferred the latter. While the shrimp were crispy and not oily, I didn’t find them extra special. With the grilled fish, the portion was large, the fish was fresh, well seasoned and served on a bed of delicious brown rice. Hamburger toppings were served on the side consisting of lettuce, a slice of tomato and shredded cheese. On paper, I liked the idea of a bunless fish sandwich but it didn’t translate 100% on to the plate, a normal tossed salad would have worked better. Fresh fish was their strong point.

Leilani’s is the second restaurant we visited for dinner in Maui, just across from Hula Grill in Whaler’s Village. We were still trying to get over jetlag but had worked up a nice appetite from walking around Lahaina. 6pm dinner Maui time was still 12am back in Toronto.

Atmosphere: Similar to Hula Grill, Leilani’s offers a sit in dining area and a beach side one. We chose to line up for the Beach Side Grill because it had the shortest queue and we were hungry. The set up felt like a giant patio, there was no live music but the tables felt less crowded than Hula Grill. Giant umbrellas provided shade and protection from the rain, which turned into a heavy pour while we ate. Again, I would guess that more 95% of the diners were tourists.

Service: Nothing was spectacular or disappointing. Our server was professional and efficient. I was impressed at how quickly the staff rolled out a large awning when the rain grew heavier. They also didn’t mind when we lingered after we settled the bill to wait it out. Prices were a little on the higher side for the fare but it wasn’t out to left field and it was a very tourist heavy area.

Food: Between The Fiance and I, we shared an Ahi Poke Bowl, Fish Tacos and the Fresh Catch of the Day. Both of us loved the taro chips provided to scoop up the two kinds of ahi poke. They were fresh, thin and crispy. The poke themselves were on the very salty side and we quickly got through all of the chips. Delicious, but super salty. Between Hula Grill and Leilani’s, I preferred Leilani’s fish taco while The Fiance liked Hula Grill’s. Now looking back, I also realize that almost every restaurant has some kind of claim that their fish taco is the best on the island. I liked how firm the fish was and the creaminess of the cheese and sauce. I also thought the tortilla held up better and had a firmer texture.

I don’t remember exactly what the catch of the day was but when placing the order, we were able to choose how to the fish would be cooked. Options included plain grilled, grilled with butter and cajun style. We choose cajun and the fish was served alongside a giant pile of fresh greens and mounds of pineapple salsa. The salad was generously dressed, a little too heavily for my taste. The fish was heavenly, cooked perfectly, flakey and well seasoned. My one regret was not having enough room left for a slice of Hula Pie. Three women at the table beside us split a slice and I almost asked to join in. It looked like layers of chocolate, whipped cream and heaven but The Fiance is lactose intolerant and I couldn’t finish a whole slice myself. I really should have tried.

Our first night in Maui, The Fiance and I landed at 6pm. By the time we got through customs, picked up the rental (a lime green mustang convertible) and drove an hour to the hotel, it was 9pm and we’d been awake for close to 21 hours. Needless to say we needed a quick meal that was close by and still open. We stayed at the Sheraton resort in the Kaanapali area and was only a 10 minute walk from Whaler’s Village, a mall with shops and restaurants tailored to the many tourists in the area.

Atmosphere: Hula Grill has two dining areas, an outside barefoot bar in the sand right off the beach and a more formal interior space. We chose to sit outside and was directed to a table right in front of the live performance stage. It was nice to have sand in between your toes during dinner and I immediately felt like I was on vacation. Large beach umbrellas provide cover, and the space is lined with palm trees and tiki torches. The restaurant was still pretty busy with people enjoying drinks and dessert. There was definitely a heavy proportion of tourists and the mood was relaxed.

Service: Once we were seated, we had time to sit with our menus before our server came to introduce herself. She was friendly and professional. Our food arrived after a short wait and our bill was brought to us once the plates were cleared. It was a hard to track down our server as she moved in and out of the restaurant but it didn’t hamper our dinner at all.

Food: After such a long day, I knew I needed to eat something but my stomach was already asleep and ready for bed. We decided to split a plate of Local-Style Potstickers and a Fresh Fish Taco. Both dishes were “Hawaiian” and the fish would be light.

The potstickers were deep fried, filled with kalua pork, Maui Onion and served with a ponzu sauce.The skins were super crispy, not oily and the filling was rich and flavourful. I loved the ponzu sauce and it was nice tangy, sweet balance to the potstickers. This was my first of many fish tacos to come in Maui and it set a nice bar for the trip. The fish was lightly grilled and you could really taste the natural flavour with no fishiness. The salsa topping and coleslaw filling was also light allowing the fish to take centre stage.

Overall, our meal at Hula Grill was a nice way to start our trip. With the decor and overload of Hawaiian shirts, we slipped right into vacation mode while listening to ukulele performers and enjoying a great fish taco.