Cod Cupcakes with Tartar Icing

Confused over this posting?  I understand.  I don't venture too far from the sweet profile, right?  But this recipe is just so unassuming!

Contrary to what you might believe, I am not all about honoring my sweet tooth...just mostly.  Eating for health has been a lifelong task (no matter how elusive it is at times), and I try to balance what makes me healthy with what makes me happy.  Sounds simple, but I'm a simple girl.

Flaky white fish works well here since you can support its lean protein with herbs and spices.  Originally, I was going to follow this recipe and use tilapia, but when I showed up at the market codfish was on sale for $5.99 a pound!  Truth: The package I purchased actually said scrod.  I learned a new vocabulary word and its definition is young cod.  Stick with me and we'll learn together :)

Anyway, this humble recipe is undemanding.  You don't need to give it much of your time, and the time you give can be when you are between other tasks.  It waits for you.

Notes:
The next time, I will sprinkle the tops of the mini cod cakes with some of the cajun seasoning to add color.

Cod Cupcakes with Tartar Icing
Yield:  15 mini cod cakes plus 3 cod pancakes

For Cod Cupcakes:
3/4 pound of a mild white fish filet, give or take ( I used cod...ahem, scrod)
1 teaspoon Cajun spice mix (you could use Old Bay Seasoning)
Lemon or lime slices
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used 6-cheese Italian Blend because I had no other choice)
1/2 cup brown rice flour (I am sure you can use ap flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

For Tartar Icing:
Equal portions of Spice Buffalo Mayonnaise (like Hellmann's), Mayonnaise, and Dill Relish
(I started with a tablespoon of each, mixed, and then added a bit of hot sauce)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350º F.
2.  Prepare the filet by placing it on parchment, salting and peppering.  I topped the filet with a few lime slices for extra flavor.  I wrapped the fish into a parchment packet, like this.

             

3.  Bake the fish filet for about 30 minutes or until flaky.  Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Keep oven on.
4.  Place fish in a medium-size bowl and flake with a fork.  Stir in the eggs and shredded cheese.

                 

5.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and hot sauce.
6.  The mixture should have the texture of ground meat, moist but not too sticky.

             

              

7.  Place cupcake liners into a mini-muffin pan or just grease the mini-muffin pan cups. I used a 15 cup silicone muffin pan.
8.  Take a tablespoon or so of the mix and shape into a ball.  Drop into a cupcake liner or directly into a greased mini-muffin pan cup.
9.  Place the pan into the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the tops start to brown.
10. Remove from oven to cool a bit.
11. Alternately, shape mix into pancakes and fry in a lightly greased skillet until browned on both sides.
12. Place a dollop of tartar sauce on the mini codcakes or pancakes to serve, or place the tartar sauce in a small bowl for self-serving.  Sprinkle with parsley.

            

Oatmeal Cookies with Himalayan Pink Salt

Well, let's just say I've got your sweet and salty covered this week.  These cuties are easy to make, freeze well, and look better than they should for what they are (no offense, oatmeal cookies).

I am beginning to see a common thread through much of my baking: easy, freezable, beautiful, and tasty.  I hope you can you get on board with that because this would mean that you never...I mean it...never have to buy packaged sweets again.  This thought makes me joyful.

So, what is this pink salt?  Is it really from the Himalayan Mountains?  Is it any healthier?  I already know that it's prettier (does this opinion count for anything?)

I did a quick search and discovered that my brand sources from the Himalayans and claims the unrefined crystal is rich with minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron.  As you see above, the one I use comes with a nifty adjustable grinder!

Notes:
*  The adapted recipe below comes from the Washington Post, and the original yield was 18 cookies of golf ball size.  Yikes!  I halved the recipe and the yield was about 5 1/2 dozen 1-inch diameter sweet and salty bite-size perfections.  You do what you must do.
*  I used self-rising flour instead of all-purpose + baking powder + baking soda because I like to bend the rules a bit.
*  I used quick oats because I like to bend the rules a bit more.
*  I made up the dough, chilled it on a Saturday, and baked all the cookies the following Monday.
*  These are easy to freeze.

Oatmeal Cookies with Himalayan Pink Salt
adapted from here

6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
7/8 cup self-rising flour
1 cup oats
Himalayan Pink Salt for sprinkling (any Sea Salt will do)

Directions

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  2.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sugars and cinnamon.  Mix until well blended.
3.  Reduce the speed and add the egg and vanilla extract.  Mix well.
4.  Reduce speed to low and add the flour and oats.  Mix again, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary until all ingredients are incorporated.
5.  Scrape out the dough onto a piece of saran wrap.  Wrap up tightly and completely.  Chill for an hour or so (or until you have time to bake the cookies).
6.  Preheat the oven to 375º.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Alternatively, you can line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Then, when one sheet comes out of the oven, the next sheet goes in.
7.  Place a small bowl of Himalayan salt crystals nearby.
8.  Take a small spoonful of dough and roll it in your hands to make a 1-inch diameter ball.  Dredge the top of the ball through the pink salt and place on the cookie sheet.  Continue in this manner, placing the dough balls an inch from one another.  They do not spread during baking so they can get pretty close.

9.  Bake for 10 minutes.  At minute 7,  turn the baking sheet 1/2 way around so that the cookies brown evenly.
10. Remove from oven and place on rack to cool.