Kevin Van Dam Forums

Merry Christmas & Fresh Walleye Taco’s

2012-12-20T13:14:33-05:00

Some say I don’t have enough to do (Mainly My Wife), but the truth is I am busier than when I worked. It’s tough making walleye taco’s for lunch, the hardest part being which beer to choose with them. This beer choice may be a never ending process. LOL Anyway if I don’t get a chance before then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my fishing buddy’s.

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii525/USMCGeoff/FishTacos003_zpsc2666524.jpg

Delight Desert.

2012-07-30T21:40:53-05:00

1 box Vanilla Waffers
1 envelope Dream Whip
1 box of Cream Cheese
1 can of fruit topping or pie filling.

Layer waffers in bottom of pan or desert dish.
Mix Dream Whip according to box.
Mix Cream Cheese and Dream Whip, to desired texture(I like mine chunky)
Add fruit topping

Chill, to store.

Crappie Fajitas

2012-06-30T14:34:00-05:00

Just thawed out some crappie for dinner tonight and figured I’d share one of my favorite recipes with you guys. This one is for dinner tonight. I came up with this on my own a while back and darn it is good. Even makes those stinky catfish edible.

6 nice big minnesota crappies, 12 fillets
1 large sweet bell pepper (yellow, orange, or red)
1 large yellow onion
1 medium ripe tomato
1/8 cup flour
1/8 cup yellow cornmeal
chile powder
onion powder
garlic powder
white pepper- ground
cayenne pepper
cumin
salt
(a package of taco seasoning can be substituted for the above spices)
Corn tortillas

Julienne your bell pepper and onion and get it going in a skillet with some olive oil. Cook it on medium heat until it they are just starting to get tender, but be careful not to burn the onions. Chop the tomato and add to the veggies and cook for another couple minutes until they get hot. Remove from heat and cover with lid, it will finish cooking on its own while you do the fish.

In a small bowl combine the spices in whatever measure you want, I like a little spice but some like it kick-butt spicy. Add your flour and cornmeal to the bowl. Take you fish fillets and make sure they are damp, but not wet. Roll them in the breading you have just made but go easy, you just want a light coating. Pan fry the fish in about 1/4” of oil on both sides until they are nice and golden brown and crispy.

Warm your tortillas over a burner for about 2 seconds on each side so they are pliable. Place the fish on the tortilla, cover with the veggies and enjoy.

Usually 2 fillets per tortilla if you are using the big ones… unless you catch small fish

Lazy Mans Chili with Beans

2008-05-01T21:25:53-05:00

Ingredients…

2lbs. ground beef
1 package ( 1.0 ) oz. ranch dip mix
1 package ( 1.25 ) taco seasoning mix (mild, medium or hot)
1 can ( 10 ) oz. tomatoes & green chilies, drained
2 cans ( 14.5 ) oz. each tomatoes & onions
1 can ( 12 ) oz. chili beans, drained
1 can ( 11 ) oz. whole kernel corn, drained
1 Tbsp. Tabasco Pepper Sauce
1 package ( 8 ) oz. shredded cheese
1 package ( 8 ) oz. sour cream

Directions….

Brown the ground beef in a large pot. Drain the beef and return it to the pot. Add ALL of the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on medium heat for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from heat and spoon into individual serving bowls. Add more cheese and sour cream for your liking.

**You can substitute another can of tomatoes & chilies for the tomatoes & onions if you are not an onion fan!! They actually make a rotel that is for chili.

Smoked Slamon pizza

2012-01-16T08:10:39-05:00

I do not cook by time, but rather by eye and feel.

Smoke some salmon and mozzarella at your desired temperature and duration. 200 degrees or less is recommended. Rub the salmon in your favorite dry BBQ rub and wrap and tie the soft mozzerlla (the stuff in a water solution, not that hard white brick stuff) in olive, or other cooking oil, soaked cheese cloth. Smoke on a smoking unit of your choice with a wood of your choice until the salmon is done. When the salmon is done, so is the cheese. Use a prepared precooked thin-crust pizza dough. Lightly brush both sides of the pizza crust in olive oil to prevent the crust from becoming too dry once on the smoker. Some cheese will stick to the cloth, this is normal.

The choice of a sauce if up to you. This is a recipe of less-is-more to allow for the smoked salmon and cheese to shine through. I like pressed garlic, dried oregano and fennel miked with the top coat of olive oil. Remove the skin and dark meat from the smoked salmon. Skinless salmon fillets is preferred to avoid this step. Place healthy coating of salmon onto the pizza crust. Add fresh spinach leaves, yellow onion and any other toppings as you see fit. Avoid kalamata olives and other pungent toppings as it may overpower the delicate nature of the dish. Slice and place the smoked mozzarella onto the pizza.

Place back on smoker at 300 degrees until the cheese has begun to melt. Pizza is done when the cheese is melted, the fresh spinach is wrinkled and soft and the pizza can be lifted off the racks without folding over the edges of the lifting device.

Quick and tasty hamburger dinner

2012-05-07T22:10:48-05:00

I got home from work a little late today and Heather wasn’t feeling well. We had a pound of hamburger out for dinner with no idea what to fix (we were out of Hamburger helper). I did a quick search on the Google and found this:

Hamburger Casserole with Potatoes

Ingredients:
•1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
•1/2 cup milk
•1 pound ground round
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon pepper
•2 tablespoons minced onion (1/2 small onion)
•1 large egg
•prepared mashed potatoes, about 2 to 4 cups (we used a package of Betty Crocker garlic mashed potatoes)
•3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
•paprika, optional

Preparation:

Soak bread crumbs in milk. Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, onion, bread crumb-milk mixture, and egg. Spread in a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Top with mashed potatoes; sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted and potatoes are thoroughly heated. If desired, sprinkle hamburger casserole with paprika.
Hamburger casserole serves 4.

It was quick and darn tasty. Heather and I already started thinking how we can modify it like adding chopped fresh green peppers or some mushrooms.

Outstanding Panfish Chowder

2012-01-30T16:37:05-05:00

2 pounds Panfish fillets
Handfuls of cubed Potatoes (preferable Redskins; do not peel)
Handfuls of diced Onion
Handfuls of diced Celery
1# diced Bacon
1 can cream of shrimp soup
2 qts. Half&Half;
Old Bay Seasoning (to taste)

Put potatoes in pot with just enough water to cover. Boil until tender.
Meanwhile, in a separate fry pan, fry Bacon until crisp; remove and add Onion and Celery to Bacon Grease
and fry. Combine remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly. Add water from boiled potatoes, more Half&Half;
or milk if you need more liquid. Best enjoyed with a cold brewsky.

Sorry I can’t give you measurements on some of the stuff, but I cook by the seat of my pants.

It is a perfect blend. I have had hundreds of people ask me for this recipe after they have tasted it. Works
especially good for a wild game dinner because no one usually makes soup.

Grilled salmon on a bed of spinach leaves

2012-01-31T08:38:58-05:00

Pretty self explanatory. Grill some salmon on low heat until done. You can marinate the fish in your choice of marinade or dry rub before placing on the grill. Soak some wood smoking chips of your choice cut for 30 min before hand and place on grill 10 min before placing the salmon if you desire an added smoked flavor. Placing the salmon skin side down on tin foil without lubricant makes the removal of the light colored flesh from the skin and dark meat much easier as a natural adhesive will form on the skin adhering it to the foil. Skinless fillets will avoid this step. An optional, but recommended step is to briefly fry the fish in olive oil on a pan with fresh rosemary to crispin up the fillet before serving. Allow the pan and oil to get hot before placing the cooked fillet so as to avoid and overly oily texture.

Serve on a bed of adult or baby spinach leaves. Doctor up the bed of leaves with whatever salad toppings you choose. Heck, eat it with and oil and vinaigrette or even ranch dressing. It’s good at keeping the wife happy with your fishing hobby and it tastes darn good too.

Baked Crappie Fillets (Low Carbs, High Protein)

2008-06-19T19:24:41-05:00

8 (8oz), skinless crappie fillets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 to 4 cups of Mayonnaise
Lemon pepper seasoning
Dried parsley flakes
Water

1. Heat oven to 350 degree F.
2. Coat fish with flour, shaking off excess. Spread mayonnaise evenly over fish. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and parsley. Place in baking pan large enough to hold a single layer. Carefully pour water around fish to 1/8-inch depth.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with fork and top is light golden brown.

8 servings.

TIP:
Fish baking; Always check fish at the minimum baking time.
Baking time will vary considerable depending on the thickness of the fish.
If Fillets are very thin, check for doneness after 15 minutes.
And all bake skin side down.

This recipe is beautiful on a plate served with stir-fried squash and zucchini. This fish bakes a nice gold/white.
I do the same recipe with thinning sliced chicken, but if you are tried of chicken and beef every meal…try this with fresh caught crappie.

Whole Flounder with Herb Marinade

2011-12-28T00:30:24-05:00

Whole Flounder with Herb Marinade

3 tb Olive Oil 1/4 ts Salt
2 tb Fresh Herbs; chopped Ground Pepper
1 ts Garlic; minced 2 lb Flounder

Combine oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper; set aside for up to 2 hours.
Dress or pan-dress the fish the fish, rinse well, and pat dry. Slash the
thicker part of both fillets with 1 or 2 shallow diagonal cuts through the
skin and into the meat. Set aside 1 tb marinade and rub the rest all over
the surface of the fish and into the cuts. Set aside on a plate for 15
minutes.

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill. Oil the grill rack and place
fish dark-skin side down. Grill 4 minutes, or until skin releases easily
from grill. Turn, baste with any marinade remaining on the plate, and
continue grilling until a thin skewer easily penetrates thickest part of
the fish, another 2-4 minutes.