Mystery Ingredient Club ~ Roasted Nori Salmon with Crispy Potatoes and Wasabi Mayonnaise

Using ingredient number two of three, sent to Mystery Ingredient Club members by Michael at Rattlebridge Farm.  (Michael is the creator and host of the club.)

To learn more click the image below:

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I chose to use the Citrus Salt from Cyprus in this recipe from Donna Hay's current magazine edition.  (The original version uses plain sea salt.)





The recipe is very simple and would make a great weeknight dinner as it can be on the table in  less than a half hour.



The sauce is made by blending Wasabi paste with a good quality whole egg mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice. 
The method is to smash the parboiled potatoes with your fingers a little to crush them, drizzle with oil and salt, then roast them on an oiled, shallow rimmed baking sheet  for 10 minutes in a 475ºF/250ºC oven. After the 10 minutes, the seaweed wrapped salmon filets are placed skin side down on the hot baking sheet, (scooting the potatoes to the edge of the pan) then continue roasting the potatoes and salmon together for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.
The filets I used were on the smallish side, so they barely took 6 minutes to cook. (There is carry-over cooking after you remove the pan from the oven.) 
You can make the Wasabi Mayonnaise, and par boil the tiny potatoes  a couple of hours ahead to cut last minute prep time.



I served the salmon with fresh pea sprouts (love those ~ all the flavor of fresh peas, but with a delicate crunch). No prep at all, just rinse them well under cold water and arrange on the plates or platter.
It received a hearty thumbs-up at our table,  and I would definitely make this again.

I've posted the printable recipe over on my  recipe blog ~ click here.
Please hop over to Rattlebridge Farm for The August 2nd edition of Foodie Friday.
Have a wonderful day!
~mari

Pan Seared Salmon Filets with Highly Herbed Lemon-Olive 'Vinaigrette' on Orzo Shaped Pasta

When I devised this dish the dilemma arose as to what to name it.  The 'sauce' for the fish isn't a true vinaigrette ~ it's loaded with olives, and many more chopped herbs than a traditional vinaigrette.

But the flavors of a herb vinaigrette are all there ~ Lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard (optional), olive oil, salt and pepper. With the addition of some slivered olives. (You might like to substitute your favorite wine vinegar for the lemon if you don't care for citrus.)

If you've followed my blog for a while you know that salmon appears on the menu often so I try to keep the flavors interesting with healthy additions that can be drizzled or spooned over the cooked fish for variety.

I used Kalamata olives but you could use another type if you prefer (or omit them altogether.)

The rice shaped pasta is just boiled until al dente and plated first, the salmon on top, then a generous serving of the vinaigrette ~ it serves dual purpose by dressing the orzo as well as the fish.

  

Fortunately most of the herbs in my garden (except the most tender) over-winter in this climate so they are available year round.  This time the mix was Italian Parsley, Thyme, Oregano ~ and snipped chives (which I forgot to include in the herb photos, oops.)

Simple sides ~ Pan Roasted Tomatoes on the Vine, and flash-blanched Pea Pods.

A really delicious, healthful dinner that comes together in practically no time ~ and it's good warm or at room temperature.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe for the 'Vinaigrette' you can find it on Once Upon a Plate ~ The Recipes by clicking HERE.

Thank you for stopping by today, friends!  ~ Mari

Asian-style Pan Seared Salmon Filets with Peanuts and Lime

Because of its known health benefits, I try to serve salmon about once a week. In order to avoid repetition I switch out the method of preparation, and the seasonings.

This happens to be an easy and flavorful way of serving it ~ inspired by a couple of Asian-style recipes I've used in the past. 

I make my own thick teriyaki sauce as it only takes a few minutes to combine the ingredients and reduce them in a saucepan,but if you want to skip that step, use any commercial (thick) teriyaki sauce that you like. 

Look for the thick kind that is brushed on during the last few minutes of cooking, rather than the thin "marinade" type, as the latter won't produce the right results for this method.

You can cook the fish almost any way (broiled, baked, grilled, poached, or pan-seared like I did here) ~ Then just spoon the warm teriyaki sauce over, garnish with chopped, roasted & salted peanuts and serve lime slices or wedges on the side so each diner can add their own.

Incidentally, you can use nearly any fish instead of the salmon ~ it just happens to be one of my favorites.

Easy, peasy! If you would like a printable copy of my "Thin or Thick Homemade Teriyaki Sauce", you can find it HERE on the Once Upon a Plate Recipes site.

Thanks for stopping by today, friends!

Dust off that Panini Maker!

A little while back I promised to share a few more ways of putting your panini maker to use ~

Here are a few of my favorites ~  and the good news? 

No recipes needed.

Salmon with Dijon Mustard - Herbes de Provence Vinaigrette

Salmon filets, sprinkled with salt and pepper, brushed with oil and grilled. Add some Herbes de Provence to your favorite Dijon mustard vinaigrette recipe, drizzle over and serve.

(These were unusually thin salmon filets, so they grilled in under two minutes.)

  

As a side dish I also grilled some thick slices of par-boiled potatoes, and grilled some proscuitto 'ribbons' to garnish them. 

Grilled Shrimp with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce Drizzle

Skewer shrimp (makes for easier handling), lightly brush with oil, sprinkle with a little sea salt then grill.  Take care not to overcook ~ they practically cook instantly in a panini grill.

Remove to warm serving plate and drizzle with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce (from the bottle.)

Vegetable Teriyaki Skewers

Just run a skewer through vegetables of choice (here ~ Baby Portabella mushrooms with scallions,  and Red Bell Pepper Strips.)  Brush with your favorite Teriaki sauce (with a drizzle of oil added to prevent sticking and burning) and grill until cooked to your preference.

Pineapple slices and zucchini slices are very good prepared this way, too.

So simple, yet tasty and each of these take just a few minutes to prepare and grill.  I'd love to hear about your favorites from the panini grill. :) 

Thank you for stopping by today, friends ~ I hope you have a delicious day!

Not Quite Brandade Cakes - (Salmon instead of Cod)

brandade
[brahn-DAHD]
"The famous brandade de morue of Provence is a pounded mixture of salt cod, olive oil, garlic, milk and cream. This flavorful puree is served with CROÛTES and often garnished with chopped black truffles. Other salted or smoked fish can also be used to make brandade."

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc.
1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Not quite brandade because I swapped freshly poached salmon for the salt cod, added finely snipped chives and Italian parsley for extra flavor and color. Instead of chopped black truffles I garnished with caramelized sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes and garlic slivers.

Equal amounts of fish and potatoes are poached until tender in a flavorful herb infused water (garlic, bay, thyme, parsley), then drained.

The potatoes are mashed with cream, and the fish is finely flaked with two forks.

The salmon and potatoes are combined with fresh chopped parsley and snipped chives, espelette pepper or hot paprika, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The seasoned mixture is portioned into any size cake you prefer then dredged in Panko (Japanese dried breadcrumbs) or flour, and pan-fried in grape seed oil or peanut oil over high heat until deeply browned and crispy.

After being plated up a generous spoonful of the caramelized cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers and garlic slices are spooned over ~ a delightful contrast to the crispy-creamy salmon cakes.

Of course you could use nearly any cooked fish in lieu of the salmon; and the caramelized tomatoes and peppers would take good-old tuna cakes up a notch.

Make the cakes even smaller for appetizer-size portions ~ YUM!

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, please visit my recipe blog (HERE.)

Salmon au Gratin

I found myself with an extra poached salmon filet in the fridge, not quite large enough to serve two people by itself...

My thought first turned to salmon cakes, but it was late and I really didn't feel like frying.

So I decided to turn it into an au gratin with buttered Panko bread crumb topping.

The same technique could be used with most any cooked fish, crab, shrimp, chicken (or canned salmon or tuna.)

This time I served it with a marinated cucumber salad for a quick satisfying meal.

When I make this kind of dish I just "wing" the recipe, it is a basic recipe like THIS one. When making the white sauce I add some grated onion while the butter melts to allow it to wilt. When mixing it with the salmon I add very small amount of Dijon mustard to the finished sauce and I like to add a little lemon zest as well as the juice. (If you like it spicy add a couple of drops of Tabasco tm.) To finish I always top with a layer of buttered bread crumbs before placing it in the oven.

It's a fast and easy recipe that is easy on the budget, too.

Thanks for stopping by today!

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TEA SET DRAWING:

Thank you for the GREAT response to the Tea Set drawing ~

The winner will be announced this Thursday ~ Good Luck!!

Slow-Roasted Chipolte Salmon with Pineapple Rice

When Pam, on her blog Sidewalk Shoes, shared this recipe from "Cuisine at Home" recently I knew I wanted to make it for Saturday Blog Showcase, hosted each Saturday by my friends Ann and Lori.

This week Ann @ Thibeault's Table is hosting.

Please click the logo above to see this weeks participants and learn more about Saturday Blog Showcase.

The layers of flavor in this dish are unbelievably delicious ~

Salmon filets are brushed with a mixture of adobo sauce from canned chipolte chilis

a little brown sugar, and salt then roasted in a slow oven for about 20 to 30 minutes (depending upon the thickness of the filets.)

After roasting the fish is brushed once again with the Chipolte sauce and placed under the broiler for a moment to slightly caramelize the sauce.

Pineapple rice provides a perfect foil for the salmon which has a bit of a spicy kick. Finally a slightly sweet-tart Lime-Ginger and Scallion Sauce is drizzled over ~ it compliments both the rice and the fish wonderfully.

It received raves at my house, 5 out of 5 stars! I would definitely make this one again for the family and I think it would be great on a dinner party menu as well.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, click HERE.

Thank you for coming by today ~ I would be so happy if you would leave a comment so I know you've been by. :)

Have a wonderful week friends!

Pan Seared Salmon Filets with Sweet & Tangy Dijon Vinaigrette

If you've been following you know I prepare salmon often ~ usually very simply prepared and finished with some kind of condiment or sauce.

I had some mustard greens I wanted to prepare, so I devised this sweet and tangy Mustard Vinaigrette to compliment both the salmon, as well as the slightly bitter greens.

Since these filets were rather thin, I didn't want to sear them for long so as to avoid overcooking. The downside to this was that they didn't really get that nice golden brown sear on them that I love.

When I plated them I thought they looked BARE. The salmon definitely needed a boost.

Not bad, but not as eye-appealing as they could be.


So I garnished them with crispy proscuitto, to add color, flavor and textural contrast.

It's a fabulous method; one that I learned from my delightful friend Lori, on her blog "All That Splatters" (click link to see how-to.)

We really enjoyed it, it scored 5 out of 5 stars and I've already been asked to make it again soon.

I love when that happens! :)

Along with the mustard greens, I served this with pan roasted tomatoes-on-the-vine ~ a really nice slightly tart compliment to the other flavors.





If you would like a printable copy of my recipe, you can find it on my recipe blog.

Click HERE to go there.





Thank you for stopping by ~

Please talk to me ~ I love comments!