Once you read the recipe through, hopefully you'll smile at the photo above the way I do. That dark clump on top of the salmon? Yah, thats the sauce. I was a little absentminded and left it on too long. It still tasted great, but it wasn't the most photogenic of sauces. Serves me right, for all those times I muttered at too-runny sauces as they ran all over the plate. Can't win.
Dark, clumpy sauce aside, I was really happy with this meal. The marinade/sauce smells amazing and wasn't any trouble to prepare. Please note that the salmon has to soak in the marinade for a few hours... so plan accordingly. I didn't, the first night I wanted to make this, so we had it the next day instead. And even then, I had to run home at lunch to throw it all together. (There's that absentmindedness again!) Rather than use a grill, because I don't have one, I just used a grill pan. I placed a piece of aluminum foil over top when it called for covering.
Oh, and the sauce? I made extra of the marinade and reduced it. You may want to, too, just not as long as I did. :)
Firecracker Grilled Alaskan Salmon
c/o Whole Foods Market Online
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/seafood/salmon_firecracker.html
A blend of sweet and spicy, try this salmon next time you light up the grill. Since it has some sugar in the marinade, make sure to oil your grill well or wrap each fillet loosely in heavy foil and place directly on grill to avoid sticking.
4 Alaskan salmon fillets, 4–6 ounces each
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 salt (if desired)
Place salmon fillets in a glass dish. Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over salmon. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator 4–6 hours.
Remove salmon from marinade and place on a well-oiled grill 5 inches from coals. Grill for 8–10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part. Turn halfway through cooking. (You may also wrap and seal with foil to form a packet). Cook covered, 20–25 minutes on medium-hot grill or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Per Serving (170g-wt.): 260 calories (120 from fat), 14g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 29g protein, 4g total carbohydrate (0g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 80mg cholesterol, 800mg sodium
Friday, February 8, 2008
Firecracker Grilled Alaskan Salmon
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Seared Salmon with Zucchini
As if you haven't already seen us eat enough fish or zucchini, here is another Fish and Zucchini dinner! Awesome! Wooooo!
I actually really liked this meal, so don't let my jokeyjoke turn you away. This salmon differs from earlier salmon meals of ours in that it wasn't crispy. I also chose a different version of salmon, so I don't know if that helped me like it better (I was prepared not to). (I asked the fishmonger what the difference was between the 4 or 5 different types, and he compared them to cars "this one's a buick, this one is a mercedes, this one is a jaguar" or something close - I'm not too familiar with cars, but I got his point. I'd started with the tricked out salmon, and this one might have been the one between the buick and the mercedes.)
Less fancy and un-crispy salmon. Still very yummy. I preferred the un-crispiness because it left the salmon dense and buttery and subtly salmony... The veggies were simple and nice. I added red pepper flakes and dried oregano, for kicks.
While this meal might not have been anything particularly special, it really exceeded my expectations and its a perfect simple meal (would have been awesome with a chilled glass of white wine, too!!)
Seared Salmon with Zucchini
From: The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ small red onion, minced
2 large zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until softened and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and cook 2 minutes more. Season vegetables well with salt and pepper; transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon, skin side down, and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes per side. Serve with vegetables.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 400 cals, 26 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 36 g protein, 6 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 190 mg sodium
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Grilled Salmon with Smoky Tomatillo Sauce and Cucumber Salad
While I really like the idea of having posts saved as a draft for later posting, I've found that if I wait too long, my memory of the dish isn't as useful. Arrgh! :)
What I do remember is this: I made this sauce at the same time I was making the tomatillo rice for the barbacoa dinner (similar ingredients and all). And as you can see from the photo and recipe, I used salmon instead of trout, because that's what they had at the grocery store. The photo itself could have been better, but I plated the cucumber too early, and it oozed all over the place. O well!
The husband and I really enjoyed the fresh creaminess of the cucumber salad in contrast with the smoky heat of the tomatillo sauce, and both were really nice with the crispy salmon. I have extra sauce in the freezer, and I plan to try it on chicken at a later date. Or I might just make this again, and hopefully with actual trout.
Grilled Trout with Smoky Tomatillo Sauce and Cucumber Salad
c/o Alex Roberts, featured in Food & Wine Magazine, August 2007
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-trout-with-smoky-tomatillo-sauce-and-cucumber-salad
One medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced into thin half-moons
Salt
2 dried guajillo chiles
1 dried chipotle chile
2 cups boiling water
5 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed out (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Four 6- to 8-ounce trout fillets, with skin
In a colander, toss the cucumber with teaspoon of salt and let stand until wilted, about 25 minutes. Pat dry.
Meanwhile, soak the guajillo and chipotle chiles in the boiling water until softened, 20 minutes. Discard the stems and seeds and coarsely chop the chiles.
Light a grill. Grill the tomatillos over high heat until they are charred all over, about 5 minutes. Discard the charred skins and coarsely chop the tomatillos.
In a small skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add two-thirds of the minced garlic and the onion and cook them over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the chopped chiles and tomatillos and the cilantro and mint. Puree the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, toss the wilted cucumbers with the sour cream, jalapeño, parsley and the remaining minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush the trout fillets with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Oil the grate and grill the fish over high heat, skin side down, until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn the fish and grill until it is just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to plates and serve with the chile-tomatillo sauce and cucumber salad alongside.
MAKE AHEAD The chile-tomatillo sauce can be refrigerated overnight. Bring the sauce to room temperature before serving.
WINE Trout, like most freshwater fish, is fairly delicate (even when grilled), so a large-scale wine is apt to overwhelm it. A California rosé is light enough to pair with the trout but has enough ripe fruitiness for the spicy tomatillo sauce. One good option is the melony 2006 Beckmen Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache Rosé.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Crispy Salmon with Mushroom Orzo and Red Wine Sauce
Today was my first day at the new job, so we had leftovers! Yay leftovers!
Let me tell you about our tasty dinner last night, and by default, our yummy leftovers! We'd watched this particular episode (Newport, Rhode Island) of Giada's Weekend Getaway on the Food Network last week, and made a note to print out this recipe. While I don't remember much else from the episode other than the wee little cars, I do remember this crispy salmon! :)
The red wine sauce nicely compliments the meaty fish, and the pasta came out nice and creamy (which is odd, considering the small amount of actual cream - I blame the butter!). You'll notice that the pasta we had isn't orzo, but mini-bowtie. For some reason, my Wegmans doesn't carry orzo (weird, right?), so I looked for another small-ish pasta. Mini-bowtie might not have been ideal, but they are wicked cute. And the little bows held the sauce quite nicely!
Worth noting: This makes a TON of pasta. Either make it for company or be prepared for leftovers. Also, this also creates a TON of dirty saucepans. If you have a designated dishwashing-husband, like me, this might not be so bad.
Crispy Salmon with Mushroom Orzo and Red Wine Sauce
From Asterisk Restaurant, in Newport, R.I.
C/o Giada’s Weekend Getaway on Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36483,00.html
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups canned beef broth
8 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 pound orzo
6 shallots, minced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
5 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 (5-ounce) skinless boneless salmon fillets
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add wine, beef broth, thyme and 1bay leaf. Boil until liquid is reduced by 1 cup, about 35 minutes. Strain sauce into a small saucepan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place orzo on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, for about 20 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in another heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots. Saute for 4 minutes. Add mushrooms. Saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add orzo, chicken broth, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered until orzo is tender and broth is absorbed, while stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add cream and tarragon. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and saute just until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Bring sauce to simmer. Add butter, whisk just until melted. Season with pepper. Spoon orzo onto 6 plates. Place salmon fillets on top of orzo. Serve with sauce.
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