Miso Glazed Salmon

I made this recipe up from looking at a few different versions online. It was so easy and so good.

Roughly….

3 T white miso

3 T mirin

3 T sake

1-2 T soy

1 T light brown sugar

1-2 t minced ginger

¼ t sesame oil

 

Marinate skin-on salmon for one hour. 

Sprinkle with sliced green onion. Broil for 8-12 minutes. Ish. Check after 6 minutes to see if skinny end should be cut off. 

Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and serve with white rice and a green vegetable.

* I usually cut the skinny half off and eat it while I wait for the rest, hence the teeny piece in the photo.

 

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Here is a basic marinade for Grilled Shrimp Skewers from Dinner at the Zoo blog.  I like to serve these with green beans cooked on the grill with olive oil, salt, and chopped garlic (added for the last few minutes so it doesn't burn) and either sautéed white beans with garlic, olive oil and seasoning or iceberg lettuce chopped with La Victoria taco sauce. Sounds weird but it's delicious. 

Seared Salmon w/ Za'atar & Sumac Tzatziki - Plus Sides

My cooking group took several classes from Carol at The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica and one lesson in a private home. Carol is the best! Our group loves her so much. She's a great chef, super knowledgeable and so fun. These are the recipes she taught at the private class. They are really simple recipes but you wouldn't know it by the flavor profiles. They are so delicious!

You can follow Carol on Instagram at carolcotnerthompson.

Seared Salmon

8oz piece of salmon

1/4 cup Za’atar (store bought or recipe below)

salt

Grapeseed or canola oil

Rinse the fillet and dry well. Press the za-atar and salt into the fillet. 

Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat until hot. Add oil. Sear salmon top side down, cooking 10 minutes per inch. 

Serve with Sumac Tzatziki.

Za-atar 

There are a million versions but this is the recipe I used

1 t dried thyme 

1/2 t oregano

1 t toasted sesame seeds

1 t ground cumin

1 t sumac

Small pinch of kosher salt

Sumac Tzatziki

1 clove of garlic, minced and smashed into a paste

1/2 t salt

1 T lemon juice

1 t sumac

1 cup whole milk yogurt (I used less because it’s all I had. Maybe 1/2-3/4 cup.)

Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 Persian cucumber, cut into rounds

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/4 cup fresh dill

2 T olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve. 

Jasmine Coconut Rice

3/4 cup jasmine rice

1 cup water

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 t salt

Rinse rice. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot. Heat and cook on low for about 25 minutes. 

Makes about 3 servings

Fish Taco Heavenly Sauce

My friend Marly made this Grilled Tomatillo and Pineapple Salsa for fish tacos one night and we went crazy. We kept calling it crack. She has made it several times since and we can never get enough. We eat it with tortilla chips, fish tacos, quesadillas, you name it. It's so super spicy and sweet. Amazing flavor. If you like halibut fish tacos, this is a must try.

To cut down on prep work, Marly uses 2 cans of tomatillos instead of roasting fresh ones. She also uses more chipotle chilis in adobo sauce than the recipe calls for (maybe 2 or 3 instead of 1). Throw it all in a cuisinart and it's done in less than 10 minutes.

Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs

Photo credit: Jessica Burns

My friend Meredith made Ina's Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs for a small dinner party one night and it was delicious. She served with Ina's orzo salad (minus the shrimp) and crab strudel as the appetizer. Amazing dinner. 

I made the salmon last night for a friend and it turned out great. Quick and easy. I served with Marly's Green Bean & Kale Salad. Starter appetizer was a version of this spread - crostinis, good mozzarella, roasted tomatoes (2 kinds), basil and prosciutto. Perfect dinner for two.

Hama Hama Crab Cakes

One of the best food items I discovered in the last year is the Hama Hama crab cake using their secret Grandma Helena's recipe. They are the best crab cakes I've ever had and I was addicted immediately. I started buying them every week at the farmers market because they're perfect for a quick family dinner while also being good enough to serve to guests.

Quick Crab Cake Dinner

- Saute the crab cakes in a tiny bit of oil and butter until browned
- Serve with good aioli (I like Met Markets), a lemon wedge, and minced chive if you have the energy
- Also serve with a light arugula salad and/or steamed asparagus (asparagus is also good with the aioli and chives)

Simple. Easy. Delicious.

Photos: Simple Steamed Salmon on the Grill

Our friend Fran is an amazing photographer so when he was over for dinner a few weeks ago, I asked him to snap some pics of the dinner I was preparing. So here are some pretty photos of my Simple Steamed Salmon on the Grill. I made it again last night for the third week in a row and can't get enough of it. 

Pan Fried Halibut with Horseradish

If you need a quick and easy dinner, this one takes the cake.

These measurements are not exact because I threw it together so fast.


Pan Fried Halibut with Horseradish

1 fresh fillet halibut, skinned
2 T horseradish sauce (I used Captain Toady's)
1 cup panko
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Rinse the fish and pat it dry. Smear with the horseradish, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dip into panko and cover both sides. Press firmly so it sticks. Pan fry the halibut in a hot pan with oil until golden on each side. Finish in a warm oven. Serve with grilled veggies for a quick and healthy dinner.

Simple Steamed Salmon on the Grill

I got a beautiful piece of salmon from the farmers market last week and decided to throw a bunch of stuff in a foil pocket and throw it on the grill. It didn't dry out at all because the liquid (lemon juice and melted butter) helped it to steam. It was quite flavorful and delicious. Can't wait to make it again tonight.

Simple Steamed Salmon on the Grill

1.5 lb salmon fillet, skin on
3 lemons
2 T butter, thinly sliced
few handfuls of dill
1/2-1 cup thinly sliced fennel
salt and pepper

Preheat your BBQ on high heat.

Rinse salmon and pat dry. Set in the middle of a large piece of foil. Squeeze juice from one whole lemon over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay dill over top of salmon. Top with tons of thinly sliced lemon. Put butter slices on top of lemon slices. Toss fennel slices with a touch of lemon juice or olive oil, then put all around the outside of the salmon. Cover with foil and roll the edges of the foil together to create a pouch. Lower heat to medium and cook for 10-14 minutes depending on thickness and how you like it cooked. Open pouch and remove dill and lemon slices. Serve salmon with fennel and a wedge of lemon if desired.

Halibut with Ginger and Soy Sauce

I was looking for a new way to prepare halibut so I reached out to a few friends and got some great replies. My friend Erika said that she always cooks it with a ginger and soy sauce marinade. Sounded perfect. It reminded me of my chicken rice recipe so I referenced that recipe as well. It turned out great. My husband, kids and guest loved it.

Erika grills her halibut on the BBQ but it was raining quite hard so I just roasted it. Next time I'd love to try it on the BBQ, and maybe boil the sauce for a minute so you can spoon it over the fish.

I served it with white rice, my uncle's asparagus and my hubby's cabbage.

Halibut with Ginger and Soy Sauce

1-1.5lb halibut fillet
1 lime
extra sliced green onion

Marinade:

1/3 cup soy
2 t sesame oil
3 T minced ginger
3 T minced garlic
3 T thinly sliced green onions
freshly ground black pepper

Remove skin and rinse fish. Combine ingredients and then marinate fish for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 450.

Transfer fish and sauce to a small oven safe dish and add juice from one lime. (I didn't do this earlier because you don't want the citrus to cook the fish.)

Cook for 8-10 minutes depending on thickness. I flipped it halfway through but might not be necessary.

Serve with white rice. Spoon sauce over fish and rice, then sprinkle with more green onion.
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Spicy Green Sauce

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I'm obsessed with this green sauce lately and could eat it on everything. It's a combination of the sauce I created for Halibut Fish Tacos, my sauce for Grilled Chicken Tacos and this recipe for Aji Sauce. It's the perfect summer sauce for your BBQ dinners. It's good on chicken souvlaki, chicken tacos, halibut fish tacos, flank steak, rice, drizzled on asparagus and more.
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Spicy Green Sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced then sprinkled with salt and mashed to a paste
2-3 jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped green onions (I prefer the green section versus the white)
1 cup loosely packed cilantro
juice of 3 limes
kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-2 T sour cream, optional

Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve.
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Operation Pantry Cleanout: Nicoise Salad

I was looking for ways to use up a can of tuna (other than the obvious) when my friend Clare recommended a Niçoise salad. She makes this regularly for a quick and healthy dinner and now I can see why. It's a one pot meal and it's delicious. I loved it and will most definitely make it again.

I didn't use all of the ingredients for dinner so I combined everything (sans lettuce) in a bowl with some salad dressing, tossed it and stored it in the fridge. The next day I tossed it with more lettuce and dressing and lunch was ready in 2 minutes. I could have just as easily, and happily, eaten it without the lettuce and had a potato salad style lunch ready in 0 minutes. But, I needed to use up the leftover lettuce.

I know what you're thinking - this is a lot of work to use up one can of tuna. But... I got to (a) use a can of tuna (b) try a new recipe (c) have a delicious dinner and (d) have leftovers for lunch. I love Operation Pantry Cleanout.

If you don't like tunafish, skip it and you'll still have a salad with great flavor. 

Operation Pantry Cleanout Nicoise Salad

Salad
1 can good quality tuna, drained
4 or 5 eggs
6-8 baby red potatoes
2 handfuls fresh green beans
1-2 heads Butter or Bibb lettuce
1/2 cup nicoise olives (I prefer nicoise but they have pits, which is the pits when eating this salad and having to eat around them)
2 T capers

Vinaigrette
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t minced shallot
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients for vinaigrette in a glass jar and shake vigorously until it's emulsified. Set aside.

Put your eggs in a medium saucepan and fill with water covering up to one inch above. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover pan let stand for 8 minutes. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and run under cold water. Put in fridge until cool enough to peel.

Meanwhile, put the pot back on the burner and return to a boil. Add salt and boil green beans for 2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to an ice bath. Next add baby red potatoes. Cook for roughly 15 minutes, until you can easily stick them with a fork. Remove from the water, run under cold water to cool slightly. Cut into quarters or eights, then toss with some vinaigrette while still warm (absorbs more that way). Place in fridge to cool.

Cut cooled green beans into 1.5" pieces. Put tuna, beans, potatoes, olives, and capers into a bowl and toss with some dressing. Add lettuce and more dressing. Toss again. Plate and top with hard boiled eggs (cut into quarters or eights). Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
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Salmon & the Side, by Kennifer

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My dear friend Jen and her new hubby Ken are chefs making their debut in Portland, Oregon with their new restaurant Riffle NW opening soon. Read about the restaurant here and here, then start planning a Seattle-to-Portland road trip for the spring to taste their delicious fresh catch creations.

This dashing duo was just featured in Food & Wine magazine (how cool is that?!) with their recipe for Roast Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard Crust.

So here is a special treat for Over Cocktails fans that Food & Wine readers did not get... the recipe for Crispy Sprout Leaves and Chorizo which Jen says is her favorite part of the recipe. I can't wait to try it all, or better yet, convince her to make it for me.

Crispy Sprout Leaves and Chorizo

1 lb Brussels sprouts
3 Spanish chorizo links, about 12-16 oz. total
2 T olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 T unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim the stem ends of the sprouts (discard them) and then pull off the leaves (she loves me, she loves me not) and set aside in a bowl.

Cut the chorizo into small dice.

Heat a large skillet until it’s smoking hot, add the oil and chorizo and sauté until it begins to color. Add the Brussels sprout leaves and continue to sauté until the leaves become slightly charred, about 3-5 minutes.

Fold in the lemon zest and butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon warm sprout salad to the side of salmon and serve.

Farmers Market Dinner w/ Three New Recipes

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A new rule I set for myself is that I'm not allowed to make my favorite recipes from "At Home with Madhur Jaffrey" until I try at least five new recipes from the book. Everything has been so good that it's a shame to make the same things week after week. So, I started tonight with two new recipes from her book.

I bought a beautiful piece of salmon from Wilson Fish yesterday at the Ballard farmers market. There are several salmon recipes in the cookbook that sound delicious but the easiest sounding one was the Grilled Masala Salmon. I went with that. My fillet was 1.25lbs so I doubled the spices and used extra lemon juice in the sauce. It turned out delicious - perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored.

I also made her recipe for Carrots with Cilantro using red carrots from the farmers market. Delicious and easy.

We're addicted to rice in my house so I went looking for a recipe for coconut basmati rice. I settled on Bobby Flay's Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad, although I skipped the cashews and the coconut flakes. It paired perfectly with the salmon and carrots.

I also roasted some broccoli, adding garlic slices toward the end, and finishing with a squeeze of lime juice.

Great recipes to try if the flavors interest you. Time to get Madhur's cookbook if you don't already have it!

Quick & Easy Dinner Mark Bittman Style

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This recipe looks so easy and delicious. I would serve these with bread, rice, or a simple pasta, and a veggie.

Cooking for Father’s Day with Mark and Kate Bittman (Video)

Looks like the recipe can be found written up here.

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Mark Bittman on the White Fillet

gfs

Check out Mark Bittman's article "Broiled, Sautéed, Roasted, Poached" for a dozen different ways to prepare a white fillet. I can't wait to try them, especially his recipes for poaching.
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Hama Hama Clams

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My best pal at the Ballard farmers market is a guy named Tim at the Wilson Fish stand. He's the friendliest chap and every week we stop in to say hello and catch up, get a sample of the smoked salmon for my little lady and see about buying some fresh fish. (It's coming soon friends! Only a few more weeks and they're headed back out to sea!)

On Sunday Tim told me that the Hama Hama Oyster Company had just joined the Ballard market and that he's known the family for years and can attest that their clams and oysters are great. Tim always steers me to the right cut of the right fish at the right time so I trust him completely. With his recommendation behind us, we headed for Hama Hama and picked up a few pounds of clams. That night I made Tyler Florence's Linguine con le Vongole. Other than using spaghetti instead of linguine and throwing in some extra garlic (I always add more garlic than a recipe calls for) I followed the recipe to a tee. It was delicious.

If you've never cooked clams before, read these instructions for cleaning clams. They're easy to clean and easy to prepare with so many different ways to cook them... in beer, in wine, with sausage, over pasta, with bread for dipping in the sauce, and more.

Salmon Sandwiches on Rye Bread

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I've been on quite the salmon kick all summer long and can't believe I haven't shared this one yet. Sometimes I have a weird craving for Rye bread and this is a perfect excuse to buy a great loaf.

Salmon

(Broiled Salmon in Parchment Paper)

+

Sauce

(Lemon-Yogurt Herb Sauce)

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Rye Bread

(toasted)

+

Butter Lettuce

(rinsed)

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=

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a delicious sandwich!

Simple & Quick Dinner: Asian Salmon

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Last night I decided to switch it up and make a new salmon recipe. My friend Michelle who posts her weekly meal plans on her blog, Conrad Family Weekly Dinners, has made Ina's Asian Grilled Salmon
multiple times so I figured it was worth trying. We don't have a BBQ at the moment so I did a little Googling for other Asian salmon recipes to see other preparations. I came across this recipe for Asian Salmon adapted from Ina's. I further adapted this one by broiling it in parchment paper since I'm used to that cooking method. I served it with white rice and broccoli. It was delicious and easy. I will make it again for sure. I adjusted the sauce a bit since I posted this recipe so I'd have more to spoon over white rice. I'm a sucker for white rice with sauce. It makes the world a better place.

Asian Salmon

1-1 1/4lb salmon fillet, skin on
1 T plus 1 t Dijon mustard
4 T good soy sauce
6 T good olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Chives, thinly sliced

Turn oven to broil.

Put the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a large Ziploc and rub together with hands on the outside to combine. Add salmon to the bag and toss to make sure the whole fillet is covered in sauce. Let sit for 20 minutes. Lay out a piece of parchment paper. Set the fillet on it and then pour the sauce from the Ziploc bag over the fillet. Top with another sheet of parchment paper and fold the edges to create a little pocket. You don't want the air to get out so it will steam the fish. Place parchment pocket on a cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven for 8 minutes (longer if using a bigger fillet). Remove and let sit for a few minutes. Fish will continue to cook. Transfer fish to a plate and pour liquid from parchment pocket over the top. Garnish with chives and serve.

Hot Summer/Cold Salmon Salads

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I'm completely addicted to salmon salads right now. Every week I get extra salmon at the farmers market knowing I will cook it for dinner one night and use the leftovers for lunch the next day.

You can bake, grill or poach your salmon. My only recommendation is pulling it from the heat before it's cooked through. I like it a teense bit rare so it stays moist and doesn't dry out. I recommend one of these 4 preparations:

1. Olive Oil Poached Salmon

2. Poached Salmon with Dill-Mustard Sauce

3. Broiled Salmon in Parchment Paper

4. Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Yogurt Herb Sauce

The next trick is to use your leftover veggie for the salad too. During asparagus season, I was making it with leftover asparagus. If I had sugar snap peas, I'd blanch those for 30 seconds and toss those in too. Now that asparagus are long gone from the farmers market, I've moved onto green beans. I cook them using Ina's recipe for String Beans with Shallots. No matter what veggie(s) you choose, you have to have a great dressing. I used my friend Jen's salad dressing recipe from her Simple But Delicious Salad. I usually use a mix of lettuces from the market depending on what looks good: Romaine, Butter, Cherokee, Green Leaf. And last but not least, chives. Toss the lettuce with the dressing and top with a small fillet of salmon, green veggie, minced chive and fresh ground pepper. Perfect lunch in no time.

Now if you want to turn those leftovers into a full dinner....

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The other night I made Broiled Salmon in Parchment Paper, String Beans with Shallots, Mrs. Young's Potatoes and the sauce from Poached Salmon with Dill-Mustard Sauce (great side sauce for salmon and potatoes no matter the preparation). I was half-way to a salmon nicoise salad with leftovers so I boiled some eggs and dug through the fridge. Capers and kalamatas, check. The next night, I threw it all together and had dinner in less than 10 minutes. Serve with some toasted baguette and cambozola cheese (my current obsession) and dessert for a perfect dinner.

Salmon Nicoise Salad

Salmon leftovers

Green bean leftovers

Potato leftovers, tossed with mustard-dill sauce leftovers
Mixed greens (Romaine, Butter, Cherokee, Green Leaf)

Medium to hard-boiled eggs, quartered

Good tomatoes, quartered

Kalamata olives, cut in half

Capers

Salad dressing, using recipe from Simple But Delicious Salad

Freshly ground black pepper