My New Toy

I love kitchen gadgets and really can always find a few more that I would like to have, but our kitchen is getting full so I have to make sure it is something that I really want and will use in order to buy it now. While up in Pawley’s this summer I went to one of my favorite cooking stores and found a utensil that Jamie Oliver had used on a recent episode of Jamie at Home, a bean cutter. I had never seen one before, but I knew if I ran across one I would just have to get it. So, I picked it up and was anxious to try out the recipe Jamie had made on the episode. It is Grilled Butterflied Monkfish with a Sweet Runner Bean Stew.

To start out making the stew you put all the beans through the bean cutter and they end up in gorgeous, thin slices. Next you add olive oil, anchovies, garlic and the chile to a pot and let them cook until the anchovies have broken down. Next add the tomatoes, beans, and rosemary to the pot. Season it with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil. Once boiling turn it down to a simmer and cover the pot. To prepare the fish (we used grouper instead of monkfish) we salt and peppered it and grilled it. I skipped the gremolata that looks and sounds delicious, but we ran out of time. Serve the fish over the beans.

We both absolutely loved the runner bean stew. Beans and tomatoes are one of my very favorite flavor combinations and mixed with the savory rosemary it is just fantastic. I also really liked the texture of the thin slices of beans. I would highly recommend a bean cutter as it was a neat tool to use and cut the beans slices that were a perfect thickness. The beans complemented the grilled fish very well and made for a beautiful presentation. All in all this was a delicious meal and that I anticipate us making again in the future. Russ rates it a 10.

Back to Blogging and Cooking

So, my poor blog has been on the back burner lately. In fact cooking has been on the back burner lately. Life has been busy with changing jobs, adjusting to a new routine, and becoming an Aunt to Andrew and Walt. I have truly missed cooking and blogging, so I am excited to finally feel like I am back in a place where I can find the time for both. I have been cooking some, so you will see those posts coming up in the next few days. I do backdate them as I like to keep up with how many blog worthy meals we cooked each month. So, here we go again…

We love to grill in the summer and tonight we decided to try a new Grilled Maple Salmon recipe out of the July Cooking Light. The marinade is super simple with only three ingredients - rice wine vinegar, orange juice, and maple syrup. You put the marinade and salmon in a plastic bag and stick it in the fridge for three hours. After three hours you remove the fish and pour the remaining marinade into a saucepan and bring it to a boil and let it reduce down. Once reduced take the salmon and grill it and baste it with the reduced sauce.

This was a very simple recipe that packed great flavor with just a few ingredients. I really like the sweetness from the maple syrup and the tang and citrus flavor from the orange juice. We didn't have quite 3 hours for it to marinade, so I think it would have been even better if we had let it marinade for longer. This is a solid, simple marinade for salmon. Russ rates it a 9.

Simple Fish with a Fancy Relish

I love a three day weekend (of course who doesn’t)! For Memorial Day weekend we went up to Mentone with a few friends to relax and enjoy the nice the weather. As I mentioned in my last couple of posts May has been a really busy, fun month. It just seems like we have been going non-stop, so I told Russ earlier this week that while I love cooking I just didn’t have the time or energy to do any menu planning or shopping for this weekend. Being the sweet husband that he is he planned out all of the meals and did all of the grocery shopping. He also included eating out one night at Canyon Grill, one of our favorite restaurants! I had a delicious halibut that was pan sautéed and served with capers and lemons juice (piccata style). It was wonderful! The next day I was relaxing on the porch and reading my most recent copies of Cooking Light and Fine Cooking and found lots of recipes for halibut. Since I enjoyed my halibut so much at Canyon Grill I decided to put it on the menu for this week.

I decided to try the Fire-Roasted Pepper Relish from Fine Cooking and serve it over halibut. To make the relish you first roast the peppers. Now, I normally would roast my own peppers, but a friend of mine recently gave me a jar of fabulous fire-roasted red peppers, so I decided to use those tonight. Whether your roast your own or use jarred you slice the peppers into wide strips. Put them in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together and let it sit while you cook the fish. Originally Russ was going to grill the fish outside, but since it was raining we decided to pan sauté it inside. I simply rubbed the fish with a little olive oil and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. I then got my sauté pan hot and put the fish side down and let it cook for several minutes on that side. I then flipped it (so the skin side is down) and let it cook a few more minutes. I served the relish on top of the fish with a side of roasted green beans.

I love roasted red pepper, olives, and capers, so it was no surprise that I loved the relish. It had a wonderful mix of shapes and sizes that gave great texture combined with the soft flakiness of the fish. I like that the mildness of the halibut was complemented by the bright flavors of the relish. Our only complaint was that the parsley didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the flavors and tasted a little off. I’ll be honest I am not sure if we didn’t just get a not so great, not so fresh bunch of parsley at the store (all the more reason I need to finish up my herb garden outside!). Either way, next time I think I will skip the parsley and use either cilantro or basil. All in all this was a delicious, simple, quick and easy meal that was perfect for a weeknight. Russ rates the halibut with the relish a 9. He said that it would have received a 10 had the parsley not been included.

Fire-Roasted Pepper Relish, Fine Cooking
Yields about 2 cups

Serve over grilled steak, chicken breast, or fish fillet such as halibut or swordfish. The recipe calls for both parsley and cilantro, but feel free to use other herbs like sliced chives or chopped basil.

3 red or orange bell peppers
¼ cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives, halved
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, very roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, very roughly chopped
2 Tbs. thinly sliced scallions
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. capers, rinsed
½ tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. minced jalapeno or Serrano
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus a squeeze of lemon juice
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare a hot gas or charcoal grill fire. Cut the tops and bottoms from the peppers and cut the peppers into 3 or 4 flat pieces, discarding the tops, seeds, and ribs. Grill the pepper sides and bottoms skin side down until blistered and charred all over; 6 to 8 minutes. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with a plate. Let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel the charred skin and discard. Don’t be too concerned if flecks of skin remain attached. Cut the peppers into bite-size pieces or wide strips.

Put the pepper pieces in a medium bowl and add the remaining ingredients, stirring well and seasoning to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Make ahead: The relish keeps well in the refrigerator in a sealed container for at least a week. It’s best to make it a couple of hours ahead to allow the flavors to develop.

Our Spontaneous Dinner Party

Russ and I both love having company and even though I generally like planning ahead and being organized sometimes the best things are those that are unplanned. This afternoon we had heavy downpours and thunderstorm that knocked out my parents’ power and took down a few of their trees. Since they were in the dark and Russ and I had just planned on staying in tonight and cooking we invited them to come over for dinner. Mary Margaret was driving home during the torrential rain and since she could barely see to drive she stopped by our house to wait for it to let up some before driving home. We opened a bottle of wine, pulled out some cheese and crackers, and got our spontaneous dinner party started. Mom and Dad came over later and Mary Margaret, after a little convincing, stayed through dinner. Since it was unplanned it almost made me relax a little more about everything. The house was fairly clean, but I didn’t feel the need to swiffer the floors. Dinner was already planned and we just added a little more to it. It was a relaxing, wonderful evening with great company!

I made Oven Roasted Salmon with Tomato Relish for dinner tonight and served it with a side of sautéed spinach and wild rice. To make the salmon you heat the oven up to 500 with the baking sheet in it. While it is heating up you take the salmon fillets and make shallow cuts in the skin side of each. Then rub them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Once the fillets are ready and the oven has reached 500 degrees turn it down to 275 and remove the baking sheet. Place the salmon fillets skin side down on the baking sheet and put them in the oven. Roast them until they are done to your liking. While they are roasting chop the tomato, shallot, garlic, and basil. Combine them in a bowl with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. When the salmon is done serve the relish on top of the fillets.

This was a very quick and easy recipe and the salmon turned out very moist. The salmon had a nice simple flavor to it, but I was really expecting it to have a stronger flavor from the roasting process. The relish was wonderful and I always love the combination of salmon with tomatoes and shallots, but at the same time it was nothing new or exciting. In hindsight I wish I had tried one of the other relish recipes offered - Spicy Cucumber Relish, Tangerine and Ginger Relish, or Grapefruit and Basil Relish. It also reminded me a lot of Giada’s Salmon Baked in Foil only it wasn’t as flavorful. The other relish recipes are very intriguing to me, so I think next time I’ll let Russ grill the salmon and then I’ll try one of the more exciting relishes. All in all it was a good meal with great potential. Russ rates the Oven Roasted Salmon with Tomato Relish an 8.

Oven Roasted Salmon, Cooks’ Illustrated March / April 2008
Serves 4

1 skin-on salmon fillet (1 and ¾ - 2 pounds), about 1 and ½ inches at thickest part (see note)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 recipe relish (recipe follow)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Use a sharp knife to remove any whitish fat from belly of fillet and cut into 4 equal pieces. Make 4 or 5 shallow slashes about an inch apart along skin side of each piece, being careful not to cut into flesh.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Rub fillets evenly with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and remove baking sheet. Carefully place salmon skin-side down on baking sheet. Roast until centers of thickest part of fillets are still translucent when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of fillets registers 125 degrees, 9 to 13 minutes. Transfer fillets to individual plates or platter. Top with relish and serve.

Fresh Tomato Relish
Makes about 1 and ½ cups

¾ pound ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼ inch dice (about 1 and ½ cups)
½ small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Canned Tuna: The Saga

When I started cooking for I came up with a simple and yummy pasta with tuna dish that I would make for lunch on the weekends fairly frequently. It is simple because it takes very little time to prepare and because it has only a few ingredients all of which I tend to always have on hand: pasta, a can of tuna, mayonnaise, onion, salt and pepper. The dish is fairly self explanatory based on the list of ingredients, but basically I would cook the pasta and then drain it. I would then mix it with a drained can of tuna, some diced onion, some mayonnaise, and season it with salt and pepper. I love it; however, when I introduced Russ to it he did not like it at all. He has named it “Tuna Surprise” and won’t have anything to do with it. His reaction to my beloved “Tuna Surprise” was and is still so strong that he doesn’t want to eat anything involving a can of tuna for fear of it being ever so slightly similar to my tuna dish. Well, after an almost three year hiatus from canned tuna we finally gave it another go in a new recipe tonight.

Russ spoiled me on my birthday this year including giving me two Jamie Oliver cookbooks. We both love Jamie Oliver and have a renewed interest in him after becoming hooked on his new show on the Food Network, Jamie at Home. I have been flipping through both of my new cookbooks, Cook with Jamie and Jamie’s Italy, and ran across a simple pasta with tuna dish that looked very tasty! I showed Russ the recipe and the picture of the dish and while he was hesitant he said he’d be okay adding it to the menu this week. Yeah! I gave it a go tonight and I think I can safely say we are back to eating canned tuna again!

To make the dish you start by chopping the red onion and basil stalks and then sautéing them in a little olive oil with the cinnamon. Once the onions are soft and a little sweet you add the tuna, tomatoes and their juices, and a little salt. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes. Cook the pasta until it is al dente and then drain it. Add the torn basil leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, a little olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and pasta to the sauce. Toss it all together and taste for seasoning. I added a little more salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Russ and I both enjoyed this dish. It is a simple, light pasta dish with great flavor from the cinnamon and basil. While the cinnamon seemed a little odd to me it worked really well in the dish and added some real depth and warmth to the seasoning. The torn basil leaves added near the end give it a pop of color and a fresh burst of flavor. I served it with a side of steamed broccoli. We both really enjoyed this meal! Russ rates it a 9.

Jools’ Favorite Saturday Afternoon Pasta, Cook with Jamie
Serves 4

Olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 – 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
A bunch of fresh basil leaves picked, stalks chopped
2 x 14 oz. cans good quality plum tomatoes
2 x 10 oz. cans good quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1lb. 2 oz. good quality rigatoni or penne
Zest and juice of 1 – 2 lemons
A small handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook the onion, chilli, cinnamon, and basil stalks on a medium to low heat for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and is slightly sweet. Turn up the heat and add your tomatoes, tuna, and a good pinch of salt. Break the tomatoes up using the back of a spoon, then bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in a pan of salted boiling water according to package instructions. When al dente, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss the pasta into the tuna and tomato sauce with the roughly torn basil leaves, a glug of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, and Parmesan and mix together well. Loosen the pasta with a little of the reserved cooking water if needed. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

My Notes: I left out the chillies since I could not find them at the store. I cut the recipe in half since it was just for the two of us.

Picture Notes: My Venezuelan brother, Ernesto, was in town for a visit this past week. Ernesto, Russ, and I went with Mom and Dad to the Oklahoma vs. Louisville NCAA game together. It was a lot of fun except poor OU didn't play very well.

Removing the Training Wheels on Cooking Fish

After dinner tonight Russ made the comment that her really likes having fish for dinner and you know what so do I, but for some reason we don’t eat it near as often as we do chicken or beef. We love the flavor and texture of grouper, tuna, Mahi Mahi, halibut, salmon, and the list goes on and on. We both appreciate how quick it is to prepare and how after dinner we are full, but in a very light, clean way. There are so many varieties of fish and so many different ways to prepare them that it should have us up to our ears in recipes to try for fish. So, why is it that we don’t eat it more often… I mean really at least once a week right. I really think a lot of this has to do with my not being able to take my cooking training wheels off. You see I am picky about where I buy my fish and there are only a couple places in town where I will go for fish. I almost always buy it the day I am going to prepare it, so that it is as fresh as possible. However, this carries a risk because I usually have bought all the other ingredients for the dish and what if I get to the fish counter and they are out of salmon and my recipe calls for salmon. This is where I get nervous and panic because what if there is not an alternative type of fish that fits my recipe… then what… I still consider myself a novice cook and I did not grow up eating fish or seeing it being cooked, so I am still learning how different types of fish taste, cook, and what types are able to substitute for another type. Consequently I find it easier and less nerve wracking to just skip the fish recipes and go for the chicken because have you ever gone in the store and had them be out of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Tonight I go to the store and my recipe calls for cod, but it lists seven other types of fish that will work well and you know what they didn’t have any of them….so I just asked the fish monger for his recommendation from what they did have and he suggested the black grouper. The black grouper worked great in fact Russ thinks he would prefer it in this recipe over the cod! I do love fish and want to have it at home more often, so I am going to try and remove the training wheels and go ahead and put fish on the menu more often and trust myself that it will turn out alright (and if it doesn't Papa John knows where we live).

Tonight I made the cover recipe from the January Fine Cooking, Cod with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Vermouth. You start by sautéing the mushrooms in a little butter for several minutes. You then add the garlic and sauté it for about 45 seconds. Next you add the vermouth, parsley, vinegar, salt, and pepper and bring it to a boil. Let this reduce by half and then add the fish to the dish. Cover the dish and leave it until the fish is cooked through. Once the fish is cooked remove it and add the last of the butter to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fish, add a little more parsley and serve. I served the fish with brown rice and green beans.

The mushroom sauce was fantastic! It was light, flavorful and I loved the mushrooms in it. The fish was light, flaky, and tasty. Cooking the fish with the lid on allowed the fish to cook through while staying moist. This came together very quickly in fact I had to wait to start it to give the brown rice ample time to cook. Russ and I both really enjoyed this dish. Russ rates it a 9.

Cod with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Vermouth, Fine Cooking January 2008
Serves four.

4 Tbs. cold unsalted butter
10 oz. white or baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced about 1/8 inch thick
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry vermouth
3 and ½ Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
Four 6 oz. skinless cod fillets

In a heavy 12-inch skillet, melt 3 Tbs. of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring only occasionally, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown and fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the vermouth, 3 Tbs. of the parsley, the vinegar, salt, and pepper and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, lightly season the cod with salt and pepper and add it to the pan (tuck under the tails if necessary to even out the thickness), nesting the fillets into the mushrooms and spooning some of the mushrooms on top.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cover the pan, reduce to medium low, and simmer until just cooked through (use the tip of a paring knife to check), 7 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. With a slotted spatula, transfer the fish to serving plates or a platter. Over low heat, whisk the remaining 1 Tbs. butter into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve sprinkled with the remaining ½ Tbs. parsley.

Variation: This recipe works well with many types of fish. Mahi mahi, pollock, haddock, sole, flounder, sea bass, and halibut make perfect substitutes; just reduce cooking time for thinner fillets.

Delicious Salmon with Lentils

My Mother doesn’t like fish or shellfish, so growing up the only seafood we would ever eat at home would be tuna fish sandwiches or salmon croquettes both from canned fish. Since she did all the cooking at our house she would cook things she liked and I certainly don't blame her. I liked the tuna fish sandwiches, but was always not too happy when the salmon croquettes showed up on my plate. These were my only experiences with fish and since I only liked one of the two then I just assumed I didn’t like fish. Fast forward a few years and I decide to study abroad in Granada, Spain for a semester in college. One of the most popular meats in Spain is ham in fact there are stores that just sell ham legs, different cuts of pork, and different cured pork products. Well, as any of you know me know I don’t eat any part of the pig and haven’t since I was very young and took a favoring to pigs which has lead to a large pig collection over the years. Anyway, since I don’t eat the most popular meat in Spain and my sweet host mother, Gloria, agreed that she wouldn’t make it for me then I knew I had to eat anything else she prepared including seafood. Lucky for me Gloria is a fabulous cook and from her fabulous meals I realized that I actually love fish and shellfish! Gloria’s cooking and my introduction to new fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices really got me started on my culinary journey. My good friend Sumner always says that my living in Spain was the best thing I ever did and she is right on many levels including that it finally opened up my palate.

Tonight I decided to try Ina Garten’s recipe for Salmon with Lentils. I really enjoy legumes and prefer fresh or dried, but sometimes on week nights there is not enough time to cook them. Lentils due to their small size cook much faster than many other varieties, so they worked perfectly for a weeknight dinner. To prepare the lentils you put them in a heat proof bowl and pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 15 minutes before draining them. In the meantime you cut up the onion, leeks, garlic, carrots, and celery. The onion and leeks sauté in a little olive oil with some salt, pepper, and fresh thyme until the onions are translucent. You then add the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Next you add the lentils, carrots, celery, and chicken broth. Cover the pan and let them simmer for about 20 minutes. Once they have simmered you add a little red wine vinegar and check for seasoning. I followed her recipe exactly and they came out perfect!

For the salmon you heat a sauté pan on high heat for 4 minutes. You rub olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on the salmon fillets and then place them seasoned side down in the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium and don’t touch them for 2 minutes. Then flip the fillets over and put the pan in the oven at 450. Ina serves her salmon rare, however, I prefer my fish cooked through (except for tuna) so I cooked it for about 11 minutes.

This dish was excellent and quite possibly my favorite recipe of Ina’s! The lentils are very tasty and I really loved all the vegetables with them. The red wine vinegar adds the perfect finishing touch. I told Russ that these lentils would give Frank Stitt a run for his money as they are that good. The salmon works really well with the lentils and by searing it in a hot pan the top forms a nice crust while the inside is still moist and tender. I served it with just a simple salad on the side. This salmon with lentils were fantastic and Russ rates them a 10.

Fish as Comfort Food

For the past couple of years Russ and I have stayed fairly healthy. I'd like to think that this is in part to the fact that we eat pretty healthy with a few exceptions for wings and Jelly Bellies from time to time and we run pretty regularly with a few off weeks every now and then... However….when it comes to the first week in December I am cursed. On December 1st Russ and I ran the Jingle Bell Run and while I was running I was contemplating how good I felt as opposed to last year at this time when I stood on the sidelines with Cash because I was under the weather. Well lo and behold I wake up on Sunday and I am feeling a little under the weather. Just like last year I have a bad cold that turns into a pesky cough that takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to go away. All this to say that I can’t wait until the first week of December next year…

On a more positive note, Russ did take great care of me and picked up every kind of take out soup that Birmingham has to offer in the last week and a half. I am still coughing and don’t have all my energy back yet, but I am back to cooking at least for tonight. Since I have had a lot of soup recently I decided against my first instinct to make a warm pot of hearty soup. I still wanted a comfort food type of meal, so I decided on Giada’s Salmon Baked in Foil which is as simple to prepare as its name makes it out to be and very yummy. You simply slice two shallots, drain a can of diced tomatoes, add some lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then tear off a piece of aluminum foil and rub the salmon fillet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place it in the center of the foil. Then spoon some of the tomato mixture over the top of the salmon and wrap the foil up sealing it off. Let the salmon packets bake at 400F for 25 minutes. When they are done you open them up to find perfectly cooked, moist salmon with tons of yummy goodies on top.

This may not be comfort food to everyone, but to me tonight it is perfect! I served it with green beans and couscous. This meal is so easy to make and it comes out perfect every time. While the recipe is for four servings I don’t half any of it except for the salmon when I make it for the two of us. The shallot / tomato mixture is so tasty that I like having tons of it. This would be a great meal for entertaining as the packets can be prepared up to six hours in advance. Then when your guests arrive you can simply toss them in the oven. If you like eating fish, but are nervous about cooking it then I highly recommend this as a great recipe to try. Actually if you like fish at all I think you should try this recipe. If you don’t like salmon you can use another type of fish as long as it is not too delicate or thin of a fish. We have done this recipe with swordfish before which worked well; however, we prefer the salmon with this one. Russ rates it a 10!

Salmon Baked in Foil

3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or ¾ teaspoon dried
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 5 oz)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir in the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. In the center of each of four large sheets of aluminum foil, spoon ½ teaspoon of oil. Place 1 salmon fillet atop each sheet of foil and turn to coat with oil. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the remaining ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely, and seal the packets closed. Place the foil packets on a large, heavy baking sheet. (The salmon packets can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake.)

Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve. (You may want to unwrap and plate the fish in the kitchen before serving.)

My Notes: I use canned tomatoes and dried herbs and in this recipe as they work just as well as fresh in this recipe in my opinion.

Recipe from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Venezuelan Salmon

Tonight I needed a meal that was light, quick and easy since Russ and I wanted to run after work and still be able to eat at a decent hour. I decided on one of the recipes I brought home from my time in Venezuela several years ago. I spent most of a summer while in graduate school in Caracas, Venezuela staying with Ernesto’s family. Ernesto is my Venezuelan brother and his family took me that summer as their American daughter. It was a wonderful experience and I got to see lots of their beautiful country! I also was able to enjoy lots of its delicious food and drinks. I fell in love with mangos there, tasted papaya, arepas, and yuca for the first time, ate lots of fresh seafood, enjoyed a Venezuelan cook out, drank lots of fresh juices including passion fruit, snacked on too many delicious pastries, and the list goes on and on. One of the seafood dishes I ate on multiple occasions for every meal including breakfast was Ernesto’s Dad’s salmon. I have made arepas for Russ before, but I have not made him any of the other Venezuelan dishes yet… so tonight I decided to serve Senor Vidal’s Salmon a la Plancha.

To make the salmon you start by sprinkling it with garlic powder, salt, pepper and then marinate it in a mixture of white wine, olive oil, and parsley. Senor Vidal cooks his salmon on the griddle, but we decided to grill it. We let it marinate for about an hour and then Russ grilled it for about 10 or so minutes on the Egg. I served it with corn and a salad.

This is a super simple recipe that has great flavor and for me brings back wonderful memories of sitting in their kitchen with the doors and window open and eating salmon for breakfast. My family loves this dish too and my Dad has made it on a number of occasions. Tonight’s salmon turned out really well, only it was not as good as Senor Vidal’s. Next time we’ll marinate it a little longer. Russ really liked the salmon and we both enjoyed the simplicity of the dish and its great flavor. Russ rates the salmon a 9.

Filet de Salmon a la Plancha, Senor Vidal

1. ajo en polvo (garlic powder)
2. perejil molido (dried parsley)
3. pimienta (pepper)
4. aceite de oliva (olive oil)
5. vino blanco (white wine)
6. sal al gusto (salt to taste)

Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes

Firey Salmon...

Well, tonight’s dinner turned out to be a little more exciting than I thought it would be. While we have had several kitchen mishaps before including one that where I ended up with stitches and one where the inside of the microwave changed colors permanently and I have set the smoke alarm off on many occasions, however… tonight was our first kitchen fire.

So, we haven’t had fish in a while, so I decided to try an old CL recipe for Bourbon Glazed Salmon. For the salmon you make a marinade of brown sugar, crushed garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and bourbon. The recipe calls to have it marinate for 30 minutes, however, I think it would have been better to let it marinate longer. You then broil the fish for 11 minutes. This is exactly what I did, but I think I had the rack in the oven too close to the boiler because the marinade that had run off the fish caught fire in the last minutes of its cooking. I panicked and opened the oven door only to confirm that the orange I was seeing through the door was in fact flames. Still panicking I ran to get Russ who was outside to help put the fire out. He pulled the baking sheet out and blew out the fire that had by this point mostly put its self out. The fish turned out a little crusty on the top from the flambé, but was still very edible and good. Russ rates the salmon a 7 and I definitely think if I make it again and don’t flambé it that it will get an even higher rating!

My Mom gave us some fresh okra and black eye peas earlier this week that I wanted to have with the salmon tonight. The black eye peas I just cooked on the stove with water, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. The okra I decided to try something a little different and have Russ grill them. There is a restaurant that we like that does okra this way and it is really flavorful. I put them on wooden skewers with four to a skewer and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. Russ grilled them for a couple minutes on each side. Next time I think I’ll have him grill them a little longer as they were not as tender as they probably needed to be, but they were still really tasty and a fun new way to serve okra.

Needless to say cooking is certainly an adventure for Russ and me and tonight was no exception. Let’s just hope that the next time I flambé a dish it will be intentional…

Simple, Tasty Salmon

Russ and I have not had fish in a while, so I decided to repeat a salmon recipe that we both like. Giada has several fish recipes that Russ and I have tried and love and two of them are for salmon dishes that are super tasty and easy. This one is for Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze.

You start by mixing together the mustard glaze. You include minced garlic, chopped fresh rosemary and thyme (both from my garden!), Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, white wine, and olive oil. The recipe online calls for this to be pureed in a food processor, but the recipe in the cookbook just says to whisk it all together. I opt for less clean up and just whisk it together. You then line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with Pam. You sprinkle the salmon filets with salt and pepper and broil them for a couple minutes. Then you take them out and spread the mustard sauce on the top of them and put them back in to broil for another couple minutes.

We love the flavor combination of salmon and mustard in the dish. It is such a quick, easy, and flavorful dish. I served it with sautéed fresh spinach and Ina’s herb cherry tomatoes. A colorful, tasty, simple weeknight dinner! Russ rates the salmon a 9.

On a side note, Jess and Hugo stopped by for a few minutes and the boys played together outside. It is so hot out right now that when they came in they drank a ton of water to cool off. They are not only cousins, but best buddies!

Summery Tacos

I love fruit in general, but some of my favorite fruits are summer fruits. I just can’t seem to get enough blueberries and peaches. They have shown up in several meals we have eaten recently and the peaches show up again tonight in the form of a relish. This is a dish that I have made once before that is quick, easy, and tasty! It is for Tilapia Tacos with Peach Relish from August 2006 CL.

You start by making the peach relish first. You combine the chopped peaches, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno (from our garden!), garlic, lime juice, salt, and ground red pepper. This gets mixed together and sits out on the counter for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry. While the relish is hanging out you prepare the fish. You cut the fish into 2 inch strips. Then you combine the panko, salt, and ground red pepper. I would definitely try to find panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) for these. I don’t think the flavor or texture of plain bread crumbs would work very well. The fish strips then get coated with the mixture and put on a baking sheet. They bake at 375F for 10 minutes and you turn them over once halfway through the cooking. Last you warm the tortillas. The recipe calls for corn tortillas, however, Russ much prefers flour tortillas to corn so we used flour. I think either one will work well with this dish, so pick which you prefer. You then build your tacos by adding the fish and relish to the tortillas. We served the tacos with fresh corn on the cob.

Russ loves tacos, but was unsure of fish tacos the first time we made them. When I mentioned that I might put them on the menu for this week he not only remembered them, but also was excited to have them again. This is a nice summer style of taco that is light and yummy. I really like the combination of sweet, ripe peaches and the kick of the jalapeno and red onion in the relish. It also comes together easily with little mess in the kitchen which is always a bonus! The fish with the relish have a nice light summer taste to them. Russ rates the tacos a 9.

A quick happy birthday to Jess!

Drumroll please.... the first 10!

After a weekend full of eating I wanted to go with a light and fresh dinner tonight. This for Russ and me usually means some type of fish and tonight it was tuna. We haven’t made anything out of the May issue of CL, so we decided to crack it open and try the cover recipe since it is both light and fresh. It is Grilled Tuna with White Bean and Charred Onion Salad.

To start the dish you make an easy marinade for the tuna and let it marinate for 30 minutes. While it is marinating you put together the bean salad portion. First you grill the onion slices. We used a Vidalia and it had great flavor! Next you whisk together a few ingredients to make a light vinaigrette for the salad. Then you rinse the beans, peel and chop half a cucumber, chop fresh Italian parsley, add the capers, and chop the onion once it has cooled. You then toss everything in the vinaigrette. Once the tuna has marinated you grill it for just a couple minutes on each side. This is all plated over a bed of spring greens. Even with the tuna marinating for 30 minutes this meal comes together very quickly and easily.

It was not only light and fresh, but also very tasty! The white bean and charred onion salad had an incredible flavor that we both loved. I had bought crumbled feta to add to it, but I forgot to add it. It certainly doesn’t need anything as it was wonderful as is, but I do think I may try the addition of feta next time to see if it makes it even better. The tuna had a great citrus flavor to it from the lemon juice and zest. The salad, greens, and tuna all complemented each other perfectly. I do think if you don’t like fish that you could use grilled chicken instead. This will definitely be repeated at our house this summer.

This was a wonderful summer meal that has earned the first 10 for the blog. Russ rates the white bean and charred onion salad a 10! The dish as a whole receives a 9 from Russ.

Salmon for the Beer Bottlers

Tonight Allen came over to bottle the beer with Russ (the second step of the process), so I cooked dinner for the three of us. I have been wanting to try a recipe in one of Ina Garten's cookbooks for Eli's Asian Salmon, so I decided to try it out tonight.

The salmon recipe is very quick and easy since you put together a few items for a simple marinade that you pour over the salmon and then you add the panko and pour the remaining marinade over it. The salmon then bakes at a high temperature in the oven for about 18 - 20 minutes. The only issue I had with baking it is that the sauce that ran off the salmon burned. The fish itself didn't burn and was moist and flavorful, but the house smelled like the burned sauce. To go with the salmon I decided to serve sauteed spinach and to try another of Ina's recipes, Garlic and Herb Tomatoes. The tomatoes are cooked on the stove top with a few fresh herbs and minced garlic. They are also very quick and easy.

Allen loved the salmon and Russ and I both liked it a lot. The topping was a little on the salty side (despite using reduced sodium soy sauce) and it didn't crisp up as I had hoped it would. I did like the flavor and I enjoy using Asian sauces / flavors with fish. All in all I think I may repeat the salmon, but at the same time I may keep going and look for other Asian style fish recipes. The tomatoes on the other hand I absolutely loved and the boys thought they were good, but not great. I thought the fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil really brought out the flavor of the tomatoes. I really could have eaten a bowl of the tomatoes with crusty bread and been perfectly happy. The tomatoes are definitely a repeater for us. Russ rates the salmon a 7 and the tomatoes I give a 9. All in all it was a simple and fast meal that was tasty.

Russ' Salmon on the Plank

Sumner and John have had Russ and me over for dinner several times and we finally reciprocated and had them over tonight. Kilkee, their sweet puppy, came with them and she and Cash had a wonderful time playing outside. By the end of the night they were happy, tired pups!

Since the weather has been so nice we decided to grill part of the meal. We decided to have Russ do salmon on a cedar plank on the Egg. He has done plank salmon before and it has turned out very yummy. The planks soak in water all day and then a rub is applied to the salmon a couple hours before grilling. The salmon turned our really well tonight except that it was a little bit saltier than we would have wanted. Next time Russ plans to make a few minor adjustments to the seasonings to make it even better.

We served with it fresh corn on the cob, homemade blueberry muffins, and asparagus. I made the blueberry muffin batter earlier this morning and then baked them this afternoon. I have been on a quest to find the "perfect" blueberry muffin recipe for a few months now and this has been our favorite one so far. It is a whole wheat blueberry muffin from my new cookbook, King Arthur's Whole Grain Baking. They are a dense muffin from being whole wheat, but have great flavor and texture. Next time I will make a couple changes by adding more blueberries and taking them out of the oven a couple minutes sooner.

The asparagus is a repeater for us. It is a Cooking Light recipe from September 2001 that is quick, easy, and very tasty. It is called Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter . We typically grill our asparagus after marinating it in Italian dressing, however, when we don't grill it this is our preferred recipe.

All in all it was a wonderful Spring dinner with good company! Russ rates the meal a 7 (only because he is being hard on himself with the salmon).

Chef Howie's Plank Salmon, "Planking Secrets"

For the dry rub:

2 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried basil
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp light brown sugar

For the salmon:

1 cedar plank, soaked overnight or at least 1 hour
four 6 oz pieces of fresh salmon fillet about 2 inches thick, skin removed (we use one large piece of salmon instead of individual portions)
2 lemons, cut into 8 wedges

Combine the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.

Place the fillets on wax paper. Sprinkle both sides of the fish evenly with 2 Tbsp of the dry rub, pressing the seasoning into the fish. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Preheat the grill on medium-high for 5 to 10 minutes or until the chamber temperature rises above 500F. Rinse the plank and place it on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat the plank for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it starts to throw off a bit of smoke and crackles lightly. Reduce the heat to medium.

Place the salmon on the plank and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish has an internal temperature of 135F. (This temperature is my standard doneness measure for fish. Chef Howie prefers his salmon rarer and removes it from the heat at 120F.) Transfer the salmon pieces to plates and serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Sour Cream Muffins (King Arthur Whole Grain Baking)

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream (we used reduced fat)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries or diced stone fruits (such as peaches or plums) of your choice
Coarse sugar for sprinkling (we used regular)

Lightly grease muffin tin, or line with papers and coat the papers with non-stick spray. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy and almost white in color. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated, then turn the mixer back on and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream, and mix until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, mixing on a low speed just until the batter is smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more, to be sure everything is evenly combined. Gently fold in the fruit and refrigerate at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Scoop the batter by the 1/4-cupful into the prepared pan and sprinkle with sugar or other topping. Bake the muffins until a cake tester is inserted in the center and comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to finish cooling. (My notes: I baked them for 22 minutes and think they could have come out a minute or so sooner. Next time I'll check them at 20 minutes to see how they are doing.)

Simple Tilapia Piccata

Tonight I made the Tilapia Piccata with Orzo out of the new March 2007 Cooking Light. It is the first recipe we have tried out of the March issue. Not that many recipes caught my eye in this issue, however, this piccata was one I definitely wanted to try. It got put on the menu tonight since we had all the ingredients on hand except for the fish. It was a great way to use up our remaining grape tomatoes and last lemon before they went bad. I have made Giada's Chicken Piccata before and Russ and I both liked it, however, it had lots of butter in it and was very rich. It also left a bad taste in my mouth (not literally) as I burned my hand while making it.

This piccata recipe was much lighter than Giada's and while not as rich tasting it certainly had lots of flavor. It is a light and fresh tasting recipe that was very quick and easy to prepare. I followed the recipe as written with the exception of cutting back slightly on orzo since it was just for the two of us. I did make the full amount of sauce since we sometimes find CL recipes to be a little short on the sauce, however, in this case we could have done without double the sauce as it was so flavorful. Russ and I both really enjoyed it and thought the sauce went especially well with the simple orzo. As a bonus I didn't burn myself this time. All in all a good meal that Russ rates an 8.