Super Bowl Sunday

When my team is playing, I love Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately, this year "the other guys" are the star of the show. But we can still enjoy the Puppy Bowl, Kitty Half-Time, the Budweiser ad, and (best of all) the food.

Here is one dish that might be in my oven on Sunday:

Photo Credit: Image by tarheelgarden from Pixabay 

Seafood Nachos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

On a heatproof platter, layer the following ingredients in the order given:

tortilla chips

chopped green chilies

chopped, seeded tomato

sliced ripe olives

minced green onion

canned black beans, rinsed and drained

cooked shrimp and/or imitation crab flakes

shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese

Repeat layers once. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Recipe: Salmon and Chanterelles

Last week I prepared a celebratory dinner for my older daughter in recognition of her 16th anniversary of working with the same company. Way to go Beth! 

I don't remember where I first got the idea to put these ingredients together, but I know that it sprang from our love for chanterelle mushrooms, a delicacy that can only be gleaned from the forest (they aren't grown commercially) and is available for just a short season (a few weeks to a month) in the Autumn. 

Ingredients 

• 18 ounces of fresh salmon filet
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup fresh wild berries (we used blackberries) or 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• fresh parsley for garnish
• fresh chopped hazelnuts for garnish (optional)

Chanterelles are all clean and sliced and ready for the pan

Chanterelles and crimini mushrooms sauteeing

Add half and half and let it reduce for a few minutes

Instructions

1. Inspect salmon filet for bones. Heat olive oil and butter in large saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Place filet, skin side down, in saute pan, cover, and saute until cooked through, about 7 minutes (internal temperature of 145 degrees F.)
2. Remove salmon from pan and set aside; cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Add mushrooms to the same pan and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Deglaze pan with sherry then add half and half. Continue to cook until the sauce is slightly thickened. 
5. Break the cooked salmon into chunks (bite-size or a bit larger) and add to the pan. Don't include the skin (it should separate from the cooked meat very easily). Simmer for a minute or two to heat through.
6. Serve over rice and garnish with berries, parsley, hazelnuts. (We added cooked broccoli too).

Makes 3-4 servings

There's the salmon in the pan getting all warm and cozy in the sauce

Pasta with Shrimp and Bacon

The Yin and Yang of Food

After surgery or illness have you ever been restricted to a bland diet? You end up eating food that is all the same texture and color. My cat is perfectly content to eat the same kibble day in and day out. But we humans are always looking for some excitement in our meals. It's that lack of "sameness", the contrasts, that make our foods interesting.

Yesterday I made one of those yin-and-yang meals, and it happened quite by accident. It all started with bacon. I had fresh shrimp and some fettuccine--always a good start. I love shrimp because it cooks quickly and can be taken in so many different directions--with a bit of soy sauce and spices you have an Asian-inspired meal, with cardamon you are dining in Morocco, or with chilies and tomatillos you are south of the border.

But yesterday I had some bacon in the frig that would soon be past its prime. I also had a few mushrooms about to expire. So I started to think about combining bacon and mushrooms and shrimp. Sure, you can always wrap bacon around shrimp and toss them on the grill, but I wanted to do something in the kitchen (dang, it's cold out there!) So here's what happened:

Pasta with Shrimp and Bacon

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound pasta of your choice
• 4 slices of honey-maple cured bacon, diced
• 1 cup crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic
• parsley, about 1/2 cup (tops only)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, diced
• Zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1 pound of shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Fill a large cooking pot with water and set over high heat to bring to a boil to cook the pasta. (I used fettuccine, but you could use whatever type of pasta you have on hand.) Cook pasta according to package directions; save 1/2 cup of the cooking water then drain the pasta and set aside.
2. Place the bacon in a large sauté pan, and cook it until it is crisped. Remove it from the pan and set aside. Add the mushroom slices and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Place the garlic, parsley, walnuts, and lemon zest into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the garlic is pulverized and the walnuts are finely minced.
4. Heat the sauté pan to medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan and cook until pink, about 4 minutes. Return cooked bacon and mushrooms to sauté pan. Add garlic/walnut mixture and stir together over medium heat. Add cooked pasta to pan. Stir in 1/2 cup of reserved pasta-cooking water. Season to taste with salt and/or pepper if desired. If you like a bit more heat with your meal add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

So Why is This Recipe Different?

Sweet shrimp play against the salty taste of the bacon. Acidic lemon vs. the bite of garlic. Toothsome pasta vs. crisp parsley. The crunch of walnuts vs. the creaminess of romano cheese.

The point isn't to use these specific ingredients. Just think about complements and contrasts in your everyday meals. If you don't have shrimp, substitute chicken. If you don't have parsley, use another fresh herb. No romano? Any other firm cheese would do. No bacon? What else is hiding in your frig that might impart a smoky taste? Perhaps a bit of sausage or kielbasa?

By the way, the husband all but licked the pan. I hope you can find a way to make this dish your own and enjoy it too!

Source: Image by Jumi Kang from Pixabay 

Grilled Orange Ginger Prawns

Summer in the Pacific NW

We are in the dog days of summer in the Pacific Northwest--hot humid days and (thankfully) evenings cooled with a sweet ocean breeze.

What ARE the "dog days of summer"?

The Romans associated hot weather with the star Sirius. They called Siris the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). "Dog Days" were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise. The Romans sacrificed a red dog in April to appease the rage of the star Sirius--thinking that the star was the cause of hot weather.

Dog Days were thought to be an evil time when "the sea boiled, the wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid" (Clavis Calendaria, 1813).

How this recipe came to be

This is prime grilling weather, but hamburgers, hot dogs, and even chicken on the grill can become a bit monotonous after a while. I love "shrimp on the barbie" and so played in my kitchen this afternoon to find a new flavor combination.

Orange Marmalade - Has absolutely nothing to do with this recipe,
but he got your attention, didn't he?

Grilled Orange Ginger Prawns

Equipment you will need

• bamboo skewers (soak in water for at least 20 minutes before cooking will begin)
• small saucepan
• pastry brush
• gas, charcoal, or electric grill

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger root, grated
• 2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp. lime juice
• 2 pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined, (about 1/2 pound per person)

Instructions

1. Pour orange juice into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 8 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in marmalade, fresh ginger root, soy sauce, and lime juice. Set aside.
3. Thread 4 or 5 (depending on size) shrimp on each bamboo skewer, piercing each near the head and the tail. Don't crowd them together too closely--you want them to cook evenly.
4. Preheat grill to medium hot, or about 325 to 350 degrees. (The grill is medium hot if you can hold your hand about 4 inches above the coals for only 6 to 8 seconds).
5. Oil the grill lightly; place the skewered shrimp directly on the grill over medium heat.
6. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on one side and then turn. Brush with orange sauce; continue grilling for 1 to 2 more minutes until they turn pink, then remove from heat immediately. Do not overcook or they will become tough and rubbery.
7. Brush shrimp once again with sauce. Serve additional sauce on the side.

Why this recipe works

• Reducing orange juice concentrates the flavor and makes it syrupy.
• Honey provides a distinctive, multi-layered sweetness unlike simple white or brown sugar
• Fresh ginger root provides a bit of heat
• Orange marmalade has a bit of bitterness to offset the tang of orange juice and the sweetness of the honey. The consistency of the marmalade also helps to thicken the sauce so that it will more easily cling to the prawns.

In all, many layers of flavors combine to create a complex (but simple to make) basting sauce.

Hazelnut-Crusted Salmon

Think for a moment about your favorite recipes. Where did they come from? Are they from a long-loved cookbook that you've had for years? Are they part of your family folklore? Or did you make them up yourself?

I love to cook! In my recipe repertoire are countless, excellent meals prepared by my mother. But mom was not a very adventuresome cook. Simple meat and potatoes and "normal" vegetables were served in our kitchen. It wasn't until I moved away from home that I discovered the wonders of shellfish, couscous, mushrooms, and a wealth of vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts to name a few).

Once I broke away from the meat-and-potatoes framework, I started to really enjoy cooking. And I wanted to share my new-found experience with others. So I began submitting my "new creations" to cooking magazines (Sunset, Cooking Light, etc.).

Several years ago I entered a recipe contest—the requirement was that we focus on local ingredients. My family and I live in the Pacific Northwest. so I chose salmon and hazelnuts—both plentiful in our area.

Atlantic salmon is farm-raised, but Pacific salmon are wild-caught. There are five species of Pacific salmon: king (which some think is the best-tasting because of its high-fat content), sockeye with its bright orange-red flesh, Coho (silver) salmon, humpback (pink) salmon which is light-colored and much lower in fat, and chum salmon. We prefer King and sockeye.

Hazelnuts are also known as filberts. Although Turkey is the largest producer of hazelnuts in the world, Oregon state produces 99 percent of the hazelnuts in the United States. We are lucky enough to have 20 wild hazelnut trees on our property.

I have received many favorable comments about this recipe. Although it makes a beautiful presentation for a company dinner it is easy enough to prepare for your family. 

Mayonnaise might seem an odd accompaniment to salmon, but it keeps the flesh moist. Citrus is a common complement to seafood, so orange marmalade and zest seemed a natural addition. Hazelnuts provide a contrasting crunch to the softness of the salmon flesh. Other nut meats could probably be used as well—almonds, walnuts, or pecans.

By the way, I know that the photo I've shared is less than stellar, but my family was hungry! The next time I make this meal, I'll try to capture a better image.

Hazelnut-Crusted Salmon

Equipment you will need

• a sharp knife and cutting board for cutting salmon into 4 pieces

• parchment paper

• baking sheet

• small mixing bowl

• spoon or rubber scraper for mixing ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal-size pieces

• non-stick cooking spray

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, (I used fat-free)

• 1 tablespoon orange marmalade, minced

• 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest

• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet; spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

1. Place salmon pieces, skin-side down, on parchment.

1. Mix together mayonnaise, marmalade, orange zest, and tarragon in a small mixing bowl. Using a spoon or rubber scraper spread equal amounts of mayo/marmalade mixture over each of the 4 salmon pieces.

1. Sprinkle hazelnuts on top of the mayonnaise mixture and then season each salmon piece with salt and pepper.

1. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Smoked Salmon Hash

I love breakfast--in fact, I'm happy to have "breakfast for dinner" But pancakes, waffles or cinnamon rolls are not really my thing. My number one love is potatoes--creamy and whipped, fluffy and baked, or crispy fried.

Today I had three potatoes in my pantry--one russet and two yams. And a large sweet onion.

What to do?

My thoughts turned to hash. But what protein could/should I pare with a mix of potatoes that are somewhat sweet/somewhat earthy? Ham or bacon are obvious. But I don't do obvious.

...And then I noticed the smoked salmon tidbits in the seafood section of my local grocer. They're not beautiful fillets--but who needs beautiful fillets when you're making hash? Little bits are just fine. And smoked salmon with dense russets, sweet yams, and creamy sauteed onions sounds like a perfect match to me.

Smoked Salmon Hash

Equipment you will need

• Microwave
• Paring knife
• Large knife and cutting board for dicing potatoes and onions
• Large sauté pan
• Spatula

Ingredients

• 1 large russet potato
• 2 medium-sized yams
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 pound smoked salmon
• 1 tsp. fresh minced dill, (optional)

Directions

1. Using a small paring knife, pierce the russet potato in several places. Microwave for 4 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the peel and dice the potato (about 1/2-inch dice).
2. Pare the yams and dice (about 1/2 inch).
3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the diced potatoes, yams, and onions to the pan; cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften and the potatoes brown a bit. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes more so that all sides of the potatoes start to get brown and crispy.
4. Mince the smoked salmon and add to the potato/onion hash. Continue to cook and stir until the salmon is heated through.
5. Sprinkle with fresh dill and serve.