Salmon, Planked

This is fun! Neal gave me some planks for Mother's Day and I finally got around to using one. Thanks Neal...I'll be using the rest soon.

Planked Salmon
Cedar plank (see Hints)
4 skinless salmon fillets, (about 1 pound)
1 medium lemon
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Soak plank in water (weigh it down with a heavy pan) for at least 20 minutes. Turn on outdoor grill to high, or prepare charcoal briquettes. Rinse salmon and pat dry; set aside. Cut lemon in half, zest one half and mix the zest with the ginger, salt, pepper and parsley. Place salmon on plank and spread lemon parsley rub on top. Slice the other half of the lemon and top each fillet with 1 or 2 slices. Grill planked salmon, with lid closed, for 6 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Fish is done as soon as it is opaque and flakes easily.

Hints: Planking is a great way to grill fish because you don't have to turn it, which can be hard to do on a barbeque grill. The plank needs to be untreated wood. (Board from a lumber yard may be treated with chemicals that repel insects and can be dangerous to humans.) They can be found in packages in cookware shops or some large grocery stores. The package Neal gave me came with different types of wood, Cedar, Alder and Applewood. The soaked wood gives off smoke when heated that flavors the food cooked on it. Delicious! I like to use wild caught salmon, just because of the sustainability--I can't really tell any difference in taste but maybe you can. You could also use other types of fish like trout or halibut.

I have this aversion to "sweet" salmon. Often a menu will feature salmon with a honey glaze or brown sugar spice rub and I never order it even though salmon is one of my favorites. That's weird for me, isn't it? I like coconut shrimp and lichee scallops, I dip calamari in sweet and sour sauce, but somehow sweet salmon makes me cringe. So I guess my claim that I like all foods has a qualifier--I like all foods but not all the ways they are prepared. How do you feel about sweet fish?

Tuna with Lemon

I cook lots of things for Neal. He appreciates all of them and likes most of them. This weekend, I called and asked him to make me lunch. I requested a quesadilla or a tuna sandwich. This is what I got---worthy of a blog post! Try it out on your mom and see what she says.

Tuna Sandwich with Lemon
1 can tuna, light albacore packed in water, drained
1/4 cup (approximately) Miracle Whip
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 slices sourdough bread
1/2 cup fresh spinach and arugula
Mix drained tuna with Miracle Whip and lemon zest. Spread 1/4 of the mixture on each of the slices of bread. Top two slices with half of the greens. Place the remaining slices that are spread with tuna on top of the greens, so the greens are in the middle of the sandwich. 

Hints: You could toast the sourdough lightly if you wanted. You could make this with canned chicken. You can use only arugula or only spinach. You can call Neal if you need a great, healthy lunch!

Thanks Neal! I loved that he loved that I loved his food. When I asked how he thought of this combo, he said "Well, lemon goes with fish right?" Smart man, pays attention, quick learner and an experimenter to boot. Yessiree, that's my son!

Grapefruit and Shrimp Quinoa Salad

This dish was inspired by the delightful Spinach and Shrimp salad at Plates and Palates (a local eatery and cookware shop). Quinoa is becoming a side dish of choice for me and turning leftovers into a main dish lunch comes naturally. This salad is fresh tasting and filling at the same time.

Grapefruit and Shrimp Quinoa Salad
1/2 cup sliced sweet potato (cut 1/8" thick and then quartered)
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup cooked shrimp
1/4 cup chopped pistachio, plus more for garnish
2/3 cup grapefruit sections
2 tablespoons minced purple onion
1 cup spinach (or arugula or a mix of both)
Cracked pepper
Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon almond oil (or canola oil)
Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Place sliced potatoes into bottom and allow to cook without disturbing for about 2 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook another 2 minutes. There should be some light caramelizing on the slices. Remove form heat and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine quinoa, shrimp, pistachios and purple onion. In another bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk well. Add potatoes to salad. Pour dressing over and toss to mix well. Place greens in serving dishes and top with salad. Garnish with cracked pepper and pistachios. Serves 2 as a main dish.

Hints: Dry roasting the potato works really well, they will have a slight crunch but the starch will have cooked enough to make them palatable. I don't pack the quinoa to measure it for this salad. I used frozen pre-cooked shrimp for convenience but if you have fresh shrimp available, try grilling them prior to using them in this salad. Sectioning a grapefruit is easily done by cutting off the peel and slicing one section out then holding the fruit in your left hand, slice down the left side of the next section to the left and scraping the right side off, allow it to drop into a bowl. Repeat working to the left until all section are removed. Squeeze the pulp remaining in your left hand into the bowl to capture the juice for the dressing. (See this recipe for another salad containing sectioned citrus fruit and this one for another quinoa salad.)

I like all of the food at Plates and Palates. They have a very nice way of doing things. My only complaint is that the salad dressings tend to be heavy on the sugar. But that is OK once in a while. Lovely paninis. Fun shopping for foodies like me. Who wants to go to lunch in Bountiful?

Taco Mania 3 - Fish Tacos

Do you love a good fish taco? There are certain restaurants that have delightful versions and some that are merely good enough. I learned to make the delightful ones at home so that I could get all my favorite elements in one sitting. Corn, not flour tortillas; thinly cut cabbage; flavored sour cream that is not too spicy; raw purple onions; fresh cilantro. Change things up if these are not your favorite elements.

Fish Tacos (for Two People)
For the fish:
2 small flounder fillets
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon masa harina
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground hot red pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Rinse the fish in water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Mix remaining ingredients except oil on a plate. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Put oil in pan and the dredge fish in the flour mixture on both sides. Place fish in hot pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove to serving platter and keep warm until ready to serve.

For the sauce:
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 lime, zest and juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cumin
Mix all ingredients together in a small serving bowl.
For assembly:
2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons finely diced purple onion
1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/2 an avocado, diced
1/2 lime, cut in wedges
8 small corn tortillas, warmed
Use two tortillas per taco. Split the fish into 4 portions and place in shells. Top with remaining ingredients and serve warm. Serves 2 people 2 tacos each.

 Hints: The fish cooks quickly, so I get everything ready to go and set the table before I cook it, that way it doesn't get cold or over cooked before we eat. Tilapia or cod would work as well as the flounder. Thicker cut fish like halibut or salmon are also great but need to be cooked longer and flaked apart to serve. They are good blackened with a bit more spice. I buy the flounder frozen and find it is just fine for fish tacos. Serve some hot sauce on the side for those who want some heat. Cut the lime in half lengthwise and use half in the sauce and half for wedges. Warm the tortillas so they don't crack when assembling and eating the tacos.

Like I always say, a day with a taco is better than a day without a taco. Not a fish lover? Check out these posts for pork, chicken and beef tacos. Hope you enjoy some kind of tacos very soon!

Shrimp Fried Rice

Busy days, building stress and too many party foods can wreck havoc with your eating habits, your exercise schedule and your equilibrium. What you need is an easy and quick dish that is full of good-for-your-body-and-soul-ingredients. This fried rice will fit that bill and cooks in one pot!

Shrimp Fried Rice
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup mukimame (shelled, cooked soy beans)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
4 ounces small cooked shrimp
2 cups cooked rice (I use 1 cup white and 1 cup black)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 egg
Heat a wok over high heat. Add oils. Stir in red pepper, cook and stir for 1 minute. Add celery and garlic, cook and stir another minute. Add cabbage, cook and stir another minute. Add soy beans and ginger, cook and stir another minute. Add shrimp and rice, stir to mix then add sesame oil and soy sauce, cook and stir for another minute. Pull fried rice to upper edges of wok, opening up a space in the bottom of the pan and drop the egg into the center. Quickly scramble it and then allow it to cook. When the bottom has set up, scramble it again to get it all cooked. When it is all solid, break it up and stir to distribute throughout the rice. Serve immediately. Pass additional soy sauce.

Hints: The prep work is the most time consuming. I put pre-cooked frozen salad shrimp and mukimame in a colander and run cool water over them to thaw them out, then let them drain thoroughly. Dice and shred the veggies and grate the ginger. Use any type of rice, your favorite is probably what you will have on hand. It is like any stir fry in that you need to have the ingredients you will be using at hand when you start. From there, cooking is a cinch and you are minutes from serving dinner. I use two bamboo (or wooden) spoons with flat sides to stir fry. Keep the pan hot while you are cooking. I serve this meal right from the pan. 

This is the type of meal that most people love, tasty, filling and simple. There won't be any leftovers. You won't be hungry in an hour or two. It is quick and easy to create. And only one pot to clean. Such a good way to go on a hectic schedule day.

Tuna and Mozzerella Pasta

My sweet, sweet daughter invited me to lunch today and this is what she made while I held the little one (7 weeks old now!). Thanks a ton beautiful Mother of little Grandson...

Sophie's Thursday Pasta (because today was Thursday)
6 cups water for boiling
1/3 to 1/2 cup pesto
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 can oil packed tuna, drained
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain then mix in pesto and mozzarella while pasta is still hot. Finally stir in tuna. Serve hot.  

Hints: The wagon wheel (rotelle) pasta hold onto the sauce and tuna very well. It is a great choice. Soph says she would never use whole grain pasta--never saw it in Italy, ever. This would serve 4 people.

Quick and absolutely delicious! So healthy too! Served with arugula salad and lovely white peaches. The flavors were so complimentary on the plate. The lemon dressing on the salad was a great counterpoint to the tuna pasta. The sweet peaches balanced the bitter arugula and the dense pasta was a great texture balance to the greens. It was a perfect lunch for today. Hope others can enjoy the feeling as well as the food. Thanks again Sophie!