Jon A.’s Gumbo

Serves: 10
Prep Time: About 2 hours

1/3 cup olive oil
4 large yellow onions, chopped (about 8 cups)
4 red bell peppers, seeded, chopped (about 4 1/2 cups)
4 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups red wine
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (12 oz. can) corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
6 bay leaves
2 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (8 oz. can) tomato paste
6 cups vegetable broth
4 pounds andouille sausage, cut into slices
10 ounces chicken breast, shredded
10 ounces fresh crab meat
1 pound okra, sliced (about 4 cups)

Salt and ground pepper

2 pounds peeled deveined medium shrimp

Steamed rice

In a large stock pot, Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add bell peppers, celery and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cayenne, red wine, black beans and corn.  Add coriander, and bay leaves; bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes (do not drain), tomato paste, vegetable broth, sausage, chicken and crab; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add okra and simmer until just tender, about 8 minutes.

Add shrimp to pot and cook to doneness, about 5 minutes. Season gumbo to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in soup bowls on a bed of steamed rice.

Soft Shell Crabs Sautéed with Lemon, Butter and Wine

These delicate crabs are in season twice a year when the ocean waters warm up and the crabs begin to molt and lose their hard shells.  They require a little TLC to clean (a job best done by your fishmonger). Many restaurants in the South offer them fried. I prefer to sauté them in butter and olive oil.

Servings: 4 as a first course, 2 for dinner

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Level of Difficulty: moderate

4 fresh soft shell crabs, cleaned

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium lemon
Unbleached all-purpose flour for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, ½ stick
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

            Lay the crabs onto your work surface. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over both sides. Hold onto the lemon rinds for the sauce. Dredge each crab in the flour and shake off excess.

            Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium high heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling, lay each crab into the pan. Cook, turning once until the shells turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the crab to a pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm.

            Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and lemon rinds. Pour in the wine. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Discard the garlic and the lemon rinds. Spoon the sauce over the crab and sprinkle with parsley.

Side Bar:  To make this dish a meal, serve the crab and the sauce over pasta or sautéed collard greens.

Like Mother, Like Son

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach…but you have to stop in Fresh Market’s seafood department first. One of these stores finally opened near my son (the Lauderdale based one, Christopher J. Morgan) early this year.

Word on the street (424 N Federal Highway) is they signed a 15-year lease, a thought that delighted me shopping those exceedingly well stocked aisles, full service meat counters, and bakeries with at least 14 different kinds of fresh pies on daily rotation. I must have been drinking the artisan flavored Kool-Aid that day, because we really booked in Seafood—I stocked Chris’ freezer with enough Fresh Market salmon and sea bass to feed an army—or at least one really hungry guy before our visit ended and it was time to go home to North Carolina.

Pesca-what?

It’s such a treat to check into Facebook. I can see what my entire family is up to (don’t read that and unfriend me!)—including Chris who’s been photographing his healthy and elegant fish dinners since our Pescatarian spree. Microsoft Word highlights “pescatarian” in red every time I write it. Well, they should. It’s a fairly new concept; at least it is to me. It means that you don’t eat chicken, beef, pork—or any kind of meat anymore, except for fish. I don’t think Chris is a full-fledged Pescatarian yet, but he has been eating healthier lately and looks great. Perhaps he was paying attention to my research when I wrote Gorgeous, because he reminded me of what fishy diets can do for you:   

What the Pescatarians go fishing for:    

·         escape from saturated fat

·         reduction in cholesterol levels

·         increase of essential vitamins and minerals

·         huge dose of lean protein

Those who know me, know I’m big on healthy lifestyle changes, and eating better than I’m sure he ever did in college, is of course something I want to commend Chris for doing right now…but I’m an even bigger foodie, so the way he cooked and plated that fish pleased me all the more. Look at the pics I ran with this blog! Isn’t it all gorgeous? His approach was nice and simple: Chris’ Salmon is a flavor palette for cilantro, rosemary, thyme and a half clove of garlic. His Sea Bass Over Spinach is another revelation; it can’t be improved upon. Though I do cast a suspicious eye at that blue and white china plate. Could that be mine, by any chance?   

Sea Bass Over Spinach

1 pound whole sea bass fillet
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 3 teaspoons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 lemon wedges
1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 pound fresh spinach leaves, about 4 cups

Salt and freshly ground pepper
Hot pepper flakes (optional)

1.      Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.      In a cup, mix garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

3.      Place fish in a shallow baking dish and rub with 1 tablespoon of the Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper.

4.      Pour wine over fish.

5.      Bake fish, uncovered, for 15 minutes; then add remaining tablespoon of Italian seasoning and bake for 5 minutes more, until the thickest part of the fish flakes.

6.      While you wait for the fish to finish baking, get out a small sauce pan and cook the spinach leaves on medium heat until the leaves wilt; add salt, pepper and dash of hot pepper flakes to taste. 

7.      Remove fish from oven and drizzle it with the pan juices; use the lemon wedges to give fish a few squirts of lemon juice.

8.      Serve on a bed of steamed spinach.

Chris’ Salmon

1 (2-pound) whole salmon fillet
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large lemon juiced, about 5 tablespoons
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 head garlic, about 8 cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.      Coat a medium sized baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

3.      Place salmon in the baking dish. Mix together the butter, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl, and drizzle over the salmon. Decorate salmon with the garlic cloves. Season with cilantro, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.

4.      Bake for 25 minutes, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.

Note: You can line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and bake your fish that way too; using a baking dish is an alternative.

I Had a Midsummer Night’s Dream…

About Revisiting my Favorite Recipes for the Perfect Summer Solstice Party

The days are getting longer and home improvement shops are rolling out the outdoor pavilion sets. You know the ones—they have dreamy names like “Garden Oasis Gazebo”. Admit it! It’s fun to check out the plush cushions on the wicker patio stuff, and peek into hibachis where fake corn and steak adorn the grill. I like to picture a summer get together with guests roaming my backyard in cottony dresses, kids capturing lighting bugs, and happy campers of all ages queuing up at my buffet.

Though Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, I can think of an even better date, further out, for a grand summer party: the summer solstice, on June 20th. It’s the longest day of the year, and appeals to Extreme Party Planners the world over. As I planned my party, I focused my eyes (and taste buds) on Scandinavia, plenty inspired to sit down and create my own summer solstice party on Pinterest.

Did I Pique Your Pinterest?

You’ll see when you visit my newest pinboard, that I’ve given myself over to the idea of seafood. The Scandinavians got it right. Picture it: salmon, lobster, lightly roasted vegetables—loads of starchy, wonderful potatoes coated in enough fresh dill, you’d swear it was lawn clippings and not just an abundance of herbs on the table. It would have been good to be a Viking! Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Topped with Smoked Salmon and Dill were the first appy to pop into my head. Please let me know if they land somewhere in your summer buffet.    

Summer Solstice Menu; All Oldies But Goodies!

For the entrée. How about making LOBSTER the Maine Event? Click the punny link to read my personal experiences signing a FedEx receipt for still alive, still squirming crustaceans. I know that lobster is a tall order in the present economy—so if you want to save, or just spare your guests from those small hammers and bibs, this is your next best thing: the Barbecued salmon hoagie. You’re going to fall in love with it the minute you see it—and it absolutely must be served with Chili roasted corn on the cob with lime cream. Serve Rosemary Baked Potatoes as one side, and Six veggie slaw with tarragon as the other; it’s the crisp, cool counterpart to what’s hot.

Dessert has to be light, creamy (a difficult juxtaposition in food, I know) and make you hum along to Billy Ocean’s Caribbean Queen. I’ve gotten compliments on my trifles, and the Tropical trifle is among the best in my trifling repertoire.

Simple Moonrise Parties in Lieu of the Bigger Bashes

I wouldn’t worry too much about dessert if the drinks offered at your party are cool in every sense of the word. I’m serving  Bourbon minted tea, which brings me round to describing what one of my readers shared with me recently. She serves this beverage during her moon rise parties—small gatherings that involve she and her husband, a few friends and a toast in the hour or two before dusk, when the moon looks like a bouncy bluish ball in the sky. I like to picture this friend in a white deck chair, glass in hand, enjoying the remains of the day. Please bookmark these published Moon rise times for the summer months ahead.

Enjoy them all! Summertime is a celebration of new beginnings and vitality!  Walk barefoot through the grass, my friends!      

Puttanesca Poached Cod

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Level of Difficulty: easy
Special Appliance:  skillet with lid

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (7-ounce) tin flat fillets of anchovies packed in oil
1 (14-ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, about 8 to 10 medium size, sliced
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced, about 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 cup red wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 (4 to 6-ounce) fillets of cod

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the olive oil and anchovies (with oil) in a skillet over low heat. Cook until the anchovies begin to melt. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the artichoke hearts, olives, garlic and capers. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the wine. Cook until most of the liquid disappears, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the sauce reduces by half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Place the cod into the sauce. Cover the skillet with a lid. Cook until the cod just begins to flake, about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Season the top of the fillets with salt and pepper. Serve the cod surrounded by the sauce.

Spicy Tuna Dinner Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

For the dressing
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled
Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
¾ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the tuna
Juice of 2 medium lemons (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon Chili powder
1 (1-pound) tuna steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes or mixed baby tomatoes
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

For the salad
1 large head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn (about 8 cups)
1 (15.5-ounce) small white navy beans, drained

Place the garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Balsamic vinegar and cilantro into a blender. Pulse to emulsify. With the machine running, slowly add ¾ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix together the lemon juice and marmalade. Brush this mixture over the tuna. Sprinkle with Chili powder. Marinate the tuna for 15 minutes. Cut the tuna into 2-inch chunks. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sear the tuna until golden, about 2 to3 minutes. Turn and add the tomatoes and onion. Cook until the tuna is seared on both sides, but still rare in the center, and the tomatoes have begun to turn brown and the onion begins to soften. Remove from the heat.

To serve, arrange the lettuce onto 4 dinner plates. Sprinkle the beans over top. Place the tuna and tomatoes onto the salad. Drizzle the dressing over all.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Warm Sun-Dried Tomato Relish

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

4 (8-ounce) swordfish steaks, 1 to 1 ½-inch thick
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 (7-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sliced lengthwise into strips
4 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 (16-ounce) jar Spanish olives, pitted, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Place the swordfish steaks into a baking dish.

Whisk together the ½ cup olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour this mixture over the fish, turning once to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Place the sun-dried tomatoes and the oil from the jar in a skillet over medium high heat.

Add the garlic and Spanish olives. Cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting.

Heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill) over medium high heat.

Remove the fish from the marinade. Place the fish into the grill pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

Turn and cook, 4 to 6 minutes more. The fish should spring back when touched.

Place the fish onto a platter. Top each steak with ¼ of the butter. Pour the sun-dried relish over the steaks. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Nibbles For Nods

Root For Oscar Nominated Stars While Dining On Primo Appetizers!

The 83rd Oscar Awards Ceremony is February 27th this year, same bat time, same bat channel as usual: ABC at 5pm Pacific and 8pm Eastern. It’s a great occasion to invite your best buds over for food & drink that look as cinematic as all the things you’ve seen on the silver screen together in 2010. Go ahead and treat my blog like a word puzzle, and see if you can find all the references to films and actors given Oscar nods this go around.

Get the Dipping Bowls in Your Living Room Ready!

Since fish dishes are the very definition of the word easy—in fact, they NEVER take over 127 Hours to make—seafood dishes like Tuna Tatare, diver scallops and crab cakes are part of my new Nana Network crusade to stop patronizing fast food joints as much…unless of course, there are Toy Story 3 items inside the kids’ meals! On Oscar Night, serve your guests Sautéed Crab Cakes with Three Sauces. This delicate appy features three very distinct sauces—their secret to perfection? Make sure you gently mix and form the crab cakes, thoroughly chilling them before sautéing.

Make Sure “The Kids Are Alright” With These Hot and Spicy Nibbles

Chipotle Spiced Cocktail Meatballs Simmered in Tomato Sauce and Served with Cilantro Cream owe that incredible taste many of us have a hard time identifying, to plain ol’ sugar—just a spoonful of sugar in the tomato sauce and the rich cream reduction, smoothes out this dish’s flavor, making it one your pals will come back for again and again! Who among us doesn’t love a meatball that’s soaked in spicy hot smoked peppers? Do me a favor! Post your guests’ reception of this appy to my Facebook page—your social network will love it, wink, wink!

When It Comes Time to Toast the Winners, These Cocktails are Worthy of The King’s Speech!
I’ve posted them before and I’ll post them again: Oyster Shooters are amazing for social gatherings like these. Shifting gears into coffee clatch territory, I think your Oscar Night friends would also approve of Mexican coffee—when it’s spiked with the tequila you’ve been saving, Mexican coffee is especially warm and welcoming—plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to pull out the cinnamon sticks and whipped cream? It’s a dessert and beverage all in one!

A Black Swan/White Swan Color Scheme in Your Decadent Oscar Night Dessert Offering

I’m making Chocolate & Marble Cake in homage to the movie most likely to score best picture, The Black Swan. In this movie, best actress hopeful Natalie Portman must perform in a ballet, not just as The White Swan, but as the Black one too—you can guess which one’s more decadent; however, in this tasty cake that goes great with Mexican coffee, it’s all sinfully delicious!

Even if all you do is rip open a bag of chips and gulp a couple of beers on Oscar Night, I hope you enjoy the fun—and if you should find yourself more in the mood for a formal affair than a nibble here and a nip there, contact me for recipes, catalogued in my Diary of an Extreme Party Planner project, where the ultimate Oscar Night menu will blow your black tie and tails off!

And the Oscar goes to…???

Smoked Trout Hash with Fried Eggs

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about ½ cup)
6 red creamer potatoes, boiled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 2 cups)
2 ears of fresh corn, cooked, kernels sliced from cob (about 1 cup)
16 ounces smoked trout, skinned and flaked (about 2 cups)
1 bunch (6 to 8) green onions, chopped (about ½ cup)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons butter
8 large eggs
Caviar for garnish (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Cook the red onion and potatoes in the pan until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the corn to the pan and cook for 2 minutes more.

Toss in the smoked salmon and green onions and cook for 2 minutes more.

Season the hash with salt and pepper. Toss in 1 tablespoon fresh chives. Keep the hash warm while you prepare the eggs.

Heat the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Break one egg into a bowl. Gently slide the egg into skillet. Repeat this process with as many eggs as will fit into the skillet without crowding. Cook the eggs until firm. (You may turn them once during cooking when the egg white becomes solid).

Use a spatula to carefully remove each egg from the skillet. Serve the eggs on top of the hash. Garnish each egg with a dab of caviar and a sprinkling of fresh chives.

Fast and Furious Fish Stew

I bet you’ve always thought that fish stew is a complicated meal to prepare. This recipe will open your eyes. You can make the base for the stew in minutes, with your favorite veggies and a bit of wine, broth and clam juice to finish it. Fish cooks in just minutes, so add it to the base just before you are ready to serve. It’s as FUN to eat as it is easy to make.

Serves: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 to 30 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and chopped, about 1 cup
3 medium celery ribs, sliced, about 1 cup
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced, about 2 tablespoons
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 cup white wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste, about ¾ cup
1 cup homemade chicken broth, or prepared low sodium chicken broth
2 fresh or dried Bay leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 (4 to 5-ounce) lobster tails
½ pound cod fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound fresh squid, cleaned, bodies cut into narrow rings, tentacles left in tact
½ lb. medium shrimp, about 25 to 30, peeled and deveined
1 pound mussels, scrubbed

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, onion and garlic and cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the clam juice, white wine, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth. Add the salt, pepper and Bay leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Split the underside of the lobster tails to easily remove the meat after cooking. Place the lobster tails into the pot and cook until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the cod, and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the squid, shrimp and mussels. Cook until the calamari and shrimp are opaque and the mussels open, about 3 minutes more. Serve right away.

Note:
Want to skip the bacon and chicken broth, to make this a totally fish dish? This recipe still works great if you substitute vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.

Arranged Salmon Salad with Chinese Five Spice Vinaigrette

When you are asked to bring a dish for a pot luck supper, or to drop off a dish for a neighbor or friend in need, think beyond the casserole. An arranged salad offers flexibility, allowing diners to pick and choose from a platter filled with an abundant supply of veggies, fish and hard boiled eggs. A sprinkling of fresh herbs and spicy vinaigrette create a hyper flavor experience everyone will enjoy.

Serves: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes to roast potatoes and about 10 minutes for salmon

1 ½ pounds (1 ½ -inch long) fingerling potatoes, about 15
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus ¼ cup for vinaigrette
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
½ pound medium fresh asparagus spears, about 16
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed, about 16
1 medium lemon juiced, about 3 tablespoons
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced, about 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Miso paste
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
1 (1-pound) salmon fillet
4 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled and cut into quarters
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh watercress

Heat the oven to 400°. Place the potatoes onto a baking sheet with lip. Toss with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast until the potatoes are soft and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Blanch the asparagus spears in the water until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Place the Brussels spouts into the boiling water and blanch until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to an ice water bath.

Place the lemon juice, shallot, mustard, honey, miso and Chinese Five spice into a blender. With the machine running, pour in ¼ cup olive oil.
Place the salmon onto a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil spray. Brush 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the fish. Roast until the fish remains rare in the center, about 8 minutes per inch of thickness.

Assemble the salad by placing the salmon in the center of a large platter. Arrange the potatoes, asparagus and Brussels sprouts around the salmon. Place hard boiled egg slices and tomato wedges alongside. Sprinkle with watercress and additional coarse black pepper. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Topped with Smoked Salmon and Dill

These bite-size buddies burst with flavor while brightening up your appy platter.

Yield: 30 appys
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

15 (1 ½ -inch long) fingerling potatoes, about 1 ½ pounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (7.5-ounce) container Crème Fraiche
1 (4-ounce package) wild Alaskan smoked salmon
Fresh dill sprigs

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the potatoes onto a baking sheet with lip. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until the potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Cut the potatoes in half, lengthwise. Spread the cut side of the potato with Crème Fraiche. Layer with a piece of salmon and top with a dill sprig.

Make It Yourself Tip
You can make Crème Fraiche by combining 1 cup whipping cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass jar with lid. Let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees F.) for 8 to 24 hours, or until thickened. Stir well and refrigerate for up to 10 days. Use as directed above or in soup recipes, as Crème Fraiche will not curdle when boiled.

Poached Salmon with Piquant Mustard Sauce

This delicate dish is perfect for a luncheon plate or for a light summer supper in the garden. It’s a breeze to prepare. The secret is not to overcook the fish. It should be rare in the center and flaky on the edges. If you are not a salmon devotee, you can use the same technique for chicken.

½ pound grilled salmon, sliced into 2 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large carrot, peeled, trimmed and sliced
1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
2 to 3 radishes, thinly sliced, about two tablespoons
2 bay leaves
A handful of fresh parsley
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 to 2 cups white wine

2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
½ lemon juiced, about 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables and herbs into a skillet. Toss in the peppercorns. Pour in the wine. You want enough wine to halfway submerge the salmon fillets. Bring the poaching liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, into the skillet. Cook until the salmon is still rare in the center, about 6 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Transfer to a serving platter.

Prepare the sauce by whisking together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Garnish the salmon with a dollop of sauce.

Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 to 8 minutes to poach salmon

Barbecued Salmon Hoagie

Open wide! This easy, good-for-you sammich is piled high with ingredients that you are going to Yum over.

½ pound grilled salmon, sliced into 2 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons homemade or good quality prepared barbecue sauce
2 whole grain hoagie rolls
1 large plum tomato, diced into ½-inch pieces
Hamburger dill pickle chips
Cole slaw

Sprinkle the salmon fillets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon, flesh side down to form grill marks, about 3 to 4 minutes depending on thickness. Carefully turn the salmon. Brush the seared side with barbecue sauce (homemade is best, but a good quality barbecue sauce in a jar will work just fine.) Grill the salmon for about 3 to 4 minutes more. Carefully turn the salmon one more time to sear the other side with the barbecue sauce. Cook until the salmon is still rare in the center. Remove to a platter, glazed side up.

Brush the inside of the hoagie rolls with the remaining olive oil. Grill the rolls until just golden. Transfer the rolls to a platter. Place the fillets onto the rolls, top with diced tomato, pickle chips and cole slaw.

Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 to 8 minutes to grill salmon

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp in Creamy Tomato Sauce over Cappellini

The commonplace shrimp is transformed into a 5-star ingredient in this simple, yet satisfying, elegantly presented dish.

1 pound fresh extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 26 to 30)
Juice of I large lemon, about 1/3 cup
¾ pound apple wood smoked bacon (about 12 to 14 slices)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sauce:
4 tablespoons organic butter, divided (you can substitute with half olive oil, half butter!)
½ pound fresh assorted wild mushrooms, sliced, about 2 cups
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced, about
2 pints baby heirloom tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
½ pound baby spinach leaves chopped, about 2 cups

1 pound cappellini pasta
1 cup organic half and half
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1 cup
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Sprinkle the shrimp with lemon juice. Lay the bacon onto a cutting board and cut the slices into thirds. Wrap each shrimp in bacon and place onto a platter. Season the shrimp with paprika, salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet (with lid) over medium high heat. Cook the bacon-wrapped shrimp, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes total. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to do this in batches. Remove the shrimp to a platter and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in the same skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and cook the mushrooms until golden, about 5 to 6 minutes more. (TIP: Let the mushrooms sit in the pan for a couple of minutes before you stir them. They will caramelize and turn golden. If you stir them around right away, they will not color as well.) Add the tomatoes to the pan and pour in the wine. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Cook the capellini until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Remove the lid from the pan with the sauce. Stir in the spinach leaves. Add the half and half and place the bacon-wrapped shrimp back into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

To serve, use a pasta spoon to twist a handful of cappellini into the center of a pasta bowl. Ladle the shrimp and sauce onto and around the pasta. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over top, dazzle with an extra grind of fresh pepper and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Yield: About 6 servings as a main course
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Sources and Substitutions
You can substitute with scallops or cod pieces in place of shrimp. Feel free to use any and all veggies in the sauce.

Open Face Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich

If you crave smoked salmon and cream cheese on a freshly toasted bagel, you will love this breakfast starter. You can make it in minutes. Salmon is full of omega-3 essential fats that we need in our healthy diet. Don’t be afraid to use a tablespoon of whipped, full- fat cream cheese; it’s deeply satisfying and brings everything together in this quick, grab and go dish.

1 slice whole grain marbled rye bread
1 tablespoon organic whipped cream cheese
½ teaspoon capers, drained
2 thin slices smoked salmon (about 1 ounce)
1 small ripe tomato, cut into ½-inch slices
Thinly sliced red onion
Chopped fresh dill
A pinch of sea salt and a grind of fresh pepper

Toast the bread and place onto your serving plate. Spread the cream cheese onto the toast. Sprinkle the cream cheese with capers. Lay the salmon on the cream cheese. Top with tomato slices, red onion and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the sandwich into two triangle halves and munch away.

Yield: 1 sandwich
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Sources and Substitutions
Thinly sliced whole grain pumpernickel or whole wheat bread is a fine substitution for this sandwich. If you are a tuna lover, you can replace the salmon with tuna. Substitute any fresh herb that you have on hand. Parsley and even tarragon are great. You can add chopped hard boiled egg and slices of fresh cucumber for a bigger, bolder breakfast sandwich. Tomatoes, onion and parsley are filled with antioxidants. The capers add a punch of flavor.

Thinly sliced whole grain rye, pumpernickel or whole grain bread is dense and filling. Each slice has less than 100 calories, compared to a large pumpernickel bagel, which has 320 calories. You can find whole grain breads in the bakery section of your grocery store, the local bakery, or as the finished product from you own kitchen bread maker.

You can’t beat the flavor of cream cheese. By choosing the whipped variety, you have air whipped into the product, so you end up using less cream cheese on your open face sandwich. Choose good quality smoked salmon for this dish.

Cumin Crusted Salmon with Tarragon Caper Sauce

This is by far one of the most popular dishes that I prepare. It’s fancy enough to serve at your next dinner party, yet easy enough to make for an after-work supper. Serve with creamy cheese grits and roasted veggies.

1 (2 ½ pound) center-cut whole salmon fillet with skin
Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup cream
3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the whole fillet, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet, coated with vegetable oil spray. Drizzle the lemon juice on top.

Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the salmon, coating well. Drizzle the top with olive oil.

Place the salmon into the oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Roast until the salmon is rare in the center, about 8 minutes per inch of thickness, or about 15 to 30 minutes for the whole fillet.

For the sauce, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, cream, capers, tarragon vinegar and fresh tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the salmon with the sauce on the side. Garnish with fresh lemon or orange slices and fresh tarragon sprigs.

Servings: 6 to 8
Preparation Time: 100 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Sources and Substitutions
You don’t need to use an entire fillet for this recipe. For fewer servings, you can use individual fillets or salmon steaks. Feel free to cut the sauce in half – or prepare it as listed, and save extras for crudité dipping. The salmon is equally terrific served warm from the oven or at room temperature on a buffet table. Use left over salmon to create a wonderful salmon salad.

Tuna Tartare on Home Made Potato Chips

My hubby and I were in New York and decided to have lunch at a French Bistro. I ordered the tartare and was just delighted when it came with a bowl full of warm chips. This is my version to serve for gal pals with a bottle of chilled, crisp white wine.

½ pound excellent quality tuna steak
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 medium lime, about 1 to 2 teaspoons
Juice of 2 large limes, about 3 to 4 tablespoons
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
½-inch piece fresh Ginger, peeled and grated, about 1 teaspoon
4 to 6 drops hot pepper sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 to 5 green onions, thinly sliced, about ½ cup
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded, veins removed, finely diced
1 medium whole ripe avocado, seed removed, peeled and diced, about 1 cup

2 large russet potatoes
Canola oil for frying

Crème Fraiche
Fresh Dill

Place the tuna into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm. Remove it and place onto a cutting board. Use a very sharp knife to slice the tuna into thin strips. Cut the strips crosswise into 1/-4 inch cubes. Place the finely diced tuna into a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, horseradish, ginger, and a few drops of hot pepper sauce (you can add more if you like things spicy). Season with salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the tuna. Add in the onions, pepper and avocado. Gently toss. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together.

Use a mandoline to thinly slice the potatoes. Place the slices into a bowl of cold water. Heat canola oil in a pan over medium high heat. Lay the potato slices onto paper towels and pat dry. Fry several slices at a time in the oil until golden on both sides. Transfer the chips to a baking sheet lined with paper toweling. Sprinkle with salt.

Serve the tartare with the chips. Garnish with Crème Fraiche and a sprig of fresh dill.

Servings: plenty for a crowd
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes to fry the chips in batches