Posts Tagged ‘salmon’

Salmon Cakes

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Oops, I made a masterpiece

It is that time of year again. Claud and I are celebrating another year of marriage. Last year, we hosted a big party at our house in Minnesota. That was such a fun night with cocktails, music, dancing and fajitas. We loved sharing our special day with so many friends. This year, we are enjoying a nice quiet weekend in Los Angeles with my parents our children. This doesn’t sound very romantic, with the kids and the folks, but it really is a weekend filled with love. I remember flying home from London with Claud about thirteen years ago and introducing him to my parents for the first time. It feels like it was last week. I cannot believe how much time has passed since that day. This Sunday, we will have been married for twelve years and without a doubt, these have been the best twelve years of my life. I am so blessed to be married to my best friend. Being with my parents and the kids is an absolutely wonderful way to commemorate the best decision I ever made.

Of course, every celebration has to revolve around food. I gave a lot of thought to what would be a good meal to make. I wanted to come up with a new way to cook salmon. Everyone in my family loves salmon (except Jack). This is not a new idea; but, a way in which I had never before prepared salmon. So, this is new to me. I decided to make salmon cakes. I practiced these at home last week to make sure they would be delicious and they were. I wondered about the origin of the salmon cake. Who thought to throw  fish together with bread crumbs and fry it up? I looked into it and I couldn’t find the answer.

I think it was probably a way to work with leftovers. Someone had some extra fish and everyone in the family was sick of eating fish. This family lived in Alaska and had been eating salmon for thirty six days straight. So, whoever did all of the cooking for the family (I’m thinking it was the mom) came up with a way to change it up a bit and create a new dish. Thus, came the invention of salmon cakes. The Alaskan family were amazed and overjoyed at how delicious salmon could taste and they forgot they were sick of it. Then, the cook turned to the family and says, “oops, I made a masterpiece.” Well, this is how the story goes in my imagination.

A lot of very delicious dishes were conjured up as a way to reuse leftovers or to make something (like meat or fish) go a lot further to feed many people. Shepherd’s pie, bolognese, and fish pie, are a few examples of these types of dishes. Originally, these dishes were made by poorer families. Now, people make them or order them at restaurants as a delicious main course without a thought of getting more for your money or using leftover food. They have become culinary masterpieces.

I really wanted these salmon cakes to be flavorful. So, I included cornichons, capers, fresh dill, scallions, chili sauce, and more.

I was surprised to discover how quick and easy these are to make. Then, of course, I had to make a little sauce to go with them. Everything tastes better with a sauce. These salmon cakes would also make a great appetizer. You could make them smaller and place them on a platter surrounding a bowl of the sauce. It think this is how I will make them for our anniversary. Claud absolutely loved the salmon cakes and has no problem having them again. I am sure everyone will enjoy them at my parent’s house.

Salmon cakes:

Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes

2 cups and 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 6oz. pieces of salmon
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Emmeril’s Essence
1 bell pepper (I used orange), chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Sirachi chili sauce
juice from one lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cornichons (or one half of a dill pickle), chopped
2 tablespoons capers

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet on medium high heat. Add the salmon and cook for about four minutes each side (until the salmon turns into an opaque color). Set aside. In a large bowl, add the bread crumbs. In another smaller bowl, combine the eggs and milk. Beat well. Add this mixture to the bread crumbs. Place the cooked salmon into the large bowl. Break the salmon up with a fork and mix it into the bread crumbs mixture. Add Old Bay, Essence, bell peppers, dill, chili sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cornichons, and capers. Mix this all together well. With your hands, form the mixture into four large patties. Heat the rest of the oil in the skillet on high heat. When it gets very hot, not smoking, gently place the patties into the oil. Cook for three minutes each side. Take them out and place on a paper towel until ready to plate. Serve them with a salad or vegetables and place a dolup of sauce on top of each salmon cake.

Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 teaspoon Sirachi chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all of the above ingredients and mix well.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Food, recipes | 1 Comment »

salmon salad sandwich

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
mixing the dressing into the salmon

mixing the dressing into the salmon

Tired of the same old tuna sandwich? You may come to love having a salmon sandwich instead. You can find tins of salmon right next to the tuna in your local grocery store. Salmon salad just tastes so much better. Also, the Chicken of the Sea brand of pink salmon is wild caught Alaskan salmon. You will want to buy wild caught salmon instead of the farmed salmon. Farmed salmon can contain high levels of contaminants which are harmful to our health as well as our environment.

It is best to make it a quality sandwich by blending the salmon with a delicious homemade dressing, celery, and onion. Then, top it off with tomato and lettuce and your favorite mayonnaise and mustard. Finally, place it all inside your favorite bread. Mmmm…that’s a great lunch. It’s high in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids. Also, the 5 oz. of salmon only contains 120 calories. Enjoy!

Daphne eating a salmon salad sandwich

Daphne eating a salmon salad sandwich

Salmon salad sandwich
Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
1 tin (5 oz.) pink salmon
Dressing: (combine 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, juice from half of a lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper and stir)
½ celery stalk, chopped
¼ onion, chopped
2 pieces of bread (your choice)
1 tsp grain mustard
1 tsp mayonnaise
2 leaves romaine lettuce
1 slice of tomato
Mix together the dressing and the salmon. Mix in celery and onion. Spread mustard and mayonnaise on the bread slices. Scoop the salmon mixture onto the bread. Top with lettuce and tomato. Put on other slice of bread. Cut in half and enjoy.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Food | No Comments »

Seared salmon salad with balsamic glaze

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Today is day 19 of my challenge to be in the best shape ever by the 4th of July and I have 141 days to go. So far, I am feeling really great. I am still sore every day. I wonder if that goes away? It feels good though because it reminds me that I am working really hard. Here is my article for the New Ulm Journal and a recipe for a really easy and delicious salmon salad. There is a video at the end of the post where I show you how to make this salad.

“Eternal spring in your heart”

You are probably tired of hearing how much I appreciate the cold or even how I keep writing about the weather. But, I write these articles about what is happening in my life and right now, it is winter. Winter is happening.  I have only lived through a few Minnesota winters and this one seems to be the coldest, the whitest, and the longest. The snow pushed up alongside my driveway is higher than I ever remember seeing. My front steps are missing completely. Oh, logic tells me they are down there somewhere nestled in their snowy blanket; but, I can’t see them. I was so excited for the first, the second, even the third snow day. Now, they are getting a bit commonplace.

Victor Hugo (French poet, 1802-1885) wrote, “Winter is on my head but eternal spring is in my heart.” I still look out at the frozen branches glistening in the sunlight and smile. The stark contrast of the bright red cardinals against the white backdrop takes my breath away. The powdery untouched snow covering the fields where no farmer has been in months looks smooth and peaceful. The most impressive winter sight I have been blessed with is the sunrise as I take my children to the bus. Some days we wait in the dark but on other magical days, the sun is beginning to rise and the sky is a cascade of blues, pinks and oranges. Last week, my car broke down at the bus stop and I had to walk home. It was this gorgeous sunrise which made me feel happy with each step.

Don’t get me wrong, I long for spring. I love the sunlight and the warmth from the sun. I’m dying to work in the garden. Our heating bill is killing us this winter. My kids little faces look red and chapped from the harsh winter wind. My entry way is never clean due to the snowy muddy boots traipsing in and out.  I don’t enjoy driving in the night with icy roads beneath my tires. I don’t look forward to having to push up on my icy garage door because it has frozen closed overnight. I’d like to stop having to take vitamin D pills daily due to my lack of sun.

But, even in the winter, it’s important to keep spring in your heart. It’s necessary to appreciate the good that is around you no matter what season you are living in. I laughed out loud the other day when I locked myself out of the house and had to walk around to the back door to make my way in. I tucked my jeans into my boots and began trekking through the snow. Before I knew it, the snow was past my knees. I looked ridiculous. There was no need to have tucked in my jeans as the snow was caked inside my boots by then. All I can say is that this is what winter is supposed to be. This is what you read about when you read about winter. I just have to love it. Think about ice skating, hot cocoa, warm fires, hot coffee in the late afternoon just to warm your bones, happy squirrels and rabbits when you leave some food out for them, snow ball fights, hot tasty soup, stews, and chili, hot bubble baths at the end of a long cold day, snow days when you don’t have to leave the house, sledding, tubing, and icicles. I have never seen such huge icicles before this winter.  Decide that the snow and ice doesn’t affect your mood in a negative way and you will feel the difference. And remember, there are only thirty two days until spring. We are in the home stretch. It is almost over. I know Punxsautawney Phil says there will be six more weeks of winter; but, we can’t believe everything that groundhog says. He doesn’t even really speak.

In the meantime, we can eat like it’s spring just to get us ready. Go out and find yourself some delicious wild caught salmon filets and make a hearty and appetizing salad.


salmon salad ingredients

salmon salad ingredients

 

 

 

 

A reader reminded me recently of the importance in buying wild caught salmon versus farmed. Doing so will benefit your health as well as the environment. Furthermore, it has been said that the nutrients in salmon my boost your mood and decrease feelings of depression. Salmon may assist in creating eternal spring in your heart. I already knew that salmon was a low fat food. However, looking into the nutrients found in salmon and other fish with high levels of Omega 3 fatty acid, I realize it’s crazy not to eat more of it. Not only may it lower your risk of heart disease, salmon can reduce blood clotting which may lead to strokes and it could lower your chance of getting cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s disease. It’s like a miracle food. A food which may make me happier, healthier, smarter and slimmer? Yes please!

Seared salmon salad with balsamic glaze

Seared salmon salad with balsamic glaze

 

 

 

 

Salmon salad with balsamic glaze dressing:

Serving: 4

Time: 30 minutes

4 salmon filets

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

6 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 head of Romaine lettuce

2 lemons, quartered

Pour olive oil into a skillet and heat on medium high. Sauté onion and garlic in pan until onion is clear. Set the onion and garlic aside. Place the salmon in the skillet and sear for four minutes on each side (until opaque in the center and brown on outside). Set salmon aside. Pour vinegar and honey in skillet and heat on high until reduced to glaze. Tear up the lettuce and place on plates. Set the salmon on the bed of lettuce. Put the sautéed onion and garlic on the salmon. Drizzle the glaze over everything. Add lemon wedges to squeeze.

Tags: , ,
Posted in fitness, Food, Health, inspiration, motivational, Nutrition, recipes | No Comments »

Salmon in foil: cooking class

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

It is day 18 of my challenge to be in the best possible shape by the 4th of July. I have 142 days to go. So far so good. I found a new dvd which I love. It is called Red Hot Salsa II. At first, it was way to fast and I was very uncoordinated. But, I discovered a portion of the dvd which slows down the steps and teaches you what they are doing. This was so helpful. Now, I have completed the dvd about five times and I am getting really good. I don’t think I have rhythm quite like the ladies in the movie, but I am getting better every day. It’s really fun and it really makes you sweat.

Also, I found an amazing app for the iphone which is called lose it. It’s a free app. It allows you to input your goals and then it sets up a plan for you to reach the goal based on calories. You punch in what exercises you are doing and what you eat and it keeps you on track on a daily basis. I really love it and believe it is helping me. It also motivates me to complete all three of my exercises daily so I can eat more food and drink more wine.

I taught another cooking class this week. My students learned how to make salmon in foil.

salmon in foil

salmon in foil

 

 

Click here for the recipe. It was a lot of fun. I also made  a couple of low fat appetizers: bean dip and cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes. Here are those recipes:

Tomato Buttons:

Serves: 5

Time: 15 minutes

2 C. cherry tomatoes, cut in half and remove pulp

1 C. fat free cream cheese

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

¼ C. parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Set cherry tomato halves aside. Combine all other ingredients in a food processor and mix well. Spoon into the tomatoes. Chill until ready to serve.

Pinto Bean Dip:

4 C. pinto beans

½ C. jalapeño peppers

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp sugar

1/4 C. onion, finely chopped

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

¼ tsp paprika

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients into the food processor and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in fitness, Food, Health, inspiration, motivational, Nutrition, recipes | 2 Comments »

Salmon cooked in foil

Friday, November 13th, 2009

 

salmon cooked in foil

salmon cooked in foil

 

Did you have a favorite dish growing up? Did you ask for this meal anytime it was your birthday? I did. When I was growing up, every year, I wanted my mom’s special lasagna and a homemade chocolate cake. For many years, it never changed. Her lasagna contains about five different cheeses. I have always been a huge fan of cheese. My favorite was the ricotta which she would just clump all over the top of the lasagna and when it heated up, there would be a little crust on the outside edge. I would bite into a big ball of ricotta, break through the crust, and sink into the creamy deliciousness inside. It was so perfect. For at least five years, on my birthday, we went to the roller rink. I’d invite about ten friends. We’d boogey on skates to Devo’s “whip it.” We wore the four wheeled skates (not inline) and mine had a pink toe guard and pink pom poms. I wore pony tails in my hair and had a favorite rainbow sweater where the rainbow ran from one sleeve through the middle and onto the other sleeve. Then, we’d head back to my house to eat lasagna and chocolate cake. It was perfect.

Then, about the time I was in college, my tastes changed. I had a horrible perm in my hair and wore shorts under shorts and little boot shoes. They were not boots but they weren’t shoes either. I seemed to have a lot of polka dotted clothes. Life wasn’t just about cheese and pasta or chocolate for that matter. I learned about other delicious meals that were healthier. I started choosing these meals not just for their health benefits, but because they were so tasty. In my twenties, my mom still asked me what I wanted for my special birthday meal. Suddenly, it became her salmon cooked in foil. This was also about the time I fell in love with red wine.

Salmon in foil has been my consistent choice for a special meal ever since. I won’t talk about my fashion sense now. It always seems normal at the time. The first day I brought Claud over to my parent’s house for dinner, I asked my mom to make salmon in foil for him. I had to impress Claud and show him that I knew about food too. He was a chef and I was intimidated. It worked: he loved it. The smell of the ginger and cilantro penetrate your senses as soon as you open the foil. The combination of the soy sauce with the garlic, herbs and lemon make the sauce so delicious; you have to sop up every last drop of it. Then, you are sad when it is finished.

Now, that I don’t rely as much on my mom’s cooking, I make this meal for my family. The best part of all of this is that this dish is so simple to make and takes about 30 minutes. Daphne has chosen this meal as her special birthday meal. She doesn’t have that cheese loving gene I have. This will help her in her thirties when extra weight doesn’t come off as easily as it used to. Here is a video of my daughter and I making this dish together:

 

I ought to mention how helpful salmon is to your health. I’d hate for you to think you should make this just because it is beneficial to your health and not for the love of it; though, the health benefits are a huge bonus. This meal could stand on taste alone. However, it should be mentioned that salmon is an excellent source of Omega3 fatty acids. It is a great source of lean protein. Eating salmon is a perfect way to adhere to a Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet has been studied extensively and has been proven to promote longevity. This can be seen in the lifespan of those who live in Sardinia. There are more people living over the age of 100 years in Sardinia than almost anywhere else in the world. For more information about this, please read The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner. This is an excellent book which reveals different cultures and lifestyles. In it, Buettner promotes good food, family and friends, and the importance of humor and laughter.

You will love this recipe for the simple reason that it is beyond delicious. I thought it really should have a better name than salmon in foil; but this is what we have always called it in my family. Besides, there is something to be said about the simplicity of the name and how it correlates with the unfussiness of this dish. So, I think we’ll keep it that way.

Salmon in foil:

2 pieces of aluminum foil (about 12 inches square)

2 pieces of salmon fillets

1 leek, sliced lengthwise and then on the bias

2 tsp butter (optional)

4 slices of ginger

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 slices of lemon

2 spring onions, chopped

½ C. soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce

1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the leeks onto the foil. Place the salmon on top of the leeks. Divide the butter onto each piece of salmon. Layer the ginger, garlic, onion, lemon slices and spring onions. Top with a generous amount of cilantro. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold up the sides of the foil to create a pouch in which the soy sauce, when poured in, will not drip out. Pour in the soy sauce. Place on a cooking tray. Put into a 350 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. Check at 15 minutes to see if the salmon is cooked to your liking. The middle should still be a bit pink.  Place over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes. Pour the sauce on top. Discard the ginger and lemon rind. Enjoy.

 

Tags: ,
Posted in Food, Health, Nutrition, recipes | 8 Comments »