Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinagrette

This was so delicious, and the salmon was truly silky in taste. I want to have salmon every night after this...

Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinagrette.
Published May 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.


Serves 4
To ensure even-sized pieces of fish, we prefer to buy a whole center-cut fillet and cut it into four pieces. If a skinless whole fillet is unavailable, follow the recipe as directed with a skin-on fillet, adding 3 to 4 minutes to the cooking time in step 2. Remove the skin after cooking (see instructions below). This recipe will yield salmon fillets cooked to medium. If you prefer rare salmon (translucent in the center), reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes, or until the salmon registers 110 degrees in the thickest part.

Ingredients
2 lemons
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves , stems reserved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves , stems reserved
2 small shallots , minced (about 4 tablespoons)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 skinless salmon fillet (1 3/4 to 2 pounds), about 1 1/2 inches at thickest part, white membrane removed, fillet cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces (see note)
2 tablespoons capers , rinsed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions
1. Cut top and bottom off 1 lemon; cut into 8 to ten 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut remaining lemon into 8 wedges and set aside. Arrange lemon slices in single layer across bottom of 12-inch skillet. Scatter herb stems and 2 tablespoons minced shallots evenly over lemon slices. Add water and vinegar.

2. Place salmon fillets in skillet, skinned-side down, on top of lemon slices. Set pan over high heat and bring liquid to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until sides are opaque but center of thickest part is still translucent (or until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 125 degrees), 9 to 14 minutes. Remove pan from heat and, using spatula, carefully transfer salmon and lemon slices to paper towel-lined plate and tent loosely with foil.

3. Return pan to high heat and simmer cooking liquid until slightly thickened and reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped herbs, capers, honey, and olive oil in medium bowl. Strain reduced cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into bowl with herb-caper mixture, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Whisk to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Season salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Using spatula, carefully lift and tilt salmon fillets to remove lemon slices. Place salmon on serving platter or individual plates and spoon vinaigrette over top. Serve, passing reserved lemon wedges separately.

Crab Hush Puppies

I'm posting a couple of recipes that I want to try this week. This one got good reviews on epicurious and sounds like a very quick finger food or snack. They call it Indian but I'm skeptical till I try them.

Crab Hush Puppies with Curried Honey-Mustard Sauce
(from the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen)
Makes about 30.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Creole (or whole grain) mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 cup just-add-water cornbread mix
1/4 cup bottled clam juice
12 oz. fresh lump crabmeat, diced
3/4 cup and 1/4 cup green onions, diced fine
vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Stir mustard, honey, and 1 1/4 tsp curry powder in small bowl for dipping sauce.
2. Stir cornbread mix, clam juice, and 1/2 tsp curry powder in medium bowl. Mix in crabmeat and 3/4 cup green onions.
3. Pour enough oil into medium saucepan to read depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat oil to 320 to 330 F (use deep-fry thermometer if available). Working in batches, drop batter into oil by heaping teaspoonfuls. Fry until golden and cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
4. Sprinkle hush puppies with remaining green onions and serve with dipping sauce.

Shrimp Scampi

I love making this dish because it reminds me of Olive Garden, and its so easy to make. It's also convenient if you're having guests over because it serves a bunch.



Shrimp Scampi
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 lb. linguini pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 lb. uncooked, deveined, tail-off shrimp
salt
pepper
Optional: Shredded Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Prepare linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside when done, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
   
2. Heat olive oil in wide-bottomed pan on medium-high. Melt the butter in the pan and add garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and oregano.
   
3. Add chopped parsley, shrimp, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque.
   
4. Toss shrimp with linguini and reserved pasta water, and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
   

Coconut Shrimp Soup

I make a really quick thai curry chicken all the time because my husband loves it. We were having some people over last weekend and he wanted me to make it for dinner. I wanted something to start off, and I saw a great-looking recipe for thai-style soup in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food - Great Food Fast cookbook that I borrowed from the library. It turned out fantastic and it was pretty low maintenance. To be honest, it was filling enough to be a main course on its own. And barring the garlic, ginger, and lime, it didn't require any special thai spices at all. I'll be making this again soon.

Coconut Shrimp Soup
from Great Food Fast - Everyday Food
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger (I used bottled)
2 garlic cloves, minced (again, I used the bottled version to save time)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on desired spice level
1 lb carrots (6-8 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 oz angel hair pasta
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
coarse salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water until smooth. Add to the pot and bring to a boil.
3. Break the pasta in half and add to the pot. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are tender, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp. Stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season with salt.
5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with scallions.

Lemon Butter Salmon

I never realized how simply wonderful a salmon fillet with salt and pepper can be. This recipe adds more deliciousness to the salmon, but the salmon fresh off the grill was almost too tempting not to eat right away.

This recipe is from Epicurious.com, which I like because you can search for an ingredient and a lot of people leave helpful reviews as well. They also have a rating system (with forks :)) which tells you which recipes are the most popular. This one's definitely a keeper.


Grilled salmon with lime butter sauce (from epicurious.com)

Makes 6 servings.

Ian Knauer

6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
6 tablespoons lime butter sauce (recipe below)

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Season salmon all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and grill (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Sprinkle fillets with zest and top each with 1 tablespoon lime butter sauce.

Note: I used a George Foreman grill - just add a bit of olive oil before grilling, preheat on medium and cook for 7 minutes.

lime butter sauce Gourmet | July 2006

It takes only 5 minutes to make this fantastic sauce. Once you see how versatile it is — it works perfectly with the grilled salmon and the grilled corn — you'll want to make it for a whole host of your summer favorites.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Ian Knauer

1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Cooks' Note: Lime butter sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Stir before using.

Food on a "Dime"... or more likely Dollar.

The article today in the NYT Dining section was amusing at first but then made me think about how much of an expense food really is nowadays, and how I've made a conscious effort to be more frugal. I wonder if NJ has the kind of 99cent stores they talk about in the article, but I seriously doubt it. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to post one of the recipes from the article (actually there were two related articles, and this recipe is from the article about the chef from Le Bernardin).

Baked Salmon With Coconut-Tomato Sauce and Creamy Jasmine Rice
Adapted from Eric Ripert
Time: 45 minutes

FOR THE COCONUT-TOMATO SAUCE:
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon finely diced garlic
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE CREAMY JASMINE RICE:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup jasmine rice
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt and ground white pepper

FOR THE SALMON:
2 tablespoons butter
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and ground black pepper.

1. For coconut-tomato sauce: In a saucepan, heat oil and add garlic and onion. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

2. For creamy jasmine rice: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups water and the butter. Bring to a boil, add rice, and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover snugly with foil, and allow to sit for another 12 minutes.

3. Combine milk and coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir into cooked rice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

4. For salmon: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in roasting pan large enough to fit salmon fillets, and add 1/4 inch water. Place over medium heat to bring to a boil, then add salmon and cover pan snugly with foil. Place in oven and cook as desired, about 5 minutes for medium-rare. Remove fish from pan and drain on paper towels.

5. To serve, reheat sauce. Place an equal portion of rice in center of each of four plates. Top each with a fillet, and pour sauce around rice and salmon. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings.

Long Live the Stir-Fry

Stir-fries are my new favorite dish to make - once you have the basic steps down, they are so simple and quick. Cook's Illustrated sent a recipe from The Best International Cookbook the other day, and it was so timely because I was *craving* sticky rice. Don't ask me why, I usually don't like the rice from Chinese restaurants. But I love using chopsticks and basmati wasn't really designed for it, let's be honest. So I bought some carolina rice from the supermarket and used it in this sticky rice recipe. Dude! So easy and carolina rice is yummy! The sticky rice was 1000 times better than what you get in chinese take-out, no offense. I don't know why I never tried it before. Sameera used it in some paella she made the other day.. Sam will you post the recipe for your paella please? :)

They used chinese rice wine in their recipe, so I substituted vegetable broth with a dash of rice vinegar. I didn't make the ginger ice cream, cause I'm not into making that, but I thought I would include it anyway. Let me know if one of you tries to make it!

Stir-Fried Shrimp, Asparagus, and Carrots with Orange Sauce
Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips of zest, but take care to avoid the bitter pith beneath the skin. If the asparagus spears are very thick, slice each stalk in half lengthwise before cutting them into 2-inch lengths. Stir-fries cook quickly, so have everything prepped before you begin cooking.


Serves 4

Sauce
2	orange zest strips (2-inch-long) from 1 orange
1/2	cup fresh orange juice from 2 oranges
1/4	cup vegetable or any low sodium broth with a dash of rice vinegar
2	tablespoons soy sauce
1	tablespoon sugar
2	teaspoons cornstarch
1	teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2	teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir-Fry
1	pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound) peeled and deveined
2	teaspoons soy sauce
2	teaspoons vegetable or other broth
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
2	scallions , minced
2	tablespoons vegetable oil plus one additional teaspoon
1	pound asparagus (about 1 bunch), tough ends trimmed and sliced on the bias into 2-inch lengths
2	carrots , peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

1. For the sauce: Whisk all of the ingredients together; set aside.

2. For the stir-fry: Toss the shrimp with the soy sauce and broth with vinegar in a small bowl and let marinate for 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour. In a separate bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, scallions, and 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil; set aside.

3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons more vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the shrimp and cook, without stirring, until the shrimp are browned at the edges, about 1 minute. Stir the shrimp and continue to cook until they are nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl and repeat with 1 1/2 teaspoons more vegetable oil and the remaining shrimp; transfer to the bowl, cover with foil, and set aside.

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet and return to high heat until just smoking. Add the asparagus and carrots, and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Clear the center of the skillet, add the garlic mixture and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables.

5. Stir in the shrimp with any accumulated juices. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add it to the skillet and cook, tossing constantly, until the sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Ginger Ice Cream
Prepare the ice cream quickly to prevent it from melting too much, (Recipe from: Restaurant Favorites at Home)


1 pint

2 1/2	inch piece fresh ginger , scrubbed
1	pint vanilla ice cream (premium), softened (but not melting)

Using a Microplane grater or fine-holed grater, grate the ginger. Transfer the grated ginger to a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl and press firmly with a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Place the softened ice cream in a medium bowl and, using a stiff rubber spatula, fold the ginger juice into the ice cream. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic flush against the ice cream. Return the ice cream to the freezer to firm up, about 30 minutes.

Chinese-Style Sticky Rice
Do not stir the rice as it cooks. The finished rice can stand off heat, covered, for up to 15 minutes.


Serves 4 to 6

2	cups long grain white rice
3	cups water
1/2	teaspoon salt

1. Place rice in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Rinse under running water, swishing with hands until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.

2. Bring rinsed rice, water, and salt to boil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, until water level drops below surface of rice and small holes form, about 5 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and water is fully absorbed, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Fried Rice

I can't count how many times I've made fried rice at home - I guess I always have leftover white rice and I hate to waste, so this is the tastiest way to create something new out of it. You can throw just about anything into fried rice and it'll probably still taste good! But here's a basic recipe -

Chicken and Shrimp Fried Rice (from theCookMobile.com)
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:
6 cups cooked rice (at least 1-day old rice is best)
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 chicken breast, sliced to slivers 1/4 inch thick
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 eggs
2 tbsps soy sauce
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

To make:
1. Peel shrimps. Devein by running through back horizontally, creating a “butterfly” shape when cooked.
2. Slice chicken breast.
3. Heat up oil in a heavy, wide skillet or wok.
4. Add lightly beaten eggs and scramble, making sure eggs remain moist. Remove eggs from skillet and set aside.
5. Saute chicken until cooked. Make sure not to dry them out. Remove from skillet and set aside.
6. Add oil to skillet as needed. Saute shrimp until pink. Remove from skillet and set aside.
7. Again add oil to skillet as necessary. Saute onions until translucent.
8. Add peas and carrots. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Add cooked rice and stir constantly so rice does not stick to bottom of skillet, around 4 to 6 minutes.
10. Add cooked chicken and shrimp. Stir constantly.
11. Mix in soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
12. Add scrambled eggs and mix in.
13. Remove from skillet. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.

Curried Shrimp

I was looking for something quick last week and all I had at home in terms of meat was frozen shrimp. So I opened up Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and found the shrimp section. That's what I love about his books - they're organized by the main ingredient, so if you have something and you want to know what to do with it (which is usually the case for me), you can look to him for ideas. This book also has an intro to every section to give you an overview on how it's used, prepared or bought - which is really useful! I even had to look in there for how to cut a pineapple and not get spiky or tough parts. Pathetic, aren't I? :)

Curried Shrimp (from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
4 to 6 servings
Time: 45 minutes

(You can make the sauce ahead of time if you want, and just add the shrimp and lemon juice at the last minute.)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
2 large onions, minced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste
2 Tbsp minced cilantro leaves
1 lb. small waxy red or white potatoes, peeled and halved (I just used whatever I had at home and cut into bite size pieces)
2 cups cored and chopped canned or fresh tomatoes, with their liquid
Salt to taste
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, in the 20 to 30 per lb. range, peeled, rinsed, dried, and cut into halves or thirds (I also de-vein)
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used bottled)

To make:
1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder, cayenne, and half the cilantro and stir. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and salt, stir, cover, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes (mine only took 20).
3. Add the shrimp and lemon juice, and cook, uncovered, until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes (I cooked mine a little longer - about 10 min). Add the remaining cilantro and serve with white rice.

This was great - I'm definitely making again.

The First One - Mango and Ginger Shrimp Skewers

Just because this is my first recipe posting, doesn't mean this is my favorite recipe. I just thought I would get things started. I found this recipe on the NPR website, and it sounds just like something my husband loves to eat at a restaurant we frequent. I'm going to try it on my new George Foreman grill (any other Foreman-owners?) this weekend... Let me know if you try it!

Shrimp on Skewers with Ginger & Mango Glaze

ingredients:
1 large ripe, mango, peeled and seed removed
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Several sprigs fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 25- 30 to a pound
Wooden skewers soaked in hot water

to make:
1. place mango, ginger, sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, cilantro and hot sauce into a blender and puree till smooth
2. put shrimp into a bowl, pour marinade over them and allow to marinate, refrigerated, for 1 hour
3. thread shrimp onto skewers, season with salt and pepper
4. using a grill pan, or outdoor grill, grill shrimp over high heat, turning to cook both sides, until the glaze turns a burnished mahogany color
5. serve shrimp immediately

Recipe © 2007 Michael Lomonaco

Update: I tried the grilled shrimp in the foreman, and though it was easy, I'm not so impressed with the output. The shrimp didn't caramelize like I expected them too, even though the mango should have provided enough sugar. Maybe adding some honey would help? It still tasted good, and I put together a nice garden salad to go with it, but this one may be better for gas or charcoal grills.