Creamy Wild Salmon with Kale

As we settled into Melbourne, this is one of the first recipes I thought of to make. I was missing the Indian food I normally cooked, but not quite equipped to make most of my Indian food dishes. This recipe was a nice compromise. Be sure to serve with rice to soak up the rich coconut sauce.

One year ago: Sauteed Skate with Parsnip Puree, Brussels Sprouts
Two years ago: Portobello Mushrooms with Pearl Barley and Preserved Lemon
Three years ago: Pureed Mustard Greens with Clarified Butter Sauce
Four years ago: Pinon-Breaded Chicken with Cranberry Salsa
Five years ago: Refried Bean Enchiladas
Six years ago: Mexican Rice

Creamy Wild Salmon with Kale (from Indian Cooking Unfolded)

Ingredients
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless wild salmon fillet
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 dried cayenne chiles, ground or 1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 medium size bunch fresh kale (8 ounces)
2 tbsp canola oil
6 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced or finely chopped
1 can (13.5 - 15 oz) unsweetened coconut milk

1. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of turmeric on each side of fish. Set aside as you make the spice paste.
2. Combine vinegar, chiles, salt, and nutmeg in small bowl.
3. Fill medium-size bowl with cold water. Remove tough ribs from the kale and thinly slice into long, slender shreds. Dunk shreds into bowl of water to rinse off any grit. Drain.
4. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon and sear until light brown, 2 minutes.
5. Flip salmon and sear another 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.
6. Add garlic to skillet and stir-fry until light brown and aromatic.
7. Pour vinegar slurry into skillet and stir to mix. Simmer 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of rht pan.
8. Add kale and stir to coat. Pour 1/2 cup water into skillet and lower heat to medium, cover, and stew for 5 to 8 minutes until kale is tender.
9. Stir coconut milk into kale and bring to a boil.
10. Add salmon to liquid and baste until fish starts to flake, 3 to 5 minutes.
11. Transfer fish to a serving plate. Let sauce boil 3 to 4 minutes to thicken. Pour sauce over salmon and serve.

Dill-Spiced Salmon

Even though I've loved the ideas of flavours in Marcus Samuelsson's Soul of a New Cuisine, the execution often fell flat and I parted with it prior to leaving San Francisco. I couldn't resist giving him a second chance though with his newest cookbook, Marcus Off Duty, on the kindle. Luckily, so far, it doesn't seem to have the same issues as Soul of a New Cuisine. This dish makes for a quick, flavourful weeknight dinner.

One year ago: Grilled Lamb Chops with Feta and Mint
Two years ago: Parsley and Barley Salad
Three years ago: Pan-Grilled Sea Scallops
Four years ago: Basil, Hazelnut, and Chocolate Cupcakes
Five years ago: Mahogany Beef Stew with Red Wine and Hoisin Sauce
Six years ago: Basic Risotto Recipe

Dill-Spiced Salmon (from Marcus Off Duty)

Ingredients
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 1/2 tsp chile powder
1 tbsp coriander seeds, finely ground
1 tsp cumin seeds, finely ground
ground pepper
4 (6 oz) skin-on salmon fillets
kosher salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter

1. In a mini food processor, blend 2 tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, dill, garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander and 1/4 tsp pepper to a paste.
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper.
3. Heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add salmon to skillet, skin side down, and brush half of the paste on the fillets. Cook for 4 minutes.
5. Add butter. Continue to cook, spooning oil and butter over salmon for 2 minutes.
6. Flip salmon and brush remaining paste onto other side. Remove salmon after very briefly being seared.
7. Let salmon rest for a few minutes before serving.

Slow-roasted Salmon with Spring Herb Sauce

I've now been at home for more than two weeks straight! Ordinarily, this might not seem exciting, but since it's the first time it's happened since May, this feels nothing short of extraordinary. While I cooked off and on during my brief visits home, it took a while to feel excited by recipes and even longer before the thought of reporting back on recipes didn't seem like a tremendous amount of effort. Luckily, time seems to have healed my cooking malaise.

Slow-roasted and quick and easy may not seem to go together, but even roasted slowly, salmon cooks quickly and this recipe is incredibly simple. (Yes, I'm cheating on quick a bit because the salmon should sit out for 30 minutes or so before baking, but you don't need to do anything while that happens!) The end result though is restaurant-quality: incredibly moist fish with an elegant sauce. For the herbs, please feel free to use a mix of whatever you have on hand.

One year ago: On hiatus to prepare for some important life events!
Two years ago: Edamame, Shrimp, and Snow Pea Pasta Salad
Three years ago: Pork in Adobo Sauce
Four years ago: Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Basil

Slow-roasted Salmon with Spring Herb Sauce (from The Herbal Kitchen)

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb fresh salmon fillet
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup mixed coarsely chopped soft-leaved herbs (basil, dill, mint, etc.)
coarse sea salt

1. Cut salmon into 4 wide slices, about 3/4" thick. Lay in shallow baking dish and pour in olive oil, rubbing the fillet to coat the sides. Let sit in oil as it comes to room temperature, 30 - 60 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 225F. Lift fillets from oil and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle with salt and bake 15 - 20 minutes. The color will still be vivid, but the fish should flake slightly when nudged and it will be fully cooked.
3. While the fish is roasting, make the sauce. Boil wine, shallots, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt in small saucepan until reduced by half. Turn to medium-low and whisk in butter 1/3 at a time until incorporated. If you have an immersion blender, blend for 10 seconds to make it even creamier. (If not, that's okay too!)
4. Transfer salmon to plates. Stir chopped herbs into sauce, ladle sauce around the fish, sprinkle fish with coarse salt, and serve.

Salmon in Luxurious Green Sesame Pipian

This is a bold dish, so the salmon gets a bit lost in it (i.e. don't waste expensive salmon on this recipe), but the flavors are so good that I don't care. The original also includes a cup of peas, but both of us are pea averse, so I left that out.

One year ago: Sri-Lankan Style Hard-Cooked Eggs with Coconut Milk
Two years ago: Cheddar Apple Bacon Strata
Three years ago: Pearl Couscous with Olives, Tomatoes, and Feta
Four years ago: Kung Pao Chicken

Salmon in Luxurious Green Sesame Pipian (from Mexican Everyday)

Ingredients
2 cups tomatillo salsa, blended to a smooth puree
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp tahini
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sugar
Four 4 - 5 oz skinless fish fillets (salmon, halibut, walleye, snapper, or striped bass)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salsa and cook until it reduces to the consistency of tomato paste, 5 minutes.
2. Stir in broth and tahini. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste.
3. Add fish to sauce, submerging them if possible. Simmer until cooked through, 5 - 6 minutes for 1/2" thick fillets.
4. Transfer to dinner plates. Spoon sauce over top and garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Summer King Salmon Kebabs

This is a quick, easy, and light dinner. The simple seasoning on the salmon really allows the fish to shine. The original recipe calls for grilling the salmon as kebabs on skewers, but I opted to keep it simple and just pan fry. The original also suggests using mizuna greens, but suggests that arugula or frisee are also good substitutes. I went with arugula since mizuna is a bit more difficult to find.

One year ago: Indonesian Spice Cake
Two years ago: Lamb Stir-fry
Three years ago: Beef Rendang
Four years ago: Mint Brownies

Summer King Salmon Kebabs (adapted from Big Small Plates)

Ingredients
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp mustard seeds (yellow, brown, or a mix)
12 ounces king salmon fillets
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups arugula
Champagne vinaigrette
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 tbsp finely chopped dill, fennel fronds, or chives
salt and pepper

1. Combine vinaigrette ingredients in small bowl and whisk until emulsified.
2. Toast sesame seeds in a small pan until lightly golden, set aside.
3. Place mustard seeds in small pan, cover, and toast until they stop popping. Mix with sesame seeds. Divide into two piles - one for the rub and one for garnish. Grind the rub seeds and place on a plate.
4. Cut salmon into 6 pieces if doing kebabs or 2 if pan frying. Smear flesh side with mustard and press into ground seeds to coat.
5. Fry or grill salmon until cooked medium rare.
6. Dress greens with vinaigrette, top with salmon, drizzle with any remaining vinaigrette, and sprinkle with reserved seeds.

Jalapeno Salmon Burger

Our beer/meal planning calendar told us we should be doing burgers and IPA this month. We've been doing fairly well with adding burgers to the mix, but I thought it might be time to branch out into salmon. These burgers are a bit difficult to keep together, but worth the effort.

Two years ago: Pork Vindaloo
Three years ago: Corn Chowder

Jalapeno Salmon Burger (from Fish Without a Doubt)

Ingredients
1 lb skinless wild salmon fillet, chilled in freezer for 1 1/2 hours
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
2 tbsp minced jalapeno chile
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper
1 large egg white, beaten to soft peaks
1 tsp vegetable oil
For serving
4 pita breads
olive oil
2 avocados
juice of 2 limes
coarse salt

1. Heat oven to 400F.
2. Cut salmon into 1/3" dice. (Sorry, the author warns using the food processor here will result in mush.
3. Put salmon in medium bowl with scallions, bell pepper, jalapeno, sour cream, and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Fold together with spatula.
4. Add beaten egg white and fold gently.
5. Heat vegetable oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Form fish into 4 burgers (these will be very hard to keep together!) on plate.
6. Slide burgers into skillet. Cook for 1 minute to set bottom.
7. Place skillet in oven and bake for 2 - 3 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, split pitas and brush inside with olive oil. Grill until hot and toasted.
9. Peel, pit, and chop avocados. Mash with lime juice and pinch of salt.
10. To serve, put each burger in pita half, divide avocado between burgers, and top with pita half.

Salmon with Holy Basil in a Tamarind-Honey Sauce

This is a fantastic weeknight dish. Other than the marinade time, the dish cooks up in about 10 minutes with very little prep work required. The sweet-tart sauce works beautifully with the salmon.

One year ago: Raw Rhubarb, Cucumber, and Mint Salad

Salmon with Holy Basil in a Tamarind-Honey Sauce (from 660 Curries)

Ingredients
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 lb boneless, skinless salmon fillet
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp mustard oil or canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
3 slices fresh ginger cut into matchstrips (2.5"x1"x1/8")
2 fresh green chiles, stems removed and cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh holy basil (or regular basil)

1. Sprinkle turmeric over both sides of salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes - overnight.
2. Combine honey, salt, tamarind paste, and 1/4 cup water in small bowl. Whisk.
3. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add fish and sear on both sides until light brown, 2 minutes each.
4. Pour tamarind-honey sauce over fish and sprinkle scallions, ginger, and chiles on top. Cover and braise until cooked to desired level, 3 - 5 minutes.
5. Lift fish onto serving platter. Stir basil into sauce. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.

Steamed Wild Salmon with Mustard Greens, Soy Sauce, and Ginger

It was the first salmon of the season in our seafood box last week. While my list of things to try with salmon is quite long, I thought I'd keep it nice and simple to start with. Dinner in 15 minutes? That works for me. This dish packs plenty of flavour with the ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. I also spent about as much time cleaning and tearing the greens as cooking. Not bad.

One year ago: Breast of Duck with Pomegranate Molasses
Two years ago: Cashew Chicken
Three years ago: Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Steamed Wild Salmon with Mustard Greens, Soy Sauce, and Ginger (from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite)

Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1" piece ginger, minced
1 very large bunch mustard greens, cleaned, stemmed, and torn into pieces
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp water
2 wild salmon fillets, 6 - 8 ounces each

1. Heat vegetable and sesame oils in large skillet. Add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant and translucent, 2 minutes.
2. Add mustard greens, soy sauce, and water and saute until greens start to wilt, 2 minutes.
3. Spread greens in bottom of pan. Season salmon with salt and pepper and place on top of greens (you won't really need much salt thanks to the soy). Cover pan, reduce heat to medium, and let fish steam until cooked through, 6 minutes.
4. Transfer fish to serving plate. If greens are too wet, cook off excess moisture. Serve on top of fish.

Salmon with Red Pepper and Hazelnut Salsa

This was our first new recipe in the new apartment. It's fairly simple and can be made with only limited kitchen equipment on hand. The salsa is outstanding. The author suggests that you could peel the bell pepper, but I thought that was too much work (and I didn't have a bowl available to steam them!). It also calls for searing on a ridged griddle pan, but I just cooked them in the oven.

One year ago: Pork Chops and Apples, Madeira-Bay Butter Sauce

Salmon with Red Pepper and Hazelnut Salsa (slightly adapted from Ottolenghi)

Ingredients
4 salmon fillets, 200g each
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Salsa
2 red bell peppers
6 tbsp olive oil, divided
15g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
15g chives, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Quarter peppers and remove seeds. Place on baking tray and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20 minutes until slightly charred. Let cool.
2. Cut peppers into 5mm dice. Mix with hazelnuts, 4 tbsp olive oil, and the rest of the salsa ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bake salmon in oven until fish is just done. Serve with salsa on top.

Smoked and Fresh Salmon en Chemise

This is a unique, but quick way of cooking salmon. The smoked salmon infuses the smokey taste into the fresh salmon. The green sauce provides a nice counterpoint to the salmon and makes for a very pretty dish. However, if you can't find tomatillos, I would still give this dish a shot.

One year ago: Cashew Chicken with a Cilantro Sauce
Two years ago: Lime-Flavoured Rice with Yellow Split Peas

Smoked and Fresh Salmon en Chemise (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
6 salmon fillets with skin, 150g each
250g thinly sliced smoked salmon
450g tomatillos
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup packed basil
1/2 cup packed cilantro
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 475. Season salmon with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet (I would recommend covering with aluminum foil as I had problems with sticking). Enrobe the top and sides of each fillet with a thin layer of smoked salmon. Roast 12 - 14 minutes, until firm.
2. Meanwhile, cut tomatillos into 1" pieces. Add to food processor with oil, basil, cilantro, onion, lime juice, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Process until smooth.
3. Spoon puddle of sauce onto 6 plates. Top with salmon and serve.

Seared Salmon with Brown Butter Cucumbers

I don't cook nearly enough seafood, but recipes like this remind me that I should. It's quick and easy and the brown butter cucumbers that it to the next level.

Seared Salmon with Brown Butter Cucumbers (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
2 thick salmon fillets
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 Kirby cucumbers, peeled and diced into 1/4" cubes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped basil or mint
lime wedges for serving

1. Season salmon with salt and pepper.
2. In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Cook until foam subsides and butter turns deep gold in colour, 2 minutes.
3. Add salmon to pan, skin-side up. Cook without turning for 2 minutes.
4. Add cucumbers and a pinch of salt to pan around salmon. Stir to coat with butter. Cook until underside of fish is dark golden, 3 minutes.
5. Flip fish and add garlic to cucumbers. Stir. Cook fish until done, 2 - 4 minutes.
6. Stir basil into cucumbers in pan. Serve, spooning cucumbers and sauce over fish and squeezing a bit of lime on the fish.

Korean-Style Salmon with Bok Choy

It's not often that I cook fish (I know I should cook more!), but this recipe intrigued me and we had everything on hand except for the shiitake mushrooms. Rather than make an extra trip, I decided to go without. Like most of the recipes in this book, this one came together quickly and easily, yet tastes amazing. It would be perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Don't be turned off by the long list of ingredients. If you do much Asian cooking, chances are you have all or almost all of them on hand. I scaled in half, but found that that didn't leave quite enough marinade to reduce nicely in the pan. The original is included below for you to use your own judgement about that!

One year ago: Celeriac with Lentils and Hazelnuts and Mint

Korean-Style Salmon "Bulgogi," Bok Choy and Shiitakes (from Radically Simple)

Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2" piece fresh ginger, chopped
1 scallion, chopped white and green parts
1 tbsp rice wine
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp Chinese chili paste
2 large garlic cloves
4 thick salmon fillets, 170g each (she calls for skin removed, but we left it on)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large bok choy, about 450g
100g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine soy sauce, ginger, scallions, wine, sugar, sesame oil, chili paste, and 1 garlic clove in a food processor and process until smooth.
3. Place salmon in a large, deep dish and cover with marinade. Turn to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.
4. Remove fish from marinade and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil 8" from heat for 8 minutes or until firm.
5. Meanwhile, pour marinade into a small saucepan and boil for 1 minute. Set aside.
6. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a wok. Thinly slice the bok choy crosswise and add to wok with mushrooms and 1 garlic clove pressed through a press. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to plates.
7. Glaze fish with marinade and set atop vegetables.