Yaki Udon with Teriyaki Salmon

Yaki Udon with Teriyaki Salmon

Ingredients:
2 bundles organic udon noodles
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
4 salmon fillets - 4oz each
1 julienne zucchini
4 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup broccoli slaw mix
4 scallions chopped


Salmon marinade / sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Instructions:
 
Marinade salmon fillets in sauce for 30 minutes.

Place a small amount of oil in a wok or skillet and cook salmon fillets for 2-3 minutes on first side, and 1 minute on the second side, getting good color on both sides. Remove.
 

Add garlic, 2 of the chopped scallions, ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Then add your mushrooms and cook till softened, add zucchini and cook for a few more minutes, and then your broccoli slaw.
 
In the meantime, add your udon noodles to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and reserve.
 
Take about half of your marinade, add some water, and add to the wok to deglaze.


Add in your noodles and toss to coat.

Turn off heat and stir in baby spinach.

Top with salmon and enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Canapes

Smoked Salmon Canapes

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

1 smoked salmon fillet

3 cucumbers - sliced thin

1 box of fancy crackers of your choice

1 tub of whipped cream cheese (chive flavor if you can find it)

1 lemon

fresh dill

salt and pepper

Take your smoked salmon fillet and slice on a bias into very thin (sashimi style) pieces. Use a sharp knife. Make sure that your salmon is cold, it will slice easier.

Then take your very thinkly sliced cucumbers and pat dry with papertowels to remove excess moisture to prevent cracker from sogging.

Take your cream cheese mixture and zest the lemon into it. Then take a pinch of salt and pepper and a few pieces of dill and finely chop into it. Squeeze about 1/4 of the lemons juice into the whipped cream cheese - just enough for flavor but not too much to change the consistency. At this point you could also add capers, but since I hate capers and cannot get over my hatred for them, I didn't.

Place a small dallop of the cream cheese on the cucumber and then place the cucumber slice on the cracker. Finish with the slice of salmon and a small piece of dill for garnish.

Keep cool before serving.

Savory Spiced Salmon

 Savory Spiced Salmon 

With Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Baby Bellas

Yield: 2 servings

*PS - I swear I don't eat my dinner straight on the counter - I used a clear glass plate - kinda funny looking...

Ingredients:

2 portions Wild Caught Salmon - 6 oz each

1 tablespoon Savory Spice Shops' Pearl St. Plank Rub

1 package baby portabella mushrooms - quartered

Fresh thyme sprig

Salt and Pepper

1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter

mashed potatoes

My Aunt got me these fantastic spices from a local shop called Savory Spice Shop in Boulder (www.savoryspiceshop.com) and I was looking for a way to start using them. One that I thought smelled particularly good is the Pearl St. Plank Rub - and it's perfect for salmon - so it was perfect for dinner! It has a nice mixture of sweet, heat and BBQ flavors that marry well with salmon. Sweet flavors and salmon pair well together.

                                                     

Place fillets into a dish and spray with olive oil, then sprinkle on spice rub and let rest about 10 minutes.

                                                  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Quarter your mushrooms into nice sized chunks, then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and add some fresh thyme. Place on baking sheet in oven for 15-20 minutes until mushrooms are roasted, soft and browned. 

Did I mention - I LOVE mushrooms and we eat them all the time - so when baby bellas are on sale at the grocery store I usually buy a few packages and eat them all week long... Kinda funny my love of mushrooms - hated them as a kid growing up, but cant get enough mushrooms these days.... Anyways...

 

Then add salmon fillets to hot skillet with 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil and sear flesh side down for 2-4 minutes depending on thickness. Flip carefully and sear for an additional 2-4 minutes on skin side until crispy and brown.

Remove from skillet, add some mashed potatoes and the roasted mushrooms and you have the easiest dinner ever!

                                                  

Asian Salmon

Asian Style Salmon

Yields: 2 servings

I love salmon, I could eat salmon everyday if I could afford it. I buy wild-caught Alaskan salmon and it is fantastic. This is probably my favorite way to serve salmon, simple and elegant. I believe a fish like salmon doesn't need much to elevate it.

Ingredients:

2 6 oz salmon portions

2 cups frozen french cut green beans - thawed

1 can water chestnuts sliced

1 tablespoon french's fried onions

1 green onion - chopped

1 small bag saffron rice

1 tablespoon butter and olive oil each for searing

Marinade:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 tablespoon chile-garlic paste (sambal oelek)

1 tablespoon garlic minced

1 tablespoon ginger minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

salt and pepper

Mix marinade up and spoon out several tablespoons to reserve. Place fillets in marinade and let rest for 10-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Heat open-proof skillet with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil until shimmery. Place salmon presentation (pretty) side down in pan. Sear for 4 minutes. See how beautiful they are?

Carefully flip fillets and place skillet into preheated broiler on low for an additional 3 minutes.

In the meantime take reserved marinade and place into new non-stick skillet. Heat well then add green beans and water chestnuts. Bring to boil and reduce sauce by half. Turn heat off and stir in chopped green onion.

I topped the stir-fry with french's fried onion crispies, and then served saffron rice on the side.