The best salad you ever had with salmon...

...Ok, that's a bold statement, but I will say that this salad definitely compliments salmon very well.

After the recipe for this salad I will give you a quick recipe for my favorite way to prepare salmon. 

Asparagus and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

1 pkg baby spinach 

1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced

4-6 mushrooms, thinly sliced

10-12 spears of asparagus, sliced on the bias into 1" pieces 

2 tbsp crumbled feta (or more if you like)

Dressing: (if you don't want to make this dressing, a champagne vinaigrette would go well with the salad)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp dried parsley

Drizzle about 1/2 tbsp of olive oil into a medium saute pan.  Cook the sliced asparagus on medium high heat.  You want the asparagus to brown on the outside so don't stir them too much.  While the asparagus is cooking, slice your mushrooms and make your dressing.

Once the asparagus is browned and tender, begin to assemble the salad.  Put the baby spinach in your serving bowl.  Top with roasted peppers, sauteed asparagus and sliced mushrooms.  Then drizzle on dressing to your preference and top with crumbled feta.


Baked Salmon and Tomatoes
Serves 2


1 lemon, sliced in 1/4 inch rings
2 salmon steaks or fillets
2 medium tomatoes, 1/4 inch slices
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 basil leaves, fresh or 1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 red onion, sliced in rings
salt and pepper to taste

Coat a glass baking dish (any size that will hold your fish) with olive oil.  Lay down slices of lemon, then lay fish on top of lemon slices.  Drizzle fish with a little bit of olive oil as well to help keep it moist.  Then season with salt, pepper and crushed garlic.  Next alternate laying slices of tomatoes and onions on top of the fish.  Season with more salt and pepper.  If you are using fresh basil, cut basil into strips.  Sprinkle fresh or dried basil over onions and tomatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees.  The time will vary on the thickness of your fish.  I would give it 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness.

When serving, do not serve with the cooked lemon.  Serve a fresh wedge with each piece of fish.

Shrimp Mac N Cheese

Behold, the ultimate comfort food at it's finest.  This cheesey, gooey, seafood pasta delight is sure to wow your taste buds.

(Just a little side note, I regret not taking a photo of this dished up on a platter. But, you get the idea.)

Shrimp Mac N Cheese

serves 4 

8 oz Macaroni noodles

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/4 cup milk 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp "Better than Bouillon Lobster base" 

1/2 cup pre-cooked shrimp, chopped

2 tbsp good white wine (for those who cook with wine)

Topping:

1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs 

1 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp dried parsley 

1/4 cup sharp cheddar, shredded 

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions.  You can do this will you make the cheese sauce.

To make the cheese sauce:

Start off with making a roux (clink link for "how-to"). Stir in the lobster base and then whisk in the milk slowly until you notice it start to loosen up.  At that point you can go ahead and dump it all in and then add your heavy cream.  Make sure you're whisking the whole time to avoid lumps of flour. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you choose to use white wine, this would be the time to add it in.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn off heat and stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese. 

Ladle some cheese sauce into the bottom of your loaf pan, about enough to coat the bottom. Next, fold the chopped shrimp into the remaining cheese sauce. Pour half of the noodles into the loaf pan, then half of the cheese sauce and repeat.   Give it all a good stir until the noodles are coated with the sauce. 

In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, melted butter and parsley.  First sprinkle the shredded cheese onto the macaroni dish and then the breadcrumb topping.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Then set under the broiler to crisp up the topping and edges until it starts to brown.  Watch this closely so that you don't burn the top. 

Since this is a fairly rich dish, I would suggest serving something light along side it.  A nice salad with some citrus elements will help cut the rich cheese sauce well. 

ENJOY!

Please leave a comment below and tell me what you thought of this dish.  Did your dinner guests enjoy it or have any complaints? Constructive criticism is appreciated. 

Better than Buillon

Better than Bouillon

A few years back a friend of mine introduced me to this wonderful food product.  It truly lives up to its name... it IS better than bouillon. The base is super concentrated which makes this product go a long way and worth every penny. 

Better Than Bouillon comes in a large assortment of flavor bases as well as a variety of options such as organic, kosher, and reduced sodium. You can find the basic flavors like chicken, beef and vegetable in most grocery stores. If you are unable to find the more unique flavors like clam, lobster or mushroom, go to the link that I have provided above and order a jar today! 

I really urge you to purchase this product. I would even suggest having a variety of flavors on hand. This product is so versatile, you won't regret following my advise on this one! 

Roux: What is it?

Yes, my first post is about roux.  Reason being, not many amateur
cooks know about this wonderful mixture.  So, I would like to
enlighten those lacking this knowledge.  Once you learn of its
purpose, the uses are nearly endless.  Without a doubt, I will post
multiple recipes using this concoction.

Roux, pronounced: roo, is a mixture of flour and fat…generally BUTTER!

This mixture is used as a thickening agent, much like cornstarch.  So
what can you use it to thicken?  Gravy, soups, sauces, stews…etc.  My
favorite use is a sauce called béchamel or white sauce.  You’re
probably also wondering what that is.  Well, let me introduce you to
this wonderful “mother sauce”.  It all starts with roux and ends with
milk, and that’s it.  It’s a thick white sauce which can be used in
lasagna or as a base in itself for sauces such as Mornay (cheese
sauce).  Which brings me to give you a little teaser on my next
post… what greater purpose for a Mornay sauce than mac’n’cheese?!

Ok, back to roux. How to make it: In a pot/pan combine equal parts
flour and fat. I.e.1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp butter or oil. Melt your
butter in the pan first, before adding in the flour. Now the cook time
all depends on what you intend to use your roux for.  For a white
sauce, you will only want to cook your roux for about 1-2 minutes.
This is just enough time to cook the flour and remove any raw taste.
For a brown gravy or dark stew, you can cook it until it becomes the
color of peanut butter before adding in your liquid ingredients.  For
either purpose, make sure you are almost constantly stirring the
mixture to keep it from burning.

When creating a sauce from roux, remember to use room temperature
liquid and whisk it in slowly at first, then once the sauce begins to
loosen, you can just dump in your remaining liquid.  The reason I
mention this is when you first start adding the liquid, you will
notice its still paste like.  As you continue to slowly add the
liquid, while whisking, it will begin to loosen and become more of a
thick sauce.  In order for your sauce to reach its full consistency,
you need to bring it up to a boil.

Well, I think that about covers what I wanted to tell you about roux.
If I missed anything or you have questions about this, please post a
comment below.