Mustard and Herb Crusted Salmon

Hello again. Remember me? I remember you! I've been very derelict in my blogging duties, but here goes nothing. Salmon is a major favorite in our house. We've actually been buying it from Costco in really big pieces, cutting those pieces into 4 hunks and wrapping them tight in plastic wrap to freeze. When we want salmon for dinner the next day, we pull out a pieces and presto-change-o, we are ready to bake it up. I find that baking salmon, and all fish really, helps to avoid the whole house fish stank that generally accompanies cooking fish on the stovetop. If you line you baking sheet with foil, bake the fish, and then discard the foil, the stink is greatly minimized. This particular salmon dish is a quick weeknighter that you can serve with rice and a salad or vegetable - my favorite being Josh's Chili Roasted Broccoli. It is a real pick-me-up in the winter and brings some freshness to your table while still being pretty seasonal. It would also be good doubled or triple with a whole side of salmon for a dinner party or the whole family.

Mustard and Herb Crusted Salmon (serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 filets of salmon (about 1/2 lb. total)
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. Whole Grain Mustard
1 Tbs. breadcrumbs (panko or regular)
1 tsp. chopped parsley
salt and pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the crust for your salmon by chopping the parsley and mixing together the mayo with the mustards and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray or brush with olive oil. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides and set it on your prepared baking sheet.

3. Top each piece liberally with your crust mixture and drizzle lightly with olive oil to form a nice crust.

4. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes (depending on thickness) until your salmon is cooked to you liking. I like mine to be a bit pink on the inside, which should be about 10 minutes.

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

One Year Ago: Flo's Brown Sugar Bread Pudding
Two Years Ago: Grapefruit Pound Cake (VIDEO BLOG ALERT)
Three Years Ago: Grapefruit Honey Drinks

Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese, and Bacon Pizza

 My rule about making things from scratch or buying them is very simple.  Can I make this better than I can buy it?  Yes or no.  For pizza dough (and in fact for most yeast dough) my answer is NO.  Maybe I have no patience or maybe I'm not a very dedicated measure-er or for whatever reason I've never really gotten the hang of yeast dough.  Luckily, my local chain grocery store understands.  In the deli section with the pre-made macaroni salads and things I would never normally buy, they sell balls of frozen pizza dough that are all ready to go.
If I want to make a pizza tomorrow, I set it out the night before in the fridge and I am ready to go.  If you are more capable than I (which is likely), obviously you could make your own dough.  For me, the real star of this dish is not the dough at all.  The dough is just the simple receptacle that I use to shovel as much of this amazing pizza into my gut as possible.  I adore the salty bacon, creamy and smooth squash, and sharp blue cheese together with the sweet onions and the egg gives it that final, over-the-top quality that we all need sometimes.  This originated as a "what are we going to eat tonight" type recipe from many random things leftover in the fridge/freezer.  I love it so much and will be making it again soon.

Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese, and Bacon Pizza (makes one small pizza for two)
Ingredients:
6 pieces of bacon
1 cup frozen, cubed butternut squash
1 medium onion
pizza dough
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 eggs
olive oil
salt and pepper

1.  Set pizza dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise according to the instructions.

2.  In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbs. olive oil over medium-high heat.  Coarsely chop the bacon into pieces and add to the hot pan.  Cook for 5-7 minutes until the bacon is just beginning to get crispy.
3.  For the onions, I usually do a coarse chop, but for this recipe I want the pretty, half moon slices so that the onion is more part of the show.  Slice onion in half and then slice each half to make uniform,half moon slices.  Add to the pan with bacon along with the butternut squash.  Cook for another 5 minutes until the onions are tender, the squash begins to caramelize and the bacon is crispy.

4.  When you are about ready to make the pizzas, preheat your oven to 500 degrees.  Leave one large cookie sheet in the oven to get hot while it is preheating.
5.  On a floured board, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.  It doesn't need to be a perfect circle.
6.  When the oven is preheated you are going to work quickly to assemble the pizzas on the hot pan.  Remove the hot pan from the oven and place the dough on top of the pan.
7.  Drizzle the dough with about 1 Tbs. olive oil.  Then sprinkle the bacon, squash, onion mixture evenly over the pizza dough.  Leave two "wells" or spaces for the eggs.  Crack the eggs and set the raw egg into the wells.

8.  Sprinkle the blue cheese over the whole pizza evenly and place the pan back into the oven.
9.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until your dough is browned and the eggs are just set.

If you can, allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing.

Devour!

One Year Ago: Blood Orange Salmon
Two Years Ago: Vegetable Fried Rice
Three Years Ago: Roasted Chiopino

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Roasted Corn and Avocado

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  In honor of a day devoted to all things south-of-the-border, I give you a dinner that would go perfectly with an icy margarita.  These little shrimp tacos were a delicious and very easy dinner.  They come together very quickly, with only a few ingredients, making them a great weeknight treat.  The sweet shrimp are balanced by the heat from the sauce and the creamy avocado.  This will become a summer staple in our house.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Roasted Corn and Avocado
(makes about 4 tacos to serve 2 hungry people)
Ingredients:
2 dozen small shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 Tbs. shiracha
1/2 Tbs. honey
1/2 lime
salt and pepper
4 whole wheat soft taco shells
1 avocado

1.  Heat up a dry, non-stick skillet on high heat until hot.  Add the corn and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This will get the corn to brown up a bit.

2.  Add the shrimp and sprinkle with about 1/4 tsp. salt and a dash of pepper.

3.  Allow shrimp to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the siracha, honey, and juice from 1/2 lime.  Stir through until well incorporated and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are opaque so you know they are cooked through

5.  Assemble the tacos with shrimp, corn, and slices of fresh avocado.

Yum, yum, yum.

One Year Ago: Raw Tomato Sauce
Two Years Ago: Lamb Shank Osso Bucco
Three Years Ago: Orange Saffron Chicken

Espinacas Con Garbanzos

My friend Erin is in living in Barcelona (so jealous!) and is loving all the delicious Catalan foods that she is sampling over there.  Luckily, we get a little peak into her Barcelona kitchen to enjoy one of her favorite new recipes that she learned in Spain.  You can follow more about Erin's adventure on her blog paellasabbatical.tumblr.com.  Thanks, Erin!

Hola guapos! I'm Erin, DC area native and long time fan of CSK. (Emily, you are my Thanksgiving feast spirit guide.) I've been spending the last year in Barcelona, Spain, learning the language, culture and food. What I love so much about the food here is that the dishes are almost always simple and fresh. They have truly mastered how to bring out the best qualities of individual ingredients. The Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing most fruits and vegetables year round, which means the markets are always stocked with delicious, fresh and cheap produce.

This is my all time favorite place to buy my fruits & veggies. It's located about 50 meters from my front door, has great quality and is dirt cheap. You know a place is good when it is regularly swarmed with older Catalan ladies.

Santa Caterina market is one of the most famous in the city (2nd to La Boqueria) and is less than a five minute walk away. You can find just about anything you would want in here.

My preferred produce stand in Santa Caterina. If you are traveling to a European market that is frequented by tourists, go past the first few stalls and find the gems hidden in the middle and the back. They will be more affordable and frequented by the locals.

Here's the view from my kitchen. A faltering herb garden (hey, not bad for February) lots of trees, old buildings and a playground.

I present to you one of my favorite dishes, espinacas con garbanzos (spinach with chickpeas), which can be served tapas style over bread, as a side dish to grilled pork/fish/chicken, or on its own for a quick lunch. This particular recipe serves 6-8, so feel free to cut it in half as it does not taste quite as good leftover the next day.

Espinacas Con Garbanzos (Adapted from Jose Andres)
2 15oz cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup EVOO, then extra for drizzling
5 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
1 lb fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
Medium sized slice of hearty bread, crust removed
2 tablespoons paprika, I used the Smoked Spanish variety from Penzeys
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

1.  Place chickpeas in a large stockpot, cover with cool water, just enough to cover them. Place on medium heat to warm up while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Heat 1/4 cup EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Brown the garlic cloves for 3 min, then set in a bowl. Brown the bread in the same skillet, 1 min each side.

Place the bread in the bowl with the garlic. Remove the skillet from heat, allow to cool for a few minutes.

This would be better with a mortar & pestle, but I had an ice cream scooper. Worked just fine. Expats gotta be resourceful.

3. Mash the bread & garlic for several minutes to make a thick paste. Add a bit of EVOO as needed to get the desired consistency.

4. Add paprika, cumin, vinegar to semi-cool skillet, mix and allow to sit

5. Bring chickpeas to a low boil. Add spinach, one handful at a time, pausing in between to press into the water. Simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add paprika mixture and garlic/bread paste to chickpeas & spinach, creating a thick stewy sauce. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally mashing some of the chickpeas.

7. Add sea salt and pepper to taste

8. Serve immediately on slices of baguette, tapas style, or as a side dish to grilled fish, chicken or pork.

For more musings about expat life, feel free to check my blog: paellasabbatical.tumblr.com

Minestrone a.k.a. Ed's Good Soup

This recipe is courtesy of my beautiful sister and her hubby, who are always cooking up fun things in the kitchen.  It is the perfect soup to have on a cold night or would be delicious for a weekday lunch.

Ok, so technically this is Ina's recipe, but Ed made it and liked it so it is now referred to in our house as "Ed's Good Soup."  This soup is actually better after it sits so I recommend cooking all the way through Step 4 and then allowing the soup to cool and refrigerating it overnight.  When you are ready to serve, reheat the soup, then continue on to finish it off in Step 5.  We served this on Superbowl Sunday with some crunchy bread and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Minestrone a.k.a. Ed's Good Soup (adapted from Ina Garten's recipe)
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch-diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons dry thyme
1 (26-ounce) can or box diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable stock (recipe here!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked orzo
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup good dry white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

1.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

2.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

3.  Add the tomatoes, wine, and stock, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot

(*please note, the last time Ed made this he used 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS of pepper - I do not recommend using tablespoons when the recipe calls for teaspoons - use 1 1/2 teaspoons*).

4.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. 

5.  When you are ready to serve, add the spinach and cook just until the spinach leaves are wilted and stir in the pesto.

We did not give any to Penny but I included a picture of her anyway!

Editor's Note:  Penny is my favorite niece because she always seems to be giving my sister the same annoyed look that I am always giving my sister. 

One Year Ago: Better-than-Steakhouse T-bone Steak
Two Years Ago: Baked Buffalo Wings
Three Years Ago: Stuffed Baked French Toast

Crockpot Balsamic-Honey Chicken

Crockpot meals are really an amazing thing. Throw some ingredients in the pot before leaving for work and come home to a house that smells as though you've been cooking all day. I don't know about you, but I am almost always hungry. I am the MOST hungry when I arrive home after a long day at work and a commute home on my beloved 80 bus. This is why I love coming home to a dinner that only takes minutes to finish. I can pour myself a glass of wine and tuck into my dinner that much faster. The only bad thing about crockpot recipes is that they are rather unglamorous to photograph.  It is so hard for an amateur like me to get a nice shot into the deep recesses of the crockpot.  Oh well - it doesn't stop me from trying.  This particular variation on chicken only has a few ingredients and they blend so perfectly together to create a balanced flavor: balsamic (sharp), honey (sweet), soy (salty), and whiskey (earthy).  You get so much depth from this mix and the chicken soaks up all the amazing flavor. 

Crockpot Balsamic-Honey Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (bone-in; skin-on)
1 onion
1/4 cup balsamic
1/4 cup whiskey
2 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
salt and pepper

1.  Coarsely chop your onion and lay it as a base in the crockpot.  Rinse and pat your chicken dry, season on both sides with salt and pepper, and set in the crockpot.. 

One important thing that is often overlooked about crockpot meals is that you still need to season your meat thoroughly, just at though you were going to sear it.  Otherwise, you meat will still be a bit bland, even after cooking all day.

2.  Mix together balsamic, soy, whiskey, and honey.  Pour over chicken.

3.  Cook on the lowest setting (mine is "Warm") for 8 hours.  It will NOT be beautiful when you get home.

4.  To crispy up the skin and make it a beauty, set the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and put under the broiler for 6-8 minutes, until the skin is crispy.

There...that's better.

5.  Skim some of the fat off the liquid left in the crockpot so that you can use the remaining liquid as a sauce.  If you want, you can put the liquid in a pot and reduce over high heat while the chicken is broiling OR you can use it as-is.  
6.  Serve up with your favorite sides and enjoy.

One Year Ago: Rosemary Pork Chops
Two Years Ago: Chili Dusted Pork Chops
Three Years Ago: Buffalo Roasted Chicken