Easy and Quick Summer Salmon Dinner

 Summer is here and with the warmer weather I am not as inclined to spend long hours in the kitchen as I like to do when the weather is cooler.  I have found that I am not as motivated to create interesting meals, however I still prefer making my own fresh in-season ingredients rather than buying prepared foods.

Today I found a beautiful piece of Wild Alaskan Salmon on sale at my local market and I wanted to build a simple, healthy, and delicious dinner around it with not too many calories so I could splurge on some ice cream for dessert. 

I came up with a simple grill pan preparation for the salmon using lemon, salt, and fresh tarragon from the garden. If you aren’t fond of tarragon you can always use oregano or basil, or a simple sprinkling of herbs de Provence from the cupboard. You can also use a regular sauté pan if you don’t have a grill pan.

I had some kale leftover (that I bought to make a green smoothie), and picked up some baby zucchini, yellow and green crookneck squash, a fresh ear of corn, and a small sweet onion from a local farm stand – I decided rather than making rice and a salad to combine all of these vegetables to make a yummy fresh side dish with some crunch and varying texture.

Before I started I grabbed a nice glass of a red blend wine and a slice of fresh sourdough and sat on the deck to relax and reflect after a busy day.

After the wine and bread, the salmon and vegetables was just the right amount of food for dinner and the pairing was delicious.

Both recipes follow – If you prep ahead you can cook both at the same time. Approximately 15-20 minutes  from start to finish:

Pan Grilled Salmon (serves 2 – recipe can be doubled)

½ pound fresh salmon filet (about half inch thick)

½ lemon

1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon (3 sprigs approx) or herb of choice (basil or oregano) – if you do not have fresh you can use dried.

Sea salt to taste

Olive oil

Olive oil spray

Green onions for garnish

Put grill pan over burner on top of stove and preheat about 3 minutes or so till hot, spray with cooking spray and drizzle a little bit of oil (1/2 tablespoon or less) – you can use flavored oil if you desire.

While pan is heating, sprinkle top of salmon (flesh side) with salt and herbs.

When pan is ready place skin side down and set your timer for 4 minutes.

Flip salmon over after 4 minutes and cook another 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and let sit for about 2 minutes.

Top with sliced green onion and serve.

Note: May be slightly under done, which I prefer as it is moist and not dry. If you prefer it more done add 1 or 2 minutes to cooking time.

Sautéed Corn, Summer Squash, Onion, and Kale (serves 2 – recipe can be doubled)

1 Ear sweet corn, shucked and cleaned

4-5 miniature summer squash or 2 medium size

1 small onion (sweet preferred)

6 leaves Lacinto (or dinosaur) kale

Olive oil cooking spray

Garlic olive oil

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Cut corn off cob into a bowl.

Clean and chop squash into bite size pieces (if using the larger squash cut in large dice)

Slice onion and cut the slices in half

Tear kale leaves off of stem and discard stem; cut leaves into 1 inch ribbons

Put all vegetables in a bowl.

Put sauté pan on medium high heat and heat for about 3 minutes. Spray sauté pan with olive oil cooking spray, add a small amount of  garlic oil. If you do not have garlic flavored olive oil you can use regular and thinly slice a clove of garlic and add to oil while heating.

Add all of the vegetables to the pan at the same time when it is heated.

Cook and stir until kale is dark green and onions are slightly softened and zucchini is fork tender – about 4 – 5 minutes. The onions and corn will stay relatively crispy.

Season with salt and pepper during the cooking so that all the vegetables absorb the seasoning.

Turn off heat and let set while Salmon is cooking and resting.

Divide Salmon and vegetables between two plates and enjoy.  You can add a salad, some small red potatoes, or some fresh sourdough bread if desired.

Enjoy!

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

Help From The Pantry

As a child I occasionally begged for a T.V. dinner in the grocery store because it was a novelty in our house…this is a grateful nod to my mother who prepared most of our meals from scratch. 

But sometimes the help of a box or can was necessary to stretch meat to feed more people or to save time. I learned from my mom to cook from scratch with fresh vegetables and meats as much as possible, and sometimes the cupboard can provide a little help.  

For my health I usually minimize my use of prepared or fast food and like to keep ingredients as simple as possible. I prefer to make fresh meals with seasonings and combinations that enhance the natural flavors, and rarely use pre-made sauces or packaged foods. However, some days I am too tired or just don’t have time to cook from scratch.  For those times when I want a healthy delicious meal but I am tired from a long day or short on time, I rely on my pantry.

Last week I was craving lasagna; usually one of those dishes that I save for company because it is labor intensive so I like to make a large pan of it including making sauce from scratch. I looked in the cupboard, found a jar of basil pesto and a large can of organic marinara sauce…  picked up a couple of things from the store and used a small pan with only two layers.  I had mushroom lasagna in an hour – paired with a salad for a satisfying and healthy dinner.

A couple of days later I combined the rest of the pesto, and a few more pantry items, with some raw ground turkey into a small turkey loaf and the flavors really worked well together.  So I had two great meals with the help of my pantry!

Both recipes follow:

Mushroom Lasagna (4 servings – can be doubled)

28 ounces (3.5 cups) marinara sauce (homemade or can/jar)

8 Shitake Mushrooms (or other medium size mushrooms of choice) – Sliced

8 ounces Ricotta cheese

8 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese – Thinly sliced

¼ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese – grated

1-tablespoon basil pesto

Dried oregano and parsley and a little extra grated cheese for the top

Olive oil

½ package or 8 ounces whole wheat or whole grain lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Set aside a 10 inch round or 8-9 inch square baking dish

Bring a large pot of water to boil – when boiling add the noodles and cook 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water so you can handle the noodles.  While the noodles are cooking prepare the sauce: Add olive oil to a 12-15 inch sauté pan to coat – not more than 1 tablespoon. Heat the oil, add sliced mushrooms and cook a few minutes till softened. Add marinara sauce and let cook at medium heat till warmed through. While noodles and sauce are cooking, mix ricotta and pesto and grated cheese and set aside.

Grab your pan and pour a small amount of the prepared marinara to coat the bottom. Layer noodles to cover the bottom of the pan – trim if necessary.

Spread ricotta mixture over the noodles and lay mozzarella slices on top. Spoon sauce over the layer of noodles and cheese, using most of the mushrooms but making sure to reserve sauce for top. Add another layer of noodles and trim if necessary to contain them within the pan.  

Pour remaining sauce over the top and make sure it covers all the noodles. Sprinkle with grated cheese, parsley and oregano. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch anything that bubbles over. Bake uncovered 45 minutes. Let sit 10-15 minutes before cutting.  Serve with a salad and enjoy.

Pre-baked Lasagna

Turkey Meatloaf

1-pound ground turkey

1 egg

1-2 tablespoons feta cheese (crumbled)

1 heaping tablespoon basil pesto

1/3 cup bread crumbs (panko or regular with Italian seasoning if available)

Small can diced tomatoes in juice or tomato sauce

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste – and if using unseasoned breadcrumbs add some oregano

Mix first 5 ingredients together and shape into a small oval or rectangular loaf and place in a shallow rimmed casserole dish or baking pan. Top with tomatoes or tomato sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Let rest 10 minutes and serve. I paired this with a simple romaine salad with watermelon radishes and crisp red bell pepper slices in a light vinaigrette. 

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

End of the Week Soup and Mint-Lemongrass Tea

I am so lucky to live in an area of abundant fresh produce; for me a week is not complete without at least one trip to a local farmer’s market or farm stand.

At the end of each week I look through my fridge and take an inventory of which vegetables I have not used. I think about what I can make to use them up while they are still fresh and to make room for the fruits and vegetables that I know will tempt me the coming weekend.

At the end of last week I found several veggies and some ground turkey I need to use. The weather had turned a bit cooler, which made me think of soup. The result is a non-traditional turkey meatball soup that hit the spot, delicious and satisfying but not too heavy. This recipe made enough for about four servings.

Farmer’s Market inspired Turkey Meatball Soup

Soup Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Clove garlic – finely chopped

2  Green onions – chopped in small pieces

3-4 Celery stalks with leaves – chopped

3-4 Carrots (washed and unpeeled) – chopped

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

½ small head of cabbage – coarsely chopped

Fresh Dill – 3-4 sprigs finely chopped

3 cups chicken stock (or 3 cups water and a tablespoon of good quality chicken paste or bouillon)

1 Bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs: ½ pound ground turkey, 1 egg beaten, 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs (you can use cooked rice to make this gluten free), salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a large saucepan or medium size pot on medium low heat, add garlic and onion and cook a few minutes till softened, add celery, carrot, and pepper – cook till softened (about 5-7 minutes).  Note: You can also add zucchini squash or green beans cut in small pieces at this point if desired. 

Cover vegetables with stock and raise heat to bring to a boil (if using water and bouillon – boil water and then stir in bouillon). Add bay leaf and dill while bringing liquid to a boil.

Meanwhile make meatballs; mix together ingredients well and then form into 2 inch balls (golf ball size or smaller) and set aside on a plate. Drop meatballs into boiling soup, turn down heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. 

Add cabbage and simmer for 5 more minutes uncovered – till cabbage is wilted.  Check flavor and add salt and pepper if desired.

Put into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, or toasted pumpkin seeds, or slices of avocado and enjoy.

As I am writing this post, the wind has come up and it is quite gusty here. It caught me by surprise as I was walking the dogs this morning, making me sneeze from the dust flying around.

I learned some time ago from a practitioner of acupuncture that mint is good for balancing the effect of wind; since then I make it a practice to eat or drink mint in some form when I have had a good dose of wind to counter its affect on my ears or sinuses.  This morning I thought mint tea sounded good so I went to the garden and snipped a few sprigs of mint and while there I decided to add some lemongrass. I snipped a few leaves and one thin stalk.

I washed and cut up the lemongrass and pulled the mint leaves off the stem and put them together in a small teapot. I poured boiling water over the leaves and let it steep for 20 minutes. Then I strained the brew into a cup and added a splash of unsweetened vanilla soymilk.

The resulting drink was soothing and delicious and made my sinuses feel clearer. It may be all in my mind, but it works for me and it is so yummy and relaxing I urge you to give it a try – this is also wonderful after dinner or just before bedtime.

If you cannot find fresh mint or lemongrass it is usually available dried in a health food store in the bulk bins or in a tea or spice shop.  

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla

COMFORT FOOD AND KALE

I admit the words comfort food and kale do not often go together, but late last month I found myself thinking of the two in remembrance of my Mother. 

Last month marked 20 years since I lost my beloved Mother to colon cancer. I do not usually focus on remembering dates of loss, preferring to think of the happy events I shared with her and my family. 

The two most important lessons I learned from my mother were to practice kindness whenever possible and to show love through food preparation and cooking.

When I was a teenager, I developed an intense interest in what was then known as “health food” driving her crazy with requests for unusual ingredients and a taste for “earthy” flavors rather than the rich desserts she loved to bake…though I indulged in those too. I never lost my passion for this type of eating and cooking; though I have practiced it sometimes more than others through the years. 

That’s where the kale comes in. My adaptation to the cooking I learned from my mother and grandmothers has been to incorporate healthy ingredients into the wonderful comfort foods I grew up with, either as an ingredient or a side dish to balance out the richness with some earthiness and add a few extra vitamins.

Our grown-up relationship turned into a wonderful friendship and I found a deep respect for her words of wisdom, which I sought often and miss today. We both adored cooking and baking, sharing recipes, and reading cookbooks like novels. At that time we were hooked on Bon Appetite Magazine and would call each other when we received our latest issue to discuss which recipes we were going to make. One year I was making a holiday dinner featuring prime rib and my mom asked me what I would like her to bring for dessert. I pointed to the chocolate ganache cake on the cover that month; to mine and my family’s delight she created the cake as beautiful as it looked in the magazine and delicious too.   We used to joke that I would have a restaurant some day and she would be the pastry chef. Sadly we never made that dream come true.

Today I cook many of the dishes she made in my childhood with a slight change to suit my lighter and healthier way of eating, but once in awhile nothing will do but the original recipe, like Mom’s Mac n Cheese….just one bite brings back comforting memories. My mother also made cinnamon rolls from scratch that were the best I have ever had….I have not yet had the courage to tackle that recipe, but one day I will.

Although I miss her presence, my mother will always be with me through my love of cooking and carrying on the tradition of cooking with love for the people I love.

Mom 

I developed the End of Fall Salad, which includes kale, to get my beneficial greens and enjoy every bite of practicing good health – it is also a good pairing with the Mac n cheese for a vegetarian meal.  I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.

Mom’s Mac n Cheese

Ingredients: 8 ounces large elbow macaroni

1 and ¼ cup cheddar cheese (diced in small pieces)

2 Tablespoons butter

Salt  & Pepper to taste

2 cups Milk (I use 2%)

12 x 7.5 “ rectangular dish – greased with additional butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook macaroni – bring large pot of water to boil, put in macaroni, bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Layer in prepared dish – macaroni, ½ of cheddar cheese, and half of the butter cut in small pieces (dot the layers with the butter). 

Add second layer of macaroni and cheese and butter to use it up. Lightly mix together to evenly distribute cheese and butter throughout the  dish.

Pour milk over all (should be just below top).

Bake 45 – 60 minutes until milk is bubbly and thick and top is crunchy.

Let stand about 10 minutes before cutting in pieces so that it sets. Enjoy!

End of Fall Salad

Ingredients:

3-4 large Kale leaves (any variety – tear bite-size pieces of leaves from stem and discard stem)

3-4 large Spinach leaves torn into bite-size pieces (or use 8 -9 baby spinach leaves)

3-4 large Romaine leaves torn in bite-size pieces

1 medium sweet potato cooked (baked or steamed but still firm)

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup slivered almonds (sweetened or unsweetened)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon White balsamic vinegar o apple cider vinegar *note you can also use a flavored white vinegar – I love to use peach white balsamic vinegar in this salad

¼ Cup Olive oil (good quality)

Put greens in bowl of water and swish around to clean thoroughly and get rid of any grit. Dry in salad spinner or roll in tea towel to dry (or use paper towels) – place greens in large bowl.

Remove skin from cooled sweet potato and cut in cubes (about ½ inch or so) and add to greens in bowl.

Sprinkle with cranberries and almonds.

Sprinkle white vinegar over salad and then season with salt and pepper

Add olive oil on top of vinegar and seasoning and toss to coat the salad.

Note: This keeps well for a day if there are leftovers.  Enjoy!

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla