joinmefordinner

Strawberry Feta Salad with Baby Kale

joinmefordinner — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:11:22 +0000

With unusually warm weather here lately, the garden is sprouting and some plants are producing already. Our kale tripled in size this week, so I decided to harvest some of the leaves while they were still unbelievably tender. Baby kale is also often available in the produce section of local grocery stores. This poppy seed dressing takes less than 2 minutes to make and it tastes much better and much fresher than the store-bought varieties. You can substitute any kind of nuts for the walnuts–sliced almonds, chopped hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds would be good too.

Serves 4
Salad Ingredients
4 cups chopped gently torn baby kale, stems removed
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup sliced organic strawberries
1 avocado, chopped
1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1/4 cup feta cheese

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Put the kale in a large salad bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Toss.
2. Add the strawberries, avocado, walnuts, and feta cheese. Toss gently.
3. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper. Whisk until mixed well.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve.

Adapted slightly from Two Peas & Their Pod

Filed under: salad dressing, salads, vegetarian meals Tagged: baby kale salad, kale salad, kale salad with strawberries and avocado, lemon poppy seed dressing, strawberry feta salad with kale

Gin Gingered Spot Prawns

joinmefordinner — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:00:35 +0000

Where do you usually get YOUR ideas for meals? Cookbooks? Food blogs? Pinterest?
All of the above?

Me too.

But today, my idea for dinner came from an unlikely source: a quick chat before a meeting. Even before a fellow foodie was finished enthusiastically describing this dish to me, I had already planned my trip to the store to get the necessary ingredients. I knew from her description that this one was a “keeper”.

The recipe is credited to Diane Clement, author of Diane Clement at the Tomato

She advises: “Prepare this dish at the last minute in front of your guests so the aroma of the ginger, gin and onion tantalizes their taste buds.”

Ingredients:

4 to 5 tbsps. unsalted butter
2/3 cup finely chopped green onion
30 medium-sized raw prawns, peeled (see note below*)
1 to 2 tbsps. pickled Japanese gingers, well drained
3 tbsps. gin, or a couple of splashes
1 loaf baguette bread, thinly sliced and warmed

Directions:
Just before serving: Melt butter in large fry pan. Add onions and sauté briefly. Add prawns and sauté only until lightly opaque. Add ginger and gin and continue to cook for a minute or two longer, just until prawns are opaque. Do not overcook. Serve with toothpicks or in scallop shells (or in my case, with lots of napkins!) Pass warm bread for dipping into the sauce.

Notes:

1. For more people, if you increase the number of prawns, you must also increase the amount of sauce. There must be plenty for dipping.
2. We always serve our prawns peeled. Always. Except for tonight apparently.
I was so anxious to get this dish started, that I only gave the recipe a cursory glance and later read that the prawns should be peeled. Oh well.
3. Drizzling in a little of the pickled ginger juice for extra flavour was also recommended to me. Good idea. It really gave it more of a punch.
4. I used our local artisanal Victoria Gin, made in Victoria, BC. You really must taste it to believe it.

The greatest reward of creating in the kitchen is being able to gather with friends and family around the table to share my offerings. Sharing ideas for serving food is simply something I enjoy. Today I discovered that someone who is as passionate about teaching young children as I am also shares my passion for cooking. Thanks for sharing this dish, Maureen!

Filed under: appetizers, seafood Tagged: gin gingered prawns, prawn appetizer, prawns with gin and ginger, sauteed spot prawns, spot prawns, Victoria Gin, Victoria Spirits

Shaved Asparagus Salad

joinmefordinner — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:40:12 +0000

Guess what’s open?

Eating fresh-picked asparagus from the farm is a completely different experience than eating asparagus imported from Mexico. While I usually serve it cooked: steamed, sautéed, roasted or stir-fried, tonight we had it raw. This shaved asparagus salad has a great balance of creamy and crispy textures.
Use the thicker spears for this salad. They are easier to shave with a vegetable peeler and generally have more flavour.

Ingredients

12 large asparagus spears, trimmed and peeled
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan plus a few shaved pieces for garnish
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Use a vegetable peeler to shave asparagus spears into long, thin shavings. Transfer to a medium bowl along with the tips. Combine grated Parmesan and lemon juice in a small bowl and slowly whisk in oil until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle vinaigrette over shaved asparagus and toss to coat. Divide asparagus salad among serving dishes. Shave more fresh parmesan over salad and serve.

Filed under: salad dressing, salads, side dishes, vegetables Tagged: asparagus salad, fresh asparagus, raw asparagus salad, raw asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette, shaved asparagus

Rhubarb Mint Mohito

joinmefordinner — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:23:46 +0000

What to do with all that rhubarb growing like crazy in the garden?

Sip it!
Here’s to Spring!

makes 1 small cocktail
Ingredients
1 oz white rum
2 oz rhubarb syrup (recipe below)
5-6 mint leaves
1 Tablespoon lime juice
lime zest
nutmeg

In the bottom of a glass add a bit of nutmeg, lime zest, mint leaves and the lime juice. Muddle the ingredients with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon, being sure to severely bruise the mint leaves to release their flavour. Add the rum and syrup, stir gently, then top with ice. Garnish with mint and serve with a slender stalk of fresh rhubarb. Oh yeah.
Pretty.

Rhubarb Syrup
The recipe below will make several drinks.

8 oz chopped rhubarb (2-3 small stalks)
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Let cool completely.
Strain the ingredients. The syrup will keep covered in the fridge for two weeks.
You can easily make it non-alcoholic by adding a couple of ounces of this syrup to ginger ale or sparkling water, serve over ice and top it with a squeeze and a slice of lime.

I can’t take credit for this myself. I found it over at Not Without Salt and adapted it only slightly.

Filed under: beverages Tagged: non-alcoholic rhubarb drink, rhubarb cooler, rhubarb mint mohito, rhubarb mohito, rhubarb simple syrup, rhubarb with mint

Dungeness Crab Salad with Grapefruit and Goat Cheese

joinmefordinner — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:43:47 +0000

If you’re lucky enough to live in the Pacific Northwest, as I do, you likely have ready access to fresh crab. It’s always a good idea to check to see where your crab spent his last days of freedom, however.

According to SeaChoice.org, Dungeness crab is a “Best Choice” when trap-caught from Canada or the US (CA, OR, WA). “This green-listed seafood choice is ocean-friendly as Dungeness crab are relatively fast-growing and they mature at a young age. And by using traps or pots as fishing gear, there is little habitat damage or bycatch with this fishery.” Dungeness crab from Alaska, however, is listed as yellow, with some concerns about its sustainability.

This salad has great contrasts in flavours and textures. Just make sure to get those goat cheese medallions popped on the top quickly and serve it right away. The grapefruit vinaigrette was an experiment, but I thought it turned out well and the leftovers were even better the next day.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

1 small shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
5 Tbsp. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tsp. finely grated grapefruit zest (from an organic grapefruit)
salt, freshly ground pepper

Salad

6 cups mixed salad greens, washed and dried
2 cups fresh cleaned crab meat
2 pink grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
6 warm baked goat cheese medallions
Micro greens for garnish

Goat Cheese Medallions
Makes 14 medallions (2 extra –for leftovers )

1 7-inch soft goat cheese log
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs or finely ground panko crumbs
1/4 cup toasted ground hazelnuts or almonds
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch slices. The easiest way to do this neatly is to use unwaxed, unflavoured dental floss. (It’s even easier to buy pre-formed medallions at Costco.) Put the olive oil in a small bowl and the crumbs and pepper mix in another. Dip the cheese slices into the oil, coating both sides, then into the crumb mixture, patting the mixture into the goat cheese slices so that they are completely covered. The medallions can be refrigerated at this point overnight.
Place on a non-stick or lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes until the cheese has softened slightly and is warm.

Directions

Mix all vinaigrette ingredients with a whisk or immersion blender and let stand to allow flavours to blend while assembling the salad.
Prepare goat cheese medallions (see above) and heat in the oven.
Arrange salad greens on individual plates, top with crab meat, grapefruit sections, warm goat cheese medallions and garnish with micro greens. Serve immediately while cheese is still warm.

Like crab? You may also like these:
Dungeness Crab Mac ‘n Cheese
Crab and Lime Avocado Crisps
Crab, Mango and Avocado Salad
Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

goat cheese medallions

grapefruit salad dressing

grapefruit vinaigrette

SeaChoice.org

seafood and citrus salad

seafood salad

sustainable seafood

warm goat cheese

(I’m no) Spring Chicken

joinmefordinner — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:41:55 +0000

. . . but this sure is.
While searching for a new idea for using chicken thighs, every recipe I found seemed so, well, wintery. When the sun is shining on the just-unfurled maple leaves and I’m harvesting the first greens from my garden, slow-cooker dishes or those with heavy sauces just have no appeal.

But this one caught my eye. It seemed light and fresh and spring-like to me. An added bonus was that I had all the ingredients on hand. It was quick and easy to prepare. I served it with asparagus and a salad made with fresh greens harvested from yesterday’s hike up the mountain.

Serves 4, depending on the size of your thighs .
Ingredients

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of all visible fat
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons hot paprika
1 heaping Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped finely (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place chicken thighs in a large glass bowl. Add lemon juice and toss to coat. Whisk yogurt, garlic, ginger, hot paprika, mint and salt in a separate bowl. Don’t substitute regular paprika, or if you must, add a generous teaspoon of chili powder as well. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard marinade). Place the chicken on a broiler rack and broil until browned on top, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and bake until the chicken is juicy and just cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Filed under: Chicken Tagged: chicken in yogurt sauce, chicken thighs, chicken with hot paprika, miner's lettuce, turkish chicken, yogurt marinade for chicken

Non-Paleo, Full of Gluten, Refined Sugar Blubarb Crumble

joinmefordinner — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:48 +0000

This one won’t meet the criteria of the paleo, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan Pinterest boards, but it sure tastes good.

I’m a firm believer that you are what you eat. I’m careful about what goes in my mouth. I do my best to eat nutritious organic food that is grown or produced locally. Sometimes, however, it’s comforting to “take a food vacation” and simply enjoy an old-fashioned dessert.

It’s also good to clean out the freezer to make room for this year’s fruit and vegetables. Am I the only one who forgets about things I so carefully froze a year ago? A bag of diced rhubarb and one of blueberries found hiding at the bottom of my deep freeze became unlikely partners in this dessert. Sweet berries and tart rhubarb cooperated nicely and produced a great crumble that complemented our Spring Chicken meal.

Filling Ingredients
3 cups blueberries
3 cups diced rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the filling by mixing the blueberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.

Prepare the topping by stirring together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and fluffy. Stir dry ingredients into butter. Using your hands, squeeze topping pieces together into clumps.

Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake until bubbling in center and brown on top, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Filed under: desserts Tagged: blueberries, blueberry crumble, blueberry-rhubarb crumble, rhubarb, rhubarb crumble, rhubarb-blueberry crisp, spring dessert

Warm Spinach Salad with Fried Egg and Potatoes

joinmefordinner — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 03:32:27 +0000

In between.

That’s what this time of year is. It’s just in between. It’s not winter and it’s not quite spring. I went clothes shopping today and had a hard time finding much. It’s still too early for white jeans and short-sleeved T’s, but if I have to wear the same old sweaters I’ve been wearing all winter one more day, I’ll go berserk.
I was wondering why I have found it hard lately to get motivated to try anything new in the kitchen. I’ve read similar comments by other food bloggers. Have you noticed that many of your favourite food blog posts are, well, boring, lately? Another kale salad?? C’mon. Even Pinterest seems to just be recycling the same old fattening desserts made with a cake mix and a package of instant pudding . . . or low-fat pancakes made with a mashed banana and a handful of oats. Oh yum.
And now I’ve realized why. We’re simply in between seasons. Asparagus hasn’t poked up through the soil yet, it’s not prawning season for a while, and here at home we’re just working on using up our freezer stores of pumpkin puree, blueberries, and Saskatoons. Once the sun comes back, the nettles will be out, we’ll be getting creative with garlic scapes, and we’ll be scooping up all the early produce at the farmers’ market.
In the meantime, here’s one of our old standby’s. It’s a supper we make when there’s “nothing to make.” We usually have fresh spinach and eggs in the frig, and potatoes, shallots, and parmesan are always on hand. It’s fast and easy to throw together for those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking.
Like tonight.

Bring on Spring!

Serves 4
Ingredients

4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 bunches flat-leaved spinach, stems removed, washed, dried and torn
2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 large eggs

Directions

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, about 15 min.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 2 Tbsp oil with vinegar, mustard and shallot; season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Add spinach and Parmesan (do not toss yet) and set aside.
When potatoes are done cooking, immediately transfer to the bowl with spinach and dressing. Toss salad until spinach is slightly wilted, and divide among four plates.
Heat skillet over medium and gently crack eggs into skillet without breaking yolks. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let stand until whites are just set but yolks are still soft, about 2 min. more. Top each salad with a fried egg and serve immediately.

What do YOU make when there is “nothing to make?” What’s your go-to meal? Leave a comment below. We all need new ideas.

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food

Filed under: salad dressing, salads, vegetarian meals Tagged: fast and easy vegetarian meal, spinach and egg salad, spinach salad, the best warm spinach salad recipe, warm spinach salad, warm spinach salad recipe, warm spinach salad recipe stop searching now

Dungeness Crab Mac ‘n Cheese

joinmefordinner — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:51:29 +0000

Like many of you, (I suspect) I read cookbooks like novels. Actually, I read cookbooks
w-aaaa-y more often than I read novels. I found this recipe in a cookbook of sustainable seafood recipes that I picked up last year. I’ve made it several times. It freezes well, so I make it in small loaf pans, ready to reheat for a quick weeknight meal.
Having ready access to the freshest of fresh seafood is just one of the many benefits of living here on beautiful Vancouver Island. Today, after purchasing packages of promises of good things to come at Seedy Saturday, I planted arugula, split up the sorrel plants that flourished all winter, and watered the blueberry bushes that are smothered in buds. It is definitely feeling like spring here.
Have a few moments to view a video of this special place we call home? It’s totally worth the watch.

Ingredients

3/4 lb. crabmeat (about 2-3 Dungeness crabs)
1 pound quality cheddar cheese (mix of medium and sharp is good)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups cold milk
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 tsp regular or smoked paprika
1/8 tsp saffron mixed with 1 Tbsp hot water
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 pound elbow or penne pasta
1 cup panko
1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or 6 small loaf pans with butter.
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the shallots. Cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the flour and reduce the heat to low. Keep cooking and stirring the roux for about 5 minutes. Gradually add the milk while continuing to stir. Increase the heat and add the bay leaf, paprika, saffron, tomato paste, cayenne and mustard. Simmer gently until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and cook until it has melted.
Cook the pasta until al dente, drain and transfer to a bowl. Stir the pasta and crabmeat into the sauce. Spread this mixture into the baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix the panko with the lemon zest, parsley and melted butter. Top the pasta with the panko mixture and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the mac-and-cheese is bubbly and browned on top. This topping is soooooooo good! The lemon zest is a must.

Adapted from Good Fish: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the Pacific Coast by Becky Selengut

Filed under: pasta, seafood Tagged: crab with pasta and cheese, dungeness crab, macaroni and cheese, once upon a day cowichan, sustainable seafood recipes, vancouver island crab

Citrus Sake-Lacquered Salmon

joinmefordinner — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 04:23:39 +0000

The last time we were in San Francisco, we stopped in at True Sake and picked up a bottle to bring home. Are we sake drinkers? No, not really. That bottle sat in our cupboard for over 2 years.
Until tonight.
I picked up a copy of Salmon: The Cookbook edited by Bill Jones at the Vancouver Boat Show a few weeks ago and have been salivating over it ever since. Tonight this recipe jumped off the page, and I remembered that bottle of sake languishing in the liquor cabinet. With citrus fruits at their prime right now, it just seemed like the right thing to do.
Hope you like it as much as we did. I’d appreciate your ideas for what to do with the leftover sake, besides just drink it! Do you have a recipe using sake?

Ingredients

6 6 oz. salmon fillets (I used sockeye)
1/2 cup honey
1 cup sake
grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 Tbsp. chili paste
1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Very lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish that is big enough to hold all the fillets in a single layer. Place the salmon in the dish, skin side down.
Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until it is reduced by half, about 8 – 10 minutes.
Brush the salmon with the sauce and bake for about 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. It should feel firm to the touch and just begin to flake. Brush a couple of times with more sauce during baking. Do not overcook.
Change the oven to the broil setting and place the fish under the broiler until the glaze begins to caramelize. Serve and savour.

Adapted from Aaron Creurer’s recipe in Salmon: the Cookbook

Filed under: sauce, seafood Tagged: Asian salmon, citrus sauce for salmon, honey citrus sauce for fish, sake salmon, salmon with citrus and chili paste

Personalized Veggies ‘n Dip

joinmefordinner — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:44:04 +0000

This one definitely comes under the “Why didn’t I think of that?’ category. I pinned it last week, as I thought it was such a good idea. It makes more sense than having everyone crowd around one plate of veggies. Not only that, but it avoids the dreaded double-dipping.

Just put a tablespoon of your favourite dip in the bottom of a small glass and pack in some sliced veggies. Little hands can carry this around the house all they want.

Filed under: appetizers, kid's cooking, salads, side dishes, vegetables Tagged: individual veggies and dip, personalized vegetables with dip, shot glass veggies 'n dip

Crab and Avocado Bites

joinmefordinner — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:04:21 +0000

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal
extra virgin olive oil (for brushing the baguette slices)
2 avocados
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch dried chili flakes
4 ounces lump crabmeat
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. To make the crostini, lightly brush the baguette slices with olive oil and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden.
In the meantime, mash the avocado with a fork in a small bowl and mix in the salt, pepper, lemon juice and chili flakes.
In another bowl, gently toss the crabmeat with the lime juice and chopped mint. Add a little salt to taste.
Spread a little of the avocado mixture on the crostini, top with a small mound of crab mixture and serve immediately.

Filed under: amuse bouche, appetizers, seafood Tagged: crab and avocado appetizer, crab appy, crab bites, crabmeat with avocado and mint

Crab ‘n Lime Avocado Crisps

joinmefordinner — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:08:16 +0000

Fresh crab. Fresh lime. Smooth avocado. Crunchy jicama and celery. A hint of cilantro, and a dab of mayo just to hold it all together.
Those are the makings of a great amuse bouche we had before dinner tonight.

2/3 cup. finely grated jicama
1/2 avocado, peeled and finely diced
finely grated zest of 1/2 lime
juice of 1/2 lime
1 stalk celery, finely diced.
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh crabmeat
2 Tbsp. low fat mayonnaise

Gently toss all ingredients together and chill. Serve on a bed of lettuce or in parmesan crisp cups.

Parmesan Crisp Cups
Finely grate about 2 cups of Parmesan Reggiano and about 1/2 cup of another cheese with a higher fat content (cheddar, Gruyère, etc). Mix together with your fingers and make 1-2 Tbsp. mounds on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp. Working very quickly, slide the hot crisps into tiny muffin tins to form cups. Let cool in pan, then cool on a wire rack before filling with the crab mixture. Munch away and enjoy!

Filed under: amuse bouche, seafood Tagged: amuse bouche, avocado amuse bouche, crab amuse bouche, crab salad, crab with avocado and lime, seafood amuse bouche

Fennel-Crusted Salmon with Orange and Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

joinmefordinner — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 04:40:01 +0000

Fast and fancy. Fennel and salmon really do work together, despite my initial doubts. Serve the salmon with a fresh orange vinaigrette on tender greens and it makes an over-the-top quick weeknight dinner.
I’ve adapted this recipe from one published in Salmon: The Cookbook –edited by Bill Jones.
Serves 4
Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp. crushed fennel seed
1 tsp. crushed peppercorns
1 tsp. coarse salt
4 salmon fillets
oil for frying
4 cups fresh greens of your choice: arugula, baby kale, baby spinach, torn butter lettuce or a combination

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Crush the fennel seed and peppercorns. I used a mortar and pestle. Mix together with the salt. Rub the salmon fillets with olive oil and coat with the fennel mixture. In an ovenproof skillet or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat, heat a thin layer of oil. Put the salmon in, skin-side up, and fry for about 4 or 5 minutes. Flip it over carefully and slide the pan into the preheated oven to finish it off until it flakes easily with a fork but is still moist.
Place a mound of greens on a plate, top with the salmon and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Orange and Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

1 red bell pepper, roasted
1 shallot, minced
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp. crushed fennel seed
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. walnut or hazelnut oil
salt and pepper to taste

While you could roast the peppers yourself, it is a time-consuming task. I used store-bought. Whisk the bell peppers, shallot, orange juice, fennel seed and vinegar together. Add the oils slowly in a thin stream, whisking to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper.

Filed under: salad dressing, salads, seafood Tagged: coho salmon with fennel, fennel salad, fennel-crusted salmon, orange and roasted red pepper vinaigrette, orange fennel vinaigrette, sockeye salmon with fennel

Pear and Fennel Salad

joinmefordinner — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:16:43 +0000

Pears are humble. They don’t shout out at you with bright colours like apples do. They’re not exotic or bizarre like dragonfruit. They don’t have an intense flavour like a grapefruit. They’re just pears. They’re humble, they’re subtle, and consequently they marry well with a host of other foods.

In this salad, the pears complement the stronger flavoured fennel and provide a perfect contrast with the feta and walnuts. I used a delicate butter lettuce, but you could try it with any greens: arugula, baby spinach, or baby kale would likely be good too.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 ripe D’Anjou pear, (or other winter pear) sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1 small fennel bulb, sliced very thinly. (I should have used my mandoline but I’m a bit afraid of it.)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 – 3 cups of baby salad greens
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup crumbled feta
a few mint leaves

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 to 1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp honey
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Thinly slice fennel into a small bowl. To tenderize it a little, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, the lemon juice, and sprinkle with some salt. Toss and set aside.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients, taste and adjust the seasoning.
In a larger bowl, toss together the pears, arugula, fennel, and most of the feta and walnuts with the dressing. Assemble on a platter and top with the remaining feta and walnuts. Garnish with mint leaves. Enjoy!

Here are links to some of my other recipes featuring the humble pear.
Deanie’s Poached Pears
A Pair of Pear Desserts

Filed under: salads Tagged: fennel, fennel salad, pear salad, pears, pears with fennel and feta