Pasta with Smoked Salmon in Cream Sauce

I love salmon. I love it so much I could probably eat it every single day.  I love it for dinner.  I love it for lunch.  I love it for breakfast.  I love it baked, grilled, raw and smoked.  With all that, you would think that this recipe was right up my alley.  And it was, sort of.

We made this for dinner and while it was tasty, it is quite light.  More suited for lunch or maybe a dish to add to a Sunday brunch buffet.  I would make it again, just not for dinner.  I would probably add just a bit more parm cheese, to help thicken the sauce.

Pasta with Smoked Salmon in Cream Sauce
(Source:  The Best Ever 3 & 4 Ingredient Cookbook)
Ingredients
6 oz (give or take) smoked salmon, cut into small strips
12 oz pasta
3/4 c cream
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbs butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook pasta according to direction.
In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter.
Once the butter is melted, stir in the cream and heat without letting it boil.
Add 1/3 of the smoked salmon strips and heat through.
Add Parm cheese.
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Drain pasta.
Place in large serving bowl and pour cream and salmon mixture over top.
Add rest of smoked salmon and dried thyme.
Toss lightly to coat.
Sprinkle with Parn cheese and serve.

Citrus Salmon Fillets - An Interesting Idea

I love salmon.  I could eat it several times a week.  Mr. Gooch, well, he tolerates salmon.

In an effort to expand the file of salmon recipes and to eat lighter in the New Year, I decided to try the recipe below.   I found it in a cookbook I hace had on my bookcase for years.  Favorite Brand Name Cooking Light.  I would link you to the Amazon listing but apparently the book is out of print. 

Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed with the final result.  It was a bit too sweet for us.  This seems to be a theme for us since we were not huge fans of Brown Sugar Pork Loin in the Crockpot or Roast Chicken with Cumin, Honey and Orange.  But as we ate it, we realized that the recipe did have potential. 

However, that potential would only be realized with some subsitutions.  Some possibilities are subbing lime juice for some of the orange juice, adding a dried pepper to the marinade to add some heat, subbing grapefruit juice for some of the lemon juice, upping the amount of dill and adding another spice.  We will keep you posted on our next try at this recipe. 

Citrus Marinated Salmon

(Source:  modified  from the recipe Citrus Marinated Fish Steaks originally published in the 1993 edition of Favorite Brand Name Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

4-6 oz salmon fillets

Directions

Combine juices, olive oil and dill in a quart sized zipper bag.

Place slamon fillets in bag and seal.

Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, flipping bag to enusre all fillets are marinated.

Heat stove top grill pan to medium heat.

Place fillet, skin side down, on pan.

Grill on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until flesh is flakes with a fork.

At the same time that the fish is grilling, heat marinade in small sauce pan and baste the fish to keep moist.

Herbed Tuna Steak on a Bed of Fresh Greens

I thought the title would make our tuna steak salad sound a bit fancier.  I started with this recipe for Grilled Herbed Tuna that I found on Erica's Kitchen Adventures and aded our own twists.

First, the weather was not cooperating the day we had planned to eat this meal.  Since that meant no grilling, I whipped out our grilling pan so we be able to cook the tuna steak in a similar way.  Next, I used dried herbs, ground them in a coffee grinder to make a rub instead of using the herbs crushed and placed on the fish.  I also added a little rosemary and garlic powder (left over from a previous dish).  Finally, since we didn't have the fresh herbs, we skipped those all together.

With theser changes, the tuna was quite tasty.  However, I was a bit rushed so didn't get a chance to take the tuna steak out of the fridge and let it warm slightly.   This resulted in a cool center since our tuna steak was quite thick and we did not want to overcook the outside.  If I were to make this again, I would cut the steak in half so it was not so thick. 

Herbed Tuna Steak on a Bed of Fresh Greens
(Source: Modified from Erica's Kitchen Adventures)
Ingredients:
1 Tuna Steak (max of 1" thick)
1 T Dried Thyme
1/2 T Kosher Salt
1/2 T Lemon Pepper
1/2 T Dried Rosemary
1/2 T Garlic Powder
1 T Olive Oil
1 Head Romaine Lettuce, washed and shredded
Salad dressing of your choice (we used a light Ceasar)

Directions:
Preheat grill pan to medium/medium-high heat.
Mix together herbs and salt.
Grind in a coffee grinder until powdered.
Coat the tuna with oil and the rub with the powdered herb mixture, coating both sides and the edges.
Place tuna steak on grill pan.
Grill for about 2-3 minutes per side, including the edges, depending on thickness and how you like it cooked.

Slice thinly and place on a bed of greens.

Serve.

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Spicy Mojo Tuna Kabobs)

Mr. Gooch is on fire!! Well, cooking with fire and making spicy treats for the two of us.

After a trip to our local Costco and seeing a gorgeous piece of fresh tuna, Mr. Gooch knew exactly what he wanted to make. Spicy Mojo Tuna Kabobs which stars one of our favorite seasonings, Tabasco Chipolte Pepper Sauce. Man how we love that stuff. I think we would buy it in a gallon jug if we had the room in our pantry. Mmmm, chipotle...sorry, got distracted.

The key to this recipe is to cube the tuna before putting in the marinade and using a kabob basket like the one seen in the picture below for grilling. This ensures the tuna doesn't flake into small pieces. I got ours at Bed Bath & Beyond several years ago.

Spicy Mojo Tuna Kabobs
(Source: Mr. Gooch's brain and tabasco.com)
Marinade Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Marinade Directions
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir in garlic and cook 15 seconds or until garlic releases its fragrance.
Remove from heat to cool slightly, then stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Kabob Ingredients
1 lb good quality tuna (cubed)
3 colored peppers cut into pieces about the same size as the tuna cubes

Kabob Directions
Place tuna and peppers into a large Ziploc bag and pour in marinade.
Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
When ready to grill, heat grill to medium/medium high heat
Once tuna and peppers have completed marinating, place tuna and peppers in the kabob baskets.
Cook on grill for 10-15 minutes or until tuna is cooked and peppers begin to char slightly, using left over marinade to baste while cooking.
Once done cooking discard any remaining marinade.
Serve cooked tuna and peppers with rice.

Asian Salmon

We love salmon. Especially wild salmon. We have our standby recipes that we make regularly, but are always looking for new and tasty ways to make our favorite fish. This recipe for Asian Grilled Salmon, found on the Food Network website, was a great possibility.

Now, keep in mind that it is January in Chicagoland and grilling is not really an option so I modified the directions to cook the salmon in a skillet on the stove top.

We liked, but did not love this results so I can't say for sure if we will make this again. I am not sure exactly why we didn't like it. It just didn't hit the spot.

Maybe you will have a different result and decide this is one of your favorite dishes.

Asian Salmon
Original recipe source: Food Network web site
Ingredients
3/4 pound of salmon

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic

Lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 2 equal pieces (approximately 6 oz each). Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Heat large skillet to medium/medium high heat. Place the salmon skin side down in the skillet. Discard the marinade the fish sat in. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon may be a bit raw in the center, but the fish will keep cooking as it rests.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, flesh side down and remove the skin and grey fat. Flip fish and place onto serving platter. Spoon the reserve marinade on top. Tent platter with aluminum foil and let fish rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Friend Favorite from Mr. White: BBQ Salmon

**This post is the first of what will be an ongoing series of posts highlighting favorite recipes of friends and family.**

I love salmon. I could probably eat it every day. Now, Mr. Gooch isn't as much a fan since salmon has a fishier taste than some other types of fish. But when Mr. White, Mr. Gooch's closest friend and Best Man, made this recipe, he was hooked as well. The marinade has just enough heat without being to causing your lips to burn and the citrus flavors are a nice balance.

When we made this Tuesday night, I had to make a small change. I didn't have any OJ left so I used 2 Tablespoons of lime juice instead of the 1/4 Cup OJ. I don't think it affected the taste much as it was still so good.

And I think this would work well with chicken as well.

Barbecue Salmon
Ingredients

1/4 cup orange juice (I used 2 T lime juice instead)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne.

Marinate salmon in the orange juice mixture for 20 minutes to an hour.

Place fillets on a hot grill. (I made the fillets in the oven, preheated to 350 degrees)

Barbecue for 15 minutes, coating occasionally with marinade, until a fork can be easily inserted into the salmon. (Fillets baked in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes)

A Ms. Gooch Creation - Salmon with Lime Lake Shore Drive Seasoning Marinade

As part of my recent acquisition of a number of spices. mixes, rubs and blends from Penzeys and The Spice House, I secured a jar of Lake Shore Drive Seasoning from The Spice House. This is a great blend that contains shallots, dried green peppers, chives, salts and peppers.

I made a marinade for salmon fillets from this blend by mixing it with olive oil and lime juice. I then let the fillets marinate for about 1 hour or so.

Holy crap!! This was totally tasty. It was so good that I did not get a photo of the finished product before it was consumed. Maybe next time, since this will definitely be repeated.

I am pretty proud of myself since it is usually Mr. Gooch who creates the marinades from various ingredients making the tasty dish.

Lake Shore Drive Marinade (for salmon)
Ingredients
2 1/2 Tablespoon Lake Shore Drive Blend
3 Cup Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 6 Oz. Salmon Fillets

Directions
Place salmon fillets into a Ziploc bag and pour 3/4 of the mixture over the fillets, seal bag and place in fridge.
Reserve about 1/4 of the mixture to use for basting the salmon during baking/grilling to keep it moist.

Joelen's Culinary Adventures: Food Network Chef Adventure - Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

As part of my ongoing plan to stretch my cooking muscles so that Mr. Gooch doesn't always have to come up with tasty treats for our dinners, I have been reading various cooking blogs. One that I enjoy is Joelen's Culinary Adventures.

She has regular cooking challenges posted on her blog for fellow food bloggers to participate in. One of this month's challenges is Food Network Chef Adventure.

My selection is Giada De Laurentiis' Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto.

This ended up being so darn easy. I made some modifications and my version is below. Also, I was able to use pesto made from our own basil. I love it when I get to use things from our tiny garden.

This is a perfect dish for when company is over since it goes together quickly but "looks totally gourmet." (Direct quote from Mr. Gooch)

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

Ingredients
Purchased puff pastry, each of the pieces cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon
4-6-ounce pieces salmon (We made 3 pieces that were 6 oz. each)
Italian Dressing (I used Fat Free)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (I toasted these in the oven for additional flavor)
1/4 cup pesto (I used homemade pesto)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While oven is heating, toast the almonds.


On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the pieces of puff pastry.

On a separate baking sheet, place the pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Cover each piece with Italian Dressing to keep moist during baking.

Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto.


Top with the salmon and serve.

Peach BBQ Salmon

We thawed 2 salmon fillets late in the week in preparation for making a salmon cesaer salad. We never got around to making that dish but still had the salmon fillets that needed to be cooked. So utilizing the peach BBQ sauce I made a few weeks ago, we made Peach BBQ salmon fillets. The recipe is so easy and clean up is a snap with the use of tin foil.

Peach BBQ Salmon

Ingredients
Salmon fillets
Peach BBQ sauce

Directions
Rinse and dry the salmon fillets, this will allow the sauce to adhere to the fish.
Place 2 sheets (one on top of each other) of aluminum foil on counter (this forms the bottom of the pouch)
Spread a small quantity of the BBQ sauce on the foil, covering an area about equal to the 2 fillet


Place the fillets on the sauce
Cover the fillets with more sauce
Place 2 more pieces of foil (one on top of each other) to cover the fillets
Roll up each side to seal packet

Place on medium heat grill
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes
**When opening the packet from the grill, be careful to not get burned my the steam.

Can be served warm or cold.