Tag Archives: seafood

Chipotle Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Chipotle Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa
Chipotle Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Have I mentioned that we eat a lot of fish? Ummm, yeah. Probably too many times. The reason? My daughter, Katie is a pescatarian. Other than fruits, veggies, grains and chocolate…she only eats seafood. No meat, chicken, pork or other living things with two to four legs (fins are fine). I’m putting this recipe up today to celebrate that she has so graciously committed to this for six months now! I’m so proud of her! Having the resolution at fifteen years old to persevere amidst chicken wings, hamburgers, hot dogs and meatballs…is pretty commendable. She’s my hero! :)

This salmon has a spicy kick from the chipotle powder (Katie loves spicy food) and some sweetness from the dark brown sugar to make your tongue even more happy! The salmon would be delicious if you just stopped there, but, you’d be missing the best part! The salsa! This makes more salsa than you’ll ever need for the salmon…kind of on purpose! Because, while the salmon is on the grill, you’ll need to break out a bag of tortilla chips (there are some really good baked ones), throw in a margarita, put on some Gipsy Kings and dance! :)

 

Chipotle Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

 

Chipotle Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Pineapple Avocado Salsa
1 pineapple, cut into a small dice
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 medium to large jalapeño, finely diced (remove the seeds and ribs if you don’t like heat)
1 avocado, cut into a small dice
1 – 2 T. fresh cilantro, finely chopped (use parsley if you don’t care for cilantro)
zest and juice of 2 large limes
1 packet stevia or about 2 – 3 t. honey
1/2 t. sea salt

Salmon
4 portions of salmon
3/4 – 1 t. chipotle powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 T. dark brown sugar
1/4 t. sea salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use, or go ahead break out the chips.

Preheat your grill on high heat.

On a baking sheet without sides, create a “tray” large enough for your salmon pieces out of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the salmon on the tray.

In a small bowl, combine the chipotle powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture between the four pieces of salmon, making sure to cover them well.

Slide the “tray” onto the grill and close the lid of the grill. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how hot your grill gets.

When done, (be careful!) and slide the tray back onto your baking sheet.

Serve as is, or with the salsa on top!

 

Notes:

  • Try serving with a side salad and rice. I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend and made a simple pilaf with it.
  • Cilantro has a strong flavor, so go easy on it if you’re not sure you like it. You can always add more if you do. Parsley works just as well.
  • The salsa will keep in the fridge. I can’t tell you for how long…we polished it off in a day!

 

Chipotle Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

 

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Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops…and a Giveaway!

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops

This salad is full of the flavors I grew up with. I’ve mentioned before, I’m an Armenian girl who grew up eating a lot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. One bite of this salad and I feel like I’m back in my Mom’s kitchen. The flavors of the Feta cheese, Kalamata olives and red onion are bold, tangy and salty. They are balanced by some of the other ingredients, like the creamy nuttiness of the chickpeas, the crunch of the pita chips and the brightness of the lemon zest. Speaking of lemon…this dressing is based on the dressing my Mom always made. It’s full of fresh lemon juice and just a hint of cumin and oregano.

The scallops are my addition to this familiar salad. I love scallops. They are tender, buttery and have such a mild flavor, they go so well with this bold salad. This is my favorite way to eat them…seared. And I think I’ve got the technique down. It’s really easy. There are just a few things to keep in mind when searing scallops. I’ll take you through the steps in the recipe below.

 

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
about 2 handfuls of mixed greens
1/2 C. grape tomatoes
1/2 C. large seedless cucumber, chopped
1/4 C. red onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
about 4 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C. pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
1 1/2 C. broken pita chips

Dressing
juice of one lemon (about 1/3 C.)
zest of half of a lemon
1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1/8 t. cumin
1/8 t. dried oregano (crumbled between your fingers)
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Scallops
1 lb. sea scallops
1 T. butter
2 t. olive oil
kosher salt and pepper

Assemble and divide the salad ingredients on four dinner plates. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside while you prepare the scallops.

Preheat a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Most store bought scallops are stored in a liquid that keeps them fresh. Ask if you are unsure. If they are, you should give them a bit of a rinse under cold water. Pat dry your scallops with paper towels whether you’ve rinsed them or not. You want them to be dry. Next, you want to pull of the little tab of muscle that most of them have. It can get tough once cooked. Lay the scallops out and very lightly sprinkle them with kosher salt and some black pepper on both sides. Add the olive oil and the butter to the pan. Once the butter has melted add the scallops. You will probably have to do this in two batches. A crowded pan won’t give you a nice sear. Once you’ve placed them in the pan…do not move them at all for at least 2 minutes, but not much more than that. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. They should be golden.

Pour about 2 tablespoons of dressing on each salad. Top each salad off with some scallops. I like to zest some additional lemon zest from the remaining lemon half over the top of each salad.

 

Notes:

  • If you are concerned about buying scallops stored in liquid, buy them from a fish monger and ask for “dry packed” scallops.
  • One easy way to chop the romaine into small pieces is to cut the whole head in half lengthwise, then cut each half once more. Rinse the sections, then cut across each section into small pieces.
  • I use less salt in the dressing than I normally would because so many elements in the salad are pretty salty.  Adjust to your own taste.

 

Those of you who follow my blog know I use my Microplane Zester-Grater often. I use it for the lemon zest in this recipe. And guess what? You can enter to win your very own! My Zester-Grater is one of those “Things I Love!” Read about it here and enter to win!

 

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Shrimp and Feta Risotto

Shrimp and Feta Risotto

Making risotto, to me, is like meditation. It involves all of your attention and focus on doing something so simple, repetitive and peaceful. It’s all about stirring the pot and adding the broth in intervals. Try this…you’ll end up in a trance that your family will probably knock you out of as they coming running into the kitchen cheering as soon as they get a whiff of this baby cooking!

This dish was inspired by a recipe I had found in Food & Wine magazine over ten years ago! I have improvised it many times, but I think this version is my favorite. The tangy saltiness of the feta really is delicious against the richness of the risotto. I throw in some spinach because I love it, it adds some pretty color and lastly, spinach makes me feel just a little less guilty over eating this!

You can use any feta you like. I like to use French or Bulgarian feta because they are extremely creamy and they have a remarkable flavor that you’ll love. They honestly do not taste like any other feta. They work so well with risotto, where that creaminess is the goal.

Shrimp and Feta Risotto

6 C. chicken or vegetable broth, homemade or low-sodium
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T. unsalted butter
2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 C. arborio rice
3/4 C. dry white wine
6 – 8 large fresh basil leaves, torn
3 C. baby spinach
1/4 C. crumbled feta cheese
zest of one lemon
Parmesan, grated for serving
In a large pot over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Add the shrimp and simmer for about 3 minutes covered until just cooked.  Be careful not to overcook them. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon or small sieve and keep them in a bowl until ready to use. Keep the stock on a medium low heat to continue simmering.
In another large and heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice with the oils and cook for about 2 minutes. Do not get any color on the rice. Add the wine and simmer until mostly evaporated.
Now…clear your mind…this is where you start to meditate…
Using a large ladle, add about one cup of broth to the risotto and stir. Keep stirring as the rice absorbs the broth. As soon as you see the rice becoming more dry, add another ladleful. And stir. And add. And stir. You get it.  Keep this up until the rice becomes tender and creamy, but still has some body. This will take about 25 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat and add the shrimp, basil, spinach, feta and lemon zest. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan on top.

Notes:

  • Food & Wine magazine had suggested a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with their version of risotto. I think it would work well with this one too.
  • If you feel the rice is done and you have a tiny bit of broth left, don’t feel that you have to keep cooking. If it’s done, it’s done. You don’t want mush. Save the broth though, you may find that once you remove the risotto from the heat and add the final ingredients, you may want to add that broth to “loosen” things up.
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Orange Glazed Salmon with Roasted Fennel and Red Potatoes

My daughter recently announced that she has decided to become…a pescatarian! A what?! Don’t worry. It’s not as scary as it sounds. It’s just that she no longer wants to eat anything that has legs or walks on the earth…just things that swim around in the sea. This is fine with me.  I think it’s commendable and I will do whatever it takes to support her. This doesn’t mean that I won’t cook any earthly creatures anymore…I just won’t be serving them to her.
There’s a really bad joke that I’ve debated over telling you. I don’t know. It may not be that funny.  Forgive me and please don’t judge me if it’s not…because it’s not my joke. While on vacation this summer, we sat at a hibachi table with four lovely teenagers from the UK. They were adorable and really fun to talk to. When the chef asked if anyone had any dietary restrictions, one of the girls said that she was a pescatarian. So, my husband, who tries terribly hard to be funny, looked at her with a puzzled look and said, “You’re a Presbyterian?”
Anyway…
Salmon is my favorite fish. I think it is one of the most flavorful, versatile and it’s super healthy with all of those omega-3s. I  make salmon often, so I try to change up the way I prepare it so my family doesn’t get bored. This meal came together mostly because of some Honey oranges we had in the fridge. They are a type of a large tangerine; super sweet, super juicy and delicious. It’s just that they are so hard to peel, no one has been eating them, so juicing them and creating this glaze made sense. Orange and fennel go well together and my husband and I love roasted fennel. It’s got a subtle licorice flavor that gets really sweet when roasted.

Roasted Fennel and Red Potatoes

2 large bulbs fennel, tops and fronds trimmed and ends cut (save the fronds for garnish)
about 1 lb. baby red potatoes
2-3 T. olive oil
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the fennel into wedges and trim the core out a bit. I leave a bit on so that the sections do not fall apart. Put the fennel and the potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Throw in the sprigs of thyme in between the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
Check for doneness with a fork. If more time is needed, move the vegetables on the lowest rack of the oven while broiling the salmon.

 

Orange Glazed Salmon

juice of 2 oranges (about 2/3 C.)
2 T. dark brown sugar
1 T. balsamic vinegar
zest of 2 oranges, divided
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. sea salt
black pepper
a squeeze of fresh lemon
1 1/2 lb. salmon, either in one large piece or cut into portions
Preheat broiler to 500 degrees with the rack in the highest position.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the orange juice, brown sugar and the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 8 minutes, until reduced by about half. Remove from heat and add most of the zest (keep some for garnish), the Dijon mustard, sea salt and black pepper and the lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Set aside to cool a bit.

Place the salmon on a foil covered sheet pan with sides. Pour the glaze over the salmon making sure to cover the entire piece.

Place the salmon just under the broiler and broil for about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Check it a few minutes early to be sure.

Use the remaining orange zest and some of the fennel fronds as garnish when serving.

Notes:

  • In making this dinner, you may want to prep the glaze first to give it a chance to cool down and thicken up a bit. Then get the vegetables going and almost done before broiling the salmon.  That way they’ll finish up at the same time and the oven will already be mostly preheated for you.
  • If you buy one large piece of fish, as I did, score the fish most of the way through in portion size pieces just before glazing. It’s a bit easier than trying to cut the fish after it’s cooked, otherwise, it just flakes apart (which is fine too).
  • Save the stalks of the fennel in a zipper bag in the freezer. Add any other veggie parts you don’t use in your recipes to make a vegetable stock later.

 

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