Posts Tagged: salmon
herbed beet puree + spicy kale chips
Job hunting is…draining. At least it is for me. Maybe it’s an introvert thing? I consider myself confident, but when it comes to selling my skills and potential contribution, I start to feel awkward. I’d rather put my head down, get the work done, and the let the results speak for themselves. Then there’s the fact that searching for work is a time suck that leaves little room to create and develop – two things I feel a pull toward and wonder if are requisite to next steps career-wise, anyway.
At some point after I start to get irritated over how to allocate and find more time, I remind myself that frustration is wasted energy. You just gotta hustle.
The hustle, my friend, is not fueled by cronuts. It is most powerful and efficient when its source of energy is whole foods, particularly ample servings of vegetables. I’ve been prioritizing making my meals and snacks as nutrient-dense as I can manage, forgoing my previous habit of popcorn for lunch.
So, despite a feeling of busyness, my lunches are starting to mean business, as is the case with this meal of roots, greens, and fish. It’s saturated with color, richly textured, and includes multifarious flavors (sweet, earthy, tangy, herbaceous, salty, smoky, spicy) while still feeling cohesive.
Each vegetable component is lovely on its own. The beet puree is punchy & nutty and the thyme flavor is quite strong. Both creamy and velvety, it would be a lovely dip but I also had no trouble putting it down solo, one spoonful at a time.
I don’t think I need to tell you why kale chips are great, but after trying numerous seasonings, I’d say this version with smoked paprika is in my top five. In addition to the crunch and salt, the spicy factor makes these delightfully addictive. If I’m making them for the kids, I use about half the paprika, but I prefer to make a whole batch for myself anyway. After all, I need to keep my energy up.
Back to the hustle.
Herbed Beet Puree
3 medium beets, washed and trimmed
1/3 c tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and seal tightly. Roast until pierced easily with a fork, about 45 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, gently rub off the skins.
Add the cooked and peel beets to a blender or food processor, along with the tahini, lemon juice, thyme, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy. Serve under pan-seared salmon.
Smoky Spicy Kale Chips
method adapted from Oh She Glows
1 bunch kale, woody stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
Move two baking racks as close to the center as you can and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cut or tear kale into chip-sized pieces. Rinse and pat or spin fully dry. You could also at this point store them in an open container in the refrigerator to completely dry out.
Split the greens between two half sheet pans. Drizzle each with half the olive oil and massage into the kale or collards to fully coat. sprinkle with the salt and paprika, and toss to combine. Spread in a single layer; if you have any extra, reserve to roast as a second batch.
Cook for 15-20 minutes, swapping the baking sheets at the 10-minute mark, until the chips feel dry to the touch but are not browning. Serve on top and alongside pan-seared salmon.
pan seared salmon + pineapple pico de gallo
While I’m in the haze of newborn baby land I want to catch up on sharing some of my recent work here, starting with a recipe for crispy salmon with pineapple pico de gallo.
This summer’s theme at Astor Wine & Spirits is “Where Does Wine Take You?” and it’s all about escaping the city heat, which in our case is more of a state of mind than a real vacation. I’ve been channeling the vibes from our spring Caribbean vacation – an energy that manifests itself primarily through the consumption of tropical fruits.
It’s that feeling that drew me to the salmon over sauteed spinach, topped with a pineapple pico de gallo at Cafe Zona Sur, one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants (and a postpartum takeout go-to). I enjoyed the meal so much I recreated the recipe at home for Astor. The tropical twist is a reminder of our short time spent on white sandy beaches but the dish’s practical side is just as much a draw – It’s nourishing and filling without feeling the least bit heavy.
Head over to Astor’s blog, Tasting Notes, to get the recipe for pan seared salmon with pineapple pico de gallo, and as always let me know if you give it a try.
salmon with mango-chile butter and caramelized macadamia nuts
A year ago I had a simple but memorable sandwich at Kos Kaffe with a spicy, creamy mustard butter. In case you’re wondering, mustard butter is exactly what you think it is: mustard mixed with butter. This uncomplicated condiment opened a new nook in my culinary world as I thought: What else can I add to butter? In the past 365 days a favorite has emerged and fruit butters are solidly part of my kitchen repertoire. Most recently we’ve been snacking on mango butter, which became the building block for a weeknight dinner that turned out so spectacularly, I had to share it with you.
I added chile to the mango butter, as its sweetness benefited from a slap of spice. Slathered over salmon (because you know what I love on my fat? Fat.) it screamed for texture, so I topped it with caramelized macadamia nuts (adapted from Ottolenghi’s Plenty). Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime balance the richness and bring some color to the dish. Serve it over rice or alongside steamed vegetables for an easy but impressive meal.
Salmon with Mango-Chile Butter and Caramelized Macadamia Nuts
1 dried guajillo chile
8 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 c fresh mango
1/2 c macadamia nuts
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
4 salmon fillets
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into four wedges
salt and pepper
sunflower oil, or other neutral high-heat oil
1. Make the mango-chile butter: Bring about 2 cups water to a boil and pour over the chile in a small bowl. After five minutes, pour out the water and add the chile, butter, and mango to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
2. Make the caramelized macadamia nuts: Add the macadamia nuts to a small pan over medium heat and toast, stirring often, until golden-brown. Add the butter and toss until melted. Sprinkle the sugar and a pinch of salt over the nuts and cook, stirring often, until the sugar is melted and beginning to brown, then remove from heat before the sugar overcaramelizes. Pour onto a piece of parchment to cool.
3. Add the oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Generously salt and pepper the salmon fillets and add to the pan. Flip the fillets when you can see they are cooked about halfway through (you can see it turning pale pink from the side) and a golden-brown crust has formed. Sear on the second side and cook until the exterior is fully pink. A bit of the interior should still be brighter pink. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes before adding the toppings.
4. Generously spread the mango-chile butter on each salmon fillet (about 2-3 tbsp per fillet – there will be plenty of leftover butter) and top each with a fourth of the caramelized nuts. Divide the cilantro evenly between each plate and serve with a lime wedge.
Serves 4