Salmon Nuts

The new blog design has me wanting to cook! More importantly, it has me inspired to remember to take pictures of what I cook. I don't use a fancy camera like some of the other food blogs do, not that there is anything wrong with that. I also don't take more than 10 pictures of anything, cause who has time for that?! I just take a quick shot so you all can see what it should (somewhat) look like as an end result when you're done cooking it. I'm no food stylist for sure and I just want the pictures to look real...because usually I'm snapping the shots right before we sit down to eat it. Now about the food...

This is a pan-roasted almond crusted salmon and it's so easy, good for you, and doesn't have any strange ingredients. I use this same "crusting" technique with chicken cutlets, pork medallions, and other types of fish. Just make sure your chicken or pork is no more than 3/4-inch thick so that it cooks through without burning the nuts, like I came extremely close to doing, as you can see in the picture.

I served this salmon with a chilled whole wheat couscous salad that I first started making at work for a food-sale weekend. The fresh basil vinaigrette is so yummy and makes the desires for Spring overwhelming. I typically add toasted almonds to the couscous, but since I'm using nuts on the salmon, I'm leaving them out. Couscous is so easy to prepare because it's a type of pasta and not a grain, so it only requires steaming and not boiling. I use my instant hot water dispenser and the couscous is done in 5 minutes (Israeli couscous, which is more of a pearl-shape, does require boiling).

The basil vinaigrette is something I make at least 2 cups of at a time. I use it for the obvious salad, a marinade, in cold pasta or tuna salad instead of mayo, and so much more. It's really vers-a-tile (you have to say that slowly with the emphasis on each syllable and end with "-tile" using an extremely long "i" sound....I don't know why, but I say it that way every time and it makes me chuckle to myself). Hee hee.

Almond Crusted Pan Roasted Salmon
Serves: 4

4 pieces salmon (about 4-6 ounces each), skin-off, bones removed
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp. cold water
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. oil
4 lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

For the couscous:
8 ounces whole wheat couscous
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup basil vinaigrette (recipe follows)
4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup roasted corn medley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp. fresh citrus juice (lemon, lime, or orange) or vinegar (red wine, apple cider, or rice wine)
1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds (optional)

Basil Vinaigrette:
yield: 2 cups

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup sugar)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 cup canola or olive oil
8 leaves fresh basil

Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium-low heat and add the 2 Tbsp. oil. In a shallow dish or paper plate, stir together the egg white and water with a fork. In a separate dish or paper plate, toss the almonds with the parsley. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with salt, pepper, and the garlic powder. Press only the flesh (where the bones were removed from) side of the salmon filets into the egg whites and then into the almonds (you are only putting the egg whites and almonds on one side). Cook the salmon, almond-side down, very slowly so the almonds don't burn. Turn after you start to see the edges of the salmon turn pale pink. Cook on the other side for about 3-5 minutes or until desired doneness. Make the vinaigrette by blending all the ingredients in a food processor, blender, or by using an immersion blender. In a 1 quart dish that has a lid, place the couscous, 1/2 tsp. salt, and water. Cover and let set for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine; chill.

Sunday Experiment

Earlier today I came across a video online at The New York Times.com. Mark Brittman was cooking up something he'd had in Spain called a Tortillita (it's so much fun to say, isn't it?). It's an egg-less pancake, of sorts, that he dotted with shrimp and used chickpea flour to make the batter. My pantry is pretty well-stocked, diverse, and international, but even I don't have chick pea flour just setting around.

I threw caution to the wind, turned a DVD on for the kids, and danced my way into a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen. After taking some Chocolate Covered Raisin cookie dough out of the frig to warm a bit (more on this recipe in a future post) for baking later, I set to making my version of a tortillita, that I've renamed: Southern-Style Pan-Cake (make sure you say pan with an accent, sorta like Paula Deen would, ok, ya'll?). Mr. Brittman's recipe was a great inspiration, but it turned into a totally different creature in the end.

This batter will look like a thin pancake or cornbread batter and, if you watch Mark Brittman's video, isn't quite as thin as his, being compared to heavy cream. Since I used a combination of corn meal and all-purpose flour, I doubled the amount of baking powder so it's scientific magic wouldn't be weighed down by the corn meal. I used a good quality canned salmon, minced green onions, & garlic. Then, after practicing my pan-flipping technique, I squeezed lemon wedges over its crispy exterior for a clean and fresh twang. All I can say, is that I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the kitchen today, experimenting, flipping, cooking, and eating a really yummy lunch.

My brain is spinning with the limitless possibilities this Southern Pan-Cake batter has inspired. If you use a super hot griddle, you could make mini pan-cakes for a cocktail party (roasted corn & shrimp, maybe?) or a sweet version using berries & lemon or apple & cheddar or pear-bacon-Gorgonzola. Also, they would make great vehicles, transporting all sorts of savory or sweet toppings on a ride to your mouth. Happy Sunday, ya'll!

Southern-Style Salmon Pan-Cakes

Yield: 4 pan-cakes/tortillitas (6-8 inches each)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 Tbsp. minced green onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup good quality canned salmon, drained
Lemon wedges, optional garnish

Peanut Oil, for cooking

Mix all the ingredients together, except the salmon. Let set for 5 minutes. Stir again and add more water, if needed, to make the batter more like a thin cornbread batter. Carefully stir in the salmon. In a 6 or 8-inch non-stick skillet, heat 3 Tbsp. peanut oil. Pour in the batter, about 6-8 ounces. Let it cook for 4 minutes on one side, then flip it to cook another 4 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. Substitutions of any kind of meat or seafood may be used or neither. Feel free to use any kind of herb you like and any type of onion (shallot, red onion, chives, white/yellow onion, etc.). You can also turn this into a sweet pan-cake/tortillita by adding 1/4 cup sugar to the batter. As you can see, this batter is very versatile, but try not to use ingredients that will add more liquid to the batter.