Pesto Salmon Foil Bake

Fresh seafood may not be as accessible here in the heart of the US of A, but there are still some ways to get your fix.  With a few salmon fillets thawing in the fridge and the end of a package of pesto, the internet turned up this intriguing concept, from Jamie Oliver via here...

Recipe

2 salmon fillets
two handfuls green beans
grape tomatoes
pesto
a lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 400.  Boil your green beans about 3 minutes, then drain and toss with some olive oil and salt & pepper.  Make nice little piles on two sheets of tin foil.  Salmon goes on top, spread on your pesto, and squeeze some lemon juice over.  Slice some grape tomatoes in half, toss with more olive oil, and they go on top.  Wrap up your foil and bake 20-25 minutes.

Notes

I'm not entirely sold on the difference the tin foil makes.  Other recipes basically just said put pesto on salmon and bake.  With the foil, it's hard to tell how done your salmon is, and then you have to unwrap everything while it's still hot and you're hungry...  But everything came out very tasty, with the flavors melding nicely.  So kind of fun, worth doing again!

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

This was one of the more straightforward recipes to pop up from America's Test Kitchen recently, but still different, and educational I guess...

Recipe

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
1 tbsp baking soda
7 tbsp sugar
1/4 c fish sauce
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp cornstarch

1. Mix the baking soda with 1 1/4 c water, and coat the chicken.  Let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse and drain.

2. Mix the sugar with 3 tbsp water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once it's golden, reduce the heat to medium low and swirl until it's dark (and 400 degrees or close to it, if you're equipped to measure it).  Add (carefully) 3/4 c hot water, and dissolve over medium heat.

3. Add your caramel, fish sauce, ginger, and chicken to a skillet, cover, and simmer 30-40 minutes.  Flip the chicken halfway through.

4. Remove the chicken and boil the sauce to reduce it down.  Mix the cornstarch with a tbsp of water, and mix into the sauce to thicken it.  Season with pepper and serve over the chicken and sides.

Notes

Despite the baking soda rigmarole (apparently to protect the juiciness and tenderness), this is actually a pretty simple dish.  Very little prep required - a couple slices of the chicken, some grating of ginger, and I think that's it!  So it leaves you plenty of time for sides - ATK recommends serving with steamed broccoli and white rice.

The recipe promises that the dish is "intensely seasoned."  I was a little underwhelmed, though.  To be fair, I was trying to halve the recipe and kind of eyeballed the fish sauce and ginger.  Not that it wasn't tasty, in an interesting way!  Not nearly as sweet as I expected - I guess I did the caramel pretty well.  I'd probably add some crushed red pepper next time for a little more kick - yes, definitely worth doing again.  (Got lots of sugar & cornstarch to use!)

Pancakes Part II: Oatmeal

Next pancakes endeavor: oatmeal-based batter.  Recipe courtesy of MyFitnessPal.

Recipe

1/4 c flour
1 c quick-cooking oats
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 c buttermilk
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg

Whisk together dries in a bowl, wets in another bowl, then together.  Get your skillet to medium heat, and add small scoops of batter (three per batch for me).  Cook until tops are bubbly, then flip and finish until bottoms are golden brown.  Repeat as necessary with the rest of the batter.

Notes

This one took a few attempts on my part, so you have the benefit of my trial and error.  The batter comes out pretty moist, watery even.  So I had to be patient and not try to cram too much batter into the skillet to speed up the cooking process.  Make your pancakes small!  Don't let them pool by the edges of the skillet - they won't cook through evenly.  And flip decisively, since they'll still be a little gooey even when the bottom is well done.

Follow these guidelines and you get some tasty pancakes, interesting texture, and the glow of a fitness app-approved healthy breakfast.

Pancakes Part I: Whole Wheat

Who doesn't like pancakes?  Or have fond memories of pancake day some weekend morning?  Sure, maybe they're not the healthiest breakfast option (especially not by paleo standards) but still a good option to have in your repertoire.  Plus, I happened across a few ways that at least appear to step up the health factor.  Here's the first, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen:

Recipe

2 c whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 c buttermilk *substitution below
5 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a big bowl, then hollow out a space in the center.  Whisk the wets in another bowl, then pour into the hollow and, yes, whisk everything all together.

Heat a nonstick (or well-seasoned cast-iron) skillet to medium.  Take small scoops of batter with a 1/4 c measuring cup, about three per batch.  Things to watch for: edges set, bottoms golden brown, bubbles beginning to break (a couple minutes).  Then flip, another minute or two, remove, and do another batch.

Notes

According to ATK, the point of the whole wheat flour isn't so much health as chemistry.  You can whisk as much as you want/feel compelled to, and you'll still get light, fluffy pancakes.  Less gluten bonding, obviously.  Can't speak to what went on at the molecular level in my batter, but my pancakes were appropriately light and fluffy!  Need to get the timing down (thus no picture), but worth coming back to.

* To sub one cup buttermilk: One tbsp vinegar, then the remainder of 1 c with regular milk.  Stir and let sit a few minutes.

Italian Meat Sauce

I may not have had an Italian grandmother, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a thick, hearty, meaty pasta sauce.  It may not be just like my imaginary nonna made, but it's got America's Test Kitchen's best time-saving and flavor-enhancing tips:

Recipe

4 oz white mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 onion, finely chopped
1 slice white bread, torn into quarters
2 tbsp whole milk
1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 medium can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained reserving 1/4 c of juice
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/4 c-plus grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper

Process the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a bowl.  Next pop the bread, milk, and some salt and pepper into the processor and combine into a paste.  Add the beef and mix well.

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium high, and brown the mushroom and onion.  Add in the garlic, tomato paste, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a minute or so, then add the tomato juice and oregano, scraping/deglazing the pan.  The meat mixture is next; cook until the pink is gone but don't let it brown.  Stir in your cans of tomatoes and simmer about a half hour.

Prepare some pasta toward the end.  Stir in the cheese, and serve with more sprinkled on top!

Notes

This is pretty good.  I'm sure it could be simplified, but altogether kind of a fun cooking project.  In true grandma-fashion, its a ton of food, so be prepared to refrigerate or freeze leftovers!

Paleo Broiled Sole

Living within walking distance of Whole Foods has led me to step up my game as I get back into the cooking groove.  Dover sole on sale?  Into the cart, figure out the plan later.  Here's what the internet turned up:

Recipe

3 to 6 sole fillets
1/4 c olive oil
zest of one Meyer's lemon
3 whole cardamom pods (or a sprinkle of cardamom powder)
fresh cilantro leaves
salt & pepper

Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, cardamom, and cilantro.  Spread half in the bottom of an oven-safe dish.  Put the sole on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with the rest of the sauce.  Put under the broiler for 7-8 minutes.  Feel free to squeeze some lemon juice on top, what else are you going to do with a skinned lemon?

Notes

Simple enough...  Although of course I didn't do things exactly as prescribed.  Rather than acquire cardamom in some form, I used a few cloves of minced garlic.  Also, the original recipe calls for Celtic sea salt?!  That's a thing?  Heritage aside, I used the kosher salt on hand.

This was also a fortuitous recipe since I had plenty of cilantro left over from (coincidentally) another paleo seafood dish.  The distinctive cilantro flavor didn't hold up under the broiler, but there was maybe a hint of burn - the cilantro? Garlic?  I barely let it sit the minimum 7 minutes they recommend, it got so noisy (and aromatic, as promised).  Anyway, here's the final product, a good simple way to get some paleo-approved fish in you.

Paleo Marinated Tuna Steaks

It's been a while since I've put up a new recipe, but now with a fully-functional kitchen out west, time to get back into it with King Sooper's/Whole Foods' finest ingredients.  Starting with a couple frozen tuna steaks, the internet turned up this recipe:

Recipe

tuna steak(s)
3 tbsp fat (coconut oil recommended)
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
juice & zest of 1 lime
salt & pepper

Mix together your fat, ginger, garlic, cilantro, lime, salt, and pepper.  Slather it on the tuna and let sit for a few hours.

Scrape off the excess marinade - saving it for later!  Heat your grill or skillet medium high, and cook about 4 minutes per side.  Heat up the leftover marinade briefly to make a thick paste.  Serve with avocado, spinach, whatever you want...

Notes

The tuna steaks came frozen solid; it took the better part of a week in the fridge before they were anything other than hockey pucks.  This made me a little cautious, so after searing both sides of the steaks, I popped the skillet in the oven for some extra time to cook through.  The steaks were just slightly on the overdone side...

Some people are strongly anti-cilantro.  While I'm no irrational hater, there always seems to be something strange about a strong cilantro flavor.  In this dish, it seemed to come mainly from the paste rather than the marinade process.  Garlic, ginger, and cilantro make an interesting combination...

Here's the somewhat colorful result, helped on by roasted orange cauliflower - toss florets with a sliced onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, and spices, and roast at 425 until soft (to be honest, the caramelized onions were maybe the best part of the meal).