Salmon, Lemon Rice with Peas and Roasted Carrots

Dinner 10.8.2012: Salmon, Lemon Rice with Peas and Roasted Carrots

Salmon, Lemon Rice with Peas and Roasted Carrots

Lemon Rice with Peas (olive oil, rice, kosher salt, lemon zest, frozen peas) - briefly toast rice with a little bit of olive oil. Add water and salt and cook as per package instructions. When the rice is cooked to hour liking add grated lemon zest and frozen peas; fluff with a fork; return lid and let peas heat through.

Roasted Carrots (olive oil, carrots, kosher salt, pepper, chopped parsley) - heat olive oil in a pan and roast carrots on the stove top over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt; stir regularly until softened. Toss with chopped parsley.

Pan-Roasted Salmon (olive oil, salmon fillets, kosher salt, TJs Lemon Pepper, slice of lemon) - season fillets with salt and pepper. Sear skin side up in nonstick pan with a little olive oil until nicely browned. Turn fillets over and finish ~8-10 min @375F oven. Garnish with lemon slice.

Turkey and Artichoke Pizza

Dinner 10.6.2012: Turkey and Artichoke Pizza

Turkey and Artichoke Pizza

Pizza is quickly made with store purchased (TJs) pizza dough. Make sure to plan ahead a little and let the dough rise for at least one hour in a warm place (oven).

Turkey and Artichoke Pizza (pizza dough, flour, tomato sauce, fontina cheese, mozzarella cheese, chopped sliced turkey, marinated artichokes, sliced red onion, olive oil, dried thyme) - let dough rise in a warm place - oil bowl with olive oil and cover bowl with a wet towel so it won't dry out. Roll/stretch into desired shape/thickness (I like a thin crust), let rest, add toppings and bake on pre-heated metal cookie sheet at 475F (preheated) 7-12 minutes. Brush the crust one more time with olive oil. Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

The best way to make the pizza is to pre-heat the cookie sheet in the oven while stretching the dough on a well floured (or semolina) pizza peel; add the toppings, brush the crust with olive oil. It is important to work quickly since the dough tends to stick to the peel after a few minutes. With a few quick jerks of the peel loosen the pizza and slide it on the pre-heated cookie sheet. Bake immediately.

Smoked Salmon Linguine with Petit Peas

Dinner 10.03.2012: Smoked Salmon Fettuccine with Petit Peas

Smoked Salmon Linguine with Petit Peas

Smoked Salmon Fettuccine with Petit Peas - 2 servings
Make the sauce while cooking 8oz fettuchine (1/2 package) in boiling, salted water. Drain and toss with sauce immediately.

• 1 1/2 tbl olive oil - heat olive oil in a heavy-bottom sauté pan and sweat onions with a little salt for about 5 mins without browning
• 1/4 cup red onion or 1 shallot, minced
• kosher salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream - add cream and pasta water and gently simmer until slightly reduced and thickened
• 1/2 cup starchy pasta water
• 1/2+ pc lemon zest - add lemon zest and frozen peas. Stir and gently simmer until peas are heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
• 1/2-3/4 cup petite peas, frozen
• ~3 oz smoked salmon, chopped - add salmon, heat through; stir in parsley and adjust seasoning AFTER adding salmon (salt and lemon zest)
• parsley, chopped
• parmesan, grated - serve and garnish with parsley, parmesan, and lemon slice
• lemon slice

Smoked Salmon Linguine with Petit Peas

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, Ahi Tuna

Dinner 10.02.2012: Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, Ahi Tuna

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, Ahi Tuna

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta - 2 servings
Make the sauce while cooking 8oz of tube shaped pasta (1/2 package) in boiling, salted water. Drain and toss with sauce immediately.

• 1+ tbs olive oil - in a heavy bottom (pref. stainless steel) sauté sliced onion over low heat with the oil, butter and a little kosher salt.  Caramelizing onions can take a little while so expect this to take at least 30 minutes.
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• kosher salt
• 1+ cup chicken stock - add stock and gently simmer until staring to simmer. 
• 1 large red pepper, roasted and thinly sliced - add peppers, vinegar fennel seeds. Heat through and adjust seasoning.
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed, cracked
• parsley, chopped - toss with al-dente pasta and garnish with parsley and parmesan.
• parmesan, grated

Pan-roasted Ahi Tuna

• olive oil
• ahi tuna steaks
• kosher salt
• black pepper

Season tuna steaks on both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Sear one side in oven-proof pan with a little olive oil, turn over, sear for another minute and finish roasting in pre-heated oven @ 375F for 6-10 minutes (depending on thickness of steaks).

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, Ahi Tuna

Swedish Meatballs with Sweet Potato Gratin

Dinner 10.01.2012: Swedish Meatballs with Sweet Potato Gratin

Swedish Meatballs with Sweet Potato Gratin

As I was plating last night's dinner I realized that there was a little too much cream and no fresh greens whatsoever on the plate, but I got so carried away with it being October despite the thermometer hitting 100F in the afternoon that I completely forgot about something not cooked in a heavy cream sauce. Were the two dishes complementary at all you may ask? Well, maybe not so much, but Swedish meatballs are delicious and it can't hurt to practice sweet potato gratin for the upcoming holiday season.

Swedish Meatballs (1LB ground sirloin, 3/4C breadcrumbs soaked in milk, 1 egg, kosher salt, pepper, 1/4t+ ground nutmeg, 1/4t ground allspice) - make bite-size meatballs and brown with a little olive oil on all sides; finish baking at 375F until cooked through ~15 mins.

Sauce (2T butter, 2T flour, 2C chicken stock, kosher salt, 1/4C sour cream or creme fraiche) - melt butter; add flour and stir with wooden spoon. Cook for about 1 minute - consistancy should be like wet sand. Add cold stock and whisk vigorously. Simmer for 10-15 mins adding more stock if too thick. add sour cream/creme fraiche and season to taste with kosher salt. Return meatballs and heat through - serve with preserved lingonberries or cranberries.

Sweet Potato Gratin (heavy cream, thinly sliced sweet potatoes, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, brown sugar, pinch of kosher salt) - in an overproof pan/saucepan gently simmer the sliced sweet potatoes in the heavy cream with all spices until potatoes are starting to soften. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar and finish baking them at 375F until tender and starting to brown.