Lime-Cilantro Marinade

Marinades make meat much more flavorful, which makes it easier for us to eat* (as well as more enjoyable)! This is especially true of my two favorite things to grill: steak and salmon. This marinade works equally well for both of those meats, although you would marinate steak for 2-3 hours (especially thicker cuts), but salmon only needs 30-60 minutes (it's much more delicate).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil (regular, not extra-virgin)
• juice of 4 limes
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 jalapeno chili
• 2 cups whole cilantro (stems and leaves) loosely packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Peel the garlic. Cut off the stem end of the jalapeno and discard. Split the jalapeno body down its length and chop into 1-inch long pieces. Put everything in a blender and puree on medium until all the vegetables are minced and it has a uniform consistency, about 15-20 seconds. Marinate the target meat for 1-3 hours and cook as usual (I like grilling).

* It is a common misconception that a marinade "tenderizes" meat. I quote Alton Brown's seminal cooking tome, I'm Just Here for the Food:

Sure, acidic liquids can dissolve proteins and even plant cellulose, but the effect is localized to the surface of the target food...
The reason that marinades seem to tenderize has more to do with flavor than any actual textural alterations. Most marinades contain salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy components. When these compounds are drawn into meat via capillary action, they strongly season the meat. Then you cook it, slice it, and put it in your mouth. Immediately the salt and acid flavors divebomb your taste buds, which in turn tell your saliva glands to start pumping. By the time you're onto your third chew your food is thoroughly lubricated, and since saliva contains enzymes like amylase, the meat is already well on its way to becoming an easy-to-digest goo. Marinades may not actually do much in the way of tenderizing meat, but their use does help us to tenderize it.

Baked Tomato Olive Halibut

Our youngest boy is a picky eater, but he gobbled this dish up and asked for more.

We ate this with a side of herb & butter rice with a simple green salad.

1 pound halibut fillets (about 4), cut into 2 inch pieces

Salt and black pepper

1 can (14.5 ounces) dices Italian-style tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons chopped pitted ripe olives

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick olive oil-flavored cooking spray. arrange cod fillets in pan; season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Combine tomatoes, olives, and garlic in medium bowl. Spoon over fish

Bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with fork. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Garlicy Tuna Tostada

The nice thing about simple salads is that they have so many uses. This one works as an appetizer or you could make it a meal by paring it with a nice bowl of tomato soup.

Ingredients

Garlic Mayonnaise

• 2-3 heads of garlic
• olive oil
• 2 cups mayo

Salad

• 1 cup garlic mayo (recipe above)
• 2 cans tuna, drained
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup bell pepper, cut into thick matchsticks
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 4 medium size tortillas or tostada shells.

Directions

Garlic Mayonnaise

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the outer paper off the garlic heads, leaving the individual cloves intact. Cut about 1/4 inch off the top of each head, just exposing the inside of each clove. Place each clove on a small square of aluminum foil, cut side up. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil on each one and wrap up in the foil. Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and light brown. Squeeze the cloves out of the head and chop fine. Whisk into the mayonnaise. Chill. Makes 2 cups.

Tostada

Mix all ingredients except onion and tortilla in a medium bowl. Distribute over tortillas and top with onions.

Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad

First: I'm sorry for the week (or more) without a post - I'm such a slacker!

Second: Now that the weather is nice (more or less) all the time, it's time to bust out the BBQ. I know a lot of people like to grill salmon hot and fast, but I prefer smoking it low and slow. The smokiness adds a real depth of flavor that you don't get from cooking it over high heat. If you don't have a grill or smoker, you can use a broiler or grill pan along with a light spritzing of liquid smoke for added flavor.

Salmon

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pickling salt (don't use table salt - it has a metallic taste from the iodine)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon 5-spice powder (ginger, clove, cinnamon, anise, fennel)
• 20-24 ounces salmon, pin bones removed (or use 4 frozen salmon fillets, thawed)

Directions

Combine the salt, sugar, garlic, pepper, and the 5-spice powder. Rinse and pat dry the salmon. Apply about 2 tablespoons of the salt cure mixture to each side of the salmon (don't apply to any skin). and pat on to adhere. Reserve the remaining cure for another purpose (or the next time you make this recipe!) Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, place on a lidded baking sheet or pan (to catch any liquid) and refrigerate 6-10 hours (or overnight). Discard plastic wrap and rinse off the salt cure with cold water. Pat dry and place on a rack on a baking sheet. Put in a cool, dry place with a small fan blowing on it for 2-3 hours, or until the fish dries slightly and a tacky skin has formed (called a pellicle).

Meanwhile, light 1-2 quarts of charcoal briquettes using your preferred method (I prefer a chimney starter and newspaper, and I discourage lighter fluid when smoking because it can leave a slight chemical flavor). Soak 2-4 handfuls of hardwood chips (depending on how smoky you like it) in water while the coals get hot. When the coals are hot, dump them onto only half the grill. Drain the wood chips and put directly onto the coals. Put the grill grate on and put the fish on the cold half of the grill. Put on the lid, with the vent placed on the opposite side of the grill as the fire. All the vents should be half closed. Smoke until the fish reaches at least 140 degrees (30-45 minutes), but you can go longer if you want a smokier flavor (I generally go to about 180-200). Either serve the fish immediately (very nice as a fish sandwich on sourdough toast with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato), or put on a plate wrapped with aluminum foil, chill completely, and put into the salad that follows.

Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta (rotini, fusili, or some other twisty variety), cooked according to package directions in salted water (it should be soft, not mushy - a little bit past al dente), rinsed and chilled.
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
  
• 2 tomatoes, chopped, lightly salted, and put in a colander (in the sink or with a bowl underneath!) for 15-30 minutes to drain excess liquid
  
• 1/4 cup roasted bell peppers (either freshly roasted or from a jar), chopped.
• 1 recipe smoked salmon (see above), cut into 1-inch chunks
  
• 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons red or balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

Directions

Toss together pasta, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and salmon. Mix together oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and pepper and fold into the salad until everything is coated. Serve with fresh melon slices and garlic toast.

Tuna Quesadillas

A nice way to use up leftover cabbage, since most people I know always have a can of tuna around for emergencies.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for tortillas
  
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 can diced green chiles
• juice of 1 lime
  
• 1 can tuna
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup crumbled queso blanco (Mexican white cheese)
• 8 large flour tortillas
  

Directions

Saute the cabbage in olive oil in a large nonstick pan set over medium-high heat until the cabbage starts to brown. Add the chiles, tuna, and lime juice and reduce heat to medium. Cook until almost dry and transfer to a medium bowl.

Wipe out the pan with paper towels that have been dipped in a little bit of oil. Heat the pan over medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with oil. Put in the pan oil side down and brush a little water on the other side. Put 1/4 the cabbage mixture on the tortilla along with 1/4 of the cheese. Brush one side of another tortilla with water. Make a sandwich with the other tortilla, water side down. Brush a little oil on the top side. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the bottom tortilla is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes, again until golden brown. Keep warm while repeating with the remaining tortillas and filling. Makes 4 full-size quesadillas. Serve with sour cream, diced green onions, and hot sauce.

Garlic & Ginger Soy Marinade

Full of Asian flavors like sesame, ginger, and soy, this marinade is a great way to add both flavor and moisture to more boring cuts of meat like pork tenderloin or chicken breasts. You can also use this for steak or shrimp that you are going to grill. Steaks and chops should probably marinate 30 minutes to 2 hours. Larger cuts (like roasts) can go up to 12 hours. It's a good idea to shake up the bag and stir things around every couple of hours to make sure the meat marinates evenly. This makes enough marinade for 2-4 steaks or a 1-2 pound pork tenderloin roast - double or triple it for larger amounts of meat.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
  
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced or chopped

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a one gallon zip-top bag. Add the meat, squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal the bag. Place in a leak-proof container and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Serving Suggestion

Marinate a 1-2 pound pork tenderloin roast for 2 hours (up to all day) in the fridge. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thickly slice 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, and 2 small zucchini and place in a baking dish or small roasting pan. Remove the roast from the marinade, put on the vegetables, and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Remove pan from oven, tent with aluminum foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving with white rice.

Quick Salmon Sandwiches

I am frequently in a rush. When you are in a rush, some foods (like salmon) are difficult to do because they can take time to prepare. Fortunately (at least for salmon) there is a canned alternative that is readily available and quickly prepared. Sure, canned salmon is not as good as fresh, but it's better than no salmon at all.

Ingredients

• 1 small can salmon
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• a pinch of dried oregano

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve on sourdough toast with romaine lettuce. Makes 2-4 sandwiches, depending on the size of the bread.

Carribean Citrus Salmon

Salmon is very hard to do correctly. I like my salmon medium rare, with a nice crust on the outside. You get crust by searing on high heat, however that can make the fish stick to the grill. Working with a clean grill that has been lightly oiled helps a lot. Just try to make sure the oil doesn't drip down onto the coals (or burners). Flame-ups produce soot, which dirty up the grill and make everything stick all over again.

Ingredients

• 1 cup olive oil
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (ground from freshly toasted whole seeds would be best)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced fine
• 4 medium salmon fillets (about 1 inch in diameter)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large plastic zip-top bag. Making sure the marinade is well combined, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Put the bag in the fridge (in a container to catch any leaks) and marinate for 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare grill for direct heat (or preheat your broiler). Remove fish from marinade (discard the marinade) and grill (or broil) for about 4 minutes per side. Do not fuss with it as it cooks - lay it on the grill and don't touch until it's time to flip or remove. Serve with rice pilaf or mashed potatoes.

Quick Salmon Salad

If you've cooked up a bunch of salmon and have leftovers, this is a great way to stretch them out to feed more people. Even if you don't have leftovers, you can use canned salmon and it's almost just as good!

Ingredients

• 6 ounces cooked salmon, roughly chopped (or one can salmon)
  
• 8 ounces salad pasta (such as ziti, shells, wheels, etc.), cooked according to package directions and rinsed under cold water
  
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup carrots, shredded or matchstick cut
• 2 green onions, sliced on the bias
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
  
• salt and fresh black pepper
  

Directions

Mix pasta, mayo, carrots, onions, oregano, parsley, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Fold in salmon and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Beer-Battered Fish

When you make this recipe, you will notice that the batter is very thick. You'll need a good, stout set of tongs or possibly a gloved hand to get the fish immersed into the batter and coated with it. However, a sturdy batter really is required to stand up to all the heat of deep-frying. Since it is so thick, it protects the fish from drying out; in fact, thinner pieces of fish work really well here, when normally they have a tendency to dry out or become brittle.

Traditionally, fried fish is served with french fries (i.e. chips). Using frozen fries that have been parboiled prior to freezing is the easiest way to go (frying fresh, raw potatoes is kind of a pain, since it requires two fryings, a lower-temperature one to soften the insides and a higher-temperature one to crisp the outsides). So if using frozen fries, just cook according to package directions and then keep in a 200 degree oven while the fish cooks up. Also, since the batter needs to rest 15-60 minutes before putting on the fish, making fries is a good way to make use of that time.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon of oil
• 1 1/2 pounds of tilapia, cod, halibut or any other firm whitefish, cut into 1-ounce strips
• Cornstarch in a pie pan for dredging
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning (e.g. Old Bay)
• 1 bottle beer, cold

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and seasoning. Whisk in the beer until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (up to 1 hour). Heat oil to 350 degrees. Lightly dredge the fish in the cornstarch. Working in small batches (2 or 3 pieces), batter the fish and gently place into the hot oil. When the batter is set, flip the pieces over in the oil and fry for another 2-3 minutes, or until deep golden brown. (Note: Pieces that are too blonde do not taste very good - the batter is gummy instead of crispy. You're probably better off over-cooking than under-cooking, although just right really would be best.) Drain on a wire rack and season with a little kosher salt. Serve with malt vinegar and tartar sauce.

Pan-Fried Crispy Tilapia

Although I did this recipe with tilapia, almost any mild-flavored, firm-fleshed fish would work (cod, halibut, flounder, etc.). This goes great with garlic mashed potatoes, or you could roll up the fried fillets into a burrito with beans and rice.

Ingredients

• 4 medium tilapia fillets (about 4-6 ounces each)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• nonstick cooking spray
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

Directions

Preheat broiler. Tear up the bread and pulse in a food processor until it has a mealy texture, 5 to 10 1-second pulses. Spray a baking sheet and the breadcrumbs with nonstick spray. Toast under the broiler, about 6 inches from the heat, tossing every 2 minutes to ensure even cooking, until they are light brown. Remove from heat and place in a pie pan. Beat eggs together with 2 tablespoons water and pour into another pie pan. In a third pie pan, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and whisk to evenly distribute spices.

Coat a fillet with flour, shaking off any excess. Coat with egg, letting any extra drip off. Place in pan with breadcrumbs, coating both sides and pressing firmly to adhere crumbs to fillet. Lay on a wire rack to let the crust firm up and repeat with remaining fillets.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches approximately 325 degrees, carefully lay the fillets in the pan and cook until the crust becomes golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Drain on a wire rack and sprinkle with a little more kosher salt. Serve immediately.

Salmon Cakes

Most of the time, I develop recipes because there's a specific food I want to eat. This recipe is a little different. We had some leftover spinach and potato pie and Michelle thought that salmon would be a good main dish to accompany it, so I came up with this recipe specifically to go with that side dish. Despite how it got started, I think it's a good general-purpose salmon cake that will go well with all kinds of side dishes!

Ingredients

• 2 cans of salmon (7 ounces each), drained
• 1½ cups of saltine crackers (about half a sleeve), crushed
• ½ cup mayonnaise (homemade from Monday's recipe would be nice)
• ¼ cup finely minced onion
  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (you could also use dill or cilantro)
• vegetable oil for frying
  

Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined. Form into 6 patties about 1½ inches thick. Let the patties sit on a wire rack for 10 - 15 minutes so the moisture from the mayo can be fully absorbed (this helps "set up" the salmon cakes and improves the texture). Meanwhile, heat about 1 inch of oil in a large skillet to 350 - 375 degrees. Pan fry for about 4 minutes on a side, or until deep golden brown. Alternatively, you can deep fat fry them. Let them drain on a wire rack for a couple of minutes and serve.