Panko-Crusted Salmon

Are you all loving Pinterest as much as I am? I love finding new ideas, crafts, and especially - recipes! I found this recipe for Panko-Crusted Salmon from Annie's Eats there. It is delicious and easy. Plus, it is done in about 20 minutes! We have made it twice since my mom has been here. It is probably my favorite Salmon recipe I have made!

Panko-Crusted Salmon

from Annie's Eats

2/3 cup panko
2 tbsp. finely minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 (6-8 oz.) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. In a small bowl, combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated; set aside.
Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a work surface. Generously brush the top of each fillet with the mustard and then season with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each fillet to help the panko adhere.
Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes without turning to brown the skin. (If you don’t want to eat the skin, this step also helps the skin stick to the pan so the fillets can be easily removed without the skin later on.)
Transfer the pan to the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until the salmon is almost cooked through and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with fresh lemon wedges.

Balsamic Lime Shrimp

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday. I loved every minute of it. Great food, people, concerts, fireworks, and activities. We are so exhausted - we did way too many fun things!

A while ago my mom and sister were doing weight watchers and were trying to find as many zero-point foods as they could. They used to put balsamic vinegar and lime juice on their salads because there was no fat and barely any calories. At first I thought it was an odd combination - until I tried it. It was perfect together. I thought maybe I could carry that over into a marinade. I made this healthy marinade for shrimp skewers. no fat, and just a little calories really from the honey. Try this while your grill is still hot from the weekend!

Balsamic Lime Shrimp

1/4 inch fresh ginger - sliced thinly
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 lg or 3 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 T honey
Shrimp - enough for two skewers per person

Place all ingredients, except shrimp, into a large ziplock bag. Squish the bag around until the honey has dissolved and all ingredients are combined. Add shrimp. Marinate for 20-30 minutes (no longer!). Place on skewers (soak your wooden skewers in warm water for about 30 minutes before you grill - they won't burn - see mine for proof!) and grill for about 2 minutes on each side or until flesh is pink and is no longer translucent. I don't have a grill, so I do this under my broiler for the same amount of time. Garnish with cilantro.
I served mine with a green salad and whole wheat couscous.

Cilantro Lime Couscous
boil 2 1/4 cups chicken stock and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add couscous, stir, remove from heat, and cover for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Stir in a splash of lime juice and a handful of chopped cilantro!

Tips:

Use this marinade on any protein - chicken, beef, salmon, pork. Would work great.
Don't marinate your seafood for more than 30 minutes, the acids start to cook the fish (and not the way you want it to).
If you need to/want to stretch your marinade a little further, use a little (1/2 c) flavorless oil, like canola. Unless you live on the coast and know your shrimp is really fresh - buy it frozen! That way you know you are getting the freshest shrimp possible in your area. Plus, you get can it peeled and deveined already.
Fresh ginger can not be substituted - it's just too good. Plus it's cheap. Buy a piece, peel it, then freeze what you don't use.

Tom Yum Soup

My family has always been adventurous eaters. We love trying new places, new foods, and are always willing to push the limits. I remember ordering a pizza with anchovies on it because none of us had ever tried it. I think the pizza parlor was so excited to get rid of it they covered every inch of that pizza in those little canned fishies. We do stuff like that. We love it.

About 15 years ago my mom told us some of her fellow employees introduced her to a restaurant that served delicious Thai food. At that time I don't know if I could have told you where Thailand was on a map. This was long before Thai restaurants became big and when people thought asian food consisted of Panda Express and egg rolls at TGI Fridays. I don't really remember what we ate, but I do remember my dad eating a soup that had octupus in it and he was sweating because it was so hot (oh, that's another thing with our family, we like it spicy!) Since then, we were hooked. When we were in the area we had to stop for a bite. We still try something new each time we go, but we almost always order Tom Yum Soup.

This is what Hannah and I request when we are sick, this is our comfort food, our Chicken Noodle Soup.  And now, we know how to make it. It is delicious. It is simples, but does have some odd ingredients - but Asian markets are easier to find then they were 10 years ago. If you live in the Provo area, email me and I can tell you where I found my stuff.

Tom Yum Soup
8 cups chicken broth
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, sliced on a bias in 2-inch pieces
4 kaffir lime leaves
1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
2-3 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinse
1 pound shrimp, peeled with tails on
2 limes, juiced
3 green onions, sliced
1 large handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Bring the broth to the boil over medium heat in a stock pot. Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Uncover and add the fish sauce (yes, it stinks bad, but it will make such a difference for good in the soup), sugar, and mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes. Toss in the shrimp and cook for about 8 minutes until they turn pink. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice, green onions, cilantro. Taste to make sure there is an even balance of salty, sweet, savory, and sour - the beauty of thai dishes.  Serve with a lime wedge. There is a lot of flavor items in this that you shouldn't eat - the kaffir leaves and lemongrass especially. I don't eat the ginger and the shrimp tails either.
Serves about 6-8. 

Tips:

Lemon grass, kaffir leaves, and ginger freeze very well - if you can only find more than you need, just save it for later. Trust me - you're going to want more!
To cut your lemon grass - cut off the drier tips and the root. Throw those away then slice the remaining.
If you have a question about how to use the products - most Asian market owners are so happy to answer questions (if they speak English).

Sweet Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Again, I am kind of cheating. But, this recipe was new to me. And it's tasty - so I think you'll forgive me.
I am a fan of all Latin foods. There is a local restaurant that has these Shrimp Tacos with a mango salsa that I quite like. Only thing is, I am a little too cheap to buy them every time I want them (which can be fairly often). So I decided to make them myself. Plus, it is probably healthier and better tasting.

Sweet Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Shrimp:
about 1 lb of shrimp, peeled, deveined, and dried
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp honey
salt and pepper

Salsa:

2 ripe mangoes, diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, diced small
salt and pepper
juice of 1 large lime (about 1/4 cup)
For salsa: combine all ingredients in a bowl. Taste test, adjust seasonings.
For shrimp: Melt butter and honey in fry pan. Toss in shrimp, season with salt and pepper. Cook until just pink. Place in warmed corn tortillas with mango salsa and shredded green cabbage if desired.
Serves 4-5 with leftover salsa.

Enjoy!

This salsa is great on any protein - chicken, fish, pork. Plus, there will be leftovers to have with chips as well.

Tip:
If you want mild salsa - remove veins and seeds from jalapeno, for medium - remove half, for hot - leave it all.

Cranberry Salmon

I feel like this recipe is semi-cheating for this month's theme. But - it was new to me. My father-in-law tried a cranberry salmon dish at a local restaurant. I didn't see it or try it - but just thought I would do something similar.
I know cranberries aren't really the thing at this time of year, but I love them and stock up around thanksgiving and freeze them. They freeze really well. I have seen them in the freezer section at our grocery store, if you don't have a store of them in your freezer.

Cranberry Salmon

1 shallot or 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cranberries
1 cup orange juice
2-4 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup toasted walnuts

In a small pot, saute shallots in olive oil until soft. Add cranberries, orange juice, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberries have popped. Stir and mash occasionally. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Meanwhile, season salmon filets with lemon pepper and salt. Place under broiler for 4 minutes on each side. Dress with Cranberry Sauce.

Tips:
I like my salmon cooked Medium. If you like yours more well done then cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Try it more rare though - you may be surprised!

Fried Rice

I love fried rice - not only is it a one-pot meal, but it is a clean-out-the-fridge meal. This recipe is more of a method. So adjust the ingredients to what you want.

Fried Rice

Vegetable oil
4 c cooked rice
3 c chopped vegetables 
1 inch grated ginger
1 garlic clove
2 eggs
Soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled, devined, tails off

Saute vegetables, garlic, and ginger in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil until slightly softened over medium high heat. (I used carrots, celery, onion, and edamame. Use whatever you have, but onions are a must!)

 This was rice from our dinner a few days ago.

Add in rice and a few teaspoons of soy sauce and oyster sauce, stir for a minute.

In a small bowl combine eggs and about 1 Tbsp of soy sauce (this replaces your salt to season), whisk together.

Add to rice mixture and stir until eggs are cooked through.

Add raw shrimp.

You never want to overcook shrimp so I added it raw at the end and cooked until it was just pink. See?

Season with soy sauce and pepper if needed. Serve nice and hot. Garnish with green onions and cilantro if desired.

Now you don't have to use shrimp - use any protein. The protein may need to be handeled differently depending on what it is (use ham, chicken, beef, pork...). If it is cooked meat (ie leftovers - cleaning out fridge see?), add at the end, after the eggs. If it is raw meat, cook first, set aside then add in after the eggs.

Other veggies that are great in this:

zucchini
peas
broccoli (may want to steam a little bit first)
bell peppers
mushrooms
cauliflower
bean sprouts (probably would add in at the end, don't cook them)

What do you put in your stir fry?

Coconut Shrimp

One of my favorite meals when I go to Hawaii is Macky's Coconut Shrimp. My mouth drools just thinking about it. I was having a little Spring fever and wanted something that reminded me of warmer weather.
This is not quite like Macky's (nothing could ever be!) but it was simple and tied me over until my next trip out to the North Shore.

Coconut Shrimp

1 lb shrimp, peeled and devined
1 1/2 c tempura batter
1 c coconut
ice cold water, or club soda
Peanut or Canola oil


1. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Should have enough oil so that shrimp will be completely submerged.
2. Once you have peeled and devined shrimp, set on paper towel to dry
3. Get your ingredients ready
4. Mix dry tempura batter and coconut
5. Mix in enough water to make a thick batter consistency (like a cake-mix cake batter)

Dip shrimp in batter so evenly coated, place directly in oil. Do not put too many shrimp in your oil or the oil temperature will get too low (I keep my thermometer in to help me keep an eye on it). Fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and  drain on paper towel for a minute. 6. Serve warm with favorite dipping sauce.

This is our favorite dipping sauce - it's what Maky uses. I buy it in Hawaii, so if you can't find it - choose something similar, or that you like.

Our Valentine's Day

I know it's a little late, but I wanted to share what AC and I had for dinner on Valentine's Day. It is much more fun for us to stay in. (Added bonuses - not worrying about finding a sitter, cheaper, and turned out - this was tastier!)

On our Valentine Menu: Surf and Turf (Ribeye Steak and Shrimp), Roasted Asparagus, Rosette Dinner Rolls, and a Spinach Salad (you can see it in the corner... there was nothing special about it). For dessert we had Lemon Bars. Don't be mad, we didn't have chocolate. But Lemon Bars are my husband's favorite. Stay tuned for all the recipes.
Here is the Surf and Turf for you though:

Steak and Shrimp

Turf:

2 Ribeye Steaks
3-4 Tbsp Butter
Seasoning Salt
Lemon Pepper

Surf:

12 shrimp
garlic powder
Lemon Pepper

In a large skillet or grill pan, melt butter. Apply a thin layer or seasoning salt and lemon pepper on the steak, give it a little massage and rub it in. Cook steaks until desired doneness. Let rest for 10 minutes before poking or cutting into it!
Okay, I know that's pretty broad, but it totally depends on how you like your steaks cooked and how thick they are. Here is what I did for a Medium steak: Heat was just between Medium and Medium High. My steaks were 1 inch (ish) thick. And I cooked them for about 5 minutes on both sides. Does that help.
5 minutes after your steak started resting, turn heat back on the skillet to Medium High (don't clean it out, that's good stuff in there!).  Once pan is hot, place shrimp in skillet, stirring for just a minute to pick up those yummy flavors left in the pan. (If it seems kind of dry, add 1 Tbsp of butter.) Flip the shrimp once down side looks white and slightly pink. Remove shrimp as soon as it is white all over.

Okay, more tips: remove your steak from the fridge and bring your steaks to room temperature before cooking - trust me.
Don't move your steak while cooking them except to flip. This gives you nice caramelization. Again, trust me.
If you are a newbie to steak (I am pretty new myself - this was my third steak and my first real success), and are worried about doneness - use a meat thermometer. yes, it is a little poke, but it's much better than cutting a big slice into it.

Sweet & Spicy Shrimp

I decided to make shrimp for dinner but didn't want the same old scampi. So, I looked in my fridge and pulled these out and was inspired.

Sweet & Spicy Shrimp
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c apricot preserves
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 T Chinese chili paste
splash (or squeeze...ha) lime


Mix Chinese chili paste, soy sauce, apricot preserves, fresh ginger, and lime juice (yes, I used the store bought - don't judge, I just got back from a trip). Mix these up. To help the mixing, heat the preserves up in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Peel, devein, and rinse your shrimp. Please, do not use precooked shrimp.

Pat dry on a paper towel

Mix the shrimp in the marinade.

Now, test the shrimp to make sure you like the seasoning. I take one out of the marinade, and drop on the grill pan. Adjust the mixture as needed.

Fry up for a couple minutes on both sides until pink skin and opaque meat.

Enjoy!