Tandoori Salmon

Ok, I know I just posted a recipe for salmon, but I'm trying to eat fish at least once a week and salmon is one type of fish I can really count on. I promise to branch out in the future.

I first had this tandoori salmon at my boss Melanie's house one evening when she and her partner Karine invited me over for dinner. It was a wonderful evening. I became more familiar with Melanie and Karine outside of work and discovered they both had extraordinary creative talents. Melanie prepared this salmon that evening and it was so delicious that I dreamed of eating it again ASAP. :) I make this dish at least every two weeks now.

So here it is, tandoori salmon.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 (3 inch) piece fresh ginger root, minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 boneless, skinless salmon filets

DIRECTIONS
- Combine the yogurt, cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger, cilantro, ground coriander, cumin, salt and turmeric in a resealable plastic bag. Close bag and mix everything together until evenly combined. Add the salmon and toss until well coated with the marinade; marinate overnight (or 20 minutes like i do:)).
- Preheat the oven broiler. Lightly grease a baking pan.
- Remove salmon from marinade and shake off excess; discard remaining marinade. Place onto prepared baking pan and broil in preheated oven until salmon flakes easily with a fork, five to seven minutes per side (6 minutes exactly on each side for me).
- I serve this dish with brown rice and steamed broccoli with ginger (with a drizzle of sweet soy sauce on the rice and broccoli). Phenomenal! :D


... yep, i ate the entire filet. :) In my own defense, it was a 12 oz filet and I only had a small bowl of rice for lunch.

Nigella's Asian-Spiced Kedgeree

The first time I had this dish was one evening at my neighbor's house in Dubai. I genuinely believe it was fate, as they turned out to be my most beloved friends in Dubai. Judi was Korean-Canadian and Marcus was German-Canadian, and together they made the most unlikely but perfectly matched couple. Naturally the Korean similarity brought Judi and I together instantly. Our off-beat humor and mutual understanding of behavior and courtesy were perfecty aligned. In any moment of not meeting on the same page with Judi, Marcus immediately understood and awkward moments or miscommunication never occurred. We became friends after the rat incident. Most of my close friends are aware of the bizarre events. I can post to my storytelling if anyone is interested. Anyway after the rat incidents, we became very close. First sharing discussions of ceiling leaks, strange entrance guards, or mold issues. Our discussions became longer and longer and eventually one day they invited me to their apartment (across the hall - there were only two apartments in my elevator bank on our floor) for dinner. This became a weekly ritual for us. They or I would prepare dinner, and the other would prepare dessert or a salad and bring wine. It was wonderful and the first time I felt I had a close and loving family in Dubai.

On a few of the occasions, Judi made Asian-Spiced Kedgeree. I'm not sure if it was because I was with them, but I found it to be one of the most comforting, light and delicious dishes I've ever had. This is the first time I ever made it, but it made me very very happy (especially after a long day at work).


(realizing i eventually need a better camera, dishes and photo filters for my pics:))

INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/4 cups cold water for poaching the fish
- 2 lime leaves, torn into pieces
- 4 salmon filets (approx. 1 inch thick, skinned, about 1 1/2 lbs in total)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 3 hard boiled eggs, quartered
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for sprinkling
- juice and zest of a lime plus more segments to servce
- fish sauce to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425F. Pour water into a roasting pan, add lime leaves and then add salmon. Cover pan with foil, place in oven and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from oven and drain liquid (without lime leaves) into a pitcher (keeping salmon in dish). Cover salmon dish with foil and leave out so it remains warm.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid, and add the oil to stop the butter from burning. Soften the onions in the pan and add spices, continuing to cook until slightly translucent. Add the rice and stir with wooden spoon so it's well coated. Pour preserved salmon liquid and stir before coving with lid and cooking gently for 15 minutes.

At the end of cooking time, when rice is tender (you may have to add more water and cook if not), turn off heat, remove lid, cover pan with a dish towel and then replace the lid.

Just before you want to eat, drain any extra liquid that's collected in the dish with the salmon, then flake the fish into the rice with a fork. Add the eggs, cilantro, lime juice and a drop or two of fish sauce. Sprinkle over the zest from the two juiced halves of the lime and serve. Salt to taste.

Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Bread

I can't believe December and the holidays are already here. It's always interesting going through the holiday seasons in a different country as the traditions/religions may vary tremendously. In Switzerland, it's very much like being home. The streets and homes are beautifully decorated with lights and most towns offer extravagant and festive Christmas markets. It's all charming and comforting, and there's something about the holidays that makes me very happy. Whether it's the music, the food, the giving or the holiday cheer (likely a combination of all), it is indeed the most wonderful time of the year.

This morning I woke up and decided to make pumpkin bread and play Christmas music (I use the holiday channel on itunes radio for my music every year). Here's my recipe, which lower in fat than most recipes...



INGREDIENTS

- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup corn (or vegetable) oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce (i make my own by cutting up and peeling 1 apple and tossing it in the food processor)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350F or 175C.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl (flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, sugar). Add pumpkin, water, oil, applesauce, walnuts, and raisins. Blend well.

Bake loaves for 1 hour.