Busy Mama Recipes
This is another recipe I got from my mom. It was one of my favorites when I was younger because I love Salmon and ginger. I was thinking about it today, and I'm bummed- Kevin dislikes cilantro AND ginger (I know, he is weird), so I can never make this dish:-( The only time I make it is when we have the kids (Stewart loves it) AND there is leftover pizza for Kevin to eat.
My mom made this a lot, and I'm not exactly sure where she got the recipe... maybe in her head, maybe a cookbook... who knows. But, it's delish:
Start with the salmon. Choose salmon that is pink and not gross looking (I can't handle when fish looks slimy and weird). Thank God for Nessa in my seafood department, otherwise I don't know what I would do:-)
I usually get half a salmon, just one fillet with the skin still on. It feeds my family and we have a little bit leftover for some lunch the next day. You can adjust the amount, though, depending on how many you're feeding. (BTW, I have no idea how many pounds that is... haha)
Put the salmon fillet, skin down, on a foil lined cookie sheet or casserole dish.
Ginger Cilantro Marinade:
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped
about 4-8 tbs fresh grated ginger, depending on how much you want
1 1/2 tsp Sesame oil
3 tbs olive oil, blend oil, or grapeseed oil
salt and white pepper
Blend it all in the food processor until it makes a paste similar to pesto. You can add more oil or water to make it thinner if you need to. It's very important to make sure the mixture is blended with no big chunks, because fresh herbs will burn in the oven unless pureed completely. Paint it on the salmon and let it sit in the fridge while you prepare the rest (or, let it sit overnight- I have found the longer it sits, the less "fishy" it tastes).
Cucumber Relish:
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (I prefer English cucumbers, which you don't have to peel)
1 red bell pepper, diced (you can use yellow or orange too, but red is prettiest)
1/2 - 1 red onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs Rice Vinegar (if you don't like rice vinegar, you can use lime juice instead)
salt and white pepper to taste
*I have added dill a few times because my grandparents dry it so I have an overabundance each year. It was never a part of my mom's recipe, nor is it really necessary, but it's yummy.
Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the salmon with the ginger cilantro mixture on it for about 30 minutes. Then, turn the oven on broil low and cook for another 3 minutes or so, watching to make sure the top doesn't burn. Take the salmon out and serve with the cucumber relish on the side. It's a very refreshing dish.
I usually serve it with cilantro lime rice or spring rolls. It makes a great bbq meal too, if you grill the fish instead of broiling it.
Leftover Idea:
Toss the leftover relish and salmon pieces with noodles. If needed, add a dressing made with sesame oil, blend oil, lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add some chopped broccoli and make it into an Asian style pasta salad, served with crunchy noodles.
Wine Pairing:
Sake, of course;-)
Alternative:
A lot of people don't like salmon (which is sad because they obviously don't know what they're missing). I have had this relish and marinade on pork chops. We made everything the same and then grilled the pork and served it with an Asian style rice salad. It was great for a bbq!
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