Salmon w/ Lemon Parsley Green Beans & Spicy Ranch

Louisville, KY has been in the spotlight lately.  Especially after Monday night's win at the NCAA championship - which for a non-basketball watcher, was actually quite exciting.  I heard fireworks and people screaming for well into the night, long after the game actually ended.  And I didn't mind.  It was pretty cool to hear the city come alive and come together.

And here in about a month or so, tons of people from all over the country will flood into the city to witness the most exciting 2 minutes in sports - the Kentucky Derby.  It's always a time of drinking bourbon, eating food, spending money, and watching the races!  I'm definitely proud to call Louisville my home.

Another exciting thing, which may not be as exciting to those of you who are not from Louisville or Kentucky - but the chef that owns the restaurant that I currently work at, Edward Lee - is coming out with a cookbook.  And it looks awesome.  Smoke & Pickles will definitely be on my bookshelf come May 1st - and I hope it'll be on yours too!

Anyway, Andy loved this meal.  I don't know if he was starving by the time I made it, or if he really just overly enjoyed it, but he cleared his plate AND the rest of mine too.  Another winner in the books!

Ingredients:

2 6 oz. salmon fillets
flour, for dredging
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Green Beans:

1 lb. hericot verts (French green beans), blanched and shocked
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Spicy Ranch:

1 cup ranch dressing
1 tablespoon Gochujang paste (Korean chili paste)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon sesame oil
water, as needed

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter and add garlic.  Saute until fragrant.  Toss in the hericot verts and coat in the butter.  Add the lemon juice and cook until reduced.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Toss the hericot verts with the parsley until combined. 

In a small bowl, combine the ranch, Gochujang, maple syrup, and sesame oil.  If the mixture is too thick, add a little bit of warm water until you reach your desired consistency.

Heat a large saute pan under medium high heat.  Add the olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. 

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, dusting off any excess.  Add the salmon to the saute pan and cook until browned.  Flip over and cook until desired temperature.  I like to cook my salmon to medium, with a little bit of pink still in the middle.

To plate, place a good amount of sauce on the center of the plate.  Place green beans on sauce and top with salmon fillets.  We had some onion rings in the freezer and decided to fry those up and serve them with this as an added crunch factor.  It was pretty darn delicious, if you ask me!

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week!

Salmon w/ Mustard Parsley Sauce

It's really starting to feel like Spring around here.  The temps are starting to rise every day and sooner or later I'll be able to leave the house without a jacket - and that excites me so much!

Even more exciting news - one of the sous chefs at Milkwood is moving out of town, so his position will soon be open.  I was approached the other night to see if I was interested in it - so, soon enough - I'll be a sous chef!  Didn't think in a million years it would happen this fast, but hey - I'll take it!

I made something easy breezy for lunch the other day that was light and tasty.  And I even got to take the pictures outside - which is another sure sign that Spring is a-coming!  The only thing I wish I would have done differently was to not be lazy and chop up the parsley a little bit finer - so it's duly noted in the ingredients to do so!

Ingredients:

2 6 oz. salmon fillets
flour, for dredging
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 cup white wine
juice from 1 lemon
1 & 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, optional

The sauce comes together in a matter of minutes and is versatile enough that you could put it on chicken, fish, meat, pork, etc.  So feel free to mix and match as you see fit!

In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil and butter under medium heat.  When the butter is melted, add the shallots and saute until fragrant.  Add wine and lemon juice and reduce mixture by half. 

Turn off the heat and stir in the dijon mustard, maple syrup, and parsley until combined.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a large saute pan under medium high heat and add olive oil.

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, dusting off any excess.

Add the fillets to the pan and sear until golden brown.  Flip over to continue cooking to desired temperature - I love medium salmon.

I caramelized some brussels sprouts to pair along with the salmon and they were perfect.  Serve the salmon over your preferred veggie and top with the mustard sauce.

 

A meal that comes together in less than 20 minutes!  Can't beat that!

Hope you guys have a great weekend! 

Porcini-Dusted Salmon w/ Sauce Colbert & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Hey guys!  November 13th is always a weird day for me.  It marks a day where someone close to me passed away.  No matter how much time passes (8 years today), it always seems like just yesterday that it happened.  I don't want to go into too much detail, because I don't want to depress anybody, but I definitely wouldn't be the person I am today without the impact of this person in my life.

This dish is elegant and tasty.  Easier than it looks, and definitely will impress dinner guests!

I love using dried porcini mushrooms as a component in dishes.  Just grind them up in a spice grinder and you have a powder that can bring a dish from ordinary to magical in a matter of seconds!  Definitely a secret ingredient I'd keep handy!

The sauce is basically a bearnaise sauce with the addition of a demi-glace.  In this case, a seafood demi-glace.

Ingredients:

Salmon:

2 6 oz. portions of salmon
salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons of dried porcini mushroom powder
flour, for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce Colbert:

1/4 cup champagne vinegar (I had an orange-infused one that brought some citrus flair to the sauce)
1/4 cup white wine 
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper, to taste
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 cup seafood stock

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

3 large red potatoes, washed and quartered
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
5 cloves roasted garlic
salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making your sauce.  In a small saucepan, combine the champagne vinegar, white wine, shallot, and tarragon.  Reduce mixture until it is about 2 tablespoons.  Strain and let cool. 

In another small saucepan, add the seafood stock and reduce to about 2-3 tablespoons.  Skim for any impurities and set aside.

Set up a double boiler under medium low heat.  Beat the egg yolks in the bowl until they are a pale yellow and slightly thicken.  Be careful not to let the eggs cook rapidly because you'll end up with a curdled mess.  You can remove the bowl from the double boiler, if needed.

Strain the cooled vinegar liquid into the egg yolks and continue to slowly cook, whisking constantly, over the double boiler.  Whisk in the cold butter, one tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated.  Slowly drizzle in the melted butter, about a tablespoon at a time.  Don't add any more in until the previous amount it whisked in - this is similar to making a hollandaise or mayonnaise. 

When all the butter is incorporated and the sauce is at your desired consistency, whisk in the reduced seafood stock and chopped parsley.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Reserve sauce under low heat, keeping an eye on it to make sure the eggs do not curdle. (I basically just let my bowl sit over the double boiler with the heat turned off, the residual heat should be enough to get you through cooking the rest of your meal).

Preheat oven to 425 F.

To make the mashed potatoes, add the potatoes to a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Boil until tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain and return to saucepan.  Add heavy cream, butter, goat cheese, and roasted garlic.  Mash until you reach your desired consistency - I like lumps, so I like to leave it very rustic.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place about 1/2 cup of flour in a pan.  Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper.  Dust each piece of salmon with about 1 teaspoon of porcini mushroom powder.  Then dredge each piece of salmon in the flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat an oven-proof skillet under medium high heat and add olive oil.  Add salmon to pan, presentation-side down and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.  Flip salmon over and transfer pan to the oven and cook until flaky, about 5 minutes (I like my salmon on the medium rare to medium side).

To plate, place a mound of mashed potatoes in the center of your plate.  Top with the salmon fillet.  Drizzle sauce atop salmon and around plate.  Garnish with parsley.  Voila!  A simple meal that is full of flavor!

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week!

Salmon Croquette Burger

How's everyone's weekend going?  It's been pretty busy around these parts, so I'm sorry for my lack of posts.  I've got some big things coming up this week - yesterday I was at the Muhammad Ali Center for the Mayor's International Gala.  I competed against 7 other teams in an international culinary competition.  My group drew Ecuador and we placed 2nd - only by a 1 point loss!  It was an awesome experience, and the fact that many people came up to me and had multiple tastings of our dish, as well as saying it was the best they'd had all night.  That was prize enough!  And I couldn't have lost to anybody better - the 1st place team included my usual lab partner in class, so I was so happy for her!

And I've also been chosen as a participant to enter into the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competition.  I'm most excited about this because the ultimate winner (I'd have to get through 3 rounds: Locally against the Sullivan Lexington campus, Regionally in Chicago against all the Northwest Region champs, and Nationally in Napa Valley against all the regional winners) gets a $10,000 cash prize, a 1 year externship at a celebrity chef's restaurant, and a media tour with San Pellegrino.  A chance. of. a. lifetime.  So I'm crossing my fingers that I at least place out of the local competition and get a trip to Chicago, but it would be hella neat if I got to go to Napa Valley too, right?!

Anyway...

A little while back, I went to lunch at the Marketplace Restaurant with a couple of old co-workers.  I had the most amazing salmon croquette sandwich and have been craving it ever since.  So I decided to whip up my own version at home!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup onion, small diced
1 cup potatoes, cooked and mashed
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 lb. salmon, poached and flaked
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
juice from 1 lemon
flour, for breading
egg wash, for breading
breadcrumbs, for breading
vegetable oil, for frying

Lettuce, Bread, Mayo, etc. for sandwich compilation

Heat a large saute pan under medium high heat and melt butter.  Add onions and cook until translucent.

Add the flour to make a roux. 

Add milk and whisk constantly until no lumps remain.  Cook until a slightly thick bechamel is formed, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.  Add the salmon, dill, salt, pepper, lemon juice, scallions, mashed potatoes, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon pepper seasoning.

Place mixture in the fridge to firm up and chill, about 10-15 minutes.

Set up a 3 compartment breading station (one pan flour, one pan egg wash, one pan breadcrumbs).

Portion the mixture into 8 oz. patties (or desired size).  Dredge each patty in flour, then egg wash, then finally breadcrumbs.

Heat a deep fryer or oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to about 375F.  Fry each patty for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Drain each patty on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt, if needed.

Assemble the salmon burger to suit your tastes.  We put ours between two pieces of white bread, and topped with some green leaf lettuce and mayonnaise.  Pretty darn easy, tasty, quick!

What's your favorite way to put together a salmon burger?

Salmon w/ Lemon Cream Beurre Blanc & Sauteed Vegetables

The traditional beurre blanc we made the other day was a very temperature sensitive sauce.  A lot of us don't have the time or patience to hover over something to make sure it doesn't break.  Am I right?  Well, a cream beurre blanc is a more stable version of a beurre blanc.  It allows the emulsification to become more stable. 

So today I've got a beautiful salmon dish, topped with the beurre blanc.  Easy. Simple. Delicious. 

Ingredients:

Lemon Cream Beurre Blanc:

1/2 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 teaspoons olive oil
3 oz. white wine
4 oz. heavy whipping cream
4 oz. butter, cut into 1 oz. portions and chilled
juice from 1 lemon
3 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Salmon:

2 6 oz. salmon fillets
1/2 cup flour, for dredging
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Vegetables:
 
1/2 lb. haricot vert (French green beans)
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making your beurre blanc.  Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and saute shallots until translucent.  Add wine, lemon juice, and thyme and reduce mixture by half.

Add the cream and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce by two-thirds.

Remove from the heat, but keep warm.  Whisk in the butter, an ounce at a time, moving back to the heat if necessary.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Strain mixture and hold warm.

Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper on both sides.  Dredge salmon in flour, patting off any excess.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and add salmon, skin-side down (or presentation side if you've removed the skin).  Cook to desired temperature and set aside.

Season your vegetables and saute under medium high heat (you can use the same pan as the salmon, if you'd like - make sure to wipe out any excess grease).

To plate, place a mound of vegetables in the center of the plate.  Top with salmon fillet and beurre blanc.

This was a meal we enjoyed out on our back deck.  It was such a lovely summertime meal.  Hope you guys are having a great week so far!

Crab-Stuffed Salmon w/ Corn Red Pepper Relish, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, & Lemon-Thyme Beurre Blanc

So maybe that title could have been a little bit shorter, eh?  I just wanted to make sure I had your attention!

This was, by far, one of the best meals that has ever been cooked in this household.  Andy DEVOURED this plate.  Seriously, I've never seen such a constant smile on his face after eating a meal.  You just know it's gotta be a winner then!

Before we get into anything... how are you guys?!  I know I'm sporadic in my posts, but I try to do one at least every other week.  Things are just getting crazier and crazier!  School, work, school.  And this week I helped make hors d'oeuvres for a fundraiser that the restaurant on campus is holding tonight.  I made some sweet potato biscuits and sandwiched in between them are some fig preserves, country ham, and manchego cheese.  DELICIOUS.  Hopefully they'll be a hit tonight!

Anyway, let's get to some salmon.  Don't be weary about the seemingly long list of ingredients.  Everything comes together quite quickly (less than 45 minutes) if you have everything prepped and ready when you need it!

Salmon:

2 - 8 oz. salmon fillets
1 cup lump crab meat
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Corn-Red Pepper Relish:

1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen corn (I used shoepeg because Andy loves shoepeg, but sweet yellow would be great too)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:


5 medium-sized yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup garlic cloves, peeled
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Lemon-Thyme Beurre Blanc:

1/2 cup white wine
1 small shallot, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
juice from 1 lemon
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
salt, to taste

Like I said, don't be scared!  Everything is super easy, and you don't necessary have to have all the components - but I promise you, if you do... it'll be one hell of a knock out dinner if you're trying to impress someone special!

So first, let's prep the crab stuffing.  Super easy.  In a medium bowl, combine the crab meat, parsley, lemon juice, and garlic.  Season with salt to taste, and bam.  You've got crab stuffing.

Now let's stuff out salmon.  But first we have to cut a slit down the middle of each fillet.  You don't want to go all the way through, maybe leave anywhere between 1/4 to 1/2 inch on the bottom. 

Place about 1/2 cup of the stuffing in the slit (and on top of the salmon). 

Place in a container and cover with plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge until ready to use. 

Now we can make our mashed potatoes and relish at the same time. (But for ease, I'll describe each one separately).

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Place the garlic in a small roasting dish and toss in olive oil.  Season with a little bit of salt.  Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until garlic is golden and soft.  Let cool.

Drain the potatoes and add roasted garlic, sour cream, butter, and heavy cream.  Mash until you've reached your desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the relish, add a little bit of olive oil to a large saute pan and heat under medium high heat.

Add corn and scallions, cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Then add red bell pepper and garlic.  Cook until pepper is slightly softened, but still has a bit of a bite, about 2-3 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in parsley.

Place mixture in a medium bowl and add in lemon juice and honey.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Now we can make our sauce while the salmon is cooking (hope your oven is still at 375!)

Place the salmon on a baking sheet and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until at your desired doneness.

In a medium sauce pan, add shallots, thyme sprigs, and white wine.  Place under medium high heat and reduce wine by about two-thirds.

When wine is reduced, slowly add in one or two pats of butter at a time, whisking constantly to form an emulsion.  Don't add any more butter until the last bit of butter is almost emulsified.  Continue adding butter until all is incorporated.

Whisk in lemon juice and season with salt, to taste.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer.  (A great video on a beurre blanc is this one - so versatile, add whatever aromatics/flavors you desire)

To plate your final dish, first make sure all of your components are warm.  If you did this all at once, everything should still be okay (if not, nuke it in the microwave for 30 seconds and you're good to go!).

Place about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes on the center of the plate, slightly flatten out.  Place salmon on top, slightly to the right or left of center (in other words, not exactly in the center, hehe).  Place a small handful of the relish next to the salmon and drizzle the beurre blanc around the plate and a little bit on top of the salmon, as well.  And voila... a plate designed to impress and satisfy any seafood-hungry stomach!

Hope you guys have a great weekend and see you soon =)

Steamed Salmon w/ Greens, Corn, & Pickled Vegetables

Happy Friday guys!

We've got a big Labor Day weekend planned, too!  Our great friends Ike & Becca are getting married tomorrow - so congrats to the future Lehrs! 

Sunday, we'll probably head out to World Fest - which showcases the cultural diversity of Louisville by food, music, and shops!  We went last year and had a great time, so looking forward to that one! 

Still don't have any Labor Day plans, but if all else fails, I know we'll be lounging around - which is good enough for me!  Anyway, let's get to today's dish!

We haven't been eating a lot of red meat around these parts.  I don't know why, we've just been opting for lighter meals.  Salmon is always a favorite of ours, and when I saw this simple dish over at Joanne's Eats Well With Others, I knew I had to try it out!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Eats Well With Others' Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-inch thick slice of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup kale, chopped
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup mizuna greens
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus extra for drizzling
2 6 oz. salmon fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups fresh corn
pickled vegetables

In a large skillet under medium high heat, add both oils.  Add the ginger and garlic powder.  Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add kale, spinach, mizuna, soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of water.  Saute until the greens start to wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread the greens in an even layer in the skillet.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place the fillets on top of the greens in the skillet.  Cover pan and lower heat to medium.  Steam fish for about 5-7 minutes, or until just cooked through. 

You can choose to cook your corn if you'd like, but I'm weird and I like the taste of raw corn.  Divide corn among two plates and top with salmon fillets.  Serve alongside the greens and pickled vegetables.  Drizzle additional sesame oil, soy sauce, and/or remaining steam liquid in pan (it was infused with the garlic and ginger, so it's tasty!).

This was a great meal.  Andy and I both had our plates cleaned on this one.  That's a sure sign of a winner there!

Hope you guys have a great holiday weekend and I'll be back Monday!

Wheat Germ-Crusted Salmon

My body hates me right now.  I've put it through some extreme circumstances lately.  You know, actually going to the gym on Sunday (Andy renewed his membership, so it's easier to go together!), running (well... run/walking) over 4 miles in the park yesterday, and worst of all... making it endure a 1 hour interval spinning class this morning.  Should I mention that this was my first. ever. spin class?  Yeah.  PURE TORTURE. 

I know my body doesn't really hate me, and that my whining is just every day life for the majority of you (bravo you! and yes, I am a wuss), but you know what?  I think I actually really liked the spinning class.  I jokingly said to my friend (who is now cursing me for making her go to her first ever spin class this morning also) that we should make this a weekly thing, but I don't think I'm joking.  I think I actually want to put myself through that again, and again.  But maybe it's my endorphins just playing tricks on my brain.  We'll see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow, maybe I'll be back to sanity and realize that was a ludicrous idea.

Now exercising may not be my forte, but food - now we're talking.  I ventured into the world of wheat germ a couple weekends ago and I must say that I'm a fan.  The smell alone had me hooked.  So what the heck is wheat germ?  Well, I'm obviously no expert, but from what I gather, it's a great source of fiber (as well as Vitamin E, folic acid, phosphorous, thiamin, etc. etc.) and you can practically add it to anything from protein shakes to casseroles.  So pretty versatile little bugger, eh?  So when I saw this recipe in March's Food & Wine, I knew I had to try it out (especially since it was easy, and we still had a bunch of salmon, from our bulk buying binge, still in the freezer).

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

3 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 tablespoon, plus 1 & 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
2 6 oz. skinless salmon fillets
2 & 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a small saute pan, gently toast wheat germ for a few minutes, until fragrant.  Watch it carefully because it can burn quickly.

In a shallow dish, combine the toasted wheat germ, 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides.  In a small bowl, combine the dijon mustard and remaining 1 & 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder.  Spread mixture onto both sides of the salmon fillets, then dip each salmon fillet in the wheat germ mixture, and coat both sides.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add olive oil.  Heat until oil is shimmering and add both salmon fillets to pan.  Cook until browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes.  Carefully flip fillets over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes longer.  Transfer the salmon to plates and serve with a side salad (top it with an egg, you won't be disappointed!).

Now, usually when a recipe called for skinless salmon, I ignore that (because for real, the skin is the best part, right?!), but for this one, I decided to be a good recipe follower and skin my fillets.  I'm glad I did because I don't think the wheat germ crust would have formed as well, let alone still stick, with the skin still on. 

So seriously, give this sucker a try... it's fast, easy, and delicious.

Have you guys ever tried wheat germ?  What do you put it on or add it to?

And check back tomorrow for a new little feature - "things that don't make the blog, but still take a good picture" - still working on the name, suggestions welcome!
And if you don't make it back tomorrow, definitely come back Friday (yes, I'm late on this once again) for the poll winner - sweet potato donuts!

The Marketplace Restaurant: Recreated

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Remember a couple weeks ago when I said I wanted to go out and recreate restaurant meals as well as review them?  I'm a little late on delivering on that, aren't I?

Instead of making excuses, I'm going to get right into it.  I had a lot of fun with this one, and can't wait to do many, many more!

The Review

Source

 Marketplace Restaurant is in downtown Louisville, in Theater Square.  It's a cozy little place that had a fun little jazz band playing on a Friday night.  It wasn't too busy, maybe only 4 or 5 parties in the whole place, but you could tell everyone was having a good time.

The service was very friendly and the server was very informative on many of the dishes.  It was definitely hard to choose, because everything sounded so delicious.

We tend to judge a place by their calamari, so of course, we had to order theirs.  It was a buttermilk fried calamari and it was crispy and delicious.  The calamari itself was perfectly cooked, just the right texture.  The sauce they paired with it was a Sweet Chili-Lime sauce.  While I love sweet chili sauce with calamari, I wasn't too too crazy about the lime, but then again, it was a different twist and I like that.

For our mains, Andy chose to go with a Curry Seared Scallop.  He enjoyed it for the most part, but said that it didn't offer much contrast in the dish as a whole.  After a few bites, it just got boring.  I thought it was a good idea in concept, but execution was just so-so.

I'm still not used to the whole, "taking pictures in restaurants" kind of thing =)

 I chose to go with the Market Fish of the Day, which was a Swordfish steak w/ risotto cakes and braised vegetables with a cherry reduction.  Now this was pretty tasty.  I don't normally like swordfish, but this was great.  Perfectly cooked and the risotto cakes were absolutely delicious.  The dish as a whole was beautiful in presentation and taste.

Of course, we always have to go for dessert.  In this case, it was a brownie with some fresh vanilla bean ice cream.  Sometimes the simple things are just right.  This was a perfect end to the meal.

All in all, I'd say our experience here was great.  Lovely atmosphere, attentive service, and pretty good food!

And now... what did I recreate?

Well, I decided to do my dish, but instead of hunting around for some swordfish, I would use the bounty of salmon that we had just acquired.

At first, I was hesitant with choosing the salmon, because the Flavor Bible had no record of salmon and cherries going together, and because I trust the Flavor Bible almost more than I trust the actual Bible, I was a little scared.  But I said "to hell with it" and pressed on anyway.  And boy, am I glad I did.

So without further ado... my recreation of The Marketplace Restaurant's Market Fish of the Day (with the use of salmon instead of swordfish)


Ingredients:

Risotto Cakes:

salt and pepper, to taste
1 box Risotto mix (yeah, I took a shortcut here - I used a Parmesan/Garlic blend)
2 large eggs
small handful of chives, minced    

3/4 to 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
olive oil

Make risotto according to package directions.  Let cool to room temperature.

Mix risotto with eggs and chives.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover mixture with plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 250 F.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. 

Form patties out of the cooled risotto mixture. 

Place patties in panko and turn to coat.

Working in batches, add patties to skillet and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned.  Place finished cakes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Serve hot.

Cherry Reduction:

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 cup red wine
1 & 1/2 cups frozen cherries

1 tablespoon honey
salt, to taste
pinch of sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add shallot and saute for about 2-3 minutes, or until starting to soften.  Season with a pinch of salt and sugar.

Add cherries, wine, and honey.  Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until mixture is thickened.

Whisk in remaining tablespoon of butter until incorporated.  Set sauce aside, until needed.

Sauteed Zucchini & Spinach

1 large zucchini, sliced
1 cup spinach
salt and pepper
splash or two of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
squeeze of half a lemon

Heat a large skillet until medium high heat.  Add olive oil.  

Once oil is shimmering, add zucchini and saute for about 2-3 minutes.  Then add spinach and cook until just wilted.  

Season with salt and pepper.  Add a splash of balsamic, if you'd like.  Finish off by squeezing some fresh lemon juice on top.

Salmon:


2 6 oz. salmon fillets
salt and pepper, to taste

Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper.


Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add salmon, skin side down.  Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Flip over and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until opaque throughout.

Phew.  That was one long winded post.  What's my verdict?  Well, there were pros and cons to both dishes, mine and the actual restaurant's.  

I definitely now believe I can add the pairing of salmon and cherries in my Flavor Bible notes.  I loved the salmon a tad bit more than the swordfish.  However, my little addition of the balsamic to my veggies, it sort of overpowered or "felt out of place" in the whole composition of the dish.  I would have been great as a side all by itself, but along with the salmon and cakes, it just didn't quite "fit".  

I definitely feel that if your looking for a restaurant quality meal (I know it's sort of late to do it for Valentine's Day), this would be it.  Who knows... maybe it'll be on my restaurant menu one day? =) 

Hope you all have a great rest of your day, and I promise tomorrow's post will be much much shorter!

Smoked Paprika Rubbed Salmon

Okay, I have a new obsession.  True Blood.  I love it.  I can't get enough of it.  And I'm thankful that Netflix has consistently been delivering Season 2 to my mailbox for the past week or so.  Just sayin'.

Remember all that salmon we got a few weeks ago?  And the promise of me posting salmon recipes?  Yeah, I know.  I've slacked.  I haven't posted any since we got the salmon.  That doesn't mean we haven't cooked it.  Boy have we been eating salmon!  I've just gotten caught up with all the other things going on, that those recipes weren't in the spotlight to post.  Just yet, anyway.

But this baby.  This was great.  This... was my very UN-Superbowl-themed dinner that we had on Sunday.  Instead of gorging on wings, dips, and all those other Superbowl-related artery-clogging goodies... I settled (well, preferred) to have this beautiful (and slightly healthier!) salmon.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Mccormick's website

Juice and zest from 1 minneola orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 6 oz. salmon fillets
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine orange juice, olive oil, and thyme.  Place salmon fillets in plastic Ziploc bag and carefully pour in marinade.  Seal tightly, getting rid of as much air as possible from the bag.  Let sit in fridge for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In another small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and orange zest.

Remove salmon from bags and place on foil lined baking sheet.  Rub paprika mixture atop salmon and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until salmon is pink throughout. 

We served this salmon with some freshly sauteed spinach, corn, & carrots.  It was a match made in heaven.  There was a great contrast of sweetness from the brown sugar and a little kick of spice with the hot paprika.  Definitely a great flavor! 

I chose the healthy route on such a gluttonous day, but only because I was too lazy to make anything too crazy.  This is definitely one of those quick weeknight dinners that will make you feel good about yourself afterwards!  Enjoy guys!

Baked Salmon w/ Pesto Puff Pastry & Corn

Remember that Lowell EGO light that I said I was getting?  Well... it came in the mail this past weekend and my verdict???  I.  Absolutely.  Love.  It.  LOVE IT. 

This salmon dish was just a quick Saturday night meal that was ready in about 30 minutes, just using what I basically had on hand!  I just love how the light gave such vibrance to the photos!  I hardly had to do any editing (besides some basic cropping/sharpening/noise reduction).  So hopefully over the next couple of months I can work more on the "styling" part of my photos.  Any tips?  Suggestions?  Any would help!

So if you're looking for something quick and tasty, this salmon dish is definitely for you!




Ingredients:

2 6 oz. salmon fillets
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less if you like it less spicy)
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for rubbing
1 & 1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup pesto
2 rectangles of puff pastry (cut a little bigger than the salmon fillets)

Preheat oven to 400 F. 

Rub salmon fillets with olive oil and season both sides with cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Place puff pastry pieces on a greased baking sheet and bake according to package directions, or until golden brown.

Place salmon skin-side down in an oven-proof skillet and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through.

(My salmon and puff pastry were pretty much done at about the same time, so it worked perfectly)

Cook frozen corn in microwave according to package directions.

Spread a good amount of the pesto on top of the puff pastry and top with salmon and corn. 

Seriously.  I could not have had better ingredients to work with.  So colorful, so flavorful.  SO PERFECT. 

I asked Andy what he thought of the addition of the puff pastry (whether it was really necessary or added anything to the dish) and he said he actually enjoyed it's contrast with the delicate salmon.  So major score!  I loved this dinner and plan on making it many many times over!  Enjoy guys!

Pan Seared Salmon With Zucchini Relish

It's been an eventful week.  Of course, my birthday, work, and school kept me busy as a bee.  Nonetheless, I'm ready for the weekend. 

I'm majorly excited because, just like last year, we're going to be taking our own Christmas card pictures again.  I know what you're thinking, it's not even Halloween and I'm already thinking about Christmas cards!  But I've got a great theme this year and the weather is just right for taking the pictures!  So what is my fabulous idea you ask?  Well... perusing in Target the other day, we found some cheap "ugly" dog sweaters!  And so we bought them, of course!  Well... I bought them, Andy just went along with it.  So me and Andy are going to find some "ugly" Christmas sweaters and take some shots with us and the dogs!  Genius, huh?  Maybe not as cool to you, but trust me... when you see the finished product in a month or two, you'll be impressed.  Or at least laugh at us for being so dorky!

What about you guys?  Do you ever make your own Christmas cards?  What crazy themes do you all come up with?

Anyway, I figured to end the week, I'd do a really elegant salmon dish that I prepared last Sunday.  Enjoy the weekend guys!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Bon Appetit's recipe

For Relish:


1 zucchini, peeled and diced
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
6 tablespoons olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
zest from 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

For Salmon:

2 6 oz. salmon fillets, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

To put together relish, in a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, feta, onion, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Mix well, and season with salt and pepper, if needed.  Set mixture aside.

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet under high heat.  Place salmon, skin side down, in skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until skin is nicely browned.  Carefully turn salmon over and cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until flesh is opaque in the center.

To plate, mound a nice scoop of the relish and top with salmon fillet.  We also made the jalapeno goat cheese hush puppies to have with our meal, also! 

Andy definitely made the comment that the salmon wouldn't have been as good without the relish underneath.  It kind of made itself into it's own "tartar sauce," if you will.  It was quick and easy to prepare and definitely a beautiful site to look at!  Enjoy guys!

Pan Seared Salmon With French Green Lentils

How was everyone's weekend? Our weekend was pretty eventful, despite the heat. We went to one of our favorite Cuban restaurants, Havana Rumba. Sad to say, we didn't have a very pleasant experience. It's always busy, so we expected a wait. So we waited... and waited... and finally, after seeing couples and groups have their buzzer go off before us, when they came well after us... Andy decided to check on the status of when we would get seated. Come to find out, we were mistakenly skipped. (insert big sigh here)... So they seat us right away. Well, then we order and Andy always gets the "Vaca Fritas"... everyone knows what vaca fritas are right? Well, it's shredded beef that's flash fried with onions and peppers. What comes to the table? A marinated steak. NOT vaca fritas. Does Andy send it back? No, because we weren't about to cause a scene. We're not THOSE people. But sorry Havana Rumba... we probably won't be visiting again for quite some time.

Has anyone ever had any experiences like that? You've ALWAYS had consistent service at a place, and loved everything about them, until one night of service and/or food just ruins it all? It's just a bummer, that's all. We've been on a string of Friday nights where we've gone to some of our favorite places and they've just failed to deliver. Or maybe our palates have just grown too snobby to like what we once did? We're the ones that have changed, not the restaurants. Maybe? For right now, I'll leave that decision at a draw. It could be a little bit of both.

Now on to today's recipe, which is so simple, yet so flavorful. And yes, this was my first time ever cooking with lentils. I can't believe I've never used them before!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Korean American Mommy's Blog

1 cup French green lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for rubbing salmon
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 8 oz. salmon fillets, skin on

In a medium heat proof bowl, add the lentils and cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until onions start to soften.

Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute or two. Add celery, carrots, chicken stock, lentils, and tomato paste. Stir until tomato paste is well incorporated and cover. Stirring occasionally, simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Slowly stir in the vinegar until you reach the desired taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Heat a large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Rub both sides of salmon fillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. If you want a crispier skin of the salmon, make about 2-3 diagonal scores on the skin before you add it to skillet. This will create less surface area to heat and allow for the skin to crisp up faster.

Place salmon fillets, skin side down, in the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until skin is browned. Carefully flip each fillet over and transfer skillet to oven for about 5 minutes, or until pink throughout. (I'd never cooked salmon this way either, I usually just use that method for steaks, but was pleasantly surprised that the salmon came out PERFECT doing this)

Serve the salmon over a mound of the lentil mixture and dig in!

I definitely loved this recipe. It came together in no time, and was definitely light and filling. Enjoy!

Honey-Lime Glazed Salmon W/ Broccolini and Rice

First of all, seriously... Gourmet magazine shutting down? This is a travesty! I just hope the other great magazines, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Cook's Illustrated etc. are not soon to follow. I think that would be the death of me, and frankly, I'm too young to die. Anyway, I found this recipe in October's Bon Appetit and just HAD to try it, considering I just got a new fry pan and have been longing to stick it in my oven! (I know, waaaaay nerdy)

Ingredients:

Juice from 1 lime
Zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium shallots, sliced
3/4 cup short grain brown rice, or any rice for that matter
1 & 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 6 oz. salmon fillets
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, zest, honey, and soy sauce. Set aside.

I like to leave the skin on my salmon, so I chose to buy fillets with the skin still on, but the recipe called for skinless. So you can go either way. If you go the skin way, then turn your fillets skin-side up on a cutting board and cut 3 or 4 slits diagonally on the skin and season both sides with salt and pepper. I learned this trick from Gordon Ramsey, of all people. It creates less surface area on the skin and crisps it up faster. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in medium to large skillet under high heat. Place salmon, skin side down, and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until your skin is nice and crispy. Set salmon aside.

In the same fry pan, lower heat to medium and saute the shallots until they become soft and start turning brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining olive oil, rice, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid and bake in oven for about 20 minutes. Depending on the type of rice you use, in my case, short grain brown rice, the cooking time may vary. Brown rice takes a little bit to entirely cook, so if you want something a little faster you might try a white rice like basmati.

Remove skillet from oven and season rice with salt, if needed. Add salmon fillets on top of rice, skin side up so it can continue to crisp in oven because it will lose some of the crisp in the waiting time. Top salmon fillets with honey-lime-soy mixture and arrange broccolini around fish, and you can even anchor them in the rice. Cover tightly with lid and return to oven to cook for about 10 minutes, or until salmon is nice and done.

Serve with extra sauce on the side and enjoy!

This was both delicious and it didn't make me feel like I was gourging! Yes, the rice took quite a bit longer than I anticipated, but it was amazing. The flavors all blended together and the broccolini was crisp and refreshing. The salmon was moist and tasty!