Recipe #317: Broiled Salmon with Bleu Cheese, Lemon, & Dill

I don't remember where I linked to this recipe from, but I knew I had to make it the second I saw it.  It was awhile before I finally planned it out, for whatever reason- I regret waiting so long.  FANTASTIC!!  So much flavor!!  I adjusted the amounts for 2 fillets that were about a half pound each, but I'm leaving measurements here how the recipe originally had them.  Adjust according to your needs.

INGREDIENTS:

One 4 1/2-pound wild salmon fillet with skin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper (I only had black)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS;

Preheat the oven to 450°. Lay the salmon skin side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season the salmon with salt and white pepper and dot with the butter. Roast the salmon in the upper third of the oven for 8 minutes, until just starting to brown on top.

Remove the salmon from the oven and preheat the broiler. Set the rack 6 inches from the heat. In a medium bowl, using a fork, blend the cheese with the dill, shallot, wine and lemon juice. Dot the mixture evenly over the salmon fillet and broil for 10 to 12 minutes, until the salmon is golden brown on top and just cooked through.

Recipe #216: Carne Asada Tacos

I don't know what took me so long to find a recipe for carne asada.  I've had some great versions of it at different restaurants and looked forward to making this fresh dish myself.  I made a couple changes (in red) to the recipe I found on allrecipes.com.  This is definitely worth putting in the permanent rotation of regular favorites!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin, cut into thin bite-size slices 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper crushed red pepper to taste 1 lime 1 (28 ounce) can tomatillos 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded  (I just used one) 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

12 (6 inch) corn tortillas  (I used flour) 1/2 large onion, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (Omitted) 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place sliced meat into a shallow bowl, and season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Squeeze the lime juice over the meat, and turn until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2.	In a blender or food processor, combine tomatillo and jalapeno. Puree for 15 to 20 seconds, or until thick. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Carefully pour in tomatillo mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until mixture coats a spoon. Transfer mixture to a serving dish.
3.	Heat tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in 1/3 of the beef, and saute for 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish. Repeat with remaining beef. Meanwhile, heat tortillas in the oven or microwave, according to package instructions.
4.	To serve, place two tortillas on top of each other. Add desired amount of meat, spoon over some tomatillo mixture. Top with onions, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. Garnish with a wedge of lemon, to be squeezed over taco before eating.  (I cooked the onions before I added the meat because I prefer cooked over fresh.)

Recipe #315: Chicken Mole

Chocolate? Cinnamon?  Cloves?  Raisins?  With chicken and tomatoes and onions?  YES.  Trust me.  It's WONDERFUL!  Allrecipes.com again for this winner.  I didn't have sesame seeds, unfortunately.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into pieces 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup raisins 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken pieces in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in the bay leaf, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, cloves, and cinnamon until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.

Stir in the tomatoes, brown sugar, and chicken broth, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, stir in the chocolate chips until melted, then return the chicken pieces to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink at the bone, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the raisins, and cook 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Recipe #314: Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

This is definitely going into my regular rotation.  It's is a Martha Stewart recipe that I modified based on what I already had in the kitchen, and I love how it turned out- I would keep my version of the recipe for next time.  Feeds two and is an easy but delicious one-pot meal.  I made this in my French pot, my favorite cooking tool in the kitchen!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces  (I used four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced  (I used a bunch of minced garlic)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard  (I used whole grain mustard that I bought in Paris!)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In batches, cook chicken until browned, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, then add brussels sprouts and shallots to pan. Saute until golden brown, 3 minutes. Stir in mustard and cook 1 minute. Add vinegar and broth, return chicken to pan, and bring to a rapid simmer.
2. Transfer pan to oven and braise until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Add cream to pan and swirl to combine; season with salt and pepper.  (I removed the chicken before adding the cream, and then spooned it over top once plated.)