Blackened Salmon with Tomato-Bean Ragu and Crispy Shallots

Blackened Salmon

 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon Ancho Powder

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

One pound Salmon, cut into four pieces

Olive Oil Spray, for grilling

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for final drizzle

Lemon Zest

In a small bowl, mix first nine ingredients.  Season salmon with the rub, on both sides.

Preheat a grill to 500 degrees F.  Spray with cooking spray.

Grill salmon for about 8-10 minutes, flipping once, depending on a thickness of the salmon. 

Move onto a plate.

Mean while prepare the Ragu

Tomato-White Bean Ragu 

2 cups Marinara Sauce, recipe to follow

1 14oz can White Beans

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Pinch of Chili Flakes

Preheat a skillet to medium heat.  Add all of the ingredients and cook for about 8-10 down, reducing the sauce.  Add Blackened Salmon into the Ragu, and cook for another 8-10 minutes.

Crispy Shallots

2 Shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Corn Meal

2 tablespoons Flour

Salt, Pepper

1/4 cup Canola Oil

Preheat a skillet to medium heat, add the oil.  

In a small bowl, add corn meal, flour, and fresh black pepper.  Add sliced shallots and toss in corn-flour mixture.  Fry shallots in two batches, about 4-5 minutes per batch.  Move onto a plate, lined with paper towel.  Season with a pinch of salt while shallots still hot. 

To serve, scoop some Ragu and top it with a  piece of salmon.  Grate some lemon zest and drizzle good olive oil over the top.


Serves 4

Marinara  Sauce

8 Tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 Sweet Onion, cut in large pieces

5-6 Garlic Cloves

1 Serrano Chili

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6-7 Basil Leaves

Salt, Pepper, to taste

 

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.  Drizzle veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat.  Roast for 25 minutes.  Cool off for 10 minutes.  Blend in the food processor.  Add a pinch of salt and fresh basil and process for another 30 seconds, or until basil is all chopped.  Store in an air-tight container up to seven days in a refrigerator. 

Makes about 3 cups.

Easy BBQ Salmon





1 pound Wild Salmon, skin on

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Preheat a grill to high heat.  Season salmon with ancho chili, salt, and pepper, on both sides.  Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over the salmon.  Let it marinate for about ten minutes.

Spray the grill with a cooking spray, so fish does not stick to the surface.  Grill salmon for about 5-7 minutes, not need to flip.

Serves 3-4

*So fast and easy...

Pan-Seared Salmon with Edamame and Balsamic Reduction

2 5 oz Salmon Fillet

1 cup Edamame

1/4 cup Pesto

1/2 Balsamic Vinegar

Salt, Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

To make Balsamic Reduction: Pour Vinegar into a small pot and turn it to medium heat.  Once it boils up, turn it down to low and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until it becomes really thick.  Set it aside until ready to use.

To make Edamame:  if frozen, microwave in the bag for 3 minutes.  Let it cool for about five minutes.  Using your hands, gently squeeze the beans out into a bowl.  Toss Edamame in pesto, season with fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt.

To prepare Salmon:  Preheat a stainless steel skillet to medium-high heat, and add canola oil.  On both sides, season salmon with salt and pepper.  Saute for about ten minutes, flipping it once, for medium done.

To serve:  Place Edamame on the bottom of a plate, top it with salmon and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

Serves 2

* Edamame is the Japanese Soybean with tons of health benefits.  Helps reduce the risk of heart disease, improves bone health, even helps to reduce certain types of cancer.

Wild Salmon Lox

1 pound Sushi Grade Salmon

3 tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Sugar

1 tablespoon Black Ground Pepper

1/2 cup Fresh Dill

In a small bowl, mix together salt, sugar, and pepper.  Cut salmon so you would have two same size pieces.  Rub seasoning all over the fish, very well, just not on the skin.  Make sure all the seasoning goes on the fish. Next, make sandwich out of the fish, flesh to flesh, and placing dill in between the two pieces.

Wrap really tightly the sandwich in plastic wrap.  Place it in a container and put something heavy over the top to create pressure.

Leave it in the refrigerator for three days, flipping the sandwich once a day.

After three days, remove the plastic wrap. Using your hands take the dill off the salmon. Thinly slice and enjoy!!!

Blackened Salmon with Wild Mushroom Quinoa

2 pounds Wild Salmon

2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika

2 tablespoons Dried Oregano

1 tablespoon Ground Pepper

1 tablespoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.  In a small bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.  Rub the salmon with the spices on both side very well.  Brush the oil on the top side of the salmon, not the skin side.

Place the salmon skin side down on the grill.  Grill it for about ten minutes, flipping it once, for medium done.

Wild Mushroom Quinoa

1 cup Quinoa

1/2 pound Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced

1/4 pound Oyster Mushrooms, sliced

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

Salt, Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Butter

2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Cook quinoa according to directions on the package.

Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat.  Melt the butter and oil together.  Add mushrooms, season with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic, fresh cilantro, cooked quinoa, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and toss it all together.

Serve this dinner family style.  On a large platter place the Wild Mushroom Quinoa and top it with Blackened Salmon.

Serves 4-5

Salmon Cakes with Caper-Dill Sauce

1 1/2 pound Wild Salmon

1 tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds

1 tablespoon White Sesame Seeds

2 tablespoons Fresh Dill, chopped

1 tablespoon Black Pepper

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil for frying

Remove the skin of the salmon and cut it into some pieces.

Using a food processor, ground the fish. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Using your hands, shape the fish mixture into medium size patties. Makes about seven.

Preheat the skillet to medium-high heat, then add the oil.  Fry fish patties for about 5 minutes, flipping once.  Move over onto a plate.

Caper-Dill Sauce

1/4 cup Mayo

Juice and Zest of one Lemon

3 ttablespoons Capers

3 tablespoons Fresh Dill, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Salt, Pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Can be made few hours ahead.

Serves 4-5

BBQ Salmon on a Cedar Plank

2 pounds Wild Sockeye Salmon

1 Lime, sliced

Salt, Pepper to taste

Cedar Plank

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Soak Cedar Plank over night in water.  Preheat the grill to 450 degree F.

Brush oil over the plank right before you are ready to BBQ. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Arrange lime slices all over salmon.

Place salmon on the cedar plank, skin down, then on the grill. Lastly, close the lid.  Cook salmon for about 30 minutes without opening the lid, to create smoky flavor.

Remove off the grill and enjoy.

Serves 6