Well hello there! Remember me? It's been a while. While my co-blogger Beth has been picking up the slack this summer, I've been moving twice, living out of a suitcase and trying to exist without an internet connection. Can you imagine? No internet at all? I don't think you can. Regardless, my family and I are settling into our new home and the internet is up and working so I'm back, Baby! I'mmmm BACK!
Well, sort of. Our loyal reader will recall that in her last post, Beth was mentioning how, some days, she feels a little bit like Tom Sizemore in Blackhawk Down. Beth & I are in sync about most things, so it should come as no surprise that I, too, have been feeling a lot like Tom Sizemore, but not Tom Sizemore, the beleaguered, tough-as-nails American soldier in Blackhawk Down or the heroic, tough-as-nails American soldier in Saving Private Ryan or the cynical, tough-as-nails DEA Agent in point break or even the psychotic, tough-as-nails gangster in Reservoir Dogs. Oh wait...that was Michael Madsen. Anybody else think they might be the same person? I digress.
No, my friends, I am afraid I feel like real life Tom Sizemore. Yes, I am in a very bloated, overweight, exhausted to my core, vaguely hungover, in and out of a toxic relationship with Heidi Fleiss, Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab sort of place right now. As a result, I am in the midst of a nutritionist-prescribed "re-calibration" diet, intended to, at long last, get my system back on track after the removal of my gall bladder earlier this year. Essentially, I can eat lean protein, vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, fruit and nuts. No gluten, no sugar, no dairy, no alcohol, no caffeine. But, ya know what? It's all right. Not as bad as you might think. I really only miss cheese. And wine. And ice cream which I only ever want when I'm told I cannot have it. Plus, it's only two or three weeks. I figure I can do almost anything for that long, especially if it's for the greater good. In this case, the greater good of me.
With all of that in mind, here's a little recipe I whipped together for dinner the other night. Health-wise, you can't go wrong with salmon, so that's where we'll begin. And, if you think I'm sitting here steaming everything, I think I mentally signed on to be re-calibrated when the aforementioned nutritionist said "you can have olive oil and butter." Try this on salmon, chicken, pork...might even work on swordfish and stuff! I served it with brown rice with all of the extra pan drippings stirred in. Yum. Even my parents and husband thought this was delicious and they are not on any weird diets.
Please note that the sauce must come together quickly, so please be sure to have all of your chopping, etc. done before you begin, lest you overcook your salmon.
With any luck, soon I'll be feeling a lot less like Tom Sizemore and a lot more like Uma Thurman, his co-star in Kill Bill. Oh, shoot...that was Michael Madsen again. Seriously, has anybody ever seen them in the same place at the same time?
Roasted Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard & Cremini Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. fresh Salmon fillet
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 lemon
2 medium shallots, diced
2 T. old style whole grain Dijon mustard (Maille brand is what I use)
1 T. capers
2/3 cup cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, stems removed, halved or quartered into bite-size pieces
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 cup delicious dry white wine or chicken stock (for deglazing)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a baking dish in there to preheat along with it. In a large saute pan, heat 1 T. of the olive oil over medium high heat. Season salmon liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper and a drizzle of additional olive oil. Place the salmon flesh side down in the saute pan. Allow to brown for about 1 minute and carefully turn it with a spatula. Cook for one more minute, skin side down. Transfer salmon to the baking dish that has been preheating in the oven.
In the pan you just took the salmon out of, quickly add the shallots, mustard, capers & mushrooms, plus at least 1 T. of lemon juice, more if you like. Saute, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Saute for another minute. Turn up the heat just a bit and add the wine or stock to deglaze the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for a minute and then carefully pour it all over the salmon that has been cooking away in the oven. Allow to roast for about 12 more minutes (after searing, the salmon should cook for a total of about 15 minutes or until it separates easily when poked with a fork, but not until it's "flaky." No one really wants their fish "flaky." "Flaky" is dry.) To serve, transfer salmon carefully to plate and sort of mound all the good mushrooms & stuff from the sauce on top. Reserve the pan jus for rice if you so desire. Enjoy.
Well, sort of. Our loyal reader will recall that in her last post, Beth was mentioning how, some days, she feels a little bit like Tom Sizemore in Blackhawk Down. Beth & I are in sync about most things, so it should come as no surprise that I, too, have been feeling a lot like Tom Sizemore, but not Tom Sizemore, the beleaguered, tough-as-nails American soldier in Blackhawk Down or the heroic, tough-as-nails American soldier in Saving Private Ryan or the cynical, tough-as-nails DEA Agent in point break or even the psychotic, tough-as-nails gangster in Reservoir Dogs. Oh wait...that was Michael Madsen. Anybody else think they might be the same person? I digress.
No, my friends, I am afraid I feel like real life Tom Sizemore. Yes, I am in a very bloated, overweight, exhausted to my core, vaguely hungover, in and out of a toxic relationship with Heidi Fleiss, Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab sort of place right now. As a result, I am in the midst of a nutritionist-prescribed "re-calibration" diet, intended to, at long last, get my system back on track after the removal of my gall bladder earlier this year. Essentially, I can eat lean protein, vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, fruit and nuts. No gluten, no sugar, no dairy, no alcohol, no caffeine. But, ya know what? It's all right. Not as bad as you might think. I really only miss cheese. And wine. And ice cream which I only ever want when I'm told I cannot have it. Plus, it's only two or three weeks. I figure I can do almost anything for that long, especially if it's for the greater good. In this case, the greater good of me.
With all of that in mind, here's a little recipe I whipped together for dinner the other night. Health-wise, you can't go wrong with salmon, so that's where we'll begin. And, if you think I'm sitting here steaming everything, I think I mentally signed on to be re-calibrated when the aforementioned nutritionist said "you can have olive oil and butter." Try this on salmon, chicken, pork...might even work on swordfish and stuff! I served it with brown rice with all of the extra pan drippings stirred in. Yum. Even my parents and husband thought this was delicious and they are not on any weird diets.
Please note that the sauce must come together quickly, so please be sure to have all of your chopping, etc. done before you begin, lest you overcook your salmon.
With any luck, soon I'll be feeling a lot less like Tom Sizemore and a lot more like Uma Thurman, his co-star in Kill Bill. Oh, shoot...that was Michael Madsen again. Seriously, has anybody ever seen them in the same place at the same time?
Roasted Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard & Cremini Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. fresh Salmon fillet
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 lemon
2 medium shallots, diced
2 T. old style whole grain Dijon mustard (Maille brand is what I use)
1 T. capers
2/3 cup cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, stems removed, halved or quartered into bite-size pieces
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 cup delicious dry white wine or chicken stock (for deglazing)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a baking dish in there to preheat along with it. In a large saute pan, heat 1 T. of the olive oil over medium high heat. Season salmon liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper and a drizzle of additional olive oil. Place the salmon flesh side down in the saute pan. Allow to brown for about 1 minute and carefully turn it with a spatula. Cook for one more minute, skin side down. Transfer salmon to the baking dish that has been preheating in the oven.
In the pan you just took the salmon out of, quickly add the shallots, mustard, capers & mushrooms, plus at least 1 T. of lemon juice, more if you like. Saute, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Saute for another minute. Turn up the heat just a bit and add the wine or stock to deglaze the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for a minute and then carefully pour it all over the salmon that has been cooking away in the oven. Allow to roast for about 12 more minutes (after searing, the salmon should cook for a total of about 15 minutes or until it separates easily when poked with a fork, but not until it's "flaky." No one really wants their fish "flaky." "Flaky" is dry.) To serve, transfer salmon carefully to plate and sort of mound all the good mushrooms & stuff from the sauce on top. Reserve the pan jus for rice if you so desire. Enjoy.
2 comments:
awesome recipe. simon loved salmon the last time I gave it to him. i'm sure he'd love this even more!
Nice recipe!
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