Salmon Coulibiac with lime pickle sauce

I thought I'd lost this recipe but found I'd very cleverly put a card of it in my recipe file. Now I'm posting it here so I don't lose it again...

Ingredients filling:
8-12 oz/225-330 gr poached salmon,
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
2in/5 cm piece lemon grass = sereh
thumb-length piece root ginger [probably 1 Tbl ground]
2 Tbs stir-fry oil [I only ever use virgin olive oil for everything - simplifies matters]
1 x 300 gr Sainsbury's Chinese egg-fried rice*
1 Tbl soya sauce
2 dessert spoons chopped coriander
ground nut/vegetable oil [see above]
6 sheets filo pastry
sea salt and fresh milled pepper

Preheat oven to 230°C [strange number]!/450°F/Gas mk 8

Season salmon with S&P, chop into cubes; stir fry garlic, lemon grass, root ginger; add rice and soya sce.
Toss. Remove from heat, season, add coriander and salmon;

Lubricate [lubricate??] filo and line tin with alternate pieces.
Pile in the salmon/rice mixture; fold sheets over the top and bake in the oven for 12-15 min until the top is brown and crispy.

Meanwhile prepare sauce:

1 tub 200 ml crême fraiche [I always use fromage frais], coriander, 4 tsp Sharwood's lime pickle, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Lime pickle is very strong so add a little at a time to your liking. We love it!


*Ingredients Sains' Egg Fried Rice: rice, egg, peas, spring onions, sesame seed oil, ginger: cook rice, mix in spices and throw in a beaten egg or two to set in the warm rice)
Bon appétit!

Seared salmon with Cashew and Lemon Pesto

The official recipe (from the Tradfford Metro Newspaper) which officially "serves 2" is as follows:

for Pesto: 150 gr cashew nuts; 1 whole clove of garlic [or more - preferably more!]; 100 g Parmesan; 2 Tbls olive oil; juice of half a lemon [i.e. 1 Tbl from a bottle];

for Salmon: 1 Tbl olive oil; 2 x 200 gr salmon fillets, skinned and boned [duh! that's what a fillet is!].

Put cashews and garlic on a tray and roast in a hot oven (180ºC) for 6 minutes until lightly coloured*. Leave to cool. [smells lovely]

In a food processor, blend nuts, garlic, parmesan and lemon juice [recipe forgets to add the lemon juice at this point], slowly adding olive oil to form a paste.

In hot olive oil, sear both sides of the salmon fillet.

When ready to serve, place the pesto on top and grill under a hot grill ['broiler"] for about two minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve on a bed of beef tomatoes, roasted baby tomatoes and mixed leaves, adding an extra squeeze of lemon, if desired.

What the recipe fails to mention is the fact that 150gr cashews and half a wedge of parmesan cheese is enough for six people! Just bear this in mind.

It is very nice! A nice dry white wine on the side and... voilà!

Bon appétit!

p.s.. Julie: if you do this with pine nuts, you don't have to stand over them and watch them burn! They don't need to colour - just warm up to release the aroma/taste.

Chickpea Pot Pie

A no-meat version of the comforting old classic! I halved this recipe and it was plenty for the 4 of us with some left over. If halving, use a shallower casserole dish; I used a 9 x 12 inch baking dish.

Serves 12

2 Tbs oil (neutral flavor eg. Canola, sunflower, grape seed)
1 1/2 cups onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
5 cups + 1 cup vegetable broth (low-sodium okay)
2 cups frozen corn
1 15 oz can or 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 Tbs dried parsley
1 Tbs dried rubbed sage
1 Tbs dried marjoram
2 bay leaves
16 oz egg noodles
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs whole wheat flour
4 oz low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups frozen peas or shelled edamame
2 cups frozen green beans
1 sheet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)

1. Heat oil, add onion and sauté until browned. Add garlic, carrots, celery, sauté 5 more mins.

2. Stir in 5 cups broth, corn, chickpeas, herbs and bay leaves; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 mins. Add noodles, cook 5-10 mins until tender (add a bit more water if necessary). Remove bay leaves.

3. Whisk together cornstarch, flour and remaining 1 cup broth. Add this to vegetables along with the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in peas and green beans.

4. Preheat oven to 375° F. Transfer vegetables& noodles to casserole dish. Place puff pastry on top, first rolling out to size if necessary. Tuck in sides. Or make individual servings - divide among 12 small pie dishes, roll out puff pastry into large square and cut into 12 small squares. Pierce top of pastry with fork in several places. Bake 30-40 mins (check after 30 mins), until crust is golden brown.

Seared salmon with lemon-ginger glaze

Original recipe title: Seared Salmon With Orange Glaze

I used Meyer Lemon juice and zest instead of orange juice, added honey and sugar, and replaced the fresh ginger with a ball of ginger in syrup. Oh and rosé instead of white wine and mirrin instead of sherry, and one tangerine sliced instead of orange slices. Served with russet potatoes and arugula with Brown Derby Old-Fashioned French dressing.

Originally from Dr. Weil.com
Description
Not an ounce of flavor escapes this dish! The salmon is seared, trapping its rich flavor, briefly baked, and then drizzled with a thick, lightly fragranced orange ginger glaze-a balanced companion for a fish as flavorful as salmon. Salmon provides ample amounts of protein, B vitamins, vitamin A, and omega-3 oils.


Ingredients
Six 6-ounce salmon fillets
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons sherry
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 slices orange


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Sear the fish fillets in the sesame oil in a large, very hot skillet for 1 minute on each side. You should hear the fish sizzle. Remove fillets from the heat and transfer them to a glass baking dish or baking pan.

Drizzle the soy sauce and the wine over them and bake them for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven.

Meanwhile, heat the orange juice, zest, sherry, and ginger, together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Add the orange slices, and stir once or twice, until the sauce becomes thick.

Remove from heat, drizzle the sauce over the fish, and serve.

Tips From Rosie's Kitchen:
Searing meat or fish is a way to lock in the juices by exposing it to very high temperature. The correct way to sear is in a hot skillet or on a grill, for a very short amount of time, then slowly finish cooking in the oven. Be careful not to get the skillet too hot too fast or the oil will burn. If you want to serve this dish for lunch, serve half of a fillet with a side of salad. Ono or opah works beautifully with this recipe as an alternative to salmon.