Grilled Salmon with Thai Curry Sauce and Basmati Rice

Wow. This is SO GOOD. Seriously.. its the best salmon dish I have ever made. Its slightly time consuming, but the end product was so delicious. Its great to make for company.



Grilled Salmon with Thai Curry Sauce and Basmati Rice (http://www.epicurious.com/)

Ingredients:

For rice
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water

For sauce
1 1/8 teaspoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
1 1/8 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/4 teaspoons peanut oil
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste (I used panang curry paste)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 cups well-stirred unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

For vegetables
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
3/4 cup julienne strips of seeded peeled cucumber (I used carrots because I dislike cucumber)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
four 6-ounce pieces salmon fillet
olive oil for brushing salmon
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (skipped as well.. but feel free to add)

Directions:

Make rice in rice maker.

Make sauce:
In a heavy saucepan sauté gingerroot and garlic in oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden. Add coriander, curry powder, curry paste, paprika, and cumin and sauté, stirring, 1 minute, or until fragrant. Whisk in coconut milk, tomato purée, soy sauce, and brown sugar and bring just to a boil. Remove pan from heat and keep warm.

Prepare vegetables:
In a bowl toss together all vegetable ingredients.

Prepare grill.

Brush salmon with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill salmon on an oiled rack (I used foil) set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals (I used a gas grill) until just cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side (no need to flip.. just cook normally if using foil).

Put each in center of 4 plates and arrange salmon on top. Top salmon with vegetables and spoon sauce around it. Sprinkle vegetables with peanuts.

Balsamic Honey Pecan Chicken

I had this chicken marinating overnight and made it the next day. It was very flavorful, but be very careful not to overcook your chicken or it will be dry dry dry!


(sorry for the blurry picture)

Balsamic Honey Pecan Chicken (http://ellysaysopa.com/)

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves (I cut mine into smaller pieces)
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves smashed garlic
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix the honey, balsamic vinegar and garlic together. Add the chicken, and rub in the marinade. Allow to marinate for about 20-30 minutes (I marinated overnight).

Preheat the oven to 375. Combine the bread crumbs and pecans. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then dredge in the breadcrumb/pecan mixture.

Place a wire rack on a cooking sheet and spray with oil. Place the chicken on top and spray the top with a little cooking oil. Bake for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Corn and Pepper Bisque

This soup is on the spicy side, but its filling and delicious.



Corn and Pepper Bisque (http://ellysaysopa.com/)

Ingredients:
1.5 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
3 large anaheim peppers (poblanos or other green chilies would work). diced
1 jalapeno (remove the seeds and ribs if you don’t want it to be too spicy)
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 12 oz. can tomatillos, cored and coarsely chopped (of course you can use fresh but my store rarely carries decent garlic, let alone tomatillos)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper
2 cups corn (bought from trader joes!)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup masa harina (corn flour) (skipped because I could not find it)
3/4 cup half and half or cream

Directions:
In a stockpot or dutch oven, melt the butter. Cook the onions and all the peppers over medium-low heat until they become tender. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the tomatillos, cumin, oregano, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, to combine the flavors and cook the tomatillos.

Put the pepper/onion/tomato mixture and 1 cup of the roasted corn in a food processor. Process the mixture into a puree (there will still be pieces of the veggies since there is not much liquid at this point).

Put the pureed mixture back into the dutch oven and turn the heat to medium-high. Mix the masa harina with the chicken broth until it’s dissolved. Add the broth/masa mixture to the dutch oven, as well as the rest of the corn. Simmer for a few minutes and season to taste, if necessary. Add the half and half or cream, and heat through.

Molten Lava Cakes

I've wanted to make these for years and years and I finally did. They are super easy and so delicious! You will find a ton of different recipes out there for them. This one worked really well for me and I will definitely make them again for a special occasion.



Molten Lava Cakes (http://www.ourbestbites.com/)

Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate*, melted
*8 ounces is about 1 1/3 C of bittersweet chocolate chips. Make the 1/3 cup a little over-full and you should be good
powdered sugar for dusting
sweetened whipped cream for serving
butter and sugar for preparing pans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare pans, spray ramekins with nonstick spray or coat with melted butter. Sprinkle in some granulated sugar to coat the entire inner surface and tap out any extra discard.

In a bowl with a mixer beat the 4 tbsp butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt and slowly add it into the butter mixture just until combined. Stir in melted chocolate by hand, just until combined. Don't over mix.

Divide batter evenly among ramekins and then place them on a baking sheet. (If using ramekins you'll want them not quite 3/4 full).

Bake just until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when pan is lightly shaken, about 10-12 for ramekins. Remove from oven and let stand 10 min.

I topped mine with kahlua flavored whipped cream.

Cornish Game Hens

I've never made cornish game hens before, but when they went on sale at my local grocery store, I thought I would give them a try. With little effort, I had a delicious dinner.



Singaporean Style Cornish Game Hens (by: me!)

Ingredients:
2 cornish game hens
olive oil (~2 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons Singapore Seasoning
2/3 cup white wine
2/3 cup chicken broth
salt to taste

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Rub olive oil on each hen to coat.
- Season each hen w/ 2 tablespoons Singapore seasoning (give them a good dusting.. press to get the seasonings to stick).
- Bake in 450 degree oven for 25 minutes (shorten if skin begins to burn). Remove from oven.
- Lower heat to 350 degrees.
- Combine wine and broth in a bowl and pour on top of both game hens.
- Put back into oven for another 25 minutes or longer (until broth runs clear and hen is fully cooked)

I found that one cornish game hen was enough for two people. Serve with your choice of sides. Enjoy!