Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

Salmon Experiment #2. Honey? On salmon? Alright! Let's try this one! (Don't pay too much attention the horrible cutting job)

Courtesy of EatingWell.com

Ingredients

• 1 scallion, minced
• 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 lb center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seed

Directions

Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.

Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

How to skin a salmon fillet: Place salmon fillet on a clean cutting board, skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

To toast seeds: cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Review

First of all, I hate the cutting job on this salmon. I messed up with the initial cut so it was either going to be extremely long and skinny or short and fat. Obviously, short and fat won. Anyway, this was MUCH better than the first experiment. I'm a big fan of the ginger-soy sauce combination, so this came out much like I expected. And with the added sweetness of the honey, it was quite savory. This recipe is incredibly simple and healthy. If I decide to make salmon in the oven again based of these two recipes, I will have to choose this one. 

Baked Salmon

Salmon is one of my favorite fishes to eat. My favorite way to eat it is raw, sometimes over some sushi rice, but I decided to buy a wholesale portion of salmon and experiment with different ways of baking/broiling fish. Here is the first experiment:

Courtesy of Giada Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 4 (5 oz) salmon fillets
• 2 tsp plus 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.

Review

Despite the simple recipe, I think I expected more. But I'm not going to go so far as to say that this was a bad recipe. Since I am not a big fan of cooked tomatoes, it is probably the biggest reason why I did not enjoy this dish as much as I had hoped to. The salmon itself was pretty good, but when combined with the salsa on top, it just didn't click with me. I did make a mistake, though, because I didn't mix the olive oil with the salsa before placing it on the fish for baking. Right before I put the fish in, I simply poured it over the salsa last minute. However, I don't think it would have made that large of a difference had I made the recipe correctly the first time. Nonetheless, this was an interesting experiment. Time to use the rest of the salmon for another recipe.

Spicy Cilantro Peanut Slaw

In coming up with what to complement the Smothered Pork Chops I was about to cook, I thought, "I want to make a peanut slaw!" My favorite peanut slaw comes from my favorite BBQ joint based in LA called Lucille's BBQ. I googled peanut slaw and found this awesome recipe.

Courtesy of Kalyn's Kitchen (kalynskitchen.blogspot.com)

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of green cabbage
• 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1/4 cup canola or peanut oil

Directions

Cut cabbage head in half and save half for another salad. Remove core from the half you're using, then cut cabbage into very thin slices (less than 1/4 inch) and turn cutting board the other direction and cut again to chop into very small pieces. Thinly slice green onions, chop cilantro, and chop peanuts.

In a bowl or glass measuring cup, mix together rice vinegar, sweetener of your choice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and Sriracha sauce if using. Use a whisk to mix in oil until dressing is well-combined.

In large plastic or glass bowl, gently combine chopped cabbage, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro. Add dressing a little at a time, until salad seems as wet as you'd like it. (You may not need all the dressing.) Add chopped peanuts, and stir a few times until peanuts are mixed in. Taste salad for seasoning, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired. Serve immediately.

Review

DELICIOUS! This felt like a combination of my favorite peanut slaw from Lucille's and my favorite Asian chicken salad from California Pizza Kitchen. It's light, healthy, and I love the crunch that the peanuts add to each bite. Very cheap and easy to make. Just to change it up, I want to try adding carrot shavings and wontons crisps.

Smothered Pork Chops

Last week I thought to myself, "What do I want to cook that I don't cook often? I've cooked pasta, chicken, steak, and stir-fry plenty of times." Then sometime at work I said out loud (in my head), "PORK CHOPS!" Growing up in a Filipino home, I did not get accustomed to eating this very often, although many of our dishes do have pork (sisig being my ultimate favorite). Time to give this a try!

Courtesy of Tyler Florence

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Review

The best pork chops I've ever had. But then again, I haven't had many pork chops so it's hard to judge. For my first time cooking pork chops, this was pretty damn good. I absolutely loved the gravy. It was the perfect complement to the juicy pork chops. It also went well with the mashed potatoes I ate the pork chops with. I actually cooked this twice. The first night I undercooked the pork. The heat was too high so it ended up burning the pork too quickly. Before I cooked it again the next night, I realized I didn't read the directions all the way through. I was supposed to return the pork chops to the pan with the gravy! I'm an idiot. I followed these directions and it turned out much better. Lesson learned: always read the cooking directions all the way through.

Pan-Fried Chicken and Oven Roasted Vegetables

I just felt like eating chicken and vegetables, and this is what I decided to do.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 lemon

• Assorted vegetables (I used broccoli, cauliflower, and baby carrots)
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1/2 tsp rosemary

Directions

For the chicken, cut the chicken breasts into 4 thin fillets. In the pan on medium to medium-high heat, warm extra virgin olive oil and melt the butter. Sprinkle one side of each fillet with garlic salt, black pepper, paprika. Lay down the seasoned side of each fillet into the pan. Season the other side the same way. Let the chicken cook until it reaches a golden brown. Flip the fillets and drizzle with lemon. Let the other side until it reaches a golden brown and remove from heat.

For the vegetables, cut the assorted vegetables. Crush the garlic with salt using the side of a large knife until pureed (or use a garlic press). Stir into oil. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with pepper, oregano, basil and rosemary.

Roast in oven at 400°F; reduce heat if vegetables are browning too quickly before they are done. Vegetables may not cook at the same rate. As some of the vegetables cook, they may be removed while the others are left to finish cooking. Add more olive oil if the vegetables absorb the oil and become dry during the cooking (or use olive oil spray).

Review

This was just a simple chicken and vegetables dish. And as you can see in the picture, I added some rice to the dish. Nothing overly spectacular about this dish, but it was a light and healthy (aside from the butter) dinner to satiate my evening cravings. Some mistakes I made: I slightly overcooked the chicken and the vegetables came out harder than I expected even though they were already browned. For the vegetables next time (if I use broccoli, cauliflower and baby carrots), I would probably lightly steam/boil on the stove and take them off right before they get soft then toss them into the stove for the oven roasting. This can really be used with any sort of vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, and potatoes, to list a few.

I definitely want to look into new and different ways of cooking chicken breast over the stove. I love eating chicken, but I always refrain from doing it because when I cook chicken, many times it ends up dry, overcooked, and poorly seasoned. But overall, for this dish, it was a big improvement upon what I have done.

Breakfast Pizza

In addition to the Nutella wontons, I made a breakfast pizza for the breakfast club at work. I just randomly picked a recipe from foodnetwork.com and found this to be the most appealing.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 storebought pizza dough
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar, divided, recipe follows
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 2 cups mixed berries

Cinnamon-Sugar

• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Transfer the pizza dough to the lined baking sheet and brush the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the pizza crust on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the cheese, cream, lemon juice, and zest.

For the cinnamon-sugar, cut the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Using the back of a knife, scrape along the inside of the vanilla bean to collect the seeds. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside in a small serving bowl.

Spread the cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Top with mixed berries and sprinkle with the remaining Cinnamon-Sugar. Slice like a pizza and serve.

Review

I didn't know what to expect from this. It just looks like an enlarged fruit tart on pizza crust. But don't let that fool you. What really sets this dish off is the mascarpone spread with the lemon and cream as well as the cinnamon-sugar topping that coats the pizza crust and is sprinkled all over the fruits. When I took my first bite, my eyes literally opened wide because it was much more than I expected. It made me wish I was I able to lick off all the spread from the mixing bowl. Honestly, what a genius idea for a breakfast dish. It's healthier than your typical sausage and eggs as a breakfast and it can even be used a dessert dish as well.

Nutella Wontons

I first saw this on Tumblr and I immediately wanted to make them. I kept making excuses and I finally found a reason to make them: for my breakfast club at work! (The breakfast club at work is basically a group of 18ish people and each Wednesday we rotate making breakfast for the group)

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 16 wonton wrappers
• 1 jar of Nutella (or other hazelnut spread)
• 1 egg
• Vegetable oil
• Powdered sugar  

Directions

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)

Review

They turned out exactly how I had imagined: heavenly. It's such a simple dessert to make and the savory reward comes out tenfold. I don't know what else to say about them other than that these are to damn delicious. It is easy to over cook them, so don't listen to the 45 seconds that the directions tell you and just cook until they are a beautiful golden brown.

Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Bruschetta

I hosted a dinner at my place and I decided to cook the same pasta I always cook (Cajun Shrimp Alfredo). But I wanted to complement it with an appetizer so I decided to make a simple bruschetta.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large French baguettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.

Review

This recipe is incredibly simple for how tasty and classy of an appetizer this can be. It says to use canned tomatoes, which I must admit made me a little skeptical, but it turned out really delicious. The toasted French bed with the mozzarella really sets it off, especially when it's right out of the oven. There were a few mistakes I made, though, since I was in a rush. Make sure to toast the bread first then put the cheese on after to melt it. Since I put the cheese on right away with some of them, the bread didn't have the crunch that makes it good. Also, make sure the liquid is drained as much as possible from the can so that it maintains a good consistency and color. I do want to try it with fresh tomatoes though. I'm sure it would make it taste even better. A friend, James, also suggested putting Parmigiano-Reggiano on top as well. All in all, a great appetizer.

MIA

I have been super MIA from this blog, but I haven't lost my love for cooking. I guess as a preview for things to come. I'll be making bruschetta tomorrow for the first time and I'll definitely be putting that up here. And since some awesome friends of mine gave me a slow cooker as a gift just two days ago, I'll be trying out some recipes to utilize this slow cooker.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment!