Broiled Salmon Wrap with Mustard

This is a probably the last recipe that I am going to post for next few weeks. My dear readers, after six month of planning, calculating, drawing and thinking, we have finally started to renovate our kitchen. Let me tell you, it is a very hard process and we are only at the beginning stage.

Avocado-Egg Salad & Poached Salmon Sandwich

Succulent poached salmon and eggs combined with creamy avocado, sautéed onions and fresh basil makes a substantial sandwich. The ingredients all blend together perfectly to create a gourmet-tasting experience. This sandwich takes a little work to prepare, but is not short on taste. It can be served warm or chilled.

Russian Monday: "Kulebyaka" - Authentic Russian Pie with Salmon, Rice, Mushrooms, Onions and Dill

Today in our Russian section we present “Kulebyaka”. This traditional pie is an ideal dish for special occasions and it makes a perfect brunch. My daughter helped me to make it – we’ve been preparing dough, making crêpes used in stuffing and decorated the pie together. As we were cooking, I have shared with her the story of this dish and how it should be served. I hope you are interested too, so here it is.

Salmon Tartare with Sesame Crackers in Blue Ice

Salmon is such a versatile fish and makes an expensive but impressive dish to prepare for family and friends. You can, of course, buy ready-made sashimi from local Japanese restaurant, but I think making salmon tartare yourself is what makes this dish special. You can serve it on a plate using a pastry ring, or serve in glasses on ice for more sophisticated look. I colored regular ice with blue food coloring for "blue ocean" effect.

Salmon & Cauliflower Soup with Egg

"In the hands of an able cook fish can become an inexhaustible source of perpetual delight," wrote Brillat-Savarin.

This one of our family favorite soup recipes.

Top Six Appetizers for New Year's Eve Party

Look no further for appetizers to impress even the most discerning guest. Hot and spicy popcorn, smashed potatoes, or sweet potato baked chips - these really are appetizers to sink your teeth into. Set the table, set the mood and set the taste buds tingling.

For sheer visual appeal, shellfish appetizers are hard to beat. There is little more tempting than a plate - or skewer - full of plump, succulent sizzling shrimp and there is a uniquely naughty pleasure found in the delightful messiness of peeling them at the table. For more formal occasions and for those with more sophisticated table manners, serve salmon soufflé or smoked salmon rolls.



Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley - The Best Sizzling Spicy Appetizer
Garlic Popcorn with Cayenne Pepper & Popcorn with ”Buffalo Wings” Red Hot Sauce

Salmon Soufflé and Scheurebe

This lovely dish can be served year-round, for lunch or dinner. Your guests will be impressed with this Salmon Soufflé on a chilly October evening, as it is rich and warming.



I discovered Scheurebe wines from Germany recently. They are a good addition to Rieslings that we usually get from that region. Wine from Weingut Pfeffingen winery is especially delicious. My husband found a bottle at the "Last Bottle Deal" rack in our local wine store. That is the only way to get it locally without feeling guilty for paying the full price. He spoiled me with good wine and I like it. The freshness and crispiness of Rieslings combined together with the intense aromas of Scheurebe was a perfect pairing for the Salmon Soufflé that I made last night. We had an incredible evening full of romantic talks and many laughs.



Ingredients:

For the poached salmon:

• 2 (about 12 oz.) skinned salmon fillet
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp. dry white wine
• 1 tsp thyme

For the soufflé:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. shallots, chopped 
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 5 egg whites
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped 
• 3 Tbsp. grated Gruyère cheese

Directions:

To poach salmon, fill medium shallow saucepan or skillet with enough water to cover about two-thirds of the salmon fillet. Bring water to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the wine, thyme, salt, pepper and salmon, cook 10 minutes or until salmon just begins to flake. Remove salmon from poaching water and cool. Flake into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 400°F. Get ready 4-6 ramekins, I didn't grease mine.

Melt the butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent. Whisk in flour, and season with pepper and salt. Gradually whisk in milk in steady stream. Reduce heat to low and continue whisking until smooth. Simmer, stirring occasionally about  5 minutes or until sauce is very thick. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in egg yolks until smooth and creamy. Whisk in parsley and dill and let cool slightly. Gently stir in cheese and salmon.

Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat at medium-high speed until stiff but moist peaks form.

Stir one-fourth of the beaten egg whites into salmon mixture. Carefully fold in remaining egg whites. Divide mixture among ramekins and bake 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F. Continue baking 15 to 20 minutes or until soufflé is puffy and golden brown, and wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

From Garden to Table - Spinach and Basil Smoked Salmon Roll

I cook a lot lately with basil and I love it. Here is a little history lesson from The Spice Book, 1964.

BASIL Cut with a Golden Sickle

"Cooks gifted with a flair for seasoning have ever treasured basil as one of the most savory of culinary herbs. More delicate than some of the lustier herbs, like oregano, it may be used generously in a variety of vegetables to lend a subtle, if entirely distinctive, flavor.

The word basil stems from two possible origins. One is from the Greek for "royal" or "kingly"; the other, from a tongue-twister, also Greek, meaning "lizard". In Greek mythology this was indeed a very special lizard, a basilisk, which needed only to look at or breathe upon his victim to kill him.

The Greeks believed that only the sovereign himself should be allowed to cut the basil, using a golden sickle. Yet, according to history, basil was a symbol of hate; why this was so is open to conjecture.

On the other hand, in Italy, basil has always been a token of love, and is called "kiss-me-Nicholas" in some of its regions. Any girl who wears a sprig of basil is suggesting to hear beau, and not too subtly, that there is no need for him to keep his distance. In Romania, however, things are some-what more definite: hewn a boy accepts a sprig of basil from his girl, it means he is engaged!

In its native India, basil, called tulasi, is considered a holy herb and grown in pots near every temple and dwelling of devout Hindus. Though especially sacred to Vishnu, Krishna, and Lakshmi, all the other gods esteem it. too.

Throughout the ages, doctors and herbalists have basil in medicine and magic, although there seems to have been a happy lack of agreement as to its merits for either. "This is the herb which all authors are to-gether by the ears about, and rail at one another like lawyers," wrote herbalist Nicholas Culpeper in 1652. "Galen and Dioscorides hold it not fit to be taken inwardly, and Chrysippus rails at it with downright Billingsgate rhetoric. Pliny and the Arabian Physicians defend it."

That this fragrant herb aroused controversy add to its interest. John Gerard, Shakespeare's contemporary, was enthusiastic, saying: "A smell of Basil is good for the heart and head-cureth the infirmities of the heart, taketh away sorrowfulness which cometh of melancholia and maketh a man merry and glad."

Whatever its merits or failures may be as a remedy for physical ailments, basil is a delightful contribution to a variety of dishes. Since, as mentioned earlier, it is one of the most delicate herbs, it may be used more generously than lustier ones. Basil blends tastily with tomatoes, but also enhances vegetables such as eggplant, green beans, zucchini, peas, or cooked cucumber dishes. Basil is often used with, or as a substitute for, oregano in pizza topping, spaghetti sauce, or a macaroni and cheese casserole".



Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup fresh basil 
• 3 eggs, separated  
• 1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped 
• 1/3 pound light cream cheese   
• grated zest and juice of one 1/2 lemon
• 2-3 Tbsp. capers 
• 1/2 pound smoked salmon 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Put the spinach into a pan with a little of water, cover and bring to boil and cook for two minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze spinach dry.

Place spinach, egg yolks, basil, salt and pepper into a food processor. Pulse to a smooth paste.
Whisk egg whites until they hold soft peaks then fold into the basil-spinach mixture. Spread this mixture on a baking tray lined with buttered parchment and bake for 15 minutes or until set.Turn baked roulade out onto another sheet of parchment and leave to cool.

For the filling combine cream cheese, dill, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the spinach roulade onto a piece of plastic wrap. Spread the filling evenly over the spinach leaving a side border of 1 cm. Sprinkle with capers, more dill if you like and black pepper. Cover the filling with the salmon slices. Roll up with the help of the plastic wrap. Twist the ends to secure.

Refrigerate for few hours or overnight.

Salmon Rice Soup with Seaweed

In our home we love salmon soups. I have already two recipes here; it’s Salmon Vegetable Soup with Barley and Coho Salmon and Autumn Vegetables Soup with Turmeric.

If there is a more perfect fish soup than this one, I cannot think of it at the moment. Succulent pink salmon in clear broth with rice and seaweed seasoned with the white vine and served with lemon slice and fresh dill.

Some facts about salmon: Oily fish as salmon are generally very popular as they are healthy and readily available. Salmon is good for the brain and great at helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes; it can also help make your skin look younger. Salmon is a great source of protein, rich in magnesium, zing, selenium, and vitamin A, plus B vitamins, and – most importantly-it is a good source of omega3 fatty acids, with make the blood less “sticky,” thus helping to reduce the risk of blood clots that could cause heart attacks.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 quarts fish stock or water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup potatoes, peeled, cubed 
• 2 middle sized carrots, diced
• 2/3 cup cooked white rice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp dry seaweed  
• 1 lb. skinless boneless wild salmon fillet, cut into 1" cubes 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup white vine
• freshly ground pepper, to taste 
• salt, chopped dill
• lemon slices for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, bay leaves and 6 cups fish stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add salmon to soup; simmer until just cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add cooked rice, white vine and seaweed and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes.

Divide soup between bowls; garnish with lemon and fresh dill.

Dill-Cured Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (Gravlax)

I am a very picky person when it comes to cafes, eating-out, and the people working in these places. In general, places that leave a customer with the desire to return are becoming fewer and fewer nowadays. There is, however, a Farmer’s Market in our town that I like to go to for lunch and buy seafood for my family.

Everything looks simple, but there is an incredible variety of fish and different kinds of seafood that you can buy there. Everything is so fresh and appetizing.  Joe, the man running this business, really cares about his customers and is always putting his love into every package he sells. You can always find new products in his market, because he is never afraid to try new things. I bought blowfish tails from this man—that is certainly not something you see in every store. You can buy cooked food for lunch—unadorned but delicious—for a very affordable price.

He is always attentive to his customers, and he’s a pleasant person to speak with. He does not just offer food on the plate he is serving you—he offers you his warmth and care with it, as well. I wish there was a Joe in every neighborhood. Here is a recipe of the Dill-Cured Salmon (Gravlax) made from the Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon I bought at Madara's Seafood.



DILL To Avert the Evil Eye from THE SPICE COOKBOOK 1964

Dill beds must surely have been weeded and watered anxiously by medieval gardeners. Not only did this herb  bring an intriguing aroma to foods, but it was considered a powerful ingredient in magic potions, as well as in those that were antimagic! It could work either way. When sorcerers gathered together to stir up a pot of trouble for someone, they included dill to make their concoction more potent. If, however, the intended victim got an inkling that he was being hexed, he too hastened to his dill patch. ''Here holy Vervain and here Dill,'' says the old rhyme, ''Gainst witchcraft much availing.'' No record seems available as to whether dill magic or dill antimagic was stronger, so the partisans of both sides must have relied on ''getting there fustest with the mostest.''



Even when there was no witchcraft afoot, there still might be the Evil Eye. To make oneself invulnerable against it, nothing was considered better than carrying a bag of dried dill over the heart. The Evil Eye - as encyclopedias explain - was, supposedly, the art of "fascination," which gave some people the power to bewitch, injure, or kill merely with a glance. Since the Evil Eye has always been most malevolent in the lands around the Mediterranean, it is fortunate, indeed, that dill grows wild (and abundantly) there and in parts of Asia Minor.

In modern times dill has been most famous for perking up pickles. Some 250 years ago, essayist Addison wrote: "I am always pleased with that particular time of year when it is proper for the pickling of dill and cucumbers."

Dill comes in whole only. It is a delicious addition to sour-cream sauces, green beans, cabbage, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, potato salad, or a macaroni and cheese casserole.



Gravlax is usually served as an appetizer, sliced thinly and accompanied by mustard sauce, either on bread of some kind, or with boiled potatoes.

Adapted from Sweet Paul

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1 side of the best quality wild salmon, skin left on
• 1 large bunch dill, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons pink peppercorns left whole
• rind of one lemon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup salt ( I used Pink Himalayan Salt)
• 3 tablespoons cognac or vodka ( I used Scotch, and it brings more taste)

Directions:

Mix dill, lemon rind, peppercorns, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Lay salmon out on a flat dish and press mixture onto the fish, patting it down firmly as you go. Slowly pour the liquor over the fish, then cover with plastic wrap.



Place in the fridge for 48 hours, turning every 12 hours. Slice thinly and serve with mustard.

Salmon Mousse - Gorgeous Appetizer for Holiday

The best thing about this appetizer that you may prepare it one or two days before the Holiday.

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• ¼ cup cold water
• ½ cup broth from poached salmon
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated onion
• dash of Tabasco
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 1 pound finely flaked poached fresh salmon
• 1cup heavy cream
• Toast, tomatoes, boil egg, dill, salmon fish row, slice of lemon for serving

Directions:
To cook poached salmon you need to put 1/2 cup of wine, 1/2 cup of water, dill, parsley and a few thin slices of yellow onion in a saute pan, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down on the pan. Cover. Cook 5-7 minutes or to desired done-ness. Do not overcook.
Soften the gelatin in the cold water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the boiling broth from poached salmon and whisk the mixture slowly until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.
Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated onion, Tabasco, paprika, salt, and dill. Stir to blend completely and refrigerate until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 20 minutes.
Fold in the finely flaked salmon. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it is thickened to soft peaks and fluffy. Fold gently into the salmon mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a 6 to 8 prepared ramekins, or decorative mold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Garnish with toast, tomatoes, boil egg, dill, salmon fish row.
Yield : 12 portions

Salmon Vegetable Soup with Barley

In all the branches of cookery, I don't think there is anything more fun than making soups. Because the flavor builds up gradually as the elements cook together and blend, it is usually a fairly slow process, but one which leaves room for much experimentation and invention.
You must taste as you go along and probably will want to correct the seasoning with a touch or two of your own.

I love making soups, it's like making a magic potion, stirring, mixing, adding different herbs and spices, tasting, stirring again. My daughter loves watching me cooking soups, she is always saying: "Look, mommy is doing her magic again" and I always smile. :-) Salmon soup was created especially for my kids; they are picky eaters but they like soups. Wild Salmon and barley - it is the symbol to me how the ocean meets the earth - balanced and harmonious. The softness of vegetables and texture of barley are a delicious combination. I hope you like it too.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 quarts fish stock
• 1 leek (white parts only), thickly sliced crosswise and washed
• 1 cup potatoes, peeled 
• 2 middle sized carrots
• 1/2 cup pearl barley (in this recipe, the tiny grains are used to thicken the soup, resulting in a pleasantly chewy texture)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 Tbsp of melted butter  
• 1 lb. skinless boneless salmon fillet, cut into 1" cubes 
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 peas black pepper
• 1/2 cup white vine
• 1 cup low fat cream (if you are using)
• freshly ground pepper, to taste 
• salt, chopped dill, green onion

Directions:
In a large soup pot over high heat, bring the stock to a boil, add pepper and bay leaf. Add the barley, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cut potatoes and carrots into cubes, add to the boiling stock. Boil for 15 minutes on low heat.
Preheat the melted butter, stew the leek add up to the stock.
Pour in the white vine, add salt and ground pepper, and boil for 5 minutes.
Put broccoli pieces and cut into cubes salmon fillet into the soup, bring to boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. If you using cream in the soup, pour in cream and bring the soup to boil one more time, and then remove from heat.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Serve with chopped dill and green onions.

Coho Salmon and Autumn Vegetables Soup with Turmeric

The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, (from the Russian кижуч kizhuch) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers".
Ocean caught coho is regarded as excellent table fare. It has a moderate to high amount of fat, which is considered essential when judging taste. Only Spring Chinook and Sockeye salmon have higher levels of fats in their meat.
From Wikipedia



Ingredients:

• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 small carrots, cut into flowers
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
• 1 lb. skinless boneless salmon filet, cut into 1" cubes
• 1/2  small pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 1 leek (white parts only), thickly sliced crosswise and washed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1⁄2 tsp. turmeric
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black
• pepper, to taste
• tarragon and lemon mint for garnish

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, leeks, cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, pumpkin, bay leaves and 6 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat.



Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.



Add salmon to soup; simmer until just cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add turmeric and season generously with salt and pepper.

Divide soup between bowls; garnish with tarragon and lemon mint.