Cedar Plank Salmon Gone Sweet and Spicy...

Try something new today! Grill your fish on a Cedar Plank and have some of the best tasting fish of your life! Grilling on these planks make for easy cooking with wonderful flavor packed into each bite. The plank acts as a buffer from the heat of the grill and allows you to cook your fish low and slow while also letting the smoke of the Cedar wood seep into the flesh of the fish. No flipping is necessary, no loosing half your fish through the grill slats and no flame to your fish resulting in chard edges because of loss juices! It will change the way your grill!

Salmon Grilled and Seasoned to PERFECTION!

Notice the Cedar Plank the salmon filet is resting on

Please note, the recipe was quadrupled to make this much

So thanks to another UCSD Medical Center cooking course, I learned to make this recipe and now I am happy to share it with YOU so YOU  can enjoy!

Cedar Plank Salmon Gone Sweet and Spicy (UCSD Medical Center)

Author: UCSD Medical Center; Healing Foods Class; adapted and written by Brenna Bowers

Makes: about 5-6 servings (4 oz. each)

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons brown mustard

2 Tablespoons honey

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon pepper

1 orange, zested (Tip 1)

1 lemon, zested

1.5 pound salmon filet with skin on* 1 cedar plank (can be purchased online: http://www.cedarplank.com/) (Tip 2)

Olive oil for brushing the cedar plank

Directions:

Place the cedar plank in a bucket of water and fully immerse for 4 hours. This will keep your plank from burning when it is on the grill.

To Marinade:

Marinade the salmon by placing the salmon fillet skin-side-down in a glass dish. Brush on the mustard and honey with the back of a spoon. Then place all the ingredients (from the brown sugar to the lemon zest) into a small bowl and stir. Sprinkle this on the salmon filet and pat it into the fish to adhere. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 2-6 hours.

To Grill:

Preheat the grill to medium high heat and allow it to heat up fully; about 10 minutes. Place the cedar plank on the grill and brush it with olive oil (to keep the fish from sticking). Allow the plank to get hot, about 3-5 minutes then push it to the indirect heat (where the fire is not directly on the wood). Lay the salmon on top of the plank and close the lid of the grill. Allow this fish to cook about 15-20 minutes or until it begins to flake when you place a fork in it and pull apart the meat. Remove from the grill and let the fish sit about 10 minutes before you serve it (this will help lock the juices into the fish). ENJOY!

Tip 1:  To properly “Zest” citrus, grate (with a “zester” works best or the very finest part of your grater) the outside skin of the fruit. You only want the colored part to be zested, not the white flesh underneath because the white section is quite bitter. 

Tip 2: Cedar Planks: This is just what it sounds like, a ¼ inch piece of Cedar wood that is used as a cooking device over the grill. The wood needs to be soaked in water so that it does not burn. Place your fish right on top of the board on the preheated grill and it will cook the fish slowly while infusing the flavors of the wood and keep the fish from falling through the grill slats. You are left with a beautiful piece of fish that is so moist and delicious! By the way, you can use the planks a couple of times, just wash them off with hot water and use until it begins to fall apart.

* Best if you purchase “wild” caught salmon rather than “farm raised” salmon

Walnut Encrusted Salmon with White Wine Mushrooms...

Its time to eat fish! Don't be scared of it but rather just try it! This is a simple recipe, full in flavor, and rich in nutrients! Fish is lean, so it is less fatty than red meat or pork and it full of "good fats" called omega-3. This dish is good for you and has the potential to become your families favorite!

Let's get cooking!

Walnut Encrusted Salmon with White Wine Mushrooms (and Yorkshire Pudding)

Salmon with onion-garlic-butter mixture and nuts...ready to be baked

You can tell it has been cooked because it has turned opaque orange

White wine mushroom mixture

Time to EAT!

Walnut Encrusted Salmon and White Wine Mushrooms

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

16 oz. fresh caught salmon (with skin) (about 1” to 1 ½” thickness) (about 4 oz per person) (Tip 1)

3 Tablespoons butter, divided

1 small white onion, minced and divided

3 cloves of garlic, minced and divided

1-2 springs fresh rosemary, minced

3 leaves fresh basil, chopped finely

½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cups mushrooms, sliced thin

Salt and pepper

½ cup white wine

½ cup Milk (2 percent is best)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small pan, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over the stove. Add in half of the minced garlic, half of the chopped onion, all of the fresh rosemary, basil, and add in a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cook on low heat about 2 minutes or until the butter begins to smell fragrant and sweet (pull from the heat if the butter or onions start to brown).

Place tin foil on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil and place the salmon skin side down. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Pour the butter-onion-garlic mixture over the fish and spread evenly. Place the toasted walnuts on top and press them lightly onto the salmon. Place into the oven for 12-18 minutes. (Tip 2)

In a large sauce pan, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, the other half of the chopped onions, and all of the mushrooms. On low and slow heat, sauté the mushrooms (they should begin to melt down and shrink in size as they release their juices). After about 5 minutes, add in the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 more minutes and add in the white wine. Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes and then add in the milk. Stir this mixture and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce thickens and reduces (about 10 minutes or more).

Assembly:

Cut the salmon into serving sizes, leaving the skin on or off depending on your preference. Place the salmon on each plate and top with the mushroom mixture.

*I served my meal with Yorkshire Pudding” on the side

Tip 1: To choose a good salmon, look for the bright color orange, you do not want it to look slimy or feel slimy (that would mean it’s a little old).

Tip 2: To know when your salmon is ready, you want to look for the color of the fish to turn form vibrant dark orange to a lighter and opaque orange color. Poke a knife into the center of the thickest part of the fish and look to see if the color has changed all the way through. Remove from the oven as soon as the color has changed almost completely through and cover with foil. Let the fish rest on the counter about 5 minutes to allow it to finish cooking and retain the juices.

Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos...so full of flavor!

I wish I could live off these awesome tacos!

I designed this recipe to encompass it all- healthy, rich flavors and wonderful textures. This is a dish you will want to make repeatedly!

The Chipotle Mayo and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette dressing that go along with this recipe are also very versatile. Use these 2 recipes in other dishes you prepare throughout the week--Spread some Chipotle Mayo on your sandwich....add the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette to your favorite salad....etc!

Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos- woweee!!!!

Seared Ahi Tuna (outside is browned, center is raw)

Notice all the flavors and textures!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

Seared Tuna Tacos (Brenna)

Author: Brenna Bowers 
Serving: 2 people (2-3 small tacos each)

Ingredients:

¾ pound fresh Ahi Tuna steaks*

2 tsp Montreal stake seasoning

1 avocado, cubed

1 cup cabbage, shredded (optional)

½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

2 green onion stalks, chopped

2 Tablespoon fresh cilantro

½ cup grilled corn, sliced off the cob (optional)
1 cup black beans (optional)

4-6 fresh corn tortillas (small)

Chipotle mayo:

Adobo chili sauce* (to taste)

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayo

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Sesame Honey Lime Vinaigrette:

2 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 small lime, zest and juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoon honey

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

salt and pepper

2 Tablespoon cilantro, minced

1-2 Tablespoon green onion, minced

dash Tabasco

¼  Tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of fresh garlic and ginger (optional)

Directions:

Sprinkle the tuna steaks with Montreal steak seasoning.

Place a large skillet on one of the large burners of your stove. Lightly spray the pan with olive oil spray (just to keep the tuna from sticking).

Turn on the flame to high heat. Once the pan is very hot, place the tuna onto the pan. It should make a wonderful sizzling sound (if not, remove the tuna and wait until your pan gets hotter). Sear for about 2-3 minutes per side or until the meat become brown on the outside (to sear is to get a golden brown color on the outside of  the meat while not completely cooking the center…browning and searing creates great flavor).

Once all the sides of the tuna steaks have been seared (the middle still raw) remove it from the heat onto a plate. Let it rest about 2 minutes and then slice into chunks.

Chipotle mayo:

In a small bowl, combine the Adobo chili sauce, sour cream, mayo, and lime juice. Chill until ready to use.

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients until well mixed.

Assembly:

In a medium bowl toss the avocado, cabbage, tomatoes, green onion, cilantro, black beans and grilled corn in a couple of the Tablespoons of the Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Heat up the fresh tortillas (Tip 1). Spread a thin layer of the Chipotle Mayo onto the tortilla, add the seared tuna and a few spoonfuls of the veggie mixture.

*Purchase good quality Ahi Tuna- buy “sushi grade” for you are not cooking this meat all the way through so you want to be careful where you purchase from. My recommendation is Whole Foods (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/).

*Adobo Sauce explained by Wikipedia: “adobo sauce is a condiment in which chipotles (smoked, ripe jalapeño peppers) are stewed in a sauce with tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and spices.”

Tip 1: My family prefers to heat tortillas over a pan on the stove (about 10-15 seconds per each side of a tortilla). But another quick way to heat tortillas easily is to place the stack of tortillas you will be eating into a clean kitchen towel. Place it in the microwave in 30 second increments until they are all heated through.