56: Pan Seared Steelhead Salmon / Spicy Kale Salad with Fennel, Cremini, and Tomatoes

I miss cooking salmon. Amber is allergic to salmon, so I don’t buy it often. Lucky for me I picked up a pound of steelhead salmon at a great price from the butcher to eat as post-workout meals. Steelhead salmon has such a rich and fatty taste and texture that I didn’t want too much the taste, so I just added a little salt and pepper. The key to a good piece of salmon is how you cook it in a pan. I like to let the pan get really hot with no oil or butter in it, then add the oil, then add the fish. This method creates a nice and crispy skin within minutes, with just a gentle flip of the salmon on the other side to finish it off.

Kale is a super food, so I added some of my favorite veggies in cherry tomatoes, fennel, and cremini mushrooms to round out my salad. This meal could also serve as a light dinner, even though I had it for lunch.

Ingredients and Directions:

1/3 pound salmon filet, skin on

Handful of kale, shredded

Fennel, diced

Cremini mushrooms, diced

Spicy sesame oil

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the salmon: Heat pan for salmon on high heat for 3-5 minutes. Generally, I like to let it start smoking a little before adding olive oil. You can dust salmon in salt and pepper while waiting for the pan to warm up. Let the oil warm for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and add the salmon. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, flip, and turn off heat. This will create a medium rare salmon, so adjust cooking times as needed if you like your salmon cooked past medium rare.

For salad: Heat spicy sesame oil in a pan for a few minutes over medium heat. Sauté kale, fennel, and mushrooms with salt and pepper until kale wilts, about 4 minutes. I didn’t cook the tomatoes to add a bright contrasting flavor to the dish. Arrange your salad and fish on a plate.

Enjoy!

55: Grilled Roasemary & Oregano Laced Chicken / Ginger Caramelized Sweet Potato Cakes / Garlic Broccoli

Here is another dinner I was able to cook by simply taking stock of my refrigerator and pantry. I love meals like this because I don’t have to go out and buy anything, and I try to grill as much as possible when it’s nice enough to do so. Dinner was a little hands on because of the timing with starting the grill and cooking the sweet potatoes, but it should be relatively easy to replicate on your own. Plus, I got to use herbs from my garden. The interplay of texture and flavors works really well together in this dinner.

We drank a tempranillo with this meal because it pairs well with the herbs and bitter/sweet contrast of the broccoli and sweet potatoes. It’s also not too big a wine that it would overpower anything on the plate.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 chicken breasts

Rosemary and oregano, finely chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into spheres

Ginger

Sugar

6-8 broccoli florets, sliced in half

Olive Oil

1 large clove of garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

For the chicken: Very lightly coat the chicken in olive oil. Now dredge the chicken breasts through the herbs on one side only. Add salt and pepper. Firmly press herbs and seasoning into chicken breasts. If using a charcoal grill like me, I recommend starting your grill after you have prepared the chicken breasts. Grill chicken to desired doneness. I like to undercook chicken just a tad to keep it moist. I think the breasts took about 10 minutes on the grill.

For the sweet potatoes: Boil in salted water for about 10 minutes, drain. You want them firm but not mushy, since you’ll be finishing them in a pan. Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Sauté sweet potatoes for 5-7 minutes on each side. The trick to caramelization is to dust a healthy amount of sugar and ground ginger for each side of the sweet potatoes. Don’t forget salt and pepper. If they’re not turning black, or charred, turn up the heat and/or add more sugar. They should be crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

For broccoli: Pretty standard preparation. Heat some olive oil and sauté broccoli with garlic, salt, and pepper for 3-5 minutes. Arrange everything on a plate.

Enjoy!

45: Carrot Soup w/ Curry & Ginger

It’s pouring rain in DC with wind gusts up to 60mph, so I did my thing with another soup while Mother Nature did her thing outside. Truth is, I received a pound of carrots in my farm club delivery this week, and I had just bought a bag of carrots earlier this week. I now have two quarts of soup in my refrigerator, this soup and the roasted butternut squash soup from yesterday (see next post down).

This is quick (with a food processor), delicious and incredibly healthy. Carrots are one of those super foods you hear people talk about. They are rich in beta-carotene for the eyes, help keep the arteries clear and are also considered an anti-cancer food. Yup, start eating more carrots. I heaped two tablespoons of curry powder in this, and I think it was a tablespoon too many. Still, there was a nice balance of flavors, and I garnished the soup bowl with a little bit of greek yogurt. The yogurt helps with the spiciness. 

Ingredients and Directions:

1.5 lbs of carrots, diced

1 liter of veggie stock (can sub chicken stock)

1 medium onion, diced

1 tbsp of curry powder

1 tbsp of ginger powder

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp of parsley, minced

Olive oil

Salt to taste

Rev up that food processor! It will make the prep goes much quicker. Heat olive oil over medium heat, and then sauté the onions for 5-7 minutes once the oil is heated.  Add the spices, cook for a couple minutes to meld the flavors. Now add the carrots and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, and puree until creamy with a hand blender. Add salt as necessary at end to bring out flavors.

Enjoy!

36: Elk "Steak" / Relish of Leeks, Wild Mushrooms & Zucchini / Sweet Potato Fries

My plan was to make elk burgers with an onion and roasted garlic mayonnaise, but I didn’t have enough garlic, onion, or buns. Instead I made “steaks” from ground elk with a relish of leeks, wild mushrooms, and zucchini, topped with aged white cheddar, made complete with sweet potato fries – all ingredients I already had in my refrigerator.

Elk is low in fat, calories, and cholesterol, while being high in protein and richer in flavor than beef. The texture is also heartier than beef. I’m happy to see different meats I cook are so popular on this blog. A quick peek at the Popular Posts section on the right side of this blog reveals that the veal chops and goat recipe are very popular. In fact, both recipes have been on the top since I posted them – that’s out of over 30 meals I’ve posted on here.

These elk “steaks” were admittedly pretty big once they cooked. I should’ve made three patties, but I went with two because we were pretty hungry. I was thinking they would shrink down a little when cooked, but they actually plumped up. The savory “steak” is a nice contrast with the heavenly sweetness of sweet potato – one of my favorite vegetables, along with kale.

By the way, I get all my “exotic” meats through my farm club, Arganica Farm Club. Check your local farmer’s market as well. Try these elk meatballs braised in red wine sauce as well.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb ground elk, room temperature (or actual elk steaks if you can find them)

1 leek, diced

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced for fries

1/2 cup wild mushrooms, diced (I used creminis and shiitakes)

1/4 cup zucchini, diced

2 slices aged white cheddar, room temperature

1 tbs each of basil, mint, and parsley

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine elk and herbs with about a tablespoon each of salt and pepper, and use your hands to mix together well. Form patties as big or as small as you like. Arrange sweet potatoes in an oven safe dish with a light coat of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking process.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add leeks to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oil to a cast iron plate over medium high heat while the leeks are cooking. Add mushrooms and zucchini to leeks, reduce heat to low, season, and sauté for the duration you cook the elk, stirring occasionally and adjusting seasoning as you like. Add elk to the cast iron plate, and cook to desired doneness. I cooked the elk for about 7-8 minutes on each side, plus 2 minutes in the oven to melt the cheese on top, giving it a nice medium profile. Fries should be done at the same time you are ready to transfer elk to melt the cheese. Remove fries to cool while melting cheese in the oven. Add vegetable relish to your steak when cheese is melted to your liking.

Enjoy!

26: Blueberry & Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin / Turnip Mash / Red Cabbage

I’ve been shying away from making stuffed pork tenderloin because, well, it requires some work. I felt some motivation to tackle the task this past Friday. I’m glad I did it because this dish is a winner all around. Blueberries and mushrooms were made to go together, and I also add some swiss chard to the stuffing mixture. A delectable sage butter sauce really makes the pork pop on the palette. Side note: I’m really impressed that my sage has lasted through the winter weather. Ok, back to my notes on this dish. The red cabbage didn’t really add much, so feel free to leave that off. I blanched the leaves in case you decide to make it. I think I used it more for color on the plate. I’ve been getting bored with the white background of a plate. The meal is made complete with a turnip mash, prepared much like mashed potatoes, except healthier.

Head to a butcher shop to get your pork tenderloin if you can, or buy one at the store if they have a whole pork tenderloin. You could also buy thick pork chops and slice a pocket in them to stuff. I used the whole pork tenderloin because it makes for a pretty presentation.

Ingredients and Directions:

For the pork-

2 lb pork tenderloin

Olive oil

2 leaves of swiss chard, roughly chopped, stems discarded

1 cup baby bellas, sliced

Half a medium onion, finely chopped

Veal stock (can use chicken stock if you prefer)

1 cup blueberries, chopped

2 tbs butter

8 sage leaves, roughly chopped

Salt & pepper

Butcher’s twine

For turnip mash-

1 lb of turnips, peeled and chopped in near equal sized pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs butter

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a sauce pan, heat some oil over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms (save about ¼ cup of them for the sauce later) and sauté for a few minutes. Add the swiss chard, ¼ cup veal stock, and blueberries (again, saving some for the sauce later) to the pan. Turn up the heat and reduce mixture until all the stock has burned off or been absorbed, about 8-10minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Time to prep the meat. In the trimming process, you will lose some pork, but it’s a good thing because you’re trimming the fat off. Start by slicing 1/3 of the tenderloin open (but not off), and then slice another third from the larger part. Now pound the meat flat. I don’t have a meat mallet, so I covered the pork with plastic wrap and used the side of a hammer. Evenly spread the stuffing mixture when the reduction is done. Don’t wash the pan because you’ll use it to make the sauce later. Have your butcher’s twine ready. Roll up the tenderloin now, and tie the twine around it in four places. Add to a covered pan with ½ cup of stock to baste the pork occasionally while it’s cooking. Roast for one hour.

Boil the turnips until tender, 30-40 minutes. Drain the water when it’s done, and start breaking down the turnips with a fork. Add the butter, garlic, and some salt and pepper now. I used a hand blender to mash them, and you could also do it in a food processor. Mash to desired consistency and keep warm.

When the meat is done, remove it from the pan, and place it on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. Strain the fat out of the stock in the pan, and pour stock into the same pan you made the stuffing mixture in. Over medium heat, cook the stock with the remaining mushrooms and blueberries. Add butter and sage to this mixture and reduce it by half.

Blanch red cabbage leaves while you wait for the sauce to reduce and the meat to rest. Remove twine from the tenderloin, slice the pork, and assemble your dish on the place. Ladle the sauce over the pork slices.

Enjoy!

24: Seared Pork / Fennel & Leeks / Carrot Puree

I cook pork a lot because I find pork itself to be more flavorful than chicken. Here’s another pork chop recipe with a little fall inspiration. I’ve made a lot of soups and purees this past fall/winter season. This dish is well-balanced, incredibly healthy, and pretty quick.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 boneless pork chops, 4 ounces each

2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

Half a fennel bulb, sliced

1 leek, sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

Half & Half (or milk)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Chopped parsley for garnish

Prep your veggies while boiling carrots until they are soft, not mushy. Drain well, reserving the liquid. Using a food processor or immersion blender, puree carrots with half & half and reserved liquid to desired consistency. Transfer puree back to pan and keep warm.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add pork chops to the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now surround the pork with the fennel, leeks, and garlic. Season everything with salt and pepper to taste. Pork and veggies should be done in 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

9: Scrambled Eggs / Sweet Potato Puree

With all this leftover sweet potato puree (and an empty fridge), I decided to make scrambled eggs with the sweet potato puree. I added a little maple syrup and a dash of sugar to the puree right before serving. This breakfast recipe is simple, yet mightily delicious!

Ingredients and Directions:

-4 eggs whipped with a fork

-1.5 cups sweet potato puree

-1/2 cup sliced onions

-2 minced garlic cloves

-minced parsley to taste (thyme or basil also works well)

-pinch of sugar (optional)

-splash of maple syrup (optional)

-butter (optional)
-olive oil

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan. Add puree to a small pan with ¼ cup water on medium heat – the idea here is to warm and moisten but not cook. Add garlic and onions to a large pan and sauté for about five minutes. Stir potatoes to absorb water while sautéing garlic and onions. Add eggs to large pan and scramble to desired doneness (I recommend keeping the eggs a touch moist.). Be sure to keep stirring the potato puree at the same time. Eggs and potatoes should be done around the same time - turn heat on potatoes down to low if they’re warmed before your eggs are done. Garnish eggs with parsley, and add maple syrup and sugar to the puree.

Serve and enjoy!

8: Sweet Potato Puree / A Truly Versatile Dish

Ahhh, the Fall season brings beautiful foliage, cooler temperatures, and Thanksgiving flavors. My girlfriend and I went to a friend’s parents for Thanksgiving, and she made a sweet potato pie with graham cracker crust. She also made way more sweet potato puree than needed for the pie (this recipe reflects enough to make as a side dish for 2-3 people). That “mistake” only meant I could make sweet potato-inspired dishes, which you will see in the next couple of posts. Sweet potato puree is incredibly easy to make!

Tips: This puree is made just a hint sweeter with maple syrup, but you can really play around with the flavor profile. For example, you can sub in lime juice and cayenne pepper or orange juice and ginger for the lemon juice and maple syrup. You can use the puree for a number of recipes such as a ravioli filling, or add eggs to make a pie filling.

Ingredients and Directions:

-1 pound sweet potato, peeled and cubed

-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

-Sugar to taste

-Maple syrup to taste

-1 tablespoon lemon juice

-1 tablespoon salt

-1/4 stick of butter

Cover cubed sweet potatoes in water and bring it to a boil. Continue boiling until easily pierced with a fork, 10-15 minutes once brought to a boil. Drain and add potatoes to a large mixing bowl, if using a hand blender. You can also do this in a blender or food processor. Begin pureeing sweet potatoes while adding in all the other ingredients in the list. Puree to desired smoothness.

Serve and enjoy!