Crunchy Crust Salmon Croquettes

Salmon Croquettes are one of the great comfort foods for eating on a chilly Fall day. I keep several cans of Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon in the pantry cupboard for those days when you want something a little different and really good to eat for dinner. 

Two kinds of breadcrumbs help make these salmon croquettes extra crunchy and delicious. Crispy baked Panko breadcrumbs serve to lighten up the croquette dough seasoned with greek yogurt, parsley, shallots, green onions and lemon juice. Asian Sesame Panko breadcrumbs seasoned with black sesame seeds, garlic, onion, chile pepper, and ginger give these croquettes a wonderful spicy brown crust that is crispy and so deee-licious. Serve with coconut rice and wedges of fresh lemon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 ~6 ounce cans of Wild Alaskan skinless boneless pink salmon
1 cup plain baked Crispy Panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons of thick Greek yogurt
2 shallots, peeled and very finely chopped
4 green onions, very finely chopped including some green tops
¼ cup fresh parsley very finely chopped
2 eggs, well beaten
1 – 2 tablespoons of flour (optional)
½ teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
olive oil for frying
½ cup Panko Asian Sesame Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Combine the well-drained salmon, salt, plain Panko breadcrumbs, yogurt, shallots, scallions, green onions, eggs, parsley and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Stir ingredients together until they are thoroughly mixed. The salmon must be well mixed with all the other ingredients or the patties will not hold together. You may want to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour to adjust the consistency of the salmon mixture to make it easier to handle. Refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 1/2 hour before you try to shape it into patties.

Next, spoon some of the well-chilled salmon mixture into a 1/3-cup measuring cup and gently pack it with your hands. Unmold the pattie dough and shape it with your hands to form a 2 inch wide patty. Spread some Panko Asian Sesame breadcrumbs out on a plate and press the patty into the breadcrumbs coating both sides. Place each patty on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat to make about 8 patties.

Add olive oil to a non-stick 12 inch pan. Bring the temperature up to a medium heat. Transfer patties to the skillet with a spatula and cook, turning once until they are golden brown. This will take about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and keep warm until all the patties are cooked. Serve with coconut rice and wedges of fresh lemon.

Cook’s Note: You can make your own Panko Asian Sesame bread crumbs by adding some garlic powder, onion powder, hot chili powder, ginger, and toasted black sesame seeds to Panko Crispy Baked bread crumbs. Give it a whirl in a small food processor to thoroughly blend all of the spices and breadcrumbs. The hot chili powder adds some heat to the crumb mix, but you can add more or less of this as you prefer.

Carrots with an Orange and Apple Cider Glaze

Carrots and apple cider are a perfect combination. A bit of orange juice, fresh thyme and a little bit of butter to finish the sauce make these carrots so tasty.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon good olive oil
3 cups baby carrots
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of butter

Directions:

Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and saute until the carrots start to brown just a little.

Add the orange juice, 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme and the cup of apple cider. Bring up to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer stirring occassionally for about 15 minutes until carrots are fork tender and the liquid is reduced to glaze. Add the remaining teaspoon of fresh thyme, the teaspoon of butter and stir to finish the sauce.

Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot.

Best Pot Roast Ever with Roasted Vegetables

The key to making a perfectly tender pot roast is to season it liberally with garlic, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; brown it deeply and thoroughly before adding liquid; and braise it in the oven at 275°in a rich beef broth with some sprigs of fresh herbs to build great flavor. Cook the roast as long and as slow as you can until it is tender and delicious. That’s it – it’s that simple.

While the roast is getting tender and delicious, roast some potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, brussel sprouts, squash and bell peppers separately with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs for a delicious side dish. The vegetables taste better that way, and so does the gravy around the roast. The recipe follows. If you want to keep things very simple, you can add some carrots and potatoes during the last half hour of cooking to the simmering broth around the roast to create a delicious meal in one dish. So easy and so good!

Ingredients:

4 pound pot roast, at room temperature
3 or 4 cloves of garlic cut into slivers
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups rich beef stock
½ cup red wine or dry Marsala wine (optional)

Preheat oven to 275°.

With a small knife make numerous small slits in the roast and insert slivers of garlic in the slits. Then coat both sides of the roast in a mixture of flour, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a heavy pot and sear the roast on all sides to seal in the juices. Take the time to build up a nice brown crust. Next add the wine, the broth and enough water to cover the roast. Put the roast in the oven and keep temperature at a steady 275 ° while the roast becomes very tender. For a 3-pound roast, allow for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. For a 5-pound roast, allow for a 4 to 5 hour cooking time During the last hour of cooking, remove the lid, turn the roast over, then replace the lid and continue cooking in the slow oven.

When enough time has elapsed check the roast for doneness. A fork should go in easily and the meat should be very tender and delicious. Turn the oven off, place the roast in a serving dish, and cover loosely with foil. Place the roast in the warm oven while you finish the sauce.

Skim as much fat off the sauce as possible and turn the heat up to reduce the liquid in the pan. When the liquid is reduced by half, mix ¼ cup flour and ¾ cup water in a jar and shake well to mix. Pour this into the sauce and stir with a whisk to blend and cook for a few minutes. Adjust for salt and pepper to taste. Move the roasted meat to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Pour the finished sauce over the sliced roast. Garnish with fresh parsley roughly chopped and serve with the roasted vegetables.

Oven Roasted Vegetables:

2-3 yellow onions peeled and quartered
1 large red onion peeled and roughly chopped
3 or 4 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
3 or 4 cloves of garlic peeled and roughly chopped
4-5 large carrots peeled and chopped into large pieces
3-4 large potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup of brussel sprouts cleaned and cut in half
1 cup zucchini or squash cut into bite size pieces
1 cup sliced bell peppers
2 – 3 tablespoons good olive oil (use oil infused with fresh rosemary if you have it)
¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves stripped off the stems or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped off the stems, or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

Place all the vegetables in a large pan and toss with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Use fresh herbs if you have them. Spread the vegetables out into a single layer and roast in a hot 450° oven for 30 to 45 minutes until vegetables are fork tender. Serve with the sliced pot roast.

Wild Mushrooms and Wild Rice Pilaf

Fall is the season for wild mushrooms, which can be found in the woods if you know where to look, and what to look for. If you go mushroom hunting, do it with someone who is an expert and knows which mushrooms are safe to pick and eat. Happily, wild mushrooms that are safe to eat are offered now by many grocers. Saute these delicious little morsels in a little olive oil with some finely chopped garlic and shallots and the delicious aroma of the woods begins to waft through the kitchen. Add some wild rice and simmer with some good homemade chicken stock and wait patiently if you can. Then add Aborio rice to the pot and simmer until all of the chicken stock has been absorbed. Finally, when all is done, fluff the rice with a fork and add the toasted hazelnuts. Garnish with fresh chives and parsley and you have an excellent side dish to accompany a good grilled steak or a beautiful fillet of salmon.

Ingredients

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup of wild mushrooms roughly chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup wild rice1 cup Aborio rice
3 cups fat free homemade chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons freshly snipped chives

Directions:

Rinse the wild rice well and drain. Put the shallots, garlic, thyme and wild mushrooms in a pan with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil and sauté for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the wild rice to the shallots, mushrooms, thyme and garlic stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and some sea salt and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 25 minutes until the wild rice is tender. The kernels will begin to break open when it is ready. Next remove the cover and add the Aborio white rice and stir once. Re-cover the pot and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover the pot and check to see it the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. If not, re-cover and simmer a few minutes more until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the toasted hazelnuts, sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss with a fork to mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with fresh parsley and chives.

Note: To toast hazelnuts spread a single layer of nuts on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated 350°F oven until they begin to change color, about 5 - 8 minutes. Allow to cool and roughly chop with a knife.

Thai Coconut Rice

This is so easy to make and so delicious with Asian Glazed Salmon or Lake Trout with a Citrus Glaze.   If you don't have Jasmine rice, Aborio rice or regular rice works just as well. 

Ingredients:

1 cups Thai jasmine white rice

1 can good-quality coconut milk (not lite)

1 1/2 cup of water

2 heaping Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (see instructions below recipe)

Preparation:

Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. You will need a tight-fitting lid.

Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to a very low simmer.  Cover tightly with a lid and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. To check, pull rice aside with a fork. If most of the coconut milk-water is gone, go on to the next step.

Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. The Coconut Rice will stay warm this way for up to 1 hour or more!

When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. Taste and add more salt if needed. Top the rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and finely chopped fresh parsley.

To toast coconut: Place 1/4 cup dry shredded coconut, or more, in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir  or "dry fry" until a light golden brown.  Do not leave the pan unattended while doing this as it browns rather quickly and can easily become too brown.

Wild-caught Lake Trout in a Citrus Marinade

Wild-caught Lake Trout is abundant in Northern Michigan right now and it does not need a fancy preparation.  A marinade of lemon and lime juice, a touch of honey, thinly slivered shallots, and sweet red onions plus a little olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper are more than enough.   Serve with coconut rice and green onions, with fresh parsley and a touch of cumin.  Deeee-licious!

Ingredients:

2 Lake Trout fillets, about 8 to10 ounces each, skin on

3 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1 small sweet red onion very thinly shaved

3 shallots peeled and very thinly sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon of good olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Combine lime juice, lemon juice, honey and thinly sliced shallots and onions in a dish.  Place the Lake Trout skin-side up on the juice and onions and marinate for 30 minutes.  When the fish has marinated for a sufficient time, remove the fillets and place them skin-side down in a baking pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Spoon the honey and citrus juice marinade mixture over the filets. Arrange the red onions and shallots over the top of the fish.  Sprinkle with the lemon zest and drizzle with some good olive oil.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a pre-heated 350° oven until fish flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with some lemon slices and roughly chopped fresh parsley. 

Pickled Carrots

Pickled carrots are very good as a vegetable, salad or appetizer. Use a combination of yellow, purple and orange carrots if you can find them at the Farmers Market.  The same pickling marinade also work for zucchini, cauliflower or those little pickling cucumbers.  The carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene, which has many health benefits, particularly in working to preserve night vision.  Because the olive oil in this recipe is heated, you can use any good olive oil.  The more expensive  extra-virgin olive oil is not necessary. Serve the pickled carrots with fish or with barbecued chicken.  Very good!

Ingredients: 3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press 2 tablespoons onion or shallot, coarsely chopped ¼ cup good olive oil ¼  cup white vinegar or flavored wine vinegar ½  teaspoon dry mustard powder, or ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon whole mixed pickling spices, tied in cheesecloth Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut across on the diagonal in thin slices 1 small onion, very thinly sliced ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley Directions: Sauté the garlic and chopped shallot in olive oil in a skillet until just tender, no more than 5 minutes.  Stir in the vinegar, mustard, pickling spices, salt, pepper, and carrots. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The carrots should still be crunchy or al dente. Remove from heat.  Remove the cheesecloth with the spices. Transfer the carrots to a shallow dish. Top with the very thinly sliced onion and the chopped parsley. Cover and refrigerate until served, stirring occasionally.