Smoked Salmon and Avocado Toasts

At the end of each year food professionals discuss fads and popular trends in the culinary world and often make predictions about what's to come.

I don't know what's coming but I can say that as far as I know, one food trend this year was: avocado toast. Which is basically guacamole sandwich. Which is basically mashed avocado with some lime or lemon juice and anything else you might want in your guacamole, like tomatoes or chili pepper and so on.

I also know this: there's a good reason that avocado toasts became a thing. They're scrumptious. They're easy to prepare. They are incredibly versatile, as in you can use them as a base for a whole host of hors d'oeuvre, which might come in handy for New Year's get togethers.

For example: these avocado toasts on melba rounds topped with chopped salmon and some seasonings. 

Honestly, it couldn't get much easier than this and they do look pretty don't they?

They're on my menu for my New Year pre-dinner cocktail hour.

And btw, I buy salmon "scraps" that (fortunately) my local supermarket sells -- the leftover but still good pieces of salmon that the lox cutter cuts away to get those perfect slices. Because you chop this salmon up, so why not buy the cheap stuff?

 

SMOKED SALMON AND AVOCADO TOASTS

• 24 toast rounds (or packaged Melba rounds)

• 2 small avocados, peeled and chopped

• 1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion

• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/4 pound smoked salmon pieces

• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

• pinch or two of cayenne pepper

If using bread, cut out small circles with a cookie cutter, or use packaged Melba rounds. In a bowl, mash the avocados. Add one tablespoon olive oil, the scallion, 2 tablespoons lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and add more lime juice if desired. Spread the avocado mixture evenly over the bread. Chop the smoked salmon, add the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil, the chives and some cayenne pepper and mix ingredients thoroughly. Spread equal amounts of the salmon mixture on top of the avocado mixture.

Makes 24

Malaysian Style Fish in Coconut Curry

When it's fish on the menu I usually grill, broil or roast salmon with lots of different glazes or toppings. Either as filets or steaks. Ed likes salmon (and not much other fish), so, no complaints at dinner.

But recently we had company for dinner and even though some of my salmon recipes are suitable for a somewhat fancier meal than on any old Tuesday or such, I wanted to cook something different, something special.

So I experimented a few times to develop a good recipe for Malaysian style fish curry, because, (in my opinion anyway), Malaysian food is one of the most interesting, most intriguing and most delicious of all world cuisines.

This was the winner. I served it to our dinner guests. All plates were scraped clean.

But the recipe isn't that time consuming or elaborate, so you don't need to save it for a special occasion. Cook it anytime -- during the Nine Days before Tisha B'av, for example, when you might be more likely to be preparing fish for dinner. 

Or any Tuesday and such.

Although I served the curry with cooked rice, it would also be wonderful with rice noodles.

Malaysian Style Fish Curry

• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1-1/2 cups coconut milk
• 2-inch cinnamon stick, cut in half
• 6 whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small chili pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• salt to taste
• 24 ounces snapper, tilapia or halibut, cut into chunks (or 24 extra large shrimp)
• cooked rice or rice noodles

Remove and discard the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass stalk. Remove some of the thinner, softer leaves and set them aside. Chop the tender portions (the thinnest inner leaves plus the bulb at the bottom). Combine the coconut milk, set-aside lemongrass leaves, cinnamon stick and whole cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat (or use a wok or stir fry pan). Add the onion and cook for a minute, stirring often. Add the garlic, chopped lemongrass, chili pepper, ginger, turmeric and salt to taste and stir fry for another minute. Add the fish and cook, stirring gently, for 3-4 minutes or until the pieces are lightly cooked. Strain the coconut milk mixture and pour the liquid into the pan with the fish. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Serve with cooked rice or rice noodles.

Makes 4 servings

An Egg Roll Like No Other

A few weeks ago I attended a dinner at Six Thirteen, a local kosher restaurant in Stamford, CT. It was a fabulous multi-course offering served as a "pop up" with the fabulous Dini Schuman Klein of "Dini Delivers" doing the cooking.

Dini is a personal chef, a caterer, food demonstrator, blogger.

Yes, she does it all. She's an energetic young woman whose enthusiasm as well as her food ---- delivers!

The entire meal was wonderful. But two courses stand out as memorable. One was a chicken dish that my friend Liz Arronson Rueven will be blogging about.

The other was an egg roll like you've never had egg roll.

With avocado and cumin. Herb marinated mahi-mahi. Pineapple Salsa. Jalapeno peppers.

That kind of egg roll.

Oh my.

I could have eaten 4 of them, but I was trying to be polite and besides I was at a table with several other people, including Liz and her husband as well as Rabbi Yehuda Kantor and Dina Kantor, so I didn't want to appear gluttonous.

But I did ask Dini if she would give me the recipe.

And so she did.

And so, here it is. It's an ambitious recipe, to be sure. But so, so delicious!

Herb Marinated Mahi Mahi-Avocado Eggroll Served with Papaya Salsa, Chili Lime Sace, and Jalapeño Chimichurri

Marinade:

• 1 large bunch parsley
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 medium fillets mahi mahi (24 oz), thinly sliced in 1-inch thick strips

Papaya Salsa:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 papaya peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• salt to taste

Chili Lime Sauce:

• 1/4 cup sriracha
• 1/2 cup mayo
• juice of 2 limes
• 8 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons chili powder

Jalapeño Chimichurri:

• 2 jalapenos
• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
•  salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To assemble Eggroll:

• 10 eggroll wrappers
• 1 avocado sliced
• pickled onions (optional)
• canola oil for frying

Directions:

Combine all marinade ingredients in saucepan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add fish and let marinate for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile prepare the sauces:

Papaya Salsa: Saute the onion and garlic in oil in a small pot. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until thickened and all the flavors have mixed together. Use an immersion blender to create a slightly smoother salsa. Let chill until ready to serve.

Chili Lime Sauce: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Jalapeño Chimichurri: Using a food processor, puree all ingredients until well blended. Transfer to a bowl and cover. 

To assemble the eggrolls:

Lay out an egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place 1/4 cup fish (straining off as much marinade as possible), 2 slices of avocado in the center, and a tablespoon of pickled onions (if using). Sprinkle the avocado with a touch of salt. Fold the corner closest to you over the filling. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Wet the top corner with a drop of water to help seal the egg roll. Continue rolling egg rolls until you've made 10. Place in the oil and fry until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool on a rack or paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately with all three sauces. 

Makes 10

Salmon Spread for Easy Summer Entertaining

My mother was one of those women who always had too much food in the house. Just in case.

Just in case company came. You can't just let them sit there and not eat.

Just in case you needed a little something extra for supper. Or as a snack over the weekend.

Just in case you had some leftovers and you didn't want to throw them out.

If you ever took a look in my freezer, my fridge and my kitchen cabinets you would know, like mother, like daughter.

I have a ton of food things.

Just in case.

This past weekend when my cousins came for a sleepover, I discussed this with my cousin Leslie, whose mother was my Mom's sister. She was bemoaning her overstuffed freezer, refrig, pantry. With all the "just-in-case" stuff. 

We are who we are, products of our upbringing, including our need for just-in-case food.

But I did point out to her that with the leftover salmon I made the other day, the dill, lemons, celery and cream cheese I always have on hand, I made this spread. Which is a perfectly easy-to-make, quick-as-a-wink to make hors d'oeuvre to be served with chips or crudites. And I served it over the weekend.

Easy. 

You can do it too. And if you don't have leftover salmon, you can used canned salmon, tuna or sardines. It's also delicious with leftover cooked bluefish.

 

Salmon Spread

• 8 ounces cooked salmon, crumbled
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Place the salmon, scallions, celery, cream cheese, lemon juice, dill and Dijon mustard in the workbowl of a food processor and process until thoroughly blended. 

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Roasted Salmon with Mustard and Chives

I realize that the Republican nominee for president for 2016 has already been chosen and the primary today in the state of Washington will not change that.

Still, I have to give the nod today to Washington, not for the politics but for the food. Two of our best ingredients come from there: apples and salmon.

So, here's to Washington. This salmon dish is amazingly easy to make (if you don't have chives you can chop some scallion tops). (You can also make the same dish using Arctic Char.)

If you'd like to follow on with a wonderful apple dessert, consider one of these: German Apple Cake, Apple Brown Betty, Apple Pie, , Apple Crisp or Applesauce Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

Roasted Salmon with Mustard and Chives

• 24-32 ounces salmon (or use Arctic Char)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the fish on a parchment-lined baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the honey, mustard, garlic and chives. Add the lemon juice and whisk it in until the mixture is well blended. Spread the mixture evenly over the fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 12-15 minutes or until the fish is cooked to desired doneness and the surface is lightly crispy.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Raisins and Pine Nuts

Although I love to cook and don't mind fussing, chopping, washing veggies and so on, sometimes I get lazy or tired and prefer to take the easy way out. I don't mean order-in (although I do understand that). I mean, make food that's easy.

In fact, I find that I like quick-and-easy more and more often.

Like this roasted cod dish. I had been looking at loads of recipes that include tomatoes, raisins and pine nuts with fish. Most of the recipes involve searing and/or roasting the fish and making the sauce separately. But I didn't feel up to doing all that. And I certainly didn't want an extra pan to clean.

So I put all the ingredients together in a roasting pan and placed the fish on top, thinking the sauce would become sauce all by itself, moistened by the natural juices leeching from the fish.

And voila! I was right. There it was. Crispy topped fish and lovely, savory sauce. So good. So easy. Cleanup almost free.

I scattered some bread crumbs on top to give it a lightly crispy surface. (During Passover you could use matzo meal.)

Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Raisins and Pine Nuts

• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2-3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 2 pounds fresh cod
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (or matzo meal)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts and garlic in a roasting pan and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Place the fish on top of the tomato mixture. Brush the fish with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter the bread crumbs over the top. Roast for 18-20 minutes or until top is lightly crispy and the fish is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Salmon with Teriyaki Glaze

After any big holiday -- like Passover -- where there's been tons of food and extra goodies like chocolate matzo bark and jelly rings, I need to pare down. Pare down me I mean. Me, lover of matzo, who probably ate 3 boxes worth over 8 days.

It's over.

More thoughtful dinners are in order. 

Simple food is on the menu. 

Also, after all that holiday cooking, meals that are quick and easy to cook.

It's just Ed and me tonight.

So, this salmon dish, along with some veggies ---

 

Roasted Salmon with Teriyaki Glaze

• 24-32 ounces salmon

• 1/4 cup sake

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (or scallion greens)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the fish in a roasting pan. Place the sake, mirin, soy sauce, vegetable oil and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Stir until the ingredients are blended. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is reduced and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pour the liquid over the fish. Sprinkle with chives. Roast for 12-16 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness.

Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Salmon with Harissa

Many years ago Ed and I took our daughters on a cruise to Alaska. At the time they were going through what I think of as the usual teenage disdain for anything their parents liked. So although they went with us on deck to see some of the famous, enormous glaciers, after the first few, when we uncool grownups were still excited to see yet another huge hunk of ice, they stayed in their cabin. And so they missed the Columbia Glacier which, just by chance when we were watching, dropped what we were told was the ice equivalent of a 6-story apartment building into the water.

Okay, so they missed it. I still smile when I close my eyes and think about what we saw that day.

The other thing we all missed was the salmon. Alaskan salmon is world famous, and for good reason -- it's fat and flavorful. And some of the folks on our trip actually went fishing and caught some fish, which the chef cooked them for dinner. And for those who didn't go fishing, well, they got fresh fresh salmon anyway.

Unfortunately our daughter Gillian is allergic to fish, so we never have it on the table when she is with us.

Ed and I have made up for that in the years that followed, when we dine alone or with people who can eat and appreciate fish.

We both love salmon and eat it very often.

And so, in keeping with the political theme of this blog over the past several weeks, I will pay tribute to the Alaska Democratic political caucus coming up on March 26th (the Republicans had theirs on March 1st), and offer one of the salmon recipes we have loved over the years. It's so quick and easy to cook you can serve this any night of the week. And yet, salmon is festive, so it's a good choice for company also.

Roasted Salmon with Harissa

• 4 salmon filets or steaks, about 6 ounces each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
• 1 teaspoon harissa
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the salmon pieces in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, oregano, harissa and mustard. Spread this mixture on top of the fish filets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-18 minutes, depending on thickness, or until cooked to desired doneness.

Makes 4 servings  

Russ & Daughters at the Jewish Museum

Now hear this! Russ & Daughters at the Jewish Museum is open!!!!

It's a cafe but also a retail takeout shop.

It's new. Clean. Bright. Comfortable. Kosher!

And with all those fabulous items we love -- like herring and lox and whitefish.

PLUS: lots more, like blintzes, mushroom barley soup, knishes, chocolate egg creams, noodle kugel.

Oh my, oh my oh my.

PLUS: some Israeli favorites: Shakshuka and Chopped Salad.

And a few extras like pickles, beet salad and halvah ice cream.

Ed and I were lucky to be invited for a preview lunch last week. I was a glutton and ordered two things. First Kasha Varnishkas, which I am really fussy about because my mother-in-law's recipe was so spectacularly delicious. This dish was fabulous and they add a modern touch that makes this side dish into a whole lunch (at least for me!) -- a poached egg on top so that the runny yolk oozes into the grains and caramelized onions. Ooooooh, is all I can say.

I also had the shakshuka (which they spell with an extra o), which was nice and tomato-y and rich with -- another poached egg.

I was too full for dessert.

Ed did the easy thing -- testing out the Russ & Daughters herring plate, which was loaded with tidbits of different flavored herrings and accompanied by several sauces and chopped beets. The fish were very fresh, briny, tender. I had tastes of course.

The fish is where Russ & Daughters has always excelled of course. The takeout shelves included whitefish that were so fresh and fat they didn't look real. I wanted desperately to get one but we were on our way elsewhere and I didn't think carrying a big fish around would be such a good idea.

The breads are some of the best I've ever tasted. Rye and pumpernickel and especially the challah. If you ever read this blog you know I am pretty stubborn about my own challah being unsurpassed. But Russ & Daughters challah is amazing.

We will go back. 

Thanks for the invite, Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper (4th generation owners). Good luck on your new venture!

Tasmanian Ocean Trout for Dinner

There's a new Citarella market near me. I love this place, mostly because they have all sorts of gorgeous, fresh produce, interesting breads and fish that not only looks beautiful, but looks as if all of it was just caught -- moist, glossy, and without any hint of fish odor.

Also -- the variety of fish they offer is huge -- you just can't get some of it in most places, even a good fish market. Some I've never seen before.

Like Tasmanian Ocean Trout.

It looked, well, good enough to eat, I had to buy some.

It was more than good enough to eat.

Although Tasmanian Ocean Trout resembles salmon, it doesn't taste like salmon. It's milder and sweeter. The flesh is softer. More like trout.

Of course.

I'll be going back for more. 

Here's how I cooked it. Stay tuned for more recipes.

Of course, if you can't find this fish variety, do try the recipe using salmon.

 

Roasted Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Orange, Soy and Ginger Glaze

• 1-1/2 pounds Tasmanian Ocean Trout (or substitute salmon) filet
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 thick scallion, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the fish in a shallow pan or dish. In a bowl, mix the orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetable oil, ginger, garlic and scallion. Pour the mixture over the salmon and coat the entire surface of the fish with the mixture. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the fish on the parchment. Pour some of the marinade on top. Roast the fish for about 15 minutes or until the surface is crispy and cooked to desired doneness. 

Makes 4 servings