salmon - Around My Family Table

Salmon BLT

June 27, 2012 · by amft · 14 Comments

Hubbyman goes out with the guys from work every couple of months to local breweries. He’s been raving about the Salmon BLT from his favorite hangout for awhile, but I’m not a huge fan of seafood, so I hardly cook it. Shocking, I know!

Well, we have this wonderful fresh Alaskan salmon that a friend sent us. He caught it in Alaska (of course) and then divided among friends and shipped it to us fresh! So, I knew the best thing to make would be the sandwich that hubbyman talks so much about. Only problem is that I’ve never been to this brewery nor have I had a taste of the infamous sandwich. I jumped on their site, looked up what goes on their sandwich and started planning.

Can I just tell you how happy I made my husband (and daughter) the night I made this! You’d think I just gave them a million dollars….they were over the moon in love with the sandwich. Who wouldn’t with all the cheese, bacon, salmon, and creamy pesto mayo?!?!

I think part of the fun was that I made it a built your own sammie night too! It looked so fun and the kids really got into piling all the goodies on their sandwich. It’s the best way to get kids to eat…let them help create it.

The blackened seasoning was perfect. A little spicy and tons of flavor. I did take a short cut and used premade pesto for the mayo, but if you have some leftover pesto, use it! And of course, I picked a spicy pepper jack cheese for our sandwiches, but the kids had colby jack. My mouth is watering just thinking about it…and this comes from a non-seafood fan.

Salmon BLT

Blackened Seasoning:

1 tbl paprika

1 tbl sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne

Pesto Mayo:

1/3 c mayonnaise

2 tbl pesto

Sandwiches:

16 oz salmon (cut into 4 equal pieces, thin and wide is best)

8 slices hickory smoked bacon, cooked

4 lettuce leaves

4 tomato slices

4 slices pepper jack cheese (or your choice of cheese)

4 hearty rolls (such as ciabatta rolls)

Blackened Seasoning:

Combine spices in an airtight container.

Pesto Mayo:

In a small bowl, combine mayo and pesto. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Sandwiches:

Generously sprinkle salmon with seasoning (note: you won't use all the seasoning that you made). Let it sit while grill preheats to medium high.

Grill salmon using indirect heat (3-4-inches away from heat). Grill fillets for about 4-6 minutes (2-3 minutes per side) per ½ inch thickness, turning only once. Salmon continues to cook after being removed from the grill. Cook salmon until the meat begins to change color and becomes flaky. Check by inserting the tip of a sharp knife near the thickest part of the salmon and pull slightly. Well done salmon appears opaque and will flake easily.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/06/salmon-blt/

Filed Under: condiments, grilling, main dishes, mixes, sauces/mixes, seafood · Tagged: salmon, sandwich, seafood, spices

Sweet Chipotle Salmon with Mango Salsa

May 15, 2012 · by amft · 4 Comments

I love mangos. So when we had a little session on mangos at Camp Blogaway I was super excited! I was even more excited when we sampled some mango recipes and were told we would get a box of mangos delivered to our homes! Seriously…you would have thought it was Christmas…well, at least for me!

Before I get to my recipe, I want to share a few things I learned about mangos:

There are 6 varieties; Tommy Atkins is the most common
Color is NOT an indicator of ripeness
Test for ripeness by gently squeezing (ripe=soft like a peach/avocado)
Unripe mangos should be left to ripen on the counter
Ripe mangos should go in the fridge for up to 5 days
1 cup = 100 cal, 100% daily Vit C., 13% daily fiber
Unripe mangos are good for slaw, relish, chutney
Ripe mangos are good for fruit salad, salsa, sauces
Very ripe mangos are good for smoothies, milkshakes, cakes, ice creams

I never knew that unripe mangos were good for certain things, but this recipe is good for an unripe or just barely ripe mango! It is a spin off of one of the recipes that we tried at camp. It’s a little sweet but does have a kick! If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, then tone down the amount of chipotle powder in the rub and the jalapeno in the salsa. It was perfect for us, but we enjoy food with a little kick.

I had my first mishap with a sharp knife today. Seriously…I made it to 36 without a major incident with a knife. All I have to say is YOWSERS!!!! It hurts and is still bleeding a little after several hours. Have you ever cut yourself with a knife in the kitchen? I can’t believe I did it….I feel like such a dork, but it is a good reminder to be EXTREMELY careful when cutting your mangoes.

Sweet Chipotle Salmon with Mango Salsa

Rub:

3 tbls sugar

1 tbl ground chipotle powder*

1/2 tsp sea salt

Salsa:

2 medium firm, ripe mangos, diced small

1 large shallot, finely minced

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely minced (or half large)

2 tbls fresh lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)

2 tbls finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp course sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 salmon fillets

Rub: Mix all together and store in an airtight container.

Salsa: Mix together and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Salmon: Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Rub spice mixture on one side of the salmon fillet. Place salmon on grill** and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Salmon should be firm but give a little when done.

Serve salmon topped with mango salsa.

Notes:

*If you can't find ground chipotle powder look for dried jalapenos or chipotle peppers and grind your own using a coffee grinder or blender such as a VitaMix. There really isn't any or spice that is a decent substitute, but you could try cayenne or maybe cumin or a mixture.

**Season grill well before placing salmon on. Use a paper towel dipped in oil to "grease" the grill several times or use a tin foil boat or grill basket.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/05/sweet-chipotle-salmon-with-mango-salsa/

Thank you to the National Mango Board for sponsoring part of Camp Blogaway and for the wonderful package of mangos and goodies! Show some love: Website, Facebook, Twitter

Filed Under: condiments, grilling, main dishes, sauces/mixes, seafood · Tagged: fruit, mango, salmon, supper

Cedar Planked Teriyaki Salmon

September 23, 2011 · by amft · 8 Comments

My hubbyman doesn’t do a lot of cooking in the kitchen, but give him a grill or smoker and he is a king! I love that he is such a great outdoor cook. It gives me some days off and keeps the house cool in the summer. Luckily, we live in AZ so it is grilling season 365 days a year.

A month or so ago, we were given the opportunity to buy some really fresh salmon (a co-workers brother went salmon fishing in Alaska and then sent it to us). I’m not a huge seafood fan, I really only eat shrimp and shark, but this salmon was unbelievable. Hubbyman wanted to use the cedar plank and then glaze the salmon with my homemade Teriyaki sauce. Brilliant!

The cedar planks give the fish (or anything else you want to cook) and subtle smoke flavor without using a smoker.

Note: Please use caution when buying the wood. Buy food grade wood and not treated wood from the hardware store.

Cedar Planked Teriyaki Salmon

2 cedar planks (or alder planks)
4 salmon filets (about 2lbs total)
Teriyaki Sauce (recipe follows)

Soak wood planks for 1 hour in water (wine or beer would be tasty too). Preheat grill to medium high. Place wood and then salmon on the grill and cook over direct heat. Cook for about 10 minutes (depends on the the thickness, ours took about 20 minutes), over medium high heat. Put out flare ups with a spray bottle filled with water. Start basting salmon with Teriyaki sauce about halfway through the cooking time. Baste every couple of minutes. Salmon is done when it flakes apart with a fork.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ginger, freshly grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbls mirin
1/2 tsp cornstarch*

Combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a sauce pot. Bring it to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Combine mirin and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to the sauce; stir well to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until it is reduced to about 3/4 cups and forms a syrup-like consistency.

*I use Ultra Gel instead of cornstarch, so I add the mirin in at the beginning and then thicken with the Ultra Gel. I figured most don’t have Ultra Gel, so I gave the cornstarch method. Also, powdered ginger will work if you can’t get your hands on the real stuff. I buy a large root and then store it in the freezer. It lasts for about 6 months or so this way.

Make a double or triple batch and keep it for up to a week in the fridge or store it in the freezer in sizes that you will use at one recipe. Also, I linked to a couple things today, since some ingredients might be new to you. On Monday, I will share one other recipe to use up your Teriyaki Sauce.

Filed Under: grilling, main dishes, seafood · Tagged: grilling, salmon, scratch