Blackened Salmon Tostadas

Another wedding recipe... this was the recipe I asked the lodge to make as a passed appetizer. This is one of our household favs -- inspired by the great Ivar's Salmonhouse here in Seattle. You can get the larger sized tostada shells and make them more meal-sized. Sometimes I top them with a spicy cilantro aioli that I will add to the blog whenever I make it next. Something about the spice of the blackened seasoning combined with the cooling creamy cilantro flavors... so delicious. Pic coming soon!

Mini Blackened Salmon Tostadas

Ingredients

12 oz wild salmon fillet
1 15oz can refried black beans
1 medium sized avocado, cubed & divided
1 cup pico de gallo salsa (or any red salsa)
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro
12 3-inch mini tostada shells
12 lime wedges, for serving
Cajun blackening seasoning

Directions

• Heat beans over med-low heat until creamy.
• Coat flesh side of salmon fillet with blackening seasoning.
• On either a hot grill or a heated cast iron skillet with 3-4 tbsps canola oil (medium heat)
• Flash cook salmon, flesh side down for 2-3 minutes. Turn salmon over and grill/cook until skin gets crispy, about 5-6 minutes.
• To assemble tostadas, spread black beans over each tostada. Top with 1 oz salmon, avocado chunks and about a tablespoon of salsa. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Makes 12 tostadas.

Wild Blackberry Margaritas

If this isn't West-meets-South I don't know what is! This beverage was the signature cocktail of the Selby-Coulter wedding and I (the bride) wanted to choose something that featured an indigenous Pacific Northwest fruit with a Tex-Mex flair to pay homage to the two parts of the country we grew up in. Perfect summer (or end of summer!) cocktail. 

Wild Blackberry Margaritas

Ingredients
2 parts Sauza Hornitos
2 parts Stirrings margarita mix
1 part Cointreau
1 part Real Lime Juice (avoid Rose's Lime juice, it is too sweet.)
3-4 Blackberries
Splash of Sprite or other lemon-lime soda
Lime Wedges

Directions
• Lightly muddle ice and blackberries together in cocktail shaker.
• Add ingredients 1-4.
• Shake and pour into salted rim glass or mason jar.
• Add Sprite.
• Stir, garnish with lime wedge and serve (makes one serving).

Homemade Corn Tortillas

I know its been a while since I have posted so I am making it up to you all by coming back with a vengeance and passing along my #1 go-to recipe these days... corn tortillas. Once you make these once, I promise you won't want to ever buy the papery, tasteless store-bought version ever again. Not only are they delicious, making them is also quick and easy. The number one required piece of equipment is a metal tortilla press. If you don't have one, get one. I have tried these with a plastic one and it was kind of a failure... each tortilla was too small and super thick so I had to roll each one out with a rolling pin. Yeah.. NOT fun. So save yourself the trouble and get yourself a metal one!

Corn Tortillas

Ingredients
1 c masa harina (I recommend the brand Maseca)
2/3 cup warm water
sea salt (about 1 tsp)

Equipment

• metal tortilla press (I bought mine in a tienda up here in Seattle for $20 and it's the bomb)

• double griddle (not %100 necessary but makes things go a little quicker)
• 1 gallon-sized zip lock bag (cling wrap will do if you don't have one on hand)
• tortilla warmer or basket w/ kitchen towel

Instructions

1. Combine masa, water and salt in a bowl with a spatula. Form into a ball with your hands. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to press.

2. Heat griddle to med-high

3. Cut a gallon size zip-lock bag into two halves for both sides of the press.

3. Form dough into 1 inch balls (or whatever size you want really)

4. Take one ball at a time between the two sheets of plastic and press out each tortilla

5. After pressing out tortilla, flop it out on the griddle and heat for 1 min each side (should see some golden brown on each side)

6. Place each tortilla in warmer or basket with kitchen towel to keep warm until you're ready to fill them with your fav Tex-Mex goodies! (makes about 8 tortillas)

Breakfast Chilaquiles

I don't have a picture of this, but we all know this is my favorite, go-to breakfast recipe when I want to impress.  You can cheat and buy salsa and chips from the store, but what fun is that? 

Breakfast Chilaquiles

Ingredients:
--1 batch of red or green salsa (either works well!)
--1 batch of homemade chips (found on same link as salsa recipes); probably need the medium package of tortillas to have the right amount
--2 dozen eggs (obviously you can adjust all these amounts for your target audience)
--1 package of quesa fresca (maybe about 16 oz)
--1 container of sour cream***
--1-2 bunches cilantro

Prepare the salsa and chips according to the recipes on the link.  (If you make the salsa in advance, reheat it on the stove prior to assembling the chilaquiles.  It needs to be warm.)

1.  While the salsa is still warm, mix in the chips.  Watch the ratio - I just eyeball it, but you want the chips to be lightly coated with salsa.  Don't drown them in salsa, but make sure they are all coated on all sides.  Too much, they get soggy; too little, they don't have the right flavor.
2.  Start frying the eggs; the timing is important as well so the chips don't get soggy.  Make sure the eggs are fried as desired.  I like to have the salsa already warm, the chips prepared, and then I mix the salsa/chips at the same time I start frying eggs. 
3.  Spread a thin layer of the salsa/chip mixture on a plate.  Top the mixture as follows:  fried egg (or two), a dollop of sour cream, a tablespoon of crumbled quesa fresca, and a sprinkling of cilantro.  Serve immediately (with a mimosa or a spicy bloody mary!).

This typically involves the cook being a short-order cook, taking orders for how the eggs should be fried for each person and serving it as soon as it's assembled.  For large crowds, you'll need a helper that can keep the fried eggs coming!

***Note:  some people don't like sour cream.  TOO BAD!  That makes this dish taste as it should, so do whatever you can to persuade them to at least TRY it.  It adds a creamy texture as the egg yolk mixes with the salsa, and it is incredible.  I WON'T eat it without sour cream!  Fat free is fine :)  And although I always substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, I will not in this dish because it really does make a difference.

Cucumber Bites

These are one of my favorite snacks; low-carb, lots of veggies, and mimics a Greek salad (which I LOVE).  You can make the tomato garnish at any time and use it in so many things, not just for this!

Ingredients:
--1 cucumber, about 1-1.5" in diameter, sliced to 1/3" thick or so (they look better with the peel, but I don't like the peel, so that's up to you!)
--4 oz fat-free feta cheese
--2 large tomatoes
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--Salt/pepper
--Olive oil
--Thyme, basil, oregano (whatever you have)

Tomato Garnish:
1.  Preheat the oven to 450F (you can use broil or bake). 
2.  Slice the tomatoes in half and trim off the junk; place them on a pan.
3.  Drizzle or brush the tomatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4.  Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until they wrinkle and caramelize.
5.  Put the tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor and chop coarsely.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, place the cucumber slices on a serving tray.  Add a spoonful of the tomato garnish to the slices, and top it off with some feta crumbles.

Grilled Scallops

A quick, easy, healthy, delicious dinner. 

Ingredients:
--1 lb fresh scallops
--8-10 slices of prosciutto
--Olive oil
--Salt/pepper

1.  Preheat the grill with a medium-hot fire.  Spread the coals out to distribute heat evenly.  (If you're on a gas grill, you obviously don't have to do that, but I love the flavor that charcoal imparts.)
2.  Sprinkle both sides of the scallops with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
3.  Take the prosciutto and halve the strip lengthwise with a very sharp knife, leaving you with strips about 1.5" wide and 6-8" long.  (I lay out a whole slice on the cutting board, then roll the knive over it to cut it lengthwise; if you move the knife, it sticks and will bunch up the prosciutto.)
4.  Wrap the scallop with the proscuitto (as seen in picture). 
5.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto each scallop, both sides.
6.  Place the scallops on the grill; cook on one side for 2 minutes or so, then flip them over. The scallops will be done by the time the proscuitto cooks and shrinks around the scallop.

 I served this with a zucchini salad, recipe here:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shaved-Zucchini-Salad-with-Parmesan-Pine-Nuts-360251

This makes enough scallops for 2-3 people.

Cajun Breakfast Skillet

I've made this a time or two but never committed it to the blog, but it is one of my favorite breakfast splurges. Reminds me of this wonderful place in Denver called Lucile's that serves the best Cajun breakfast you'll ever have. 

Ingredients:
--1 russet potato, in 1/2" cubes
--1 tbsp coconut oil
--2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (Tony Chacheres or Slap Yo Mama)
--8 eggs
--1 med tomato, coarsely chopped
--1 med bell pepper, coarsely chopped
--1 med onion, coarsely chopped
--1 jar pickled jalapenos, coarsely chopped
--6 oz Jimmy Dean reduced fat breakfast sausage (uncooked)
--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
--1 pkg white gravy, prepared

1. Preheat oven to 350F; arrange potato cubes on a pan in a single layer. Bake until golden brown. (You CAN fry them in the skillet if you want - that's the point of the skillet - but much less healthy.)

While potatoes are cooking:
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Add coconut oil and heat until melted.
3. Add bell pepper and onion; saute for 1-2 minutes (so they're still firm).
4. Add Jimmy Dean and cook until still slightly pink.
5. Add tomato, jalapeno, and all eggs. Scramble until eggs and sausage are fully cooked. Kill the burner, add cheese and stir well.

When you have about 3 minutes left:
6. Prepare gravy according to package, adding about 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning to mixture.

To serve, layer potatoes on bottom of a soup bowl, then egg/sausage mixture, and top with gravy. This should serve about 4 people.

You could also use turkey crumbles instead of Jimmy Dean pork, but I can only find those already cooked, so you lose some flavor by not getting the juices in the pan while cooking. And you can make gravy from scratch, but that takes more time. Or you could make sausage gravy and omit the sausage from the skillet...too many options to list.  Enjoy!