Pan Roasted Salmon in a Dill-Mustard-Lemon Sauce

Prepared July, 2016. Our friendly fishmonger let us know that the wild-caught sockeye fillets on offer were fresh, never frozen, air-freighted from the Pacific coast. That fortunate gift from the seas led to this dish.

2 6 to 8-oz salmon filets
2 T olive oil, divided
garlic powder 
salt
pepper
1 T butter
2 T dry white wine
1 T coarse Dijon mustard
2 t finely-chopped fresh dill
2 t lemon juice

Remove any pin bones that remain with needle-nose pliers, and scrape off any remaining scales. Rinse and dry the fillet. Cut across the fillet to make individual portions. Oil both sides generously, and season the flesh side only with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat a 10-inch stainless steel skillet over medium high, and film the bottom lightly with oil. When oil smokes, add the fillets skin-side down. Saute undisturbed in a moderately hot pan about 6 minutes, adding extra oil if needed to prevent sticking. Lower heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes more, testing for firmness by pressing gently with a finger. Carefully transfer to a serving plate. Raise the heat, and add the butter. When melted, deglaze with the wine, stir in the mustard, dill, and lemon juice and heat through. Drizzle the sauce over the fish before serving. Serves 2, but easily doubled using a 12-inch skillet.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Recorded 11 March 2000. Adapted from several recipes found online. A Family Favorite. 

1 medium onion
1 lb asparagus
6 T low-fat soft margarine
4 T flour
1 t dry dill weed or 2 t fresh finely chopped
1/2 t dry tarragon
4 c chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
2 T lemon juice
1 c half-and-half (or whole milk to reduce fat content)
salt and white pepper to taste

Dice onion coarsely. Trim tough bottoms off asparagus and cut spears into one-inch pieces. Saute vegetables in margarine until onions are clear. Add herbs. Mix in flour and heat 2 minutes. Add broth, lemon juice and pepper. Simmer until asparagus are very tender (about 15 minutes). Puree soup with potato masher, food mill, or hand-held immersion blender (best). Pass through a strainer to remove tough fibers. Add light cream, adjust seasoning, and serve cold or hot. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives or dill. Variation: Cauliflower or broccoli can be substituted for asparagus.

Pan-Roasted Pork Porterhouse Chops with Fried Apples

2 loin (porterhouse) pork chops, 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick
General Purpose Breader (see Recipe)
1 T EVOO
1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored, and cut in wedges

Seasonings
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/4 t sugar

Let the chops warm to room temperature. Lightly coat in the breader and shake off excess. Heat oil in a large saute pan until it's shimmering, but not smoking. Add the chops. Saute undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes on each side, and lower the heat. Move the chops aside and add the apples in a single layer. Cook over medium low heat about 6 to 8 minutes more, turning the meat and apples occasionally. When the chops are cooked but still juicy, remove to plate and tent with foil. Sprinkle the seasonings on the apples and raise the heat. When the apples are browned and softened, serve on the side with the chops. Serves two.

Braised Fresh Pork Shanks with Egg Noodles

Prepared March 25, 2010. Adapted from an online recipe for veal shanks.

1/2 c all-purpose flour
6 fresh pork shanks (hocks)
salt and pepper to taste
6 T olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 leek, white part, cleaned and sliced across
1 oz fresh dill, chopped
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
about 1-1/2 c chicken stock

1 12 to 16 oz bag egg noodles, boiled 8 minutes in salted water and drained

To skin the hocks, push a sharp narrow knife into the space between the skin and the meat. Always cut away from your hand. Cut all the way around the meat, freeing and discarding the ring of skin and fat. Season well with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C). Place flour in a 1-gal zipper-lock plastic bag. Heat 2 T of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add hocks to bag, tumble to cover, and shake excess free. Saute three pieces at a time, until thoroughly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes for each batch. Remove to a platter to rest when cooked. Discard the oil and wipe out the pan. Heat 2 T olive oil to pot. Add the vegetables and herbs and saute until vegetables brown, about 12 minutes. Season vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. Place hocks atop cooked vegetables and add enough stock to half cover the meat. Bring to simmer; cover and place in oven. Roast about 90 minutes, turning the meat every 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the roast rest to let juices to settle. Remove the meat carefully from the pot to a bowl. Pour the pan drippings through a strainer into a bowl.  Put the liquid into a fat separator. Discard bay leaf and rosemary sprig from the strainer. Combine the roasted vegetables and the defatted liquid to form a pan gravy. Place cooked noodles in a serving bowl (or the dutch oven), arrange the hocks on top, and cover both with the pan gravy.
Serves 3 to 4. Paired with roast asparagus, peppers, and mushrooms. Original: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Veal-Shanks-with-Rosemary-and-Thyme-104490

Baked Fish and Rice

[Prepared February 2010]

1-1/2 lbs cod filets, or other firm white fish

Sauce

2 T EVOO
1 c ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 small onion, blossom cut
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 c dry white wine
fish or chicken stock as needed
2 T fresh dill, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
zest and juice of half a lemon
1/3 c kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1-1/2 c boiled rice

Preheat the oven to 300 ºF. Place the fish, cut into serving-size pieces, in a large covered glass baking dish. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, and cook about 5 minutes, with stirring. Add the aromatics. Cook a few minutes to soften, and add the wine. Reduce by half, and add the herbs, lemon, and olives and enough stock to cover fish. Cook for a few minutes more to combine flavors. Pour the sauce over the fish, cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes until fish flakes easily.
To serve, push the fish out of the way, and fill the space with rice. Let stand 10 minutes for flavor to absorb. Serves 4.

Braised Cauliflower in Quick Cheese Sauce

Improvised on February 1, 2010 as a side dish for linguine in clam sauce.

2 cups cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup low-fat soft margarine
1/3 cup grated mixed Italian cheeses or sharp cheddar cheese
1 t AP flour
salt and pepper to taste

Bring 3 cups of water with 1 t salt to a rapid boil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add the cauliflower and return to a gentle boil. Cook uncovered for 6 minutes. Drain thoroughly, dry the pan, and return to heat. Add the margarine and cook until the sizzling stops and it begins to develop a tan color. Return the par-boiled cauliflower to the pot and saute a few minutes. As it becomes tender, add the cheese and seasonings, and fold together gently. Sift in a bit of flour to hold sauce together. Let stand covered a few minutes to melt the cheese and meld the flavors.  Serves 2 or 3.
Hint: Keep a large shaker filled with all-purpose flour at hand. Use to add flour directly to a dish that needs a bit more body. 

Green Beans Braised in Tarragon and Butter

[Recorded November 2, 2009; developed over a long time]

1/2 lb  haricot vert, if available, or nice young green beans
kosher salt
2 t unsalted butter
1/2 t dry tarragon, rubbed fine

Pinch off the stem end of each bean, but keep them whole if possible. [Hint: Hold a bunch of beans together in one hand, and pinch the stems off with the other.] 

Bring a half-inch of lightly-salted water to a boil in a saute pan and drop the beans. Cover, and boil slowly until almost tender, about 6 to 8 minutes (see RANT).
 
Drain into a colander and cover to keep warm. Dry the pan, and return it to medium-high heat. When sizzling hot, add the butter and coat the pan with it. After about a minute, a nutty buttery aroma will become apparent. Pure deliciousness. 

Drop the beans, coat with the butter, and salt. Handle with tongs. Add the tarragon, saute a few minutes until sizzling. Plate. Deglaze pan with a tablespoon of lemon juice, white wine, water or stock. When fluid is mostly gone, pour the butter-tarragon sauce over the beans, and serve. Dyno-mite.

Serves 2 to 3 as a side, or 1 bean freak
 
RANT:
Don’t make the widespread culinary mistake of grossly undercooking vegetables. Because the nutrients within the plant’s cells can’t escape the cell wall (remember, people can’t digest cellulose), some of the potential food value (and flavor) will be unavailable. Reducing raw foods to a liquified puree (yuck) in a “juicer” will free the nutrients, as Jack LaLanne proves nightly on his infomercials, but except for carrots, it's not a major home appliance. After all, how much liquified orange peel are you prepared to drink?