The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement - Ginger-Scallion Salmon

Yes, I'm on an Asian-style cooking kick!

Ginger-Scallion Salmon Ingredients
Cucumber Salad:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
2 cucumbers, halved, seeded, and cut into very thin slices

Ginger Crust:
1/3 cup minced fresh ginger root
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup peanut oil

Salmon:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 (8 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons honey

Ponzu Butter:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons ponzu sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt to taste

Directions

To make the cucumber salad, stir together sesame oil, dill, rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame seeds in a glass or plastic bowl; add cucumber, and toss until well coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
To prepare the ginger crust, stir together the ginger, green onions, and garlic in a sturdy, metal bowl; set aside. Heat 1/4 cup peanut oil in a small saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in the ginger mixture; set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season salmon fillets to taste with salt and pepper. Sear salmon until golden brown on both sides, 30 to 40 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate, and wipe excess oil from skillet. Spread honey over top of fillets, then evenly spread with reserved ginger crust.
Replace salmon into the skillet, and place into the oven. Bake until the center of the salmon turns opaque, 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in shallots, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Pour in white wine, then simmer until nearly evaporated. Add the ponzu sauce and heavy cream, reduce by 1/2. Remove from heat, then whisk in cold butter pieces until dissolved; season to taste with kosher salt.
To assemble the dish, season the cucumber salad to taste with salt. Divide the salad evenly onto four plates, spreading it out into a 4 to 5-inch circle. Drizzle the ponzu butter onto the bare area of the plate, around the cucumber salad. Place a salmon fillet, crust-side up, on top of the salad, and serve.

Buon Appetito! Leah

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement - Panang Curry with Chicken

Mmmmm, Thai! I want to lunch with my bestie Becky (Zealand calls her Ducky) and it was my first lunch outing in at least six months!  And it was relaxing and fun and wonderful and the food was delicious! I was so excited when I suggested Thai and she was down.  I ordered Pad Thai (and I usually order Green Curry Chicken) and I loved it.  She ordered Panang Curry Shrimp and we both loved it! So you know I had to find a recipe.  Modified from a recipe I found from Rachel Cooks Thai.

Panang Curry with Chicken
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons panang curry paste
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
2 cups thinly sliced chicken, cooked
1/2 cup water
4 kaffir lime leaves (I didn't do this, but sounds great!)
fish sauce and sugar to taste

1. Pound 1 tablespoon of roasted peanuts into 2 tablespoons of panang curry paste.
2. Scoop the top 1/3 cup of thicker coconut milk off the top of a newly opened can and into a large pan.  Heat the coconut milk over medium heat until it starts to boil and separate.
3. Add the peanuty curry paste and stir into the coconut milk until its well incorporated.  Then add your chicken slices and coat them with the curry paste.
4. Add the rest of the coconut milk and water and let the beef cook until it's nice and tender.  If the chicken gets dry, add more water.
5. Once the chicken is tender, add the kaffir lime leaves and season with fish sauce and sugar.  I used about a teaspoon of sugar, but the curry paste I used had just the right amount of salt in it, so I didn't need fish sauce.
6. Serve with a sprinkling of kaffir lime leaves on top and jasmine rice on the side. 

Buon Appetito! Leah

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Pepper Steak & Rice

This meal is wonderful, it's a nice change to a plain old meat and potatoes or any simple American-food routine. The kids aren't super fond of the green peppers, but I make them eat at least one every time.

Ingredients

• 1 lb skirt steak, round steak, or sirloin sliced thinly
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 3- TBL Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 can beef broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• Whole Grain Rice or potatoes (mashed) to serve the meal over
• Lightly coat steak with cornstarch. Shake off any excess. Saute in medium high pan with about 3 Tbsp of oil, till brown. Remove from pan and place aside.

Using the same pan, add about 3 Tbs of olive oil and saute the green pepper and onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute to desired doneness.

Return meat to the pan and turn heat to high. Add soy sauce and 1/2 or 1 can of beef broth. Turn heat down and taste. You may have to adjust the salt content due to the soy sauce and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make a corn starch slurry in a separate dish, by adding about 2 Tbsp of cornstarch with 3/4 cup of very cold water. It should be a thick, but liquid, consistency. Add the slurry to the pan to thicken the sauce. Add slowly, as you don’t want it too thick!

Serve over mashed potatoes, or rice (I served w/white rice as I had some leftover from a previous recipe, but have also made w/brown - which I prefer)

~Happy Eating Friends! ~ Trina