Panko Crusted Salmon

My only excuse is that I have whined several times over the past week to Johnny that it is “his turn to do a post”, but alas, he is a busy boy. Granted, I’ve had this pictures from this meal uploaded for weeks now, but I am a lazy, lazy girl. Since it’s been quite too long (once again) since our last post, I decided to be productive tonight and knock this out.

A few weeks ago, I whipped them us by simply marinating the salmon filets in a soy sauce, a little sesame oil, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, and salt. I then coated the salmon lightly with some panko (Japanese style breadcrumbs), and popped them in the oven on a foil lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes. On the side, I sauteed some button mushrooms and broccoli in soy sauce and tossed with some cooked orzo. I just used up what was in the fridge.

Oh, but please don’t let this meal trick you into thinking I am some super healthy, no-fun-at-all, eater; there’s an empty pint of Triple Chocolate Haagen-Dasz in my trashcan that disagrees.

-Mel

Ellie Krieger’s Fried Rice

I love fried rice, but I’m not big into consuming 500 calories and large amounts of fat in 8oz side dishes. This recipe is a great healthy alternative, and the recommended serving size makes a very filling meal. The dish turned out very colorful and, surprisingly, delicious. I might ever prefer this to the calorie laden, artery clogging original!

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu

courtesy of “Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger”

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, greens included, rinsed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 cups leftover cooked brown rice
3/4 cup finely diced red pepper
3/4 cup cooked, shelled edamame
1/2 cup fresh or frozen, thawed, corn
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet until hot. Add garlic, scallions and ginger and saute until softened and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper, edamame, corn and tofu and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes. Make a 3-inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then add soy sauce and incorporate thoroughly. Serve hot.

Next time, I might throw the tofu in about 1 minute earlier than the edamame, corn, red pepper and rice. You may also want to add a bit more soy sauce, depending on your taste.

-Mel

Polynesian Pork Stir-fry

I came to the realization a few days ago that I lack exposure to pork products. I’ve never been a fan of bacon (put your pitchforks away please), and I think I’ve had pork all of once in the form of a pulled barbeque sandwich. I don’t know if it’s because I was a big fan of “Charlotte’s Web” and “Babe” growing up, but I’ve never sought out any portion of Piglet to feast upon.

So, for the sake of being adventurous, I thought I’d give pork tenderloin stir-fry a try. The polynesian form I chose included the ingrediants of onion, a small amount of chopped ginger root, stir-fry sauce, a tad bit of honey, sliced sweet potato, snap peas, pineapple, and of course the third little piggy. I also toasted a little bit of coconut to top the serving with if the consumer desired.

The prep time was longer than I expected. I’ve found my knife set to be less than perfect, and I was ignorant to the extreme difficulty of slicing a pork loin. After a lot of frustration and some help from the strong arm of the family (aka: my daddy), I got the pork sliced and it was fairly smooth sailing from there. If I’ve learned anything from Top Chef Miami, it’s that you don’t overcook a pork tenderloin, period. I was worried that I would turn my meat to concrete, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

The pork tasted great, not overcooked in the least. Granted, my palate hasn’t had much experience with pork, but it also received good reviews from my expert panel of judges– the mother, the father, and the best friend. The flavors in the sauce were fantastic, and the whole dish fit together nicely. All-in-all a success, but I do think there are other dishes I would prefer to eat on a regular basis.

I recently found an old crepe recipe book from the seventies tucked away in the depths of a long forgotten storage box. I’ve only had crepes a handful of times, but my-oh-my do I love them. I plan to track down a proper pan in which to cook them soon, in hopes of making them one of my next endeavours.

-Mel