Main Dishes – Page 6 – a hippie with a minivan

Salt Cured Salmon…

I was buying some Cured Salmon from the fish store once in a while because I love it… but it is expensive!

A few weeks though I saw recipe and I found out that it is really easy to make… pretty much just pack the salmon in Salt and whatever else you want… So I tried it… and I can’t stop making it since then…

What I have been doing is taking the filet, brushing a bit of liquid smoke on it (to give it a bit of a smoked Salmon taste) putting a few tbsp of salt over it plus pepper, dill, sugar and granulated onion… then I weight it down with some cans of tomatoes and stick it in the fridge…

After about 12 hours I drain it a bit and add a bit of everything if needed… and then put it back in the fridge… another 12 hours later I drain it again and put a few paper towels under it to saok up the rest of the moistur and stick it back in the fridge… A few hours later it should have a slight rubbery feel to it… then it is time to slice…

Slice at an angle as thin as you can get it…

then you can store it in the fridge… I am not sure how long it lasts, but it is cured so it should last a while…

but it also gets eaten very fast…

(on a whole wheat english muffin with a bit of butter and cream cheese)

Salmon… stuffed and smothered…

This is a recipe that even the fish hater in my family likes…

Like most of my recipes… amounts are approx…

butterfly a Salmon filet and stuff with crumbled goat cheese, tarragon, salt and pepper…. and place in a baking dish…

In a bowl Mix together about 1/4c of sour cream and 3 tbsp of Mayonnaise, add to that add about 3 tsp of mustard, chopped green onion (I use 2), about 3 tbsp of parmesan, and about 1 tbsp each of tarragon and dill, a bit of pepper and a bit of salt to taste… (might not need it depending on the parmesan)

spread over the stuffed salmon fillets… (you can reserve some of the sauce for dipping)

bake at 450 for about 10 min per inch of thickness…

stuffed…

out of the oven…

ready to eat…

Hunan Dumplings

To make Dumplings

1/2 lb ground raw pork
2 tbsp finely chopped water chestnuts
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sesame seed oil
about 36 wonton wrappers

Chicken or veggie stock

Green onions (chopped)

mix all ingredients together and fill wonton wrappers. Bring a large pot with veggie or chicken stock and chopped green onions to a boil and add dumplings in batches of a dozen for a few minutes (they will float when done)… the pork will cook while boiling… (this makes a good soup in itself with the broth and wontons)

When done, drain and add Peanut sauce

Peanut Sauce

1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup hot water
4 tsp tamari
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sambal Olek or other garlic chile sauce
2 tsp of chopped green onions

heat all the ingredients on low heat in a sauce pan and add to dumplings… (great sauce for fresh spring rolls also)

serve with rice and garnish with green onions..

General Tso Tofu

Cut 1 block of Tofu into cubes or slices, marinate in a bit of Tamari for at least an hour or two… (I often forget this but it does add flavour)

Coat with a bit of Corn Starch and Fry in a bit of peanut oil until crispy… put aside…

Make sauce:

5 tbsp Tamari
3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
minced ginger (about an inch)
2 tsp sugar
5 tbsp of hoisin sauce
3 tsp rice vinegar
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tsp garlic chile paste

Stir Fry, in a bit of oil, 1-2 chopped onions and then add a clove or two of minced garlic (you can also add a bit of garlic chile paste for some spice), stir fry for a min or two and then add broccoli florets (about 2 heads) and cook until just tender but still with a bit of crunch. (you can also add other veggies of course) Put aside.

Add sauce to wok and simmer until thickened a bit.. add veggies and tofu back in and stir enough to coat…

Serve with Rice and garnish with sliced green onions…

Cashew Curry…

I am not a fan of many one pot meals but this is one that I am quite fond of.

The perfect mix of tender and rich cashews with bright vegetables that bring sweetness and a flavourful coconut curry sauce that ties all of it together with a splash of lime to brighten all of the flavours. It only takes a few minutes to come together and you could easily make it in the crockpot.

1 Onion
Garlic
Red pepper
Green onions
Peas
about 2 TbspCurry paste
Red chile paste (Sambal Olek)
can of Coconut milk
about 2 Tbsp of peanut butter
about 2 cups of Cashews
juice of one lime

Saute the onions and veggies until soft (but not too soft), add the garlic, curry paste, and red chile paste…

Add the cashews, coconut milk and the peanut butter and lime juice… simmer about 10 min and let thicken

Serve with rice… sprinkle more lime juice ontop