Recipe Swap – Asian Grilled Salmon with Coconut Rice

Asian Grilled Salmon and Coconut Rice

Recently, I’ve been trying to get more involved in the ‘cooking community’. Part of this has been cooking more with friends. Part of it has been starting a food blog. Most recently, I ventured out and decided to be a part of a recipe swap hosted by A Taste of Home Cooking Blog. The idea of this is simple; submit an Asian  recipe  and  get assigned one in return to cook and review / blog about.

My husband went to high school in Japan, so coming up with a recipe for me to recommend  was easy, I sent out his favorite Kung Pao Chicken. The ‘recipe’ I got in return, was actually a full meal from Nicole at Baby Food Scoops! The meal included Asian Grilled Salmon, Coconut Rice and Sauteed Snap Peas. Being  that I was in a bit of a hurry the night I made this, and that my husband isn’t really a fan of snap peas, I made the salmon and  rice without the peas (but will still post the snap peas recipe for anyone who is interested).

Review: My husband really liked the salmon. He thought that the marinade was great! Definitely a keeper! We love grilling in the summertime, so we will definitely make this again. The rice, my husband isn’t a huge fan  of coconut, so I knew he’s be a bit apprehensive about this…that and he isn’t a hue fan of anything that isn’t made in his Japaneese Rice Cooker. My mother however LOVED the rice. She actually got the recipe from me so that she could make it again.

Asian Grilled Salmon

Asian Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp unsweetened pineapple juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 4…we like garlic in this household…)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (I used a full tsp)
1 salmon fillet (2 pounds)

Directions:

In small bowl, combine the first nine ingredients.
Pour 3/4 cup into large resealable bag; add salmon.
Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Set aside remaining marinade for basting. Create a ‘pan’ for salmon with a sheet of aluminum foil. Drain and discard marinade.
Place salmon skin-side-down on aluminum foil. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Brush with reserved marinade. Grill 15-20 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups Thai jasmine-scented rice
2 cups good-quality coconut milk, not fat-free (or 3 tbsp cream of coconut + milk to equal 1 cup)
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. canola oil
Optional Garnish: 2 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut

Directions:
Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. (Note: the pot will need a tight-fitting lid).
Place rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in the pot. Place pot on the stove over medium to high heat. Stir well.
Continue to stir occasionally until the coconut milk & water come to a bubbling boil (stirring will keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning).
Once the rice has begun to bubble, stop stirring. Turn down the heat to medium-low. Place lid askew on the pot, so that it is at least 3/4 covered.
Allow to simmer in this way for 10 minutes, or until rice has absorbed most of the coconut-water.
Now turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and allow to sit 5-10 minutes, or until the rest of your dinner is ready (the rice will “steam” and be nice and sticky).
When ready to eat, remove the lid and “fluff” rice with a fork or chopsticks, gently loosening it in the pot.
Optional Step: “dry fry” 2 Tbsp. shredded coconut in a (dry) frying pan over medium heat, stirring continually until the coconut turns golden-brown. Sprinkle this toasted coconut over the rice for an extra coconutty treat. (I skipped this step since due to the whole ‘coconut issue’ with husband)

Sauteed Snap Peas

Ingredients:
1 pound sugar snap peas, rinsed
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet. Add peas and sea salt to skillet and stir fry 10-15 minutes. Toss with sesame seeds and serve warm.

Source: Adapted from: Baby Food Scoops

Indonesian Grilled Swordfish

 

Indonesian Swordfish

Whenever I eat swordfish, I think of that line from Finding Nemo about the “fish with a nose like a swooord”…wow, I know that movie way too well, but it’s one of those movies that just makes me feel good whenever I’m having a terrible day.

This fish is an Ina Garten recipe and while absolutely delicious and healthy (a bonus), I have a confession…an appalling and shocking confession. Okay. Here it goes: I don’t like Ina Garten. I know…how could a person not like the Barefoot Contessa? Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s a wonderful chef and has a lovely personality, but because of her and her popularity, people have been calling me Ina (enunciate the ‘I’) as opposed to the proper way to pronounce my name Inna (like the ending of Tina or Dina or Nina…EEEEnna). I will still continue to love her food and make it all the time, but I do get a bit disgruntled whenever I introduce myself to people or they see my name and say “Oh! Ina! Like the Barefoot Contessa!!!”. Alright, enough of  the rant.

This swordfish is as delicious as it is simple to make. It has a ton of flavor and the best part is that I bought  this swordfish on sale (frozen, but on sale) at the grocery store 🙂

Indonesian Grilled Swordfish

Ingredients

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
vegetable oil spray for grille pan
2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced or finely chopped ginger root
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Swordfish steaks

Directions

Combine the soy sauce, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger root, garlic, and mustard in a bowl.
Pour the sauce in a bowl and place swordfish stakes inside, ladling the marinade over the fish.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Heat up a grill pan with vegetable oil spray.
Cook swordfish steaks approximately 8-10 minutes per side, brusing with extra sauce every time you flip the steaks.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Back to the Basics

Blackened Salmon

 

Blackened Salmon

As a medical student, I am always looking for new ways to make dinners…and quick! On those nights when I come home late and want nothing but to curl up on the couch with a Snuggie (yes…I’m a Snuggie person), dinner does not have a very high priority in my mind. Luckily, I came up with this dinner. It’s simple, delicious and does not take much time to make. Pair it with steamed green beans or mashed potatoes and voila; an easy solution to a weeknight meal!

Blackened Salmon

Ingredients

2 6oz salmon fillets
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix together Paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano and basil in a small mixing bowl.
Pour melted butter over salmon fillets.
Sprinkle spices over salmon fillets and rub them in.
Cook salmon for 20-24 minutes.
Enjoy!

Source: Innochka’s Kitchen