February 2014 - Salmon Escalopes with Dill & Avocado Salad

Eeek, I just realised that I haven't posted this month. There has been a distinct lack of cooking in my house for most of the month. It has been a bit of a food disaster actually and, to be honest, I feel pretty lousy for it. I thought that since it is the last day of the month and I cannot sleep I better get this post done. Although please don't expect too much as it is 2 am....

I ended up making this recipe because it was easy, healthy and from all appearance of the recipe tasty and it was all three.

Salmon Escalopes with Dill & Avocado Salad 

1/4 c olive oil

Zest 1 lemon, (I used limes as the cost of lemons is daylight robbery and they are imported)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove

4 x 200 g skinless salmon fillets 

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Salad: 

2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved, sliced 

1 avocado, halved, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked

1/2 bunch dill, fronds picked 

Combine olive oil, zest and garlic, season. Slice salmon on 45 degree angle into 1 cm thick slices. Coat in marinade and leave for 15 min. 

Pre-heat bbq to high, combine evoo, vinegar & lemon juice. Season well & set aside. 

Combine all ingredients for salad. 

Brush bbq with olive oil and cook salmon for 30 sec each side (I did about 1 minute each side as I prefer it cooked through). 

Toss salad with dressing and serve with salmon. 

*Don't use all the dressing, it makes a ridiculous amount. 

Harissa & honey salmon

This was the first full Thermomix meal that I made. 

I have made the harissa & honey salmon before but grilled it. I should have thinned the harissa & honey mix a bit as it was more of a paste and when steaming it just wasn't right. The other thing I did was I steamed it for too long and it ended up overcooked. Overcooked salmon isn't nice, it was dry, although it might have gotten a pass if harissa & honey had been saucy.

I cooked Rice Plus in the basket in the bowl of the tmx. It is a mix of brown long grain rice, white basmati rice, pearl barley, quinoa, red basmati, black rice, black sesame seeds. I have since had it with something saucy and it was very good but it was a bit bland and dry with the salmon though. 

In the bottom of the varoma with the salmon on top I had zucchini & carrot that cooked perfectly, although I was a bit too liberal with the salt, oops. 

I won't bother with recipes since it wasn't what I wanted, expected nor came out in a good way anyway.

Quinoa orange, ginger, carrot & coconut salad

I bought this book a while ago now and have only made this one recipe so far. I plan on making a lot more but so many recipes, so little time. LOL 

I really quite enjoyed this salad. I didn't have an orange but did have some tangelos so used one of those instead. I also used red quinoa as I don't have any black but I will try to get some and give it another try to see what the difference is. I am not usually a fan of sweet things in salad but I really did like this one. I didn't add as much ginger as was in the recipe as I was worried about it overpowering it but I really should have used the whole amount. I made half the recipe but it still made plenty. I served with herbed salmon and steamed asparagus.

Quinoa orange, ginger, carrot & coconut salad 

3/4 c black quinoa, rinsed and drained 

1 3/4 c water

4 medium carrots, grated 

1/2 sultanas

3/4 c shredded coconut

3 tbsp chives (I would probably use green onions next time) 

juice & zest of 1 orange (zest wasn't in recipe but I added)

1 tbsp grated ginger 

2 tbsp olive oil 

2 - 3 tbsp lime juice

Bring water & quinoa to the boil then cover and simmer until water is absorbed. Let cool. 

Add carrot, sultanas, coconut & chives. Mix juice & zest, ginger, oil & lime juice then pour over quinoa. Toss and refrigerate for at least an hour to let flavours combine. 

August 2012 - Salmon wrapped in prosciutto

I can't believe that I have left it this long to get something made and posted from this month's delicious magazine. I keep saying that I will do better next month but I guess that I just have to face the fact that this hasn't been the best year so far for me and the blog just has to take a back seat until I am feeling better. Perhaps I might just post some recipes and pictures for things that I have made. I seem to fall down on writing the "chit chat" these days. I will keep going with my delicious magazine recipes though. Will not fall down on that. :-)

There were a few interesting things in this issue. I really liked some of Simon Bryant's recipes. In particular his sesame & tahini puffed rice bars with dark chocolate. I have everything but the puffed rice, oh and the chocolate, so will get that this week and make them on the weekend. I am not sure about the large amount of chocolate. Instead of coating both sides I might just do one, or I might try them without first and then decide if the chocolate is needed. 

I am also keen to make both Valli's south american roast chicken with guacamole and her harira (moroccan lamb, tomato & lentil soup). I just received my new 5 in 1 multicooker today so I think that I might give the harira a go with the pressure cooker function. I am really keen to get using it. So will be looking for lots of things that I can do in it. 

Tonight though, I made the salmon wrapped in prosciutto with pesto and roast pumpkin. I used more of the cashew & lemon pesto that I made before instead of making the parsley pesto in the recipe. I also had a bit of an oopsie with the pumpkin in that I accidentally turned the oven up to 250 C instead of 200 C so it got a bit "dark" around the edges, LOL.  I served it with a nice portion of salad. It was all very good. 

Salmon wrapped in prosciutto with pesto and roast pumpkin

Serves 4

1kg butternut pumpkin peeled and chopped (I used Kent pumpkin)

1 tbsp garlic olive oil

4 x 180g skinless pin-boned salmon fillets

4  slices prosciutto

Pesto and salad to serve

Preheat oven to 200C. 

Place pumpkin on a baking paper lined tray and drizzle with oil and season. Roast for 30 - 40 minutes or until tender.  

Season salmon with salt & pepper then wrap each salmon fillet with a slice of prosciutto.  Cook in a pan over a medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until cooked to your liking. Serve with pesto and salad.

Salmon with Beetroot & Horseradish Risotto

I made this ages and ages ago. I kept meaning to blog about it but just never seemed to get around to it. I love beetroot, anything beetroot. I boil it, I roast it, I use it raw. I love the harvard beets that my Gramma used to make. I came up with the carrot & beet crumble which I have made several times now.  I don't think there is anything that I have made with beetroot that I haven't liked. 

I have made beetroot risotto before always using the same recipe. This one was a bit different and it was really worth the effort. I will definitely make it this way in future. I would never have thought to puree the beetroot but it does make complete sense and results in a lovely creamy risotto. I didn't have fresh horseradish to put in. I have never seen it to buy here but I am looking into getting some plants so that I can grow my own. I love horseradish, especially with roast beef. When making again I would put more of the bottled horseradish in as it didn't really come through that well. I would never have thought to pair it with salmon either but it really did go together well. I added some steamed asparagus for a bit of veg.

Salmon with beetroot & horseradish risotto