Showing posts with label ginger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ginger. Show all posts

Friday, April 23, 2010

Recipes: Asian Salmon Burgers with Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread

A couple nights ago I made Asian Salmon Burgers with Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread. It’s difficult to overstate how good this was. The burgers had wonderful flavor, despite having been made with fish that was frozen last July. The spread was nothing short of amazing. I know I’m laying it on thick, but this combination was really really good.

I also liked the tasty leftovers. I had two extra salmon burgers that I shaped into patties and refrigerated raw. I cooked them for lunch: one yesterday and one today. Admittedly, I wrapped the leftovers well and refrigerated them immediately, but what I ate today was just as good as what I ate the first day. In other words, these are recipes that will be reliably good even if you make them ahead.


Asian Salmon Burgers
Serves 4


Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread
Serves 4


Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to


http://www.laurieconstantino.com/easy-great-tasting-burger-using-frozen-salmon/


Please click on over and visit my new site. Thank you!



Friday, February 20, 2009

Recipe for Lemony Carrot Ginger Soup (Σούπα με Καρότα, Λεμόνι και Τζίντζερ)

I’m sick and tired of my refrigerator being filled to the gunnels. Something must be done; the situation is dire.

Condiments and ingredients with a permanent spot in the refrigerator are a big cause of the problem. Preserved lemons, sourdough starter, 3 kinds of olives, 10 kinds of hot sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, Asian sauces, capers, anchovies, jam, milk, cream, orange juice, eggs, and who knows what else; it all adds up.

Cheese and salumi are always available at our house. And since I buy them at Costco, the single best source of cheese in Anchorage, they come in big packages and take up too much space. There are also the cheeses we bring back from Greece; we freeze what we can, but some can’t be frozen. They’re squatting on valuable real estate in the back of the refrigerator.

Produce completes the trifecta of refrigerator hogs. We eat a lot of vegetables and they take up space. Make that lots of space. When our Full Circle Farm CSA box arrives every other week, I struggle to cram in everything that needs to be refrigerated. I don’t always succeed.

Don’t get me started on the leftovers. They live perpetually on the verge of hurling themselves on anyone who is so bold as to open the refrigerator door. It’s quite a thrill when a yogurt container full of soup jumps out, drenching you and spreading its liquid goodness far and wide on the kitchen floor.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m done. I’ve reached my limit. I need a second refrigerator and I need it soon. I’m officially in the market for a used refrigerator. If you know of anyone in Anchorage who wants to get rid of one, or anyone who knows of anyone who knows of anyone, please let me know. In the meantime, I’m working my way through the produce.


Next up, three bunches of carrots; it’s soup time. Although I make a great Moroccan Carrot and Chermoula Soup, I decided on Carrot Ginger Soup, a recipe from the website of Beth, my partner this month in Taste and Create. Taste and Create is an event created by Nicole from For the Love of Food in which food writers are paired with a randomly assigned partner, and asked to cook and review one recipe from their partner’s blog.

Although I loved the concept of Beth’s recipe, it included orange juice, a flavor I don’t care for in savory dishes. Instead, I used lemon peel and juice. It was a fortuitous substitution; lemon’s tartness pleasingly balanced the sweet carrots and cinnamon. I added sautéed onions to bring out the soup’s savory notes, and crystallized ginger for its multi-dimensional sweet heat.

Sweet-yet-tangy Carrot Ginger Soup was a delicious treat on a snowy winter evening, even though it made only the tiniest dent in my refrigerator problem. We enjoyed the soup with Celery and Olive Salad, and were impressed by how much flavor we found in a simple dinner of carrots and celery.

Lemony Carrot Ginger Soup (Σούπα με Καρότα, Λεμόνι και Τζίντζερ)
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter
The yogurt or cream stirred in at the end helps smooth out lemon’s sharp edges, but isn’t at all necessary. The soup tastes great without the dairy.

2 cups diced onions, 1/2” dice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon peel
2 Tbsp. minced crystallized ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt or cream (optional)

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until they soften and begin to turn golden. Stir in the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, lemon peel, ginger, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until the carrots are soft.

Purée the soup with a stick blender (or in a blender or food processor) until it is very smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the lemon juice, and cook for five minutes. Taste and add salt, freshly ground black pepper, or lemon juice, as needed. If using yogurt or cream, stir it into the soup. Serve immediately.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Recipe: Moroccan Chermoula and Carrot Soup (Μαροκινή Σούπα με Καρότα)

Something is happening in my vegetable drawer. I swear the carrots have been multiplying during the night. I can’t use them fast enough.

The real cause of the carrot explosion is their arrival in every CSA box we’ve received over the past few months. I love carrots, I’m glad they’re in the boxes, but I need to do better at keeping up with the inflow.

A new CSA box is arriving today, and yes, it will include another bunch of carrots. Last night, I took the carrot overflow problem in hand and made a wonderfully flavorful Moroccan Chermoula and Carrot Soup.

Although Carrot Soup is delicious on its own, the addition of Chermoula turns it into something special. I make the Chermoula while the soup is simmering, which means the entire recipe takes less than an hour from start to serving.

It’s hard for me to get enough Chermoula – I usually double or triple the recipe whenever I make it. I use the extra Chermoula to top grilled salmon, halibut, or chicken, or to add flavor to salads.

Moroccan Chermoula and Carrot SoupMoroccan Chermoula and Carrot Soup (Μαροκινή Σούπα με Καρότα)


Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to


http://www.laurieconstantino.com/moroccan-chermoula-and-carrot-soup/


Please click on over and visit my new site. Thank you!


Sunday, February 10, 2008

Recipe: Beet, Fennel, and Leek Salad with Lemon-Ginger Dressing (Παντζάρια, Μάραθο και Πράσο Σαλάτα με Πιπερόριζα Σάλτσα)

My favorite salads are the serendipitous surprises that spring into being when I clean my vegetable drawers.

On the Friday before my Full Circle Farm CSA box is due, I rummage through the refrigerator to discover what ingredients most need to be used. This week it was the last of my roasted beets, a sturdy fennel bulb, and a bag of leeks that had been lingering unused for way too long.

To tie the beets, fennel, and leeks together, I needed a dressing that would stand up to their strong flavors. I started with lemon and olive oil, a classic Greek pairing called Latholemono, and spiced it up fresh garlic and ginger. Honey, sherry vinegar, and ground coriander balanced the garlic and ginger and, with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, the dressing was done.

The tangy dressing enhances the earthy beets, fresh clean-tasting fennel, and subtly sweet leeks for a salad that is good on its own, or as an accompaniment to roast chicken or fish.

Beet, Fennel, and Leek SaladBeet, Fennel, and Leek Salad with Lemon-Ginger Dressing (Παντζάρια, Μάραθο και Πράσο Σαλάτα με Πιπερόριζα Σάλτσα)
Serves 4 – 6

The easiest way to peel ginger is to scrape off the peel with the edge of a teaspoon. To mince peeled ginger, cut it across the grain into thin slices and whack each slice with a meat pounder. The slices break up into small pieces; if you prefer a finer mince, chop up the small pieces with a chef’s knife.

Dressing:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. red wine or sherry vinegar
1 tsp. whole coriander, crushed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

4 medium beets, peeled and roasted (see NOTE below)
1 large fennel bulb (3 cups thinly sliced)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 leek, white and light green parts only (1 1/2 cups thinly sliced)

Mix all the dressing ingredients together.

Cut each beet in lengthwise quarters, and each quarter into 3 wedges. Stir the beets into the dressing. (This can be done several days ahead.)

Cut the stalks off the fennel bulb and reserve for another use. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, remove any darkened or damaged portions of the bulb. Cut the fennel bulb into quarters. Cut out and discard the fennel’s core. Cut the fennel quarters crosswise into vey thin slices (using a mandolin makes this task go quickly), and toss with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (this prevents the fennel pieces from discoloring).

Cut the white and light green parts of the leek in half lengthwise. Rinse the leek under running water, separating the layers to remove any trapped dirt. Cut the leek crosswise into very thin slices. Stir the leeks into the sliced fennel. (This can be done several hours ahead.)

Spread the fennel and leeks over a large plate or individual salad plates, making an indentation in the center for the beets. Lift the beets out of the dressing with a slotted spoon and place in the indentation. Drizzle the salad with dressing and serve immediately.

NOTE on Roasting Beets: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the beets, cut off the greens leaving an inch of stem (don't cut into the beet itself), rub the beets with olive oil, and wrap tightly in a foil packet (or place in a tightly covered baking dish). Bake for 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the beets and how fresh they are. The beets are done when they're tender if poked with a knife or skewer. Let the beets cool, and slip off their skins (I wear gloves when I do this to protect my hands from staining). (These can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for about a week.)

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This is my entry for Waiter There's Something in my ... Salad hosted by Spittoon Extra.