Eating Well - Healthy Recipes Welcomed

[DCPatriot]

Caramelized Salmon



Caramelized.

Do I need to go on? Because the word caramelized pretty much speaks itself straight into my soul.

There’s just something about food – any food, including but not limited to meat and vegetables – that becomes sweet and salty and textured and browned into some kind of caramelized dream that makes me never want to stop eating. It’s regular food meets candy meets me floating on food lovers’ cloud nine.

So this salmon is caramelized. It’s like you’re painting a beautiful and crunchy caramelized outer crust on one of America’s most beloved fish-es. ← a hard fact based on my opinions and perspectives.

But it’s the truth, right? I think everybody and their mom either completely loves or feels obligated to love this healthy, pretty, pink-colored fish.

On a personal fish preference note, I like salmon, but it has always been more of that magazine-article-reading obligation kind of liking. Or as an excuse to work an Asian glaze and a hot pile of rice into my dinners. Mmhmm.



Ingredients  ( four servings )

    ½ cup sugar
    3 tablespoons salt
    a few dashes of freshly crushed black pepper
    16 ounces salmon, cut into 4 filets, with skin
    olive oil



Instructions

    Combine the sugar, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip each filet into the bowl and coat the entire surface of the salmon with the sugar/salt mixture.
   
    Heat a little bit of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the salmon, skin side down in the pan, and saute for about 5 minutes. If you’re worried about the burnt sugar in the pan (or if there’s too much oil/liquid) just drain it off or spoon it out of the pan. If there’s a lot of oil splattering, turn the heat down. I would not recommend going higher than medium heat.
     
    Flip each salmon filet (carefully! keep the skin on there because it helps the filets hold together) and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Flip to the side and saute each of the sides for another 2-3 minutes, if the filet is thick enough.
     
    Preheat the broiler to 450 degrees. Sprinkle the top of each salmon filet with a teaspoon or two of additional sugar/salt mixture. Transfer the pan from the stovetop into the oven. Let the salmon broil for 5-10 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not burning. The sugar in the pan might look burnt but that’s okay as long as the tops of the salmon are looking golden brown. When the salmon is done cooking, remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes (that sugar gets HOT). Gently peel off the skin before eating – it will be very dark because it’s totally caramelized with sugar, and it should come off very easily.

Notes
If you’re using regular table salt, start with just 1 tablespoon and add more salt as necessary.


http://pinchofyum.com/caramelized-salmon

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[DCPatriot]

Fully-Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup with Gina's Spinach Salad




Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
1 cup whole milk
One 12-ounce bottle light-bodied beer
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (about 8 ounces)
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Sour cream, for topping
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, for topping
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for topping

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan to toast the flour, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Gradually whisk in the stock, and then the milk and beer.

Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.


Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Return the soup to low heat. Add 1 cup of the Cheddar, a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition.

Add additional chicken stock if necessary to adjust the consistency.

Sprinkle with hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.


Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining Cheddar, sour cream, bacon and chives.

Serve with Gina's Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans.


Spiced Pecans:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup pecan halves

Spinach Salad:

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch sugar
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
One 10-ounce package prewashed baby spinach
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, fried crisp
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes


For the pecans: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in all the spices and the pecans. Stir and toast the pecans for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool.

For the salad: Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and shallots in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil in a continuous stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.

Add the spinach to a large serving bowl. Toss the greens with the prepared dressing, the bacon, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and spiced pecans.

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