New Recipe of the Week: Salad w/ Herbed aioli and salmon

A week or two ago, I declared Sundays “New Recipe Sundays.”   I have a huge stack of recipes that I’ve ripped out of magazines, not to mention a big collection of cookbooks that haven’t been given their proper attention, and thought it would be fun to really make an effort to try to make at least one new recipe a week.  

Well, after making that declaration, I was out of town the first Sunday and then the following Sunday something came up as well.   Therefore, I’m just aiming to try a new recipe at least once a week on whatever day(s) that might fall. 

Now, I need to start by saying that I typically only use recipes as a guide and rarely follow them to the tee.   With this recipe, I really did my own thing based on what I had on-hand.   

Another thing that I want to mention, that I have learned the hard way many times, is to read the recipe in full before you start.   Sometimes there are random twists or a different order than what you expected, which can make a big difference.

Without further ado, here is the new recipe of the week……

Original Recipe:  This is the original recipe that inspired me (from Bon Appétit, April 2011 by Diane Rossen Worthington):  Spring Greens with Smoked Fish and Herbed Aioli

  

(photo by: Tom Schierlitz)

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Active time: 45 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Herbed aioli:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Greens:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens
• 1 small head of radicchio, coarsely torn
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 pounds smoked fish fillets (such as trout and/or whitefish), skin and any small bones removed, fish broken into bite-size pieces

Preparation

For herbed aioli:
Combine 2 tablespoons water, egg yolks, lemon juice, and garlic in medium metal bowl; whisk to blend. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens and thermometer registers 160°F, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from over water. Cool 10 minutes. 

Gradually whisk olive oil into aioli base, then 2 tablespoons water. Whisk in chives and parsley. Season aioli to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring aioli to room temperature and whisk before using.

 

For greens:
Whisk oil and lemon juice in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Combine greens and radicchio in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Arrange greens mixture on large platter or divide among plates. Top with fish. Drizzle some aioli over. Serve, passing remaining aioli alongside.

My Version:  I was in a hurry last night and had some salmon and the fridge and remembered the above recipe.    I whipped up my version in 15 minutes with what I had on hand in the fridge.   I’ll call my version: Salad with Herbed aioli dressing and sautéed salmon.

Salmon:

• 2 salmon fish fillets (trout would be good also)
• S&P&C   (S= Salt; P = Pepper; C = Cayenne – these are the seasonings I use most frequently.)
• Olive oil

Set the salmon out 15-30 minutes before sautéing.  Season the fish side with S&P&C.  (Season both sides if the skin is removed – my salmon had skin on one side and I prefer to cook it that way.)    Heat pan with olive oil and add fish – always put the presentation side down first (this would be the side without the skin).    Sauté for about 4 minutes on each side depending on thickness.    Set aside to cool while making the dressing.  

Herbed aioli:

• 1 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon champagne mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Cilantro

Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic and mustard in a glass measuring cup; whisk to blend.  Gradually whisk olive oil into aioli base and whisk vigorously until thick (this can take up to 5 minutes but is a good work out and worth it to get the right texture.)   Add honey based on taste – I added it because my lemon juice was really tart and was overwhelming the flavor.  Season the aioli to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  My version can also be made one day ahead; just cover and chill.   Bring aioli to room temperature and whisk before using.

 

Instead of adding the chives and cilantro to the dressing, I just tossed them with the lettuce before adding the dressing so they wouldn’t get soggy.   

Note: In the interest of time I did not heat mine up like the original recipe states and made it more like I would make a Caesar dressing.   I am not afraid of raw eggs.  Most people order their eggs runny anyway and in the U.S. producers have worked hard to reduce Salmonella and the industry is highly regulated.  Just never leave eggs at room temperature longer than four hours and you will be fine.

Greens:

• 1 package of Bibb lettuce
• 1-2 cups spinach

Note: These were the greens I had in the fridge.  I just ripped them into pieces and tossed them in a large bowl, and sprinkled the chives and cilantro on top and then added some fresh-ground sea salt and black pepper to the greens.   Then I added the dressing and tossed to coat.  

Serving:

Arrange greens mixture on plates and put the fish off to the side of the plate.  Enjoy!

Note:  I decided to keep the fish whole rather than breaking it into pieces and putting it on top (mainly in the interest of time and I thought the fish looked prettier that way); I had lettuce and salmon on my fork for each bite. 

Verdict:  I would definitely make this recipe again.  It was easy, healthy, filling, and yummy!

Make sure to let me know if you try it, I’d love to hear your feedback or any new twists.

Cheers!

This made me laugh outloud.....

I got this from my Mom.   I love it!   

A woman is sitting at home on the porch with her husband, drinking a glass of wine, and she says, "I love you."
 
He asks, "Is that you or the wine talking?"

 
She replies, "It's me...Talking to the wine."


I hope to be professing my love to my wine later this evening.   Cheers! 

Agua de Jamaica

Aqua de Jamaica is a beverage I mentioned this beverage in a previous post.   (Refresher:  Mexican cooking class, red drink with lamb taco for breakfast, ringing any bells???)
 
Well, I came across a bag of dried jamaica flowers at the grocery store and instantly decided to buy it.   I figured this must be what they use to make the red stuff.   

The proper pronounciation of jamaica - in reference to the flower, not the country - is “ha-MIKE-uh” in Spanish.   

The dried maroon petals of the jamaica flower is also known as hibiscus.  I was told that in the states you can usually find it near the loose teas, or nestled in with bulk herbs and spices in natural food stores.

My plan was to soak the dried flowers in water overnight, but then I thought “maybe there is an actual recipe on the internet.”   Of course there was and I’ve listed it below.

Making this iced tea is easy. Once you find a source for the dried petals you are halfway there.  Making the actual tea doesn't take more than 15 minutes of active cooking/boiling time, and after that you are just waiting for the tea to cool down.

No only does it taste good and look pretty (love the color), but it is also believed that jamaica/hibiscus packs a bounty of health benefits. It is rich in vitamin C, has detox enhancing properties; and has been widely used as an herbal method of controlling high blood pressure, tempering fevers, alleviating digestive problems, soothing menstrual cramps, as well as improving circulatory disorders.  

Jamaica Flower Iced Tea Recipe
(Agua de Jamaica)

4 cups water
1/2 cup dried jamaica flowers
1/2 cup sugar (If you prefer, sweeten with any natural sweetener of your choice)
Another 3 cups of cold water
More sugar to taste
1 lime, thinly sliced

First off, pick out a pot that won't stain.  Hibiscus has the potential to stain just about anything it comes in contact with including your countertop, cookware, wooden spoons, favorite jeans, etc.  So keep this in mind.

Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil.  Remove water from heat and add the dried flowers and sugar.  Place a lid over the pot and steep for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice along the way to break down the sugar granules.

Pour the infusion through a strainer into a pitcher or jug (this is usually where something gets stained). You are going to want to add about 3 more cups of cold water to the pitcher. Taste and adjust based on your personal preference.  You can add a bit more sugar if you think you need it or more water if you   feel like the jamaica is too overpowering.    

 Cool completely and serve over ice with a lime garnish.

Serves 8.

I’m beginning to think this would taste good with a splash of bubbly to make a little spritzer.   Can you tell I have a one-track mind?  

Blogs (and Websites) I Follow

In case you were curious, here are some of the blogs I currently follow.  

Wine Related

http://thylandviews.blogspot.com

http://champagnediet.blogspot.com/

http://champagnepiggy.wordpress.com/

www.cuveecorner.blogspot.com

http://www.suburbanwino.com/

http://www.anotherwineblog.com/

http://goodwineunder20.blogspot.com/

http://bubblesonwine.wordpress.com/

Food Related

http://travelingfoodlady.blogspot.com/

http://eatdrinkpretty.blogspot.com/

http://cheeseandchampagne.com/

http://heidimsmith.wordpress.com/

http://cookinginmexico.com/

http://thenauticalchef.blogspot.com/

Minneapolis Related

http://www.metromag.com/category/section/restaurants/food-finds

http://www.twincitiesrestaurantblog.com/

http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Blogs/Dear-Dara/

Misc.

http://www.theactivistnextdoor.com/

http://michellemalkin.com/

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/

http://blondebombchelle.blogspot.com/

I'm always looking for new blogs and sources of information.   I'd love to hear what blogs and websites you are following? 

Kranky

About 2-3 days out of every month, I crave chocolate like nobody’s business.   When I say “crave” I am talking about an intense craving that drives me to seek out chocolate at any cost.  I don’t just crave it; I NEED it.   Truth be told, I can tend to be a little cranky until I get some into my system.   Once I get a “chocolate fix” all is right in the world.   (There are witnesses that can attest to both of the above statements.) Well, I recently came across some chocolate candy, suitably named: Kranky.   

I bought it immediately and it has been sitting patiently in the pantry as part of my emergency chocolate stash.    Well, today was an emergency.    I ripped open the package and popped a chocolate nugget into my mouth.  Guess what?   It turned out to be chocolate covered Corn Flakes!    Only in Mexico!  

(SIDEBAR: As part of my travels I actually like to try different chips and candy in foreign countries.  So far, my favorite chips are in Thailand and my favorite chocolate candy is in Switzerland.)   

The KRANKY candy did the trick as far as my chocolate fix and the packaging makes me chuckle. Win, win.

Next time you are melting chocolate to make chocolate covered almonds, berries, or raisins, you should throw some corn flakes into the mix.   Just a thought.

Hello Jillian Michaels, nice to meet you; I think.

Before I came down to Mexico, I grabbed a few workout DVDs to use for my workouts while I’m away from my gym.  A friend of mine recommended Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred, so I ran to Target and bought it before I left.  Jillian Michaels is the hard-core trainer from TV's The Biggest Loser.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve never watched The Biggest Loser reality show.   I hear about it from time to time but have literally never watched it, so I had no idea what to expect.

Verdict?   I love it; but I love it for lazy reasons.   The DVD has three 20-minute workouts.   Only 20 minutes!     I keep telling myself I can easily find 20 minutes to workout every day.    The idea of only 20-minutes helps me motivate more than my other two one-hour videos (which I’ve only done once since I’ve been here.) 

There are three workout levels (1, 2, 3).   Each workout has a 1-minute warm up; three 6-minutes circuits of 3-minutes of strength, 2-minutes of cardio, and 1-minute of abs; ending with a 1-minute cool down.  All three levels are a great workout and move quickly.   For a good, quick workout I highly recommend this video.

As far as Jillian, she scares me a little.   I don’t like her tough, masculine energy.  Call me judgmental, but I do tend to judge people based on whether I would enjoy having a drink with them.   I don’t think I would enjoy having a cocktail with Jillian.   I feel like she would show up on a motorcycle and she’d probably give me a hard time about the calories in my cocktail (buzz kill).   

The other two videos that I brought along are 60-minutes, but that now seems so long after the 20-minute workouts.  I do recommend them nonetheless if you are looking for some good, portable workout videos.  

Cindy Crawford - Next Challenge Workout

I used to have this on a VCR tape and would work out to it in college.  Yes, it is a little 90s (Cyndi actually wears a leotard in some of the shots).   After my husband threw our VCR away I upgraded to the DVD.  Despite it being made more than 15 years ago, it is still a tough workout that makes me sore every time.   She combines cardio conditioning with muscle endurance moves; with and without light weights.  Who doesn’t love Cindy?   She is one person I would love to have a cocktail with; I have a feeling we would have more than one.

 

The Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout

I ran out and bought this DVD last year after seeing Gwyneth Paltrow’s rocking, toned body.   Tracy is her trainer and this is her toning DVD.   The purpose of this video is to “re-engineer your muscular structure, wake up your accessory muscles, and pull in your larger muscles.”   After doing this video for a couple weeks last year, I certainly felt more toned.  As for Tracy, she seems a little shy and serious but also like a hard worker with a heart of gold.   I could certainly have a glass of Champagne with her.  (You can fine out more about her here and buy her DVD; http://tracyandersonmethod.com/)

Let me know if you have any workout videos you recommend or swear by.    Meanwhile, I’m going to try to balance out all three of these videos during the remainder of my last 4 weeks in Mexico.    I need to do some cross training before I get home and start getting into shape for two triathlons this summer.  Yep, you heard me correctly.  I plan to sign up for two triathlons this year and since my first tri last year was a little leisurely, I plan to work on my time and actually get competitive this year.  

Mexican Cooking Class in Puerto Vallarta

As you may or may not know, I am living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 10 weeks.  It is not a vacation per se, as my husband and I are basically just working from a different location, albeit a warmer location. 

I’ve just begun to realize that the time here is going to fly by, so I have my “To Do” list in hand and am hoping to enjoy and explore as much of this town as I can.    As you do know, I am a total foodie.   Therefore, a cooking class was at the top of my list. 

Surprisingly, there aren’t that many organized cooking classes in Puerto Vallarta.  There are a few people that do them out of their homes and I found one restaurant, El Arrayán, that holds monthly classes (seasonal).  I had eaten at this particular restaurant during my last visit to Puerto Vallarta a couple years ago and enjoyed it, so I expected a good class with good food.

If you are wondering what the word “arrayán” means, it is a species of tree that bears a small sweet and tart fruit by the same name.  It grows in and around the region of Jalisco, México (the area I’m in).  The restaurant actually has its own arrayán tree growing in the courtyard.

 

The class was held on Monday, January 24 (2011).  We met at the restaurant at 9:30 a.m. I was a little late (only 2 minutes) due to the longer-than-expected walk but everyone was there and I missed the introductions.  I was greeted by Carmen Porras, the owner with the vision to showcase genuine Mexican food by exclusively using the highest quality ingredients and creating an authentic experience for guests.  She and a partner opened the restaurant in November of 2003 and it has won numerous awards since then.

The group of roughly 15 consisted mostly of women and the average age was probably 50.  It was a great group of people that shared a passion for good food.  We squeezed (literally, I had one check on someone’s lap) into a van and a taxi and headed out for breakfast.   Since I usually don’t go out for breakfast (I’m traditionally a fruit, yogurt, or granola bar kind of girl), I was looking forward to a traditional Mexican breakfast; specifically I was looking forward to eggs with a Mexican twist (i.e. spicy salsa and maybe some chirizo).    Well, I did not get eggs.   In fact, I bet you would never guess what I had for breakfast at 10 a.m. on this Monday morning. 

We pulled up to a cute little place tucked behind the local supermarket called El Taquito Hidalguense.   

My breakfast consisted of two lamb tacos.  This was an easy thing to embrace, no matter the time; the tacos were outstanding.   I eagerly piled on the condiments: fresh cilantro, chopped white onions, hot salsa, and a mild green salsa.  

 

Most people got Mexican coffee but I was eying the jar of red stuff on the counter; I was finally going to try the red drink I’d seen around town (I didn’t know what it was; therefore I was never confident ordering it).   But on this particular morning, during my not-so-typical breakfast, I figured I’d give it a try.  It is called agua de jamaica, a tart red drink made from the hibiscus flower.  It was really good.  Kind of like a cranberry juice in color but much lighter and with a more delicate flavor, pretty much like an iced tea made with flowers.  I didn’t find it tart at all, in fact I ordered another.    

After “breakfast” we headed out to a couple of local places.

The first stop was a kitchen supply store, which had the basics needed for a Mexican kitchen (home not commercial).    There were dishes, silverware, strainers, gadgets, etc…   I bought a bowl since we have a serving bowl shortage in the house we are renting.

We then headed to a flour tortilla “factory.”   And by factory, I was expecting some huge industrial building with multiple assembly lines; after all a lot of tortillas are eaten in this country.   I seriously had the Laverne & Shirley assembly line and theme song in my head. 

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Sclemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated.
We're gonna do it!

Give us any chance, we'll take it.
Give us any rule, we'll break it.
We're gonna make our dreams come true.
Doin' it our way.

Nothin's gonna turn us back now,
Straight ahead and on the track now.
We're gonna make our dreams come true,
Doin' it our way.

There is nothing we won't try,
Never heard the word impossible.
This time there's no stopping us.
We're gonna do it.” 

Sorry, now you have the theme song in your head too. 

Well, while there was an (as in one) assembly line, there was no factory; just a small, unassuming shop the size of a garage that I think I had walked past before without even noticing.   We were able to walk in the cramped space and watch the process, which was cool.  It also had me thinking food again a mere one hour after breakfast.  The tortillas down here are amazing and the ones hot of the press melt in your mouth!     

The Tortilla "Factory" from the Outside

 

Cooling Rack (notice the fan)

After that we headed over to a little market area.  We checked out a bulk food store and a fruit store.  There was also cheese, meat, and fish purveyors in this area.   It was the kind of food market area I had been seeking and I plan to head back there regularly.    

Not sure how long they let the meat sit out???

Corn Tortilla "Factory"

Our last stop, before heading back to the restaurant, was the shop of one of Carmen’s friends. The store was called Peyote People.  The owner was very passionate and informative about his collection of Mexican Folk Art and Native artifacts.   This is where I fell in love with a giant peacock.    

We arrived back at the restaurant around noon, got our aprons and recipe books, and headed into the roomy kitchen where we proceeded to learn how to make some traditional Mexican dishes.   Everything had been prepped and all the mise en place was ready to go.  

Everything was measured, organized and put onto trays for each recipe.   For a moment I started dreaming about having my very own prep cook; visions of a dishwasher danced through this day dream also.      

Back to reality Penelope.  

All the dishes were pretty straightforward, nothing to complicated.    

Chef Mariano Valdés Ruiz preps the pork

Captive Audience

Chef shredding the pork using 2 forks. It went really fast - good technique to use.

 

 

The pork simmering with a banana leaf

Of all the things we prepared, the one thing that surprised me was the beans.    I’m not a huge bean person but I do eat them because beans are good for you, right?   Protein and fiber and all that.   Well, these beans that we made were amazing, but not exactly healthy.   The secret ingredient?   Lard!   Lots of lard.  I believe it was duck fat; we’re talking about 4-5 cups of the stuff along with sautéed garlic and onions.   Carmen tried to inform us that there are new studies out that lard isn’t as bad for you as originally thought.   Yeah right, I thought; but in the same breath, I decided to believe her so I could eat these beans without the guilt.   “Lard is good for you.”   Seriously, these were the best refried beans I’ve ever had.   (FYI – Refried just means cooked twice; they aren’t really fried.   Then again, with the lard they may as well have been.)   I actually have cousin, Eric, who once told me if he could only eat one thing for the rest of his life it would be refried beans.   I guess if the beans tasted like this I could see where he's coming from.

I liked the pace of the class and the chef did a good job of moving along and offering explanations.   And I liked everything we made!     I will definitely be making all of these recipes.  

We sat down as a group to eat at 2:50.    

   

Our meal started out with a margarita, sopes, and chips with three different types of salsas.

Here is what we learned to cook:

Aguachile de Camarón:  Ceviche With shrimp, pineapple marinated in lime juice. Serrano peppers, onions, cucumber, and cilantro.

Cochinita Pibil: From Yucatán. Boneless pork leg marinated in “achiote”. Slow cooked with banana leaves.

Xnipec: Red onion and habanero pepper relish (FYI – The habenero pepper is the second spiciest pepper in the world.   Xnipec (pronounced Ch-knee-peck) means running nose.   Which I can confirm, this “relish” will make your nose run from the heat.)

Frijoles Negros Refritos: Refried black beans.    

Test:  Can you tell which of the above photos is mine?    Hint: not the top one.  I got the top one courtesy of the restaurant.  It looks like I have a ways to go on my photography skills.   Or maybe I was just hungry and snapped the photo quickly so I could dig in? 

Salsa Verde:  Fresh tamatillo and Serrano pepper salsa.  (no photo, sorry)

Flan de Cajeta:  Milk caramel flan.

I'm not usually a flan fan, but I love caramel.   The caramel made this flan delicious!

What a feast it was.   The food was amazing.  Nothing like a 4-course lunch at 3:00 in the afternoon.   I was stuffed.   I paid $85.00 (US) for the class, which I thought was a little spendy but in the end I thought it was worth it.

Oh!  I forgot to mention that I ate a cricket.   Carmen brought out a bag of them before our meal arrived.  They actually sell bags of crickets there and have a cricket taco on the menu. 

Roasted ‘Chapulines’ Tacos

Real crickets, crunchy and tiny, sautéed with red onion and cilantro, mild tomatillo and avocado salsa on the side.  An appetizer from the city of Oaxaca (Wa-ha-ka) in southern Mexico.

The women next to me tried one first and said it tasted like a salty nut.   I figured what the heck, and popped one into my mouth.   Well, I don’t know what kind of salty nuts this lady had in the past but all I could taste was a fried bug, creepy crawly legs and all.   Now that I think about it, maybe it hadn’t been fried?  Anyway, I tried to take a photo of it in my palm before I put it in my mouth.  Apparently, my hand was shaking just having it in my palm and the photo didn’t turn out so good.  But I think you get the jest and in a way I’m saving you from the visual.  Upon the first chew I found myself quickly reaching for my water; the cricket was making me thirsty.  

When I mentioned to my parents a couple days later that I forgot to tell them that I had eaten a cricket, my Mom figured it was an accident and I ate it because it was in my salad or something and my Dad asked if it was because it was dipped in chocolate.   He knows me well.

I've actually already made the ceviche at home and it turned out great.  I like slicing the shrimp in half and leaving it in bigger pieces and I like the addition of pineapple.

One group participant was a writer from a local media website on assignment covering the cooking class.  Check out her article here:   http://www.pvpulse.com/en/activities/featured-tours/el-arrayan-cooking-class-and-food-tour      FYI - she has a photo of the crickets!  

If you find yourself in Puerto Vallarta, I highly recommend a cooking class at  El Arrayán.  Here is a link to their website: www.elarrayan.com.mx

Cheers!