Hong Kong Salmon Cakes with Bok Choy

You can have all the cookbooks in the world, but you always come back to Tyler.  I won't wax romantic about how much I love Tyler Florence, as long as we all understand he's pure genius.

This time around, I opted for his Hong Kong Salmon Cakes and Bok Choy recipe found in this favorite cookbook.  I love, this cookbook.  It's probably apparent as my other cookbooks have one, possibly two recipes highlighted.  It seems I really just can't stay away from this Tyler cookbook.  I am not even a little apologetic. The recipe was perfect--the cubed salmon had a texture unlike any other crab or salmon cake I've ever had. 

Salmon Cakes and Bok Choy
Adapted from Tyler Forence's Real Kitchen

Salmon Cakes:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 to 2 red or green chiles, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless salmon fillets, cut in small cubes
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (4 slices whole wheat bread with crusts removed pulsed in the food processor)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons greek yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1 large egg white
Sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil

Bok Choy:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
2 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro leaves, and sliced green onion, for garnish

To make the salmon cakes: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot, ginger, and chiles; saute for a few minutes to release the flavor. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, combine the salmon, bread crumbs, cilantro, yogurt, lemon juice and egg white. Scrape the garlic/ginger oil into the salmon mixture; season with salt and pepper. Fold the ingredients together gently but thoroughly, taking care not to mash the salmon too much. Using your hands, form the mixture into 4 salmon cakes, they should be moist and just hold together.
Coat a non-stick skillet with the 2 tablespoons of peanut oil and bring it to a slight smoke over medium heat. Fry the salmon cakes until brown, about 4 minutes on each side, turning carefully with a spatula. Keep warm on a plate lined with paper towels.

To make the bok choy: Return the skillet to the heat and coat with the 2 tablespoons of peanut oil and heat until almost smoking. Split the piece of ginger open with a knife then whack it with the flat side of the knife. Lay the ginger pieces in the oil, cut-side down to let it start to perfume. Pan-fry the bok choy, cut-side down, for a couple of minutes to give it some color. Add the water and cook another minute to steam the bok choy; carefully remove it to a plate. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Cook and stir for 3 minutes until the sauce is the consistency of syrup.
Serve the salmon cakes with the bok choy, and drizzle the brown sauce over the whole thing. Garnish the dish with the toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onion.

Belated Thank You

I suck.  Most of the time I just go with it, but sometimes, when it's me being ungrateful, I want to slap my own hand and stand myself in the corner. 

When I went on my Amy Butler binge, another blogger offered to gift me with an Amy Butler pattern.  It took me almost two weeks to take a photo so I could say a huge "thank you!!!!" to her on my blog.

Karen at Maggie's Secret Garden sent me the above pattern--just because.  Thank you Karen--"Just because" is my all time favorite sentiment-- I just need to come up with some plan to pay it forward. And of course, I can't wait to be the sewer of new Amy Butler mp3 case. 

Before There Were Kids

Just a heads up that this post may be the death of me.  Dad--look the other way, and no one tell mom it exists.

My mom raised us to be pretty darned independent. She was not the type that I could just bring a load of laundry home to after a tough week in college. But who am I kidding? I am not the type to let someone else do my laundry. I can't bring myself to share that kind of fun.

When it comes to food though, she is 100% doting mama.  One of us needs to merely mention a craving and the next thing we know, that food is sitting in front of us.  I like to think we try to control this incredible power we have, but in truth, we don't.  And the funny thing is, it doesn't matter how independent a girl is or how much she likes to cook for herself, there's always something so comforting about mom making you food. 

Som Tum.   When you have tickets booked to head back to Thailand this April, you have to start prepping for the daily consumption. As my Dad kept asking as my mom was pounding away....couldn't I make this myself?  Of course.  But it's so much better when mom makes it.

I didn't plan on going back to Thailand this year, but my parents planned a trip this April.  I couldn't pass on that opportunity.  As I visited with family over there last year, I heard stories about my mom and about my parents.  This was my mom's home, her family and where my parents met and got married.  There were stories here that I wanted to see and hear again with my parents there as well.

See, apparently, before she was a mom who jumped at every food request we made, before there was even a Mary, Mikey or Monica(or Mark and Matt)...

She was actually, well, not a mom. It's hard to believe.

I can't even imagine her outside of our family, having a life that didn't include us.  But alas there was a time that she hung out with her friends posing for pictures that look like something from an Amy Tan novel.

Eventually, this young woman fell in love with an American GI with sweet TEDs and superstar bike skills.

(A bike skill, if we recall from this past 4th of July, was not passed in the genes to me.)

But I digress.  So when I see these old photos and hear these stories, there is a fascination in two lives lived before I even existed.  And when presented with the opportunity to visit Thailand with them, and see my mom's homeland through her eyes, or even through the eyes of a father who first experienced it as a 20 year old, how do you pass up that opportunity?  And the view's not so bad either....

Pad Thai

Mise en Place. Pad Thai is one of those recipes that can frustrate if you don't have everything set up before you start.  It's all about mise en place because once you start, there's seemingly no time to scramble the eggs or chop the garlic.  Having all the ingredients chopped, prepared and ready to go in the pan lends a sense of calm that you'll appreciate in the end.

The ingredient list does require a trip to an asian grocer.  Palm sugar can be replaced with white or even brown sugar, rice noodles, fish sauce and even Siracha can be found at Safeway, but tamarind paste?  Well I've never seen that outside of an asian grocery store. It's the tart and the tangy part of the sauce. 

Once you do find the ingredients though, they last for ages. Just whip them out, chop, soak, stir, mix, drain, heat up a pan and go.  First you cook the chicken...

Place cooked chicken in a bowl, Add in the scrambled eggs and garlic to the pan...(and green onions if you don't forget at that point like I did)

Add the noodles, sauce, green onions and beansprouts...

And what put a Pad Thai on the menu?  Perhaps a little vacation planning? Fingers crossed!

Pad Thai

3 tbsp tamarind paste
2/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp red chili sauce such as Sriracha
4 ounces rice stick noodles
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 whole chicken breast sliced
1-2 thai chilies, sliced (optional)
1 cup chopped green onions, divided
2 cloves minced garlic
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 cups bean sprouts, divided
2/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, divided
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

2. Combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, Sriracha, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the other ingredients are prepared and measured out into separate bowls, drain the water from the noodles and set them aside.
4. Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.
5. Place a wok or large pan on high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil, then add the chicken. Cook the chicken until golden brown, stirring often until fully cooked (about 3-5 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pan to a small bowl and set aside.
6. If necessary, add some more peanut oil to the pan. Add 2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic, cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the eggs to the pan; once the eggs begin to set, about 15 to 20 seconds, stir to scramble.
7. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order: noodles, sauce,  and 2/3 of the bean sprouts and peanuts. Toss everything until heated through, but no longer than 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer to a serving dish.
8. Garnish with the remaining scallions, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Guess

Please excuse the photo--it was taken with a phone. Which really is a clear and strong argument on why one should carry a camera at all times.  You never know when you will be presented with one of the great mysteries of the world.

Truth be told, I'm not sure that a proper photo would prepare you to guess at the ingredients that went into this particular pancake at Snooze.  Yes, the Snooze of pineapple upsidedown pancake fame.  The Snooze that consistently has a 1 hour wait even after opening a second location on 7th and Colorado.  In fact, it was at this new location that we were presented with this fascinating pancake this past weekend.  It went something like this:

Server: Would you like to try our pancake of the day, the Caprese pancake?
Us:

Okay so not a very exciting conversation, but how does one respond to that question except with mouths agape?  He absolutely meant tomato, mozarella and basil.  Or rather tomato and mozarella with a pesto butter and sweet balsalmic reduction.  I kid you not.

I'm a sucker for produce and a sucker for fascinating food concepts, but tomato pancakes?  Over pineapple upside down pancakes or eggs benedict?  Intrigue vs. extreme hunger--which would win?  Turns out we didn't have to choose.  Our server brought complimentary Caprese pancakes to go with our ordered breakfasts.  I heart Snooze. 

The verdict?  A little bit wierd, a little bit fun.  Kind of like bruschetta without the crunch.  I won't be making them at home, but I can safely venture forward in my life saying I've sampled tomato and mozarella pancakes with balsalmic syrup.

Orecchiette with Salmon & Spinach

Who knew that Google books just plops books right up on the web?  I was doing a search for this cookbook  and was able to pull up the entire recipe, no, the entire page from my cookbook.  That's just crazy.

I could eat salmon everyday, and pretty much already eat spinach everyday.  What happens when you put the two together?  Salmon: A Cookbook, tells us that it makes a perfect pasta dish.  Oh happiness indeed. Even better is it cooks up in the time it takes to boild the pasta.  Even happier on a weeknight.

Technically I've already posted a recipe from this cookbook, so this is just take two.  But I adore this cookbook so much, it's actually falling apart.  If you like salmon, you can't beat the assortment of salmon recipes in here. 

Orecchiette with Smoked Salmon, Spinach, Walnuts and Lemon Zest

Adapted from Salmon: A Cookbook

1/2 lb dried orecchiette

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

3/4 cup evaporated milk (or heavy cream if you prefer)

6 oz spinach leaves

grated zest of half a lemon

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 oz smoked salmon

freshly ground pepper

kosher sea salt

1. Fill a large pot with water, add 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 mins

2. While pasta is cooking, heat the milk in a skillet until just before boiling.  Add spinach and cook until just wilted. 

3. Add lemon juice, zest, a pinch of salt and ground pepper.  Add salmon and stir until combined.

4.  Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.  Add pasta to pan with spinach and salmon and stir to coat the pasta, adding pasta water as needed. 

5. Stir in toasted walnuts and serve.

Cookbook #62 Barefoot Contessa At Home and Guacamole Salad

Is it cheating to keep going back to one of your favorite recipes in a cookbook?  One of the down sides of having so many cookbooks is that there's a bit of guilt that comes with making the same recipe in a cookbook when there's so many new ones to try.  But still, Barefoot Contessa's Guacomole Salad is one of those that deserves revisiting often.

This cookbook needs no introductions. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've highlighted a couple of recipes from this book on the blog, but never officially checked it off as "complete" in plan to make something from each cookbook. That must make this the official cookbook post.

The recipe is almost perfect, a perfect mix of crisp and creamy, tart and tangy and light but still filling. The first time I made it, there was a bit too much lime for my taste, so I just used the one lime this time and omitted the yellow bell pepper because I didn't have any.  Sad. I bet yellow bell pepper is fabulous in this. Oh yeah, no grape tomatoes either.  But that's the beauty of salad.  You mix up the ingredients if you have to.

Guacamole Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa At Home

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions:
Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Cookbook #61 Beautiful Breads & Fabulous Fillings

Sometimes I make cooking decisions that aren't very rational.  Should a sandwich ever take 6 hours to make?  Probably not, but it can apparently. 

Beautiful Breads and Fabulous Fillings by Margaux Sky is full of recipes that can take you hours upon hours to complete...because they start with baking the bread yourself.  Her flavor combinations are unique to say the least.....Lavendar Mint Love Bread, Roasted Red Pepper Mint Bread, Concord Grape Bread and  Maple Merlot.  Intrigued?

But really, that's only half of the equation because with this cookbook--you pair that bread with some "fabulous fillings" and you are on your way to the most labor intensive, but well worth the effort, sandwich of all time.  Imagine Red Deviled Egg Salad on Spicy White Pepper-Jack Bread, Garden of Eden on Concord Grape Bread and of course, the recipe that seduced me, Avocado and Melted Swiss on Salsa Bread. 

Why wouldn't you start with homemade salsa?

Fresh Salsa

2 cups finely diced tomatoes
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup green onion
1/2 cup diced cilantro
1-2 jalapenos
1 garlic clove minced
juice of 1-2 limes
salt to taste
 Combine all ingredients and set aside.

Then you move onto the bread step--which is really where all the time goes. It's that whole rising thing.  The book provides a bread recipe, but I grabbed another of my favorites.  Any white bread recipe (or even frozen loaf will do) 

Rolling up salsa and cheese inside of bread is not my strong suit, but hey, it did the job. It was bread.

And finally, on to the best part...the toppings.  Toast the bread (I made mine an open faced version), melt some cheese and add a bit of guacamole AND

Avocados.  Who cares if it's overkill.  And a bit more salsa on top of that.  Genius.

Was it really just a fancy grilled cheese sandwich? Yes.  And would I make it again?  Probably without the salsa bread recipe.  Any great bread will do and the salsa in the bread is not really apparent once all the toppings go on.  But it really was fun to make anyway.

Avocado And Melted Swiss On Salsa Bread
Adapted from Beautiful Breads

Making the salsa Bread
1 portion white dough bread
2 cups drained salsa
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
1 egg, beaten well and whisked together with 2 Tablespoons water

Roll one portion of the dough into a 9 by 11 inch rectangle. Scatter the salsa and cheese on the surface. Begin to roll the bread, jelly roll fashion, folding the edges as you go--like a burrito. Place the finished rolled bread into a well buttered 9 inch bread pan. Let the bread rise, covered, in a warm place for about 60 minutes.

When doubled, brush the loaf with the egg and water mix and place the loaf in a preheated oven set at 400 degrees. Bake for 60 minutes or until the bread has a hollow thump.

Making the Sandwich
Avocado and Melted Swiss On Salsa Bread

2 Tablespoons soft butter
4 slices salsa bread
1 cup guacamole
2 thick slices swiss cheese
1 cup salsa
1 cup spring greens

Butter the bread and toast it in a hot skillet on both sides, then slice diagonally. Spread some guacamole on each slice of bread. Melt the swiss cheese in a microwave until runny and spread it on the guacamole. Drain the salsa and sprinkle some of it on the sandwiches. Place some baby lettuce on top of the salsa, then top with the other slices of bread. Serve extra salsa on the side.

Christmas

Sometimes you need a little reminder that you forgot to post Christmas pics....oops.  Sorry about that.  They just happen to all be of Peanut.  Shocker.

Her first digital camera...oh, I'm so weepy.  Needs a bit of technique work.

Safety first, even for Nemo.