Cooking With Game

 I would not have thought Salmon and Pumpkin would go together well, but though the colors clash a bit, it is really tasty. Make sure the pumpkin is one of the small cooking pumpkins. This is not a "hot" spicy dish.

Salmon with Spiced Pumpkin
(serves 4)
Preparation Time  15 minutes
Cooking Time   20 minutes

Ingredients
        1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
        2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
        2 celery stalks, trimmed, thinly sliced
        1/3 cup blanched whole almonds (or any nut you have)
        1 tsp ground cumin
        1 tsp sweet paprika
        1.5 - 2 lbs pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 3/4” pieces
        15 ounce can chopped tomatoes
        4 - 6 ounce pieces salmon or ocean trout fillet, skinned
        1/3 cup fresh or 1 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
        Lemon wedges, to serve

Method
    1.    Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, celery and almonds. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add spices. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
    2.    Add pumpkin to pan. Stir to coat, then add tomatoes and 1/2 cup water or chicken stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low-medium. Cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. It may take up to 25 minutes, you want it just tender, not mushy.
    3.    Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add salmon. Season to taste, then cook for 4-5 minutes, turning once, or until pale golden and cooked to your liking. (I barely cook the salmon, then place it on top of the simmering pumpkin, put on the lid, remove the pan from the burner and let sit for 7 - 8 minutes to finish cooking.)
    4.    Divide pumpkin mixture among plates. Sprinkle with parsley then top with salmon. Serve with lemon wedges.

Posted by Gamekeeper at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Citrus Salsa Salmon

4    4 to 5 oz salmon fillets - 3/4 to 1 inch thick (skin on or off)
    salt and black pepper
1/3    cup red jalapeno jelly
3    medium oranges, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1    medium grapefruit sections, chopped
1    cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or regular tomatoes chopped)

1.    In medium bowl combine chopped fruit and halved tomatoes.
2.    In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the jelly. You can add a tablespoon         of water to help it melt.
3.    Heat broiler. Place the salmon on unheated rack of a broiler pan.  Lightly         sprinkle salmon with the salt and pepper. Brush 2 tablespoons of the melted     jelly on the salmon, add the rest of the jelly to the salsa mix with a little salt     and pepper.
4.    Broil 4 inches from heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until salmon flakes when         tested with a fork. (When in doubt I cook for shortest time since fish             continues cooking after removed from heat). Be carefully jelly doesn’t burn     too much.
5.    Remove from the oven and let sit with foil over top for about 5 minutes.

Serve with the salsa on top.

Serves 4   

From Better Homes and Garden - March 2009

Posted by Gamekeeper at 06:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

    Fold under thin ends      Can coat differently for taste       Ready for the oven


Salmon fillets - 4 oz to 6 oz; 1” to 1 1/2” thick - with or without skin
Mayonnaise or Fat Free Ranch Dressing
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Dried Dill
Paprika (optional)
2 Tablespoons water

A half hour before baking, spray Pam on large enough baking pan for fish to fit in without touching.
Rinse fish, pat dry and put in the baking dish skin side down (unless skinned).
Spread a coating of mayonnaise or fat free dressing on the fish. You can do both in the same pan. My husband likes the mayonnaise, but I prefer the fat free ranch, so I do half of the fillets his way and half my way.
Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder and dill on liberally. Dust with paprika if you like.
Pour the water in the pan around the fish.
Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
DO NOT OVERCOOK
Remove from the oven and cover with a piece of foil just layed on top and let sit to finish cooking for 5 minutes.

NOTE: To keep the thin ends of a fillet from over cooking, you can overlap two pieces to get close to the overall thickness of the rest of the fillet.

Posted by Gamekeeper at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My husband and I love this. It sounds odd, but the tomato really compliments the salmon and keeps it very moist and flavorful. This recipe is a fast, grab from the pantry style, but it would not be difficult to replace with your homemade sauce, fresh mushrooms, fresh vegetables and cheeses, for a more natural, organic meal.

Salmon Spaghetti
Combine in a microwave safe bowl
1/2 - 25.5 oz bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup of water
1 - 4.5 oz bottle of sliced mushrooms - drained
1 tablespoon of dried onion flakes
1/2 tablespoon dried garlic flakes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (Kraft container type)
Heat in the microwave until warm enough to eat, but NOT steaming hot.

Put on pasta water and bring to a boil

Preheat Oven to 375

Spoon a thin layer of warm sauce on bottom of a 7” x 10” dish
Place 4 skinless salmon filets (4 to 6 oz - 1” to 1 1/2” thick) on top of the sauce.
Put the thicker pieces outside edges, and in a single layer.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the fish, and level out.
Put in the oven and bake for 15 minutes - NO longer (unless you forgot to heat the sauce - then 18 to 20 minutes)
Remove from oven and lay foil over top until ready to serve.

While salmon is baking, cook
1/2 Box Dreamfields Spaghetti (or any Brand)
with 1 tablespoon of salt added to the boiling water.

Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain.  Dress with:
3 to 4 tablespoons lite butter (or regular butter or margarine)
3 to 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (Kraft box type is fine)
Stir in the hot pasta water so spaghetti doesn’t stick together. It also helps the butter and cheese coat the pasta.

Serve by heaping some pasta on a plate, then place a piece of salmon on top, spoon some sauce over. Optional - Top with additional parmesan cheese - grated or shredded.

Posted by Gamekeeper at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

POACHED SALMON WITH LEMON-CAPER HERB SAUCE
Serves 4
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 leek, trimmed, well washed, cut into 1/4-inch rounds or 1/4 slice onion
1/2 lemon, cut into 1/4-inch rounds (zest first for sauce)
1 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander (or fennel seeds)
2 tablespoons coarse salt (or 2 chicken boulion cubes)
3/4 cup dry white wine
4 - 6 to 8 ounce salmon steaks, cut 1-inch thick
3 Tbsp soft butter

Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the pan by tracing around the lid.
Combine carrots, leeks, lemon slices, dill, powders, bay leaf, peppercorns, coriander, salt or boullion, and wine in a 12" pan. Add enough water so the liquid reaches a depth of 1 1/2 inches. About 6 cups.

Bring to a boil; lower to medium, cook for 5 - 10 minutes; reduce heat to barely simmering. Add salmon, cover with the parchment paper. Put the lid on over that. Remove from heat and let sit in hot liquid 8 minutes and cook until flesh is firm but still moist and red in the center. Transfer the fish to a plate and spread on the butter (use lite butter if you want, but do not skip this step or the fish won’t be as good and moist); cover with plastic wrap. Let sit 5 minutes.
Serve with Lemon-Caper Herb Sauce.

LEMON CAPER HERB SAUCE
1/2 cup sour cream
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon (or a tad less)
2 tbsp (or more) capers, drained, coarsely chopped ***
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped tarragon (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
 
In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

***The capers make it salty. If you are making this sauce in the morning or the day before, use less capers. It gets saltier as it sits. You can also rinse the capers before using to reduce saltiness.

Posted by Gamekeeper at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)