Blackened Trout Salad with Lemony Salad Dressing

One of my favorite weeknight meals is a big salad of greens, veggies and toppers and a nice piece of protein such as steak, chicken breast or fish. Here is a simple recipe for blackened seafood fillet featuring steelhead trout, but could also be substituted for salmon or other firm fish. Also, the versatile blackening seasoning goes great with chicken, pork and steak too, which can be prepared in a skillet, under the broiler or on the grill.

Blackened trout or salmon can be paired with any combination of side dishes for an entrée, and is great atop a big salad. I don’t give a recipe for a salad because you can use whatever you like, have on hand or is in season. I always keep greens on hand, along with red onion, cucumber, tomato and bell pepper. I also have an ample supply of salad toppers like hot cherry peppers, pepperinchinos, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives to give my salads extra punch and for variety. Since seafood and lemon go great together, I’ve also included a tangy lemon dressing recipe for the salad.

Blackening Seasoning 

Ingredients:

·         2 Tbsp Paprika

·         1 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and kosher salt

·         ½ tsp dried summer savory (rubbed in palm)

Directions:

There are a couple ways to cook a piece of fish with blackening seasoning, and either is great. One way is to apply the seasoning directly to the fish and cook on a hot surface such as a cast-iron skillet. A second way is to first rub the fish with a little oil and then apply the blackening so that the spice and oil come together to create kind of a wet rub. From here the fish can then be cooked in a hot dry skillet, on the grill, under the broiler or in a little more oil in a skillet. I did the latter for the fish in the photos here. I cooked the fillet on a medium high heat for about 4 minutes on one side and then for just a minute or two on the second side. I then removed the fish from the heat and covered it with foil to let it rest and just cook through. Just before adding the fish to the salad I sprinkled the filets with the zest and juice of half a lemon.

Lemony Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

·         ¼ cup lemon juice

·         zest of 1 lemon

·         2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

·         ½ tsp of blackening seasoning

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and screw on the lid. Shake vigorously to combine into a homogeneous mixture. Toss salad greens in a little of the dressing just prior to plating and drizzle more to taste over your salad and fish.

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Baby Greens aand Bold Vinaigrette

It seems to me like beets have become a trendy veggie over the last couple of years, with "Top Chef" and "Food Network Stars" showing off heirloom yellow beets and good old purple beets in a variety of tasty culinary creations. Newsflash...beets have always been popular in both Newfoundland and New England.The rest of North America is finally getting on the bandwagon of this super healthy and utterly delicious root vegetable.



While I ate a good many beets growing up, I only had them one way. They were purple and they were pickled. The in that was some people pickled their beets as slices, while some did so as more rustic chopped beet. Like salt, pepper, ketchup and mustard pickles, pickled beets are a standard condiment (side dish) on most Newfoundland supper tables. They go with just about anything. In fact, the only way I would eat my vegetables as a young child (potatoes excluded) was to mix my carrot and turnip in with my potatoes, pour in some beet juice and mash it all together into a uniform purple blob. Yes it sounds disgusting, but it was good. I guess I had an aversion to eating orange and yellow vegetables, but purple was no problem. For this recipe there will be no need to utilize beet juice as a cover up, although a purple vinaigrette sounds intriguing. The beets in the recipe are simply roasted in the oven with a little oil and lightly seasoned with a touch of salt. The flavor of roasted beets is incredibly rich, earthy, slightly sweet and slightly tart. Paired with baby greens tossed in a bold vinaigrette with tangy goat cheese, toasted walnuts and some crusty baguette slices and you have a winner winner purple salad dinner! Here is what you'll need and how I put it all together.

Vinaigrette:
Use a mason jar to shake up the ingredients and make an emulsification. To the jar add:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 heaping teaspoon of good mustard (I used Raye's horseradish maple mustard (http://www.rayesmustard.com/). If you use Dijon, I suggest adding a little prepared horseradish for some bold kick.
• Fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of kosher or sea salt.

Give it a good shake. Use some to "dress" the salad greens just before plating and more to drizzle onto the plated salad.

Salad

Ingredients (6 servings)

• Mix of baby greens, washed
• 2 bunches of beets (about 6),
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• fresh baguette, sliced on the bias and toasted
• small package (8 ounce) of goat cheese
• handful of whole walnuts, toasted lightly in a dry fry pan
• Bold Vinaigrette (above)

Start preparing your beets as these take a little while to cook. Trim off the ends, keep the small ones whole and half the large beets so all are about the same size. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the beets on the pan and drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove when knife tender (pierced through easily with a sharp knife). Once cooked, remove the skin (if desired) and slice for the salad. For the nuts, place them in a dry fry pan and toast them over medium heat and toast for 1-2 minutes to bring out the natural oils. Be careful not to burn them.

Arrange dressed greens on a salad plate and place sliced beets and toasted nut on the greens. Put a big dollop of goat cheese on one end of the toasted baguette slice and crumble a few more pieces on the greens. Top with another drizzle of the vinaigrette.

Enjoy.

Chef's treat! I made some open face baguette, goat cheese and beet sandwiches to nibble on when I went back in the kitchen to serve up my second course of Roasted Squash and Apple Soup with caramelized shallots and Greek yogurt. I think these would make for a great party appetizer!

Fried Green Tomatoes and Quick Pickled Bell Pepper, Jalapeno and Cilantro Salad

Here in western New England we're smack dab in the middle of harvest time. Thanksgiving is about a month away, and we've been reaping the benefits of the great growing season with early fall apples, squash, pumpkins and other vegetables. Just last week I harvested the last of my "summer crop" which included the final picking of hot peppers, bell peppers, tomatillos and tomatoes. This year was a spectacular year for my tomatoes, which included a variety of large red tomatoes and super sweet cherry tomatoes, due to the seemingly extra hot weather we had. My reward at the end of the season was a nice basket of large unripened green tomatoes. While I'll probably make some kind of relish such as a Chow Chow, the first thing on my list for these green tomatoes was the southern classic "Fried  Green Tomatoes".

The Fried Green Tomatoes are simply breaded in a corm meal crust and pan fried in a little oil. To add some contrast to the dish and make it a more well rounded first course, I paired them with a quick pickled bell pepper and cilantro salad. Here's how I put it all together.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 medium/large green tomatoes, sliced (1/2 inch thick)
2 Cups flour
1 Cup Cornmeal
few shakes cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

1 egg
water
Canola or Peanut Oil for frying

Directions: Set up three bowls for an assembly line for dredging the tomato slices. Season each slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of flour to bowl 1. In bowl 2 add the egg and beat well with a splash of water. In bowl three combine the corn meal, 1 cup of flour and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add enough oil to the pan to completely cover the bottom. While the oil is heating bread each tomato slice by coating in the flour, then into the egg wash and finally in the corn meal. Set aside on a wire rack until ready to fry. Cook the slices in the hot until until crisp and golden brown, flip and brown. Remove and season while hot with sea salt. Serve with pickled bell pepper salad.

Quick Pickled Pepper Salad

Ingredients:
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1-2 jalepenos, sliced thin (remove seeds/membrane if desired)
hand full fresh cilantro
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Good Hot Sauce

Directions: Combine the sliced onion and peppers and cilantro sprigs in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the oil into the vinegar to make an emulsification. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinaigrette to the veggies, combine well, and set aside in the fridge for at least an hour to give the peppers and onions a quick pickling. Serve with a garnish of hot sauce droplets.

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad with Creamy Gorganzola Dressing

I was never a fan of salad. Growing up "around the bay" in a small Newfoundland town, we ate mostly meat and potato type meals. Salads consisted of only a couple of options. In summer, there was the BBQ pork chop accompaniment of a iceberg lettuce, tomato, cubed mild cheddar and chopped ham salad with Catalina dressing. If you were lucky there may have been cucumber and green pepper too. Other than that, salads consisted of the traditional Sunday "cold plate", made up of potato salad, mustard potato salad, beet potato salad (yes there is a theme here), maybe a macaroni salad or a jello salad (barf), a piece of iceberg lettuce, a slice or two of tomato, a piece of deli ham and turkey roll (barf again), a piece of cold roast beef, a spoonful of savory dressing (stuffing) and more of the zingy Catalina dressing. That's it, the classic Newfoundland cold plate which can be had at many a wedding reception, Lion's Club banquet or high school graduation anytime anywhere.

Since those days, I have grown out of being a picky eater, and have come to embrace the dreaded salad. I eat a green salad 3-4 or more times a week now. It's a great way to start a meal and get a healthy dose of veggies in me. I keep lots of fresh greens and produce on hand, plus good olive oil and vinegars for homemade vinaigrette, plus good cheese and other salad toppers like roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, black beans, salsa verde, pepperinchinos and olives. With a stash of these things you never have to have the same salad twice in a couple of weeks. Here is my recipe for a high protein high flavor salad that makes a great work day meal. I always have boneless skinless chicken breasts on hand so figuring how to eat healthy and quickly in the middle of the week is not a hassle.

When I get home from work, I whip up the quick marinade below, add 3-4 chicken breasts, and go walk the dog or go to the gym. When I get back, they're ready to go. I always make a few extra for a great sandwich for the next day.

Buffalo Grilled Chicken
At least 1 hour before grilling, marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in a large bowl or zip bag with the following:
the juice and zest of 1 lime
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Tbsp of Southwest seasoning (or make your own as i do)

Southwest Rub/Seasoning
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano (Mexican if you can get it)
1/2 tsp each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat your grill, and cook the chicken breasts until cooked through (160 internal temperature)..about 8-10 minutes. I like to baste the chicken with a good hot sauce (e.g. Dave's, Frank's) for the last minute. remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

While the chicken is cooking, whip up the dressing and prep your favorite veggies.

For this, I used romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, cucumber, and red bell pepper. I top the salad with the sliced chicken, the creamy dressing and some more crumbled Gorgonzola and fresh cracked black pepper.

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
juice and zest of one lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
A few dashes of Tabasco
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp of ancho chili powder
fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt