Burnt Toast: Summery Salmon Meal

I’ve always loved to cook and as it turns out, I’m pretty good at it! I opted not to go to culinary school when I graduated from high school but I did continue with it as a hobby. I also think that everyone can be a great chef they just don’t always know how or just don’t think about it. Eating in is cheaper, healthier, and can be a lot of fun. So I decided to do a cooking piece as my contribution to the Koreshan blog and I hope you like it.

My first meal that I want to share with you is filling, light, and nice for hot weather. It is Salmon with cucumber sauce, steamed mix vegetables, and rice.

Tools:

2 pots (2qt or bigger with lids)
A metal steamer insert
Baking pan or cookie sheet
Large mixing bowl
Cooking utensils
Sharp knife
Peeler
Aluminum foil

Ingredients:

2-4 Salmon Steaks (or as many as you need)
Salt & Pepper
Brown Rice (10 min bags or quick cook works well)

8oz Sour Cream (regular, reduced fat, or fat free all work well. I use reduced fat)
8oz PLAIN yogurt
Dijon mustard
1 Cucumber
Dried or fresh dillweed

1 head broccoli
1/3lb (or a few handfuls) green beans
Zucchini (yellow, green or both)
½ lb baby red skin potatos
Package baby carrots
*You can substitute or omit these vegetables for any others. Same with the amounts. These are just estimates of what I usually use but go ahead and make it your own*

Directions:

Fill one pot about half way with water and the other only covering the bottom of the pot. Start both pots of water boiling over med-high heat. Adding a few pinches of salt to the water helps it boil hotter and flavors the water.

Set your oven to broil. Line your baking pan with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier. Season salmon steaks with salt and pepper then sprinkle each side with dill. Place each steak on the pan a few inches apart.

*Check the instructions on your box of rice and follow them. I like to use the boil-in-bag types they are easy and hard to overcook. Just drop the bag in a pot of boiling water and leave it alone for 10 min or so.*

Put the pan of salmon into the broiler. The rule of thumb for broiling salmon is 10 min per inch of thickness. Generally 10 min is going to do it. Salmon doesn’t need to be turned to cook through.

Wash and pat dry your vegetables to be steamed. With a sharp knife and cutting board, cut them into desired size. It is best to quarter the potatoes length wise so they cook evenly. Drop the metal steamer insert into a pot of boiling water where the water just comes to the bottom of the steamer. Put your veggies in and lid it up! These should be done in about 5-10 min. You can test with a fork. If it pierces the potatoes easily then they are good.

While everything is boiling, steaming, and broiling away…

Empty the yogurt and sour cream into the mixing bowl. Add about a tsp. of mustard and about 2 tbs dill. Mix. Wash and peel cucumber then cut into thick-ish slices. Stack the slices short (2-3 slices high) and slice lengthwise. Turn the stack and slice lengthwise again. This is an easy way to dice them! Once the cucumber is diced, add desired amount to the yogurt/sour cream mixture and mix that in well. Your gourmet sauce is done! Now all you have to do is wait for the rice, salmon, and veggies to be finished and plate them up and enjoy!

For those making this as a special meal that might want to pair this with a good wine, I suggest a Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Bonny Doon Riesling work well also!