Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce

 School pick up, home to change for dance classes { pull salmon out of freeze and put in cold water}, leave for dance class, gossip with other moms, return home, make rice{salmon perfectly defrosted}, throw together dinner in less then half an hour, book club {glass of wine} - phone call from husband telling me dinner was one of the best.

Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce

dinner in 15 minutes!

by Jamie Samford
adapted

4 (6 ounce) wild caught salmon fillets, with skin

salt and pepper

1/2 cream

1/4 cup dijon mustard

freshly grated horseradish to taste 

1. Heat cast iron grated/grill pan medium high heat
2. Spray pan with a bit of oil
3. Salt and pepper salmon
4. Place salmon in pan skin side down
5. Turning once until crisp on the outside and just barely cooked though about 8 minutes
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine cream, mustard and horseradish - season with salt and pepper
7. Spoon sauce over salmon and serve

fabulous day two as well

Fish en Croute or Fish in Puff Pastry

Every time I walk into my kitchen I look at my new gleaming refrigerator with disdain. I hate hate hate my refrigerator. It's a french door with bottom freeze and an ice maker that takes an inordinate amount of refrigerator space.  The shelf arrangement lacks function and the freezer is a mosh pit.  Worst of all it screeches out when the doors are not properly closed due to the fact the doors must be pushed to close not just a gentle swing like my previous side by side.  This leads me to Fish en Croute.  I need room in the freeze it is getting hot and time to make sorbet.  Sliding open the freeze I scan the items for a complete meal, wild salmon, Trader Joe's puff pastry, Haricots verts and mushrooms from the fridge.  That should make a minor dent and allow for one sorbet.

Next a recipe, first I was going for a glazed salmon; however, two salmon pieces and five people don't add up.  Ah memories of summers in Paris scrumptious croissants, I've got it Fish en Croute.  Now you would think with nine Julia Child's cookbooks, just as many Jacques Pepin and several Wolfgang Puck I would have not troubles, but I did.  I started with Julia then continued with Puck and on to Pepin with no luck, ugh.  I started to scan other books and still nothing until I peered at the top shelve, for oversize books, oh joy!   There sat snuggled between Cakebake Cellars and Cookwise...Childs.  Which was odd since I do not shelve my books in abc order.  Finally I found the recipe I was looking for in Julia Childs and Company.

The kids went crazy over this dish and put it in the birthday dinner repertoire.

Fish en Croute

from Julia Childs

Julia Childs and Company

adapted

2 large pieces of wild salmon
salt and pepper
4 springs of organic italian parsley
2 large springs of organic dill
1 sheet of Trader Joe's puff pastry
egg glaze (one egg whisk in 1t water)

~ preheat oven 400 (I used convection)
~ roll out puff pastry to 1/8 inch on floured surface
~ cut pastry in to two equal parts with pizza cutter
~ position one piece of fish on each half
~ sprinkle fish with salt and pepper
~ top with parsley and dill
~ wrap puff pasty around fish (here you can get creative like Julia and make it a fish, me a basic square with scrolling sides)
~ brush with egg glaze
~ place wrapped fish on greased baking sheet
~ bake 17 minutes or until golden brown with fish internal temperature 160-165

~~ with the extra puff pastry I made cheese sticks
~ roll out to 1/8 inch thickness/thinness
~ brush with egg wash
~ shred sharp cheddar cheese and sprinkle on top
~ cut into strips with pizza slicer
~ place on greased baking sheet
~ bake 375 (convection) 8 minutes or until golden

happy tummies and smiling happy faces

Roasted Salmon, Beets and Potatoes with Horseradish Cream

Beets, beets and more beets winters finest vegetable...  Best of all kids love the bright colored pee...the day after.  What a way to sell a vegetable to kids.

Great dish liked by all after a few grunts of despair, "fish, fish...we hate fish!"

Roasted Salmon, Beets and Potatoes with Horseradish Cream

from Food and Wine Magazine

Quick from Scratch One Dish Meals Cookbook

adapted

1 1/2 pounds organic beets peeled and diced into cubes
4T safflower oil
1t sea salt
1/2 dried dill
freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 pounds organic baking potatoes diced into cubes
1 1/2 pound skinless salmon fillets (not farmed raised)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 - 4T bottled horseradish

~ heat oven 450 degrees (I used toaster oven)
~ on large baking sheet toss the beets with 1T oil, 1/4t salt, 1/4t dill and 1/8t pepper
~ cook in upper third of oven stirring once for 20 minutes, stirring once
~ remove pan from oven and push beets to one side and add potatoes
~ toss the potatoes with 1T oil, 1/4t salt and 1/8t pepper
~ return pan to oven and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once (keep separated)
~ heat cast iron skillet medium heat and add 2T oil
~ sprinkle fish with 1/4t salt and  1/8t pepper
~ place in skillet 4 minutes and flip cook another 3 to 4 minutes
~ mix cream and horseradish
~ serve