Asparagus and Salmon Salad

Asparagus and Salmon Salad

One of the best flavor combos ever comes together in this fresh salad. Drizzled with a Hollandaise-like dressing it's a great salad for a warm spring or early summer evening when asparagus is at its peak. Poaching salmon is the simplest way to go, but grilling is also a delicious alternative in warmer months.

Asparagus and Salmon Salad
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets, 4 ounces each
1 pound asparagus stalks
1 pound mixed Spring greens
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Poach salmon fillets in simmering water or stock (enough to submerge fish in) until done, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from liquid with a slotted spoon and keep covered in refrigerator until needed.
2. Rinse asparagus and gather together with rubber bands at top and bottom of stalks. Remove woody ends with a knife. Set upright in 2 inches of simmering water and cook, covered, for 2-4 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove from water and cool.
3. Cut asparagus into 4-inch spears and save ends for another use.
4. Divide greens between 4 large plates. Top each with a salmon fillet and 4-6 asparagus spears. Drizzle with dressing.
5. To make dressing, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice. Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Stir until smooth.

A Word or Two on Fish

There's no denying it, fish is good for you. Most fish contain polyunsaturated fat, Omega 3 fatty acids, are low in cholesterol, low in sodium and the current USDA recommendation is to consume fish at least twice weekly.

That's all well and good if you know how to cook it
but what if you're a first-timer in the seafood arena?

Denser fish are easier to cook, in general. Fish like cod, halibut, salmon, tuna, and swordfish are all easy to handle and leave a little room for error. Steaming or poaching fish is not only the healthier choice but the easiest one.
Here are some guidelines for different types of preparation:

Steamed fish:
For a no-fat entree, a 1-inch-thick fillet of salmon can be set on a plate,
sprinkled with salt and pepper, then set on a rack inside a wok filled with a
shallow depth of boiling water, and steamed, COVERED, over high heat for 10
minutes. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the fish and serve.

Sauteed fish:
A 1-inch-thick fillet of halibut can be lowered into a small frying pan of hot
melted butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and fried for 5 minutes on both
sides over medium-high heat. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the fish and serve.

Baked fish:
A 1-inch-thick fillet of sea bass can be set in a buttered baking dish just large
enough to hold the fish, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and placed in a preheated
425-degree oven for 10 minutes. (TIP: fish bakes nicely between 400 and 425
degrees F. This is higher than chicken's baking temperature. The high temperature
cooks fish quickly without prolonging the time spent in heat.) Squeeze a lemon
wedge over the fish and serve.

Poached fish:
A 1 inch-thick fillet of salmon can be lowered into simmering water (about 2
inches deep) that contains aromatics like dill and bay leaf and simmered, turning
once if desired, for approximately 5-7 minutes per side.

Here is a link to HGTV about purchasing and cooking fish at home. And please follow this link before you buy fish, it's important information about the dangers of mercury in seafood.

On to the good part; RECIPES!
***************

Fish Tacos
6 Soft Taco Size Flour Tortillas
1 pkg. (1 oz.) Chicken Taco Spices
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2-3 Tbsp. Milk
1 Tbsp. Lime Juice
16 oz. Cod or Orange Roughy Fish Filet
sliced Cabbage

Garnishes:
Lime Wedges, sliced Olives, Salsa,
chopped fresh Cilantro, shredded Cheese

Sauce:
combine 2 teaspoons chicken taco spices
with sour cream and enough milk to thin
to pouring consistency; set aside.

Seasoning paste:
combine remaining seasonings,
oil, and lime juice.
Brush seasoning paste over entire fish.
Grill or broil until fish begins to flake easily,
about 10 to 12 minutes.

Evenly divide fish among tortillas,
top with cabbage and sauce, fold,
and serve with lime wedges and garnishes.
***************

Baked Cod with Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Lemon
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 T olive oil
1 T chopped fresh thyme or
1 t dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 lb cod, scrod, or halibut fillets
1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 med zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 C fish stock or chicken stock
1/2 C dry white wine
1 lemon, sliced paper thin
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 C fresh soft white bread crumbs
2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 350 'F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Arrange onion
slices in bottom of baking dish. Drizzle with half the oil.

Sprinkle with half the thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange fish in single layer over onions, cutting fillets as necessary to fit.
Layer tomatoes,then zucchini over the fish.

Pour in stock and wine. Sprinkle zucchini with remaining oil and thyme. Top with
lemon slices. Set aside.

In small skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and toss
until lightly golden. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle lemon slices with bread-crumb mixture.

Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes until fish is opaque and flakes in center when
tested with a fork.

Victoria, July '93
***************

Roasted Salmon with Garlic Cream
4 whole garlic bulbs
3 T butter
1 c creme fraiche or sour cream
1 t stone-ground mustard
2 lb fresh salmon fillets

Remove papery outer shell from garlic, but leave bulbs intact and cloves
unpeeled. Place bulbs in a saucepan just large enough to hold them. Add
water to barely cover and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to
maintain a simmer and cook 40 minutes, adding more water as necessary to
keep heads barely covered. Remove from heat, cool, and peel. Cloves will be
very soft and easy to peel. Place cloves in a food processor with butter
and puree. Add creme fraiche and mustard and process until blended.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Cut salmon into 8-ounce fillets. Spread top surface of each fillet with
some of the garlic puree. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at
least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place fillets on a lightly buttered
baking sheet or in a buttered baking dish and roast until done to your
liking (7 to 10 minutes). Serve immediately.
***************

Flounder With Parmesan Crust

6 flounder or sole fillets (1-1/2 pounds total), thawed if frozen
1/3 c plain low-fat yogurt
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 t prepared horseradish, drained


Preheat the broiler and prepare the broiler pan with
non-stick pan spray. Arrange the fish on the broiler pan.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, Parmesan, mustard,
lemon juice, and horseradish. Spread the mixture on both
sides of the fillets.

Broil about 8 inches from the heat, turning once, for
about 6 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
***************

Baked Catfish
4 catfish or ocean perch fillets (1 pound total),thawed if frozen
2 slices white bread, crumbled, or 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 T grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 t chopped fresh basil or oregano, or 1 tsp dried basil or oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, beaten, or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 c low-fat (1 percent) buttermilk


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking pan
with non-stick cooking spray.

In a pie pan or shallow dish, mix the bread crumbs, cheese, basil or
oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

In another pie pan or dish, combine the egg and buttermilk.

Dip each fish fillet first in the milk mixture, then in the
crumb mixture to coat both sides with crumbs.

Arrange the fillets in 1 layer in the baking pan. Bake
15 to 20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a
fork.

A Favorite Cookbook

My copy is ©1969 and the jacket has it selling for $4.50 then. The link I found has it listed for $24.50 now! Some of the wording is a little funny for today but the recipes are still great.

Written inside the cover:

"To Anne, Merry Christmas 2001

I have a copy like this since the '60's.
Hope your family will love some of these recipes as mine did.
My copy too, is stained! Lots of use!
The recipe on page 120 "Midwest Fish Stuffed Crepes" was one of your Father's
favorites as well as 'you children'.

Love, Your Mother"


Midwest Fish-stuffed Crêpes

Most farm women keep a few cans of salmon and tuna on hand in their cupboards. But not many have discovered teaming the fish with thin pancakes to make exciting, hearty main dishes. When taste-testers voted on Midwest Fish-stuffed Crêpes, made by a recipe contributed by a Kansas rancher's wife, they described it with one word-excellent. You'll want to try this recipe. It produces a substantial fish dish that meat-and-potatoes farmers praise. That's a tribute to its tastiness.

Midwest Fish-stuffed CrêpesPrintable RecipeCrunchy texture of celery and water chestnuts in creamy sauce pleases
1 (7 3/4 oz.) can salmon, drained
1 (7 oz.) can tuna, drained
1 (5 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
5 tblsp. butter or margarine
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 c. milk
6 tblsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tblsp. lemon juice
16 Basic French Crêpes

Combine salmon, tuna, water chestnuts and celery in a bowl.
Cook onion in butter until soft (do not brown). Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir 2 tblsp. cheese and lemon juice into sauce.
Stir 1 c. sauce into salmon-tuna mixture. Put a generous spoonful of mixture on center of each crêpe. Roll up; place seam side down on oven-proof platter, or in a 13x9x2" pan. Spread remaining sauce over crêpes. Sprinkle with remaining 4 tblsp. cheese.
Bake in a moderate oven (350°) about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.


Basic French Crêpes

You can make wonderful dishes with these delicate, light brown pancakes

1 c. milk
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 tblsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat milk into well-beaten eggs. Sift together flour, sugar and salt into milk mixture. Beat with rotary beater or electric mixer until batter is smooth.
Pour about 2 tblsp. batter into a lightly buttered 8" skillet, preheated over medium heat. Begin at once to rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly over the bottom. Turn once; bake until light golden brown on both sides. Repeat, buttering skillet for each baking. Makes 16 crêpes.