We all reach a day where we ask ourselves: what the heck am I going to make for supper tonight? Tired of the traditional, same old recipes we've been making for years, we yearn for something new and different to delight our tastebuds. Look for no further: THIS is that dish. This is tonight's dinner. (okay it can be tomorrow's if you've already made something. But seriously. Try it. You won't regret it.) I love reading, and sometimes I like to take a break from fiction and read a chef's memoir. I find them fascinating, learning about what the inner sanctum of a restaurant kitchen is really like, the chef's background, working oneself up from kitchen help to line cook to sous chef to executive chef - and of course I love the food, the descriptions, the different techniques and flavours. The last one I picked up was Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson. Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised, European-educated, he ended up settling in the U.S. At one point Marcus, now an established chef, goes back to Ethiopia and the first dish he cooks in his native country is Doro Wat. I was so inspired I immediately googled recipes and cobbled together something that resulted in the most flavorful, tender, tastiest piece of chicken I've ever had.
Marinated Salmon Cubes with a Fresh Green Salad Delicious and so easy to make! This is less of a recipe, and more of a general technique to use for marinating the salmon. Cube a filet of salmon In a ziploc bag, add any or all of the following ingredients to your taste: -brown sugar -ketchup -teriyaki sauce -duck sauce -soy sauce (just a dash or two of this) -lemon juice (goes so well with fish) -chopped garlic -white wine I usually use equal amounts of the first three ingredients plus the lemon juice and garlic, but I was out of teriyaki sauce last night so I used duck sauce, soy sauce and white wine instead. Add the salmon cubes to the mixture in the ziploc bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12 min. This technique can be used with whole slices of salmon as well, but of course the cooking time changes. Enjoy with mashed potatoes, or for a healthy version on a bed of salad, as I did. I made Caitlin's Garam Masala Soup last night as well. I didn't have any butternut squash, so I used sweet potato, carrots, and regular squash. I was so excited to find a kosher garam masala spice mix! I used a half teaspoon first but after blending I found it could use more so I added another half teaspoon.
It was delicious! It got rave reviews, my family loved it. Definitely going to be using garam masala in my soups from now on. Thanks for the recipe Caitlin! |