Sheet-Pan Salmon and Zucchini With Sesame and Ginger

 

Tonight's recipe is variation of a The New York Times Cooking ecipe. A 20-minute meal. The original uses broccoli but I had zucchini in the fridge.

Loved the glaze. Really quite delicious.

Ingredients (1 serving) -
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 
1/2 pound zucchini, cut into cubes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillet

Method -

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with olive oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and ginger until smooth. 

Toss the zucchini with some of the glaze. Place the zucchini on a sheet pan. 

Place the salmon fillet on the pan. 

Brush the fillets generously with the glaze.

Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Place the pan in the oven and roast until the salmon is cooked through but still slightly rare in the center, about 12 minutes.

A Nor Easter. Bring It On.

Look, after 17 years of writing these blog posts, I know the drill. I’m supposed to give you a sprawling, 2,000-word essay about the profound emotional resonance of ground beef, or a heartwarming childhood memory of braving a blizzard just to buy fresh thyme.

But there’s a Nor’easter predicted for tonight and tomorrow, even though it is only September.

Sometimes you don't need a deeply personal story. You just need comfort food, and you need it with absolutely zero fuss. This is Mark Bittman’s basic meatloaf. It’s warm, it’s hearty, and it doesn’t require you to think too hard at the end of a long day. Just mix it up, get it in the oven, and go put on your warmest sweatpants. Let the storm do whatever it wants outside—we have meatloaf.

Stay safe and stay warm.

The Meatloaf recipe from Mark Bitmans's How to Cook Everything - The Basics.

Ingredients-

Fresh breadcrumbs made from 1 or 2 slices of good-quality white bread
2 lb (900 g) ground beef (or veal, lamb, and/or pork combined with beef)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 small onion, minced
1 small carrot, peeled and minced
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (10 g) minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients-

I like to add some extra things to our meatloaf. There are no measurements. They are all the same amount: "some".

Some ketchup.

Some Dijon mustard.

Some Worcestershire sauce.

And a touch of horseradish sauce.

Method-

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix together all of the ingredients. 

Shape the meat into a loaf in a baking pan (a free-form meatloaf baked in a larger pan will be less greasy than one baked in a loaf pan). 

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, basting occasionally with the rendered pan juices. 

When done, the meatloaf will be lightly browned and firm, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf will read 160°F.

Country Chicken Vegetable Soup

This recipe has been in my recipe box for a very long time. At least 34 years. I found the recipe in a box of Ronzoni Ditalini pasta.

Ingredients-

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large carrot, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 46 oz can chicken broth

1 cup water

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp pepper

1 cup Ronzoni Ditalini

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 tsp chopped parsley

Method-

Cook the chicken in hot oil until lightly browned; remove from pan.

Place the carrot and onion in the pan, stir, and cook until tender but not browned.

Add broth, water, nutmeg, and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

Stir in pasta.

Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add remaining ingredients and chicken.

Simmer for about 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Roast Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes

Tasty dinner! The recipe is from So Much Food Blog. Two thumbs up from across the table.

Ingredients-

1 lb pork tenderloin 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method-

Mix the marinade. 

Whisk together the olive oil, Dijon, rosemary, sage, balsamic, salt, and pepper until smooth. 

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade and set aside.

Prep the pork. 

Start by using a sharp knife to trim away any silver skin.

Cut the pork into 2” cubes

Marinate the pork. 

Place the pork in a Ziploc bag or baking dish and coat with the marinade. 

Transfer to the fridge and marinate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Season the potatoes. 

Toss the potatoes with half of the reserved marinade plus one tablespoon of olive oil. 

Season with salt and pepper and toss well. 

Spread the potatoes in an even layer in the skillet or braiser. 

Transfer to the oven for 15 minutes.

Sear the pork. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. 

Remove the pork from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade. 

Sear the pork for a couple of minutes on all sides until browned. 

Once browned, transfer to a plate and turn off the heat.

Remove the skillet or braiser from the oven. 

Place the pork on top and return to the oven.

Roast the pork. Roast for 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145˚F-150˚F. 

Rib-Eye Steak and Potatoes for Two

Another New York Times Cooking Recipe tonight, 
Rib-Eye Steak and Potatoes for Two.

Not a bad dinner. I would have liked the steak cooked a bit less medium, but it was nicely seasoned.

Also made a Tomato and Freselle salad as a side.

Here is my version of Rib-Eye Steak and Potatoes for Two

Ingredients-

• 1 large boneless rib-eye steak, cut 2 inches thick (at least 1 ½ pounds)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 rosemary sprig, roughly chopped

• 1 pound very small potatoes, rinsed

• 2 tablespoons butter

• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley

• Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
  
  

Method-

Season steak generously with salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle with rosemary and set aside to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. 

Meanwhile, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. 

Add potatoes and cook at a brisk simmer until just done, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Drain and keep warm.

Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over high heat.

When the pan is hot, put in the steak and let it brown well on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Wait until the steak forms a crust and comes away cleanly from the bottom to move it.

Flip steak and transfer pan to oven, uncovered. 

Roast until juices begin to rise on the surface of the steak (you will see the droplets) and internal temperature is 120 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Remove steak from pan and let rest, tented with foil, for 5 minutes. (Residual heat will continue to cook the meat to medium-rare as it rests.) 

Melt butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add potatoes and toss to coat and heat through. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Gently stir in parsley and lemon zest and transfer to serving bowl.

Cutting on a slight diagonal, slice steak into ½-inch slices, then transfer to plates.

Pan-Fried Shrimp

Dinner on the table in just 15 minutes—using only a single pan! It’s the ultimate weeknight lifesaver, and trust me, it tastes absolutely incredible. Sorry the photo is not up to par.

Ingredients-

8 tablespoons butter, divided

1 pound peeled and deveined bay shrimp

1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method-

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. 

Add shrimp; cook and stir in hot butter until browned, about 2 minutes. 

Reduce heat to medium-low.

Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, salt, and pepper; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. 

Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Easy Salmon Foil Packets

Perfect August afternoon. Out on the deck, reading, with the hummingbirds buzzing around.

Dinner was a perfect match for the day.

This recipe is so easy, especially the cleanup!

I found this recipe on Crunchy Creamy Sweet food blog. Flaky salmon in light butter and lemon sauce. This recipe will be on repeat.

Ingredients-

2 salmon fillets

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices of lemon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, thinly sliced into four pieces

Parsley and dill for garnish

Method-

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare sheets of aluminum foil, one per piece of salmon.

Arrange salmon on foil. Season with salt and peppers.

Place lemon slices and butter on top of each piece of fish.

Bring the sides of foil together to make packets.

Cook for 18 to 20 minutes in the oven.

Once done, remove from the oven.

Wait a few minutes until the packets are cooler and safer to handle.

Sheet-Pan Shrimp Oreganata

I found this recipe on the New York Times Cooking App. I cut the recipe in 1/2 and it was more than enough for the 2 of us.

The recipe is a take on Clams Oreganata. I made one change to the original recipe. Can you guess what it was? That's right, I switched out the garlic for a shallot! Just delicious!

I served it with a Tomato Salad with tomatoes from our local favorite, Coles Farm Stand. 

• Ingredients-
  

  1/4 cup unsalted butter
  1 1/2 pounds large tail-on shrimp (about 24), peeled and deveined
  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  Kosher salt and pepper
  1 lemon
  3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
  1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
  1 shallot, minced
  1 tablespoon dried oregano
  1/3 cup white wine
  
  

• Method-
  Cut the butter into small knobs and spread on a 9-by-13-inch sheet pan; set aside
  Zest the lemon on top, quarter the lemon, then squeeze in about 2 tablespoons lemon juice (reserve the remaining lemon for later).

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees and position a rack in the middle.
   

2. While the oven heats, place the shrimp in a medium bowl along with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
   
   Mix to combine, then set aside.

3. In another medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, shallot, oregano, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper.
   
   Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix with a fork to combine.

4. Set the sheet pan in the oven and heat just until the butter has melted, about 2 minutes.
   
   Carefully remove the hot baking sheet, setting it on a flat surface, then add the wine and swirl the pan to blend it with the butter.

5. Place the shrimp onto the hot pan in an even layer.
   
   Pour any remaining marinade over the shrimp.
   
   Generously sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over each of the shrimp, allowing the excess to pool underneath as well.

6. Bake on the middle rack for about 6 minutes, until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
   
   Turn the oven to broil for 2 minutes to brown the bread crumbs.
   
   Remove from the oven and squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon wedges over the shrimp.

7. Enjoy the shrimp hot, spooning the pan juices and bread crumbs from the pan alongside.

Rice-stuffed tomatoes, a Lidia recipe, is something I try to make at least once a summer. The tomatoes were from Cole's Farm Stand. The original recipe calls for Arborio rice, which I love. This time I used frozen steamed brown rice. It just needed to be microwaved, and it was ready to go.

Rice Stuffed Tomatoes-

Ingredients-

Rice of your choice
4 medium tomatoes (about 2 ½ pounds), ripe but firm
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup Parmesan
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method-

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Prepare the rice according to the box instructions.

Cut a 1/2-inch slice from the top of each tomato and set aside.

Scoop out the pulp and seeds with a teaspoon and drop into a strainer set over a bowl. 

Press on the pulp in the strainer to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. 

Reserve the liquid and discard the pulp in the strainer.

Toss the rice, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, and the basil together in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Gently stuff the tomatoes with the rice mixture, dividing it evenly. 

Top each tomato with the reserved slices. 

Using some of the remaining oil, brush a baking dish that fits the tomatoes comfortably. 

Set the stuffed tomatoes in the dish. 

Add the strained liquid from the tomatoes and, if necessary, pour in enough water to come about ¼ inch up the sides of the tomatoes. 

Drizzle the remaining oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle them with the remaining 1 tablespoon grated cheese. 

Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Uncover the dish and bake until the tomatoes are very tender and the tops are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. 

Remove tomatoes from the oven and let rest for a few minutes. 

Carefully transfer the tomatoes to a serving platter or individual plates. 

Swirl the juices in the pan to incorporate the oil, then spoon the pan juices over and around the tomatoes. 

The tomatoes are best when served warm, with some of the pan juices drizzled over each serving.

Veal Schnitzel and Corn Fritters

Tonight, I strayed from my new diet restrictions and prepared Veal Schnitzel and Corn Fritters. 

The veal recipe is from The Spruce Eats site. It is a recipe that works with veal, chicken, or pork cutlets.

The Corn Fritter recipe is from Jacques Pepin. Delightful!

Ingredients-

4 (5-ounce) veal cutlets (or chicken or pork cutlets)

1/4 cup all-purpose (or brown rice flour)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Oil or lard, for frying

Method-

Gather the ingredients.

Place 4 (5-ounce) veal cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap, and use a heavy, flat-surfaced pan, rolling pin, or meat mallet to pound the meat evenly to a 1/4-inch thickness.

To bread the schnitzels, set up 3 shallow dishes: 

Mix 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in the first dish, 2 large beaten eggs in the second dish, and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs in the third dish.

In a large skillet, heat at least 1/4-inch of oil to 350 F. 

This takes about 8 minutes, and the oil will just start to shimmer and smoke a bit.

Working one at a time, dredge the cutlets first in flour until the surface is completely dry.

Dip in egg to coat; allow the excess to drip off for a few seconds.

Then roll quickly in the breadcrumbs until coated. 

Do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat, as this will moisten them and not make for a crispy coating. 

The crust should not adhere completely but form a loose shell around the schnitzel.

Immediately place the meat in the pan with the hot oil. 

Do not crowd the pan. 

Cook the schnitzel in batches, if necessary. 

Fry the schnitzel for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, until golden brown. 

Make sure the breaded meat “swims” in fat. 

Contrary to instinct, the breading will take on less oil than if the meat is sticking to the pan. 

Also, the breadcrumb topping has a chance to puff up a little, and your cleanup is easier. 

You may want to swish them around a little with your fork to make sure they are not sticking to the pan.

Turn them over once and fry an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and the meat registers an internal temperature of 145˚F. 

Remove from the pan and allow the oil to drain off. 

The Corn Fritters featured the corn from Coles Farm Stand.  Here is a link for the YouTube video of Chef Pepin preparing the fritters.

Corn Fritters Recipe-

Ingredients-
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup seltzer water
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt to taste
1/4 cup oil for frying

Method-
In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. 

In thirds, add seltzer, mixing with a whisk after each addition. 

You want a smooth batter.

Stir in the corn.

Heat oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil.

When the oil is hot, add about a 1/2 cup portion of the corn fritter batter.

Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side. 

Look for bubbles on top and crispy edges.

You want them nice and crispy.

When you remove them from the oil give them a quick dash of salt.

Drain them on a wire rack placed on top of a dish or baking sheet, do not put them on paper towels, as that will make the bottoms soggy.