#Baesic Roasted Salmon and Veggies

Sat, 06 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

It's January and I know many of us are trying to find ways to eat healthy. I've had a little extra time on my hands so I've been coming up with different ways to eat healthy/less meat/fewer carbs. Not exactly low fat though. Kale caesar salad. Chana dal with veggies and coconut milk. Tomato soup. Today I whipped up this salmon and mixed vegetable sauté. Follow along for inspo on my Instagram! I'm calling this my #baesic salmon because even though it's a basic way to cook it, it's bae in my recipe book. I've tried cooking salmon just on the the stovetop, and it just burns on the outside before cooking through on the inside. If you lower the heat too much you don't get the nice crust. This way, if you sear it on the stovetop, finish it off the oven, you get the best of both worlds. I wasn't sure if it would be done actually, but when I dug into it, it was juuuuuuust slightly pink and rare in the middle. If you prefer it cooked well through, leave in for 2 more minutes. I know we all tryin' to eat more nutritious food, less meat, fewer carbs. And I know salmon isn't exactly the best option either. It's overfished, not sustainable. But I for one need to change things up from beans, lentils and eggs. We still do chicken once a week or so. Red meat once a month maybe. Baby steps.

Ingredients

For the mixed vegetable sauté:

3 tbsp olive oil
5 organic carrots (they're smaller, so if using big carrots, use 3-4)
1/2 large onion or 1 medium onion
salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz cauliflower florets, or from 1 head of cauliflower
12 oz broccoli florets, or from 1 large head of broccoli (I had two small heads of broccoli)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
more salt and pepper to taste

For the salmon

2tbsp olive oil
2tbsp unsalted butter
12 oz salmon fillet
salt and pepper
a squeeze of lemon

Directions

For the vegetable sauté: heat up oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, saute for 2-3 minutes, then add onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the garlic, then broccoli and cauliflower florets. Add butter and more salt and pepper. If the veggies are starting to brown too easily on the bottom, reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until veggies are crisp tender, 10-15 more minutes. Taste for seasoning.
For the salmon: Preheat oven to 350F. Score the skin side of the salmon - about 3 slits diagonally. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Melt butter and olive oil in at least a 9in round french or other ovenproof skillet. When bubbling stops, add the salmon, skin side down. Don't touch it for at least 2 minutes. When there's a nice crust, it'll lift off easily. Flip over carefully, minimizing splatter of hot oil, using two spatulas if necessary. And cook for an additional 2 minutes. Then insert in preheated oven for 7-8 minutes.
Remove from heat, finish with a squeeze of lemon and let rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve alongside steamed quinoa or brown rice.

Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry (Bhaji)

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

When I go to a Bengali restaurant for takeout, I usually overlook the greasy curried meat dishes or the fish floundering in murky masala waters and the bhortas that usually fall short of the homemade version. At most Bengali places, these dishes are laid out buffet style so you know exactly what you’re getting. I usually opt for one of the Biryanis (chicken or goat) and a side of some sort of mixed vegetable stir fry. These things always get me salivating. I guess it’s because they strike a fabulous balance of spice and sweetness. I’m not the type of person who goes gaga for sweet and spicy, but the sweetness in this dish is brought out by the slow caramelization of the vegetables (rather than sugar or honey) and just rounds out the flavor from the usual round up of spices, plus the extra Bengali zinger: pach phorom. Pach phorom is a combination of five aromatic seeds: black mustard, cumin, black cumin (also known as nigella), fenugreek (methi) and fennel. It can be found at any Indian grocery alongside all the usual spices. They have a licorice flavor, which adds an extra dimension to the dish’s flavor profile. This is important for vegetable dishes that have to compete with a follow up course of a rich meat or curried fish dish. This is something my mom made at the beginning of the week to just last the course of the whole week. It starts out with a base of softened onions, spices and garlic/ginger paste. You can play around with the vegetables to add your favorites, but to start, I used the two vegetables I found consistent in most Bengali mixed vegetable dishes: cauliflower and cabbage. Now, the two put together makes A LOT, so make sure your wok or pot is large enough to accommodate everything. I had to add the vegetables slowly, allowing some of the cabbage at the bottom to wilt and decrease in volume before adding more, and mixing to combine. While that goes, you’ll want to work on the second batch of veggies in a separate pan. I used just 2 cups of plain old frozen mixed vegetables. You can use the equivalent amount of zucchini, pumpkin, butternut squash, peas, string beans, whatever you like as long as you have a balance of green, orange, and white veggies. The cauliflower and cabbage steam in the wok for about 20 minutes. They get all tender and sweet. I ended up needing a shocking amount of salt but feel free to start out small and gradually increase to taste. Top with fresh cilantro. Serve alongside rice or naan or stuff inside a pita for a delicious wrap!

Stir Fry on Kitchen3N

#Baesic Roasted Salmon and Veggies

Ingredients

Directions

Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry (Bhaji)