Summer Solstice Salmon Breakfast

This weekend, the store where I work is having an incredible sale on wild Bristol Bay Sockeye salmon-$7.99 lb cut and wrapped! Incredible. Needless to say, I cleaned out my little freezer and bought one. I'm thinking I'll buy two more, maybe three. This Sockeye is soo delicious and fresh, you barely need to do any preparation.  I simply drizzled it with good olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and pepper and baked it at 325' for about 15-20 minutes. When it is done to your liking (and I prefer mine a little more rare in the middle) squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top and boom! Done, divine and delicious.  I refrigerated what I didn't devour last night and made this beautiful breakfast to celebrate the Solstice. I prefer a savory breakfast and this was quick and easy and so satisfying. In five minutes I had breakfast: a bowl of baby arugula, half an avocado diced,  a hunk of salmon, two forkfuls of raw sauerkraut, half a lemon squeezed over the top, a drizzle of that good olive oil, sesame seeds and for the grand finale Jacobsen salt. To round it off, a lovely smattering of fresh picked raspberries from Sauvie Island from my friend Els. Try it, what a lovely way to begin your day with a healthy bowl of Superfoods!

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Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Mint and Almonds

  This is a perfect brunch salad and really brightens up a hearty frittata.

Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Mint and Almonds

Serves 4

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

5 oz. Baby spinach leaves (about 5 cups)

1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 Tbls lemon juice or champagne vinegar

2 tsp. honey, dissolved in the lemon juice

12 mint leaves, chopped

3 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

½ cup almonds, toasted and chopped

Place spinach in a medium large serving bowl and top with strawberries. In a pint jar, add lemon juice, honey and a ½ tsp. of kosher salt. Place lid on jar and shake to dissolve the honey and salt. Add mint, olive oil and a few grinds of pepper. Shake vigorously to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice or vinegar. Pour dressing on spinach and gently toss to coat the leaves evenly. Garnish with almonds and serve. Fresh goat cheese would be a great addition.

Small space tip: Always keep a small jar with lid handy. You’ll find it has multiple uses for mixing to storage.

How to filet a Albacore Tuna like a pro and a great Poké recipe

Every good fish dish must begin with the freshest fish. In this episode we started by going to the source for the freshest, most sustainable fish in Portland, Oregon. Enter, Lyf Gildersleeve, proprietor of the Flying Fish Company which was recently featured in Sunset magazine as one of the top 50 local food shops in the NW.  Needless to say, I was very excited about having him on the set, learning how to loin a tuna and making some incredible dishes with local Albacore!

After Lyf walked us through a how-to of loining a tuna, we created some amazing dishes in the sweet little Airstream Argosy on a gorgeous fall day. I'm guessing once you see the video you'll be running out to procure the freshest fish from your region so you can create your own delicious dishes and maybe even try your hand at loining your own fish.

Albacore Poké (Hawaiian style tuna pronounced PO-kay)

Prep time: 15 minutes     

Cooking Time: 0

1 lb. sushi grade Albacore tuna, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup minced sweet onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup Tamari or soy sauce

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. grated ginger root

1 - 2 tsp. minced Jalapeno or Serrano chili pepper

1 avocado, diced

salt

Optional:

1 cup diced pineapple, mango, peaches or watermelon

2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup chopped Macadamia nuts

1 Tbls. dried seaweed

Place tuna in a medium bowl and add onions, cilantro, tamari, sesame oil, ginger root and the chilies. Gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add avocado and mix just enough to combine. If you are using optional ingredients, add with the onions and chilies. To eat like a Hawaiian, use a bamboo skewer to pick up the Poke. Serve as an appetizer as is or on a bed of greens or avocado half as a main dish salad.

Seared Albacore Tuna in Charmoula (Morrocan marinade and sauce)

Prep time: 15 minutes     

Cooking Time: 5-8 minutes

1 lb. Albacore tuna loin

Charmoula

1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

¾cup parsley leaves, chopped

1-2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. smoked paprika

¼ tsp. ground coriander

pinch of cayenne pepper

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbls. fresh lemon juice

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced (or if using jarred, about ½ cup)

Prepare Charmoula sauce. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings to taste with salt, lemon juice and cayenne.

Place tuna loin on a plate and rub with a few tablespoons of Charmoula. Set aside to marinate no longer than 30 minutes as the acid in the lemon juice will begin to "cook" the tuna.

Heat a cast iron pan on medium high heat. The pan should just begin to smoke. Add a film of olive oil and then carefully add the tuna. Cook on each side about 1-2 minutes or until you have just cooked the outside edges and it is still nice and pink on the interior. When  you have seared all sides, remove from the pan and set on a cutting board. Let rest about 10 minutes. Slice in ¼ inch slices and fan out onto a serving platter. Add the roasted peppers to the remaining Charmoula and pour on top of the tuna to serve. This is delicious with a side of couscous, steamed rice or roasted potatoes. Sliced avocado would be a lovely addition as well. Seared tuna also make a perfect hot weather meal atop a simple green salad.

Encores: Sauté tuna in a little olive oil and toss with pasta or white beans, roasted peppers, additional cilantro and sliced green onions. Ripe, in-season tomatoes would also pair well. Tuna can also be cooked, cooled, flaked and used in tuna salad. Just substitute Charmoula instead of the traditional mayonnaise dressing, add some sliced olives and diced cucumber or whatever your prefer and you will be delighted with this new twist on an old favorite.

French Press – The Small Kitchen Leatherman

Every trailer chick knows that it’s not how many kitchen tools you have that matters, but the versatility in each of them. Each kitchen gadget has to function like a Leatherman. When space is at a premium, it’s important to make sure every kitchen tool does more than one job. My rule is that every tool has to do double duty before it’s brought on board my land yacht. My French press does just that.

Rarely is such a work horse able to do so much and still sit beautifully on a counter top. Since most French presses are made with a glass cylinder (highly recommended) they are ideal for hot and cold applications and won’t trap strong and lingering flavors like garlic or ginger. Cleaning is a cinch; the plunger unscrews to quickly rinse out the screen. You can go from coffee to colander in under 10 seconds.

For the most versatility, get an eight cup press. Then, consider it for some new tasks:

§  Straining pasta

§  Soaking beans

§  Washing rice

§  Infused teas

§  Cocktails

§  Sangria

If you have never used a French press, Bodum has some easy directions for use and maintenance.