Tea-crusted Salmon

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

I have to confess, I’m not very adventurous when it comes to fish.  There are only a few varieties I cook regularly.  Salmon, however, is one I absolutely love and thankfully my kids love it, too. My wife picked up a Salmon Tea Rub in a spice store in Newport, RI a while back and we decided to try it out. You can check it out here, but it would definitely be easy to make up a similar version on your own with some loose-leaf black tea. I served the salmon with the Golden Beet and Arugula Salad I posted the other day.  Great combination!

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Tea-crusted Salmon

Ingredients  serves 4-6

  • 1.5-2 lbs salmon
  • olive oil
  • 1 oz. Salmon Tea Rub, or the following:
  • 1/4 oz. loose-leaf black tea
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp whole coriander seeds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

If preparing the tea rub on your own, combine the tea and the salt in a small bowl. Put the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a Ziploc bag with as little air as possible. Crack the seeds roughly with a meat mallet or other “blunt instrument”. Add this mixture to the tea and salt and stir to combine.

Lay the salmon out skin side down in a large baking pan and brush with olive oil. Coat evenly with the tea rub and press the rub into the fish with the back of a spoon.

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Bake for 15-20 minutes, until your desired doneness.

Some basmati rice with thyme and a salad makes for a really good combination and a great healthy meal!

Wine pairing – go with a nice Pinot Noir for this dish.

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Peanut Butter Banana Bagels :)

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

Hi, it’s Ginny again! Check out my new post on Kid’s Corner – Peanut Butter Banana Bagels!

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Golden Beet and Arugula Salad

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

Hi everyone! I have a great salad recipe today. Beets are becoming one of my favorite fall vegetables and I’m trying to find new fun ways to use them. This salad is topped with golden beets, but you could certainly use the red ones. I like the crisp texture they give a dish like this, and the color is just great, too. The earthiness of the beets mixed with the peppery taste of the arugula and the tartness of the cranberries gives this simple salad a great complex flavor. We had this salad with a delicious salmon recipe which will be coming to Dad vs. Dinner soon!

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Golden Beet and Arugula Salad    serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 medium golden beets
  • 4 handfuls of baby arugula
  • Parmesan cheese (enough to shave about 16-20 slices)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • White balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Peel the beets and chop into about 8 pieces or 3/4″ chunks if your beets are larger. Steam for about 8-10 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool a bit.

Fill 4 salad bowls with the arugula.  Top each with 1/4 of the beets, then shave 4-5 pieces of the parmesan with a peeler over each salad. Sprinkle the cranberries over next, then season with salt and pepper, as desired. Drizzle with olive oil and a nice white balsamic vinegar – keep it simple so you don’t overpower the flavors of the other ingredients.

Of course, you could do this as one large salad and serve family style, too.  Hope you give it a try. Let me know what you think in the comments!

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Italian Ratatouille

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

I love this stuff! Yet another stop at the local farm stand last weekend, this time culminating in my version of a ratatouille. This recipe can really be made with whatever vegetables you like, in any proportion you like, but here’s how I made it. I generally serve this as a side dish, but it’s great as an hors d’oeuvre or as a bruschetta topping for a quick healthy snack.

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Italian Ratatouille

Ingredients

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 small yellow squash
  • 1 green or red bell pepper or 2 small sweet peppers
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup tomato sauce, or more if desired
  • 2 tsp Italian herb mix, or about 1/2 tsp each of dried oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and rosemary (as desired), or 1 tsp each if using fresh.
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

Peel the eggplant and chop into cubes (about 1/2″). Quarter the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise and chop into 1/4″ slices. Chop the pepper and onion into a medium dice. Finely chop the garlic or push through a garlic press.  Add all these ingredients to a large skillet with the butter and olive oil. Saute for a couple minutes.

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Add the herbs, black pepper, and salt if desired. Saute for just another 2-3 minutes or so – I don’t like the vegetables to get too soft.

Add the tomato sauce slowly and see how the proportions look. I don’t like a lot of extra sauce in this dish, so I use just enough to coat everything. You could add a lot more if you wanted to, though. Let it simmer for a couple minutes and you’re good to go!

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Quick Applesauce

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

Hey there!  This was a quick and spontaneous experiment the other night. We had some apples hanging around that were still good, but just a little bit past their prime. A few minutes later, the kids were digging in and asking for more. I try to take the family apple picking every fall, but I tend to go a little crazy and buy way too many. If you’re like me and you end up with some that have lost that really crisp bite, don’t despair! Cook up some applesauce in just a few minutes. I’ve made this twice this week and we’ve had it as a side dish with dinner and also warm over vanilla ice cream (awesome!).  I think I’m going to pack some in the kids’ lunches next week, too.

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Quick Applesauce

Ingredients

  • 5-6 ripe apples – soft variety like Macintosh or Paula Red
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Preparation

Peel and core the apples, then chop into a rough dice.  Melt the butter in the saucepan, then add the apples and the water.  Cook covered for 3-5 minutes, depending on how ripe your apples were.

If the apples are soft enough, mash with a fork or the back of a spoon. If not, give them another minute or two.  After you mash them up, stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Cook for another couple minutes.  Give it a taste and add more sugar or cinnamon if you think it needs it.

That’s it!  So if you’re at the orchard or farm stand this fall, don’t be afraid to stock up!

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Kids’ corner

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

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Hi! It’s Ginny — I’m starting a page on my dad’s blog called Kids’ Corner!

This is a page with lots of recipes for kids to make and enjoy.

Give it a look and try them out!

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Childhood Favorite – Mozzarella en Carrozza

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

Hey there! I have a great lunch recipe today, one I used to love as a kid. My dad is what I call a weekend gourmet. Even though he works most Saturday mornings, often the rest of the weekend is spent cooking. Growing up I knew if he stopped at the grocery store on the way home Saturday, good things would happen the rest of the day. This is one lunch-time treat we didn’t have very often, but I always relished.

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Mozzarella en Carrozza serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp milk
  • 4 slices sandwich bread
  • 6 oz mozzarella cheese
  • Butter for frying
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation
Beat the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl. Heat the tomato sauce and keep warm while you proceed with the next steps.

Lay 2 slices of bread on a board and cover with an 1/8″ layer of the mozzarella, then the rest of the bread. Add some butter to a large skillet and let it warm. You’re ready to make a mozzarella grilled cheese, but before you do, dip the bread into the egg mixture, being careful to keep the sandwich intact while turning and coating the other side.

Fry the sandwiches slowly so the cheese melts but the egg does not burn – about 3 minutes. Turn carefully and fry another 3 minutes or so.

Serve topped with the tomato sauce and parmesan, if desired. You could also use olive oil with your favorite herbs and spices, or even a pesto, but I like it best with the tomato sauce.

Hope you give it a try!

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Black Bean Soup

Posted on September 14, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

Happy weekend everyone! This is a great weekend recipe for lunch, a snack, or while chilling out watching a football game on TV. The first time I made this, it was an attempt to recreate a black bean soup that one of our favorite restaurants serves. I didn’t get it quite right the first time, but still loved it. I’ve tweaked it a few times since then, though. Here is where the recipe stands as of now (it might change again!) I think the red pepper gives it a bit of unexpected sweetness, which I really like. What’s also great about this soup is you can give it different twists with different garnishes.

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Black Bean Soup   serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1-1/2 cups diced red pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups diced white or yellow onion
  • 2 tsp white vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
  • 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried or 2 tsp fresh thyme
  • Penzey’s Northwoods Fire or chipotle powder

Preparation

In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, but keep the fat in the pot. Set the pot aside if your other ingredients aren’t prepared yet so the fat won’t burn.

Add the red pepper and onion to the bacon fat along with a splash of vinegar to loosen all the bacon bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic clove and some salt and pepper and saute for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables soften. To limit the spiciness, you can add the jalapeno with the pepper and onion, or wait until later in the process. The later you add the jalapeno, the hotter it will be in the soup when it’s done.

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Add the can of chicken broth, the can of black beans – including the “juice”, the rosemary, and the thyme. Simmer another 15-20 minutes.

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If you have a hand blender, puree the soup in the pot, or transfer in batches to a stand-up blender and blend until very smooth. Simmer as needed until the soup thickens as desired. Taste for seasonings at this point and if you want more heat, add some Northwoods Fire or some chipotle powder.

Serve topped with the reserved bacon chopped into small pieces. You can also add a dollop of sour cream, guacamole or pureed avocado, tortilla strips, chopped pepper… really just about anything that sounds good!

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Hope you give this a try – let me know what you think and how you garnished it in the comments!

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Two-for-one – Mushroom and Kale Naan Pizza or Side Dish

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

Two-for-one today! Kale seems like it’s everywhere these days, but it really is great stuff. I tend to buy “baby” kale when I can find it in my grocery store and mix it in with some arugula for a salad or add it to a soup. My next favorite thing to do with kale is the recipe below. I have made the mushroom-kale combination as a side dish a handful of times, but recently I was in the mood for it when the rest of the family wanted pizza. No worries – mushroom and kale pizza was born!

This pizza is made with pre-made naan bread from the grocery store, but you could always use a store bought dough or traditional pre-made pizza crust. See my ham and Swiss pizza recipe for tips on using different crust options.

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Mushroom and Kale Naan Pizza or Side Dish serves 2

Ingredients

For side dish:

  • 1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 good handfuls of baby kale
  • 1/4 tsp Penzey’s Northwoods Fire or your favorite spice
  • Garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp butter
  • Olive oil

If making pizza:

  • 1 pkg of 2 pre-made naan bread
  • Olive oil
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

In a large skillet melt the butter with a bit of olive oil. I like to use both – the oil keeps the butter from burning on you and the butter keeps the oil from getting too hot and smoking. Add the mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes. When they start to soften, add the kale and stir to wilt it evenly. Add some spice – I like Northwoods Fire from Penzey’s – or simply some salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you are serving as a side dish, you are set. It’s that simple!

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To use it on a pizza, pop a pizza stone, if you have one, in the oven and preheat to 450. Spread some olive oil on your crusts. Again, I used pre-made wheat naan bread. Cover the naan with the mozzarella cheese, then the mushroom and kale combination. I like to put a little more cheese on top so everything holds together better when it’s done. Slide onto your stone or a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes. That’s it! Hope you try this dish either way and enjoy it! Let me know what you think and share with your friends!

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Taste of Spain – Olive and Almond Steak “Salsa”

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Dad vs. Dinner

Hi everyone! My wife and I have really gotten into Spanish cuisine lately and we absolutely love this recipe. It’s been adapted (and simplified) from a great Spanish cookbook we picked up a few years ago. It only takes about 20 minutes, so it can be a good weeknight dinner option to kick up and transform any good steak into something extraordinary.

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Olive and Almond Steak “Salsa”

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 3/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 Tbsp dried parsley
  • 3 Tbsp good olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 finely chopped garlic clove or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • Pepper
  • Flank steak, or similar cut

Preparation

Toast the almonds on medium high heat, sliding and shaking the pan pretty constantly to prevent burning. You want to get the almonds as brown as you can without scorching them — the extra toasting will really enhance the flavor of the salsa. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Remove them from the pan immediately or they will keep cooking and burn. Set aside for a minute to cool, and then chop into small pieces.

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Chop the olives to about the same size as the almonds. Combine the olives and almonds in a medium bowl. Add the parsley, olive oil, paprika, garlic, and pepper to taste. Mix well and let stand while you grill the steak.

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I try to use a flank steak with this recipe, but you could use a London broil, too. Grill or broil to your desired doneness. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. I serve the steak and the salsa separately at the table so everyone can heap as much as they want on their plate! As you can see, I served this with the cucumber salad I recently posted.

Obviously, I recommend a Spanish wine with this dish – go with a nice Rioja or Tempranillo.

Hope you can give this a try and let me know how you like it!

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