Big News, an Award, and Chorizo and White Ale Mussels

It seems life has been conspiring against me and this blog lately. First of all, I greatly underestimated how challenging it would be to return to school! I am also working part-time Monday to Thursday mornings before class, which means I have to go to bed early - that's not in my nature. The result is that I have way less time to get things done than I thought I would. While I'm still eating (of course), my backlog of awesome recipes to share with you is getting bigger and bigger.

But it's not all bad.

I have some amazing personal news. I'm engaged! My boyfriend proposed to me last Friday. We're looking to get married next fall (or late-summer) and are in the process of finalizing our dates and venue. I can't wait!

And one more thing, before I move on to today's recipe. Waaaay back in July, I was generously given a blog award by one of my favourite bloggers, Eliana of A Chica Bakes. Thank you, Eliana!

I'm supposed to pass this on to some lovely bloggers that I read. Consider it done. Sorry, Eliana, for taking so long to get around to this!

Here are some blogs that I'm loving lately:

1. Ginger Rose
2. Hot Oven, Warm Heart
3. Bubie's Little Baker
4. Katiecakes
5. Effort to Deliciousness

Ladies, please feel free to pass on this award.


Now, on with the show. Chorizo and White Ale Mussels. These mussels are a take on a Curtis Stone recipe, kicked up with more of a pub-grub feel. We used dried chorizo, which lent an intense smoky flavour and a gorgeous orange hue to the broth. The flavour of the white ale complemented the chorizo perfectly. And the butter added at the end created a wonderful richness that made us want to drink the broth from a mug. Thank you, Curtis Stone, for your inspiration!

Chorizo and White Ale Mussels
Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients:
½ lb chorizo sausage (I used a smaller amount of smoked as it had a more intense flavor; I recommend the amount mentioned here if you’re using fresh sausage)
1 small onion, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 lb. mussels, scrubbed & debearded
1 cup white ale (I used Rickard’s White)
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1.5 tbsp butter
1 baguette, sliced
Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. Place a large pot (one which has a matching lid) over medium heat. Add the chorizo and sauté for about 8 minutes or until golden brown if using fresh chorizo; til slightly crispy if using dried. Add onions and cook for 3-4, until softened. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, taking care not to burn it.
2. Add beer, add the mussels and toss to coat, and cover pot. Cook over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the mussels begin to open. Discard any mussels that don’t open.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
4. Boil the remaining juices in the pot for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the butter. Taste broth and season accordingly with salt and pepper, and hot sauce if using. Pour the finished sauce over the mussels and sprinkle parsley over top. Serve with a sliced baguette for dipping.

Shrimp and Tomato Risotto

When I was in Stockholm in April, I had the most amazing seafood risotto. Rice, cooked al dente, in a light tomato- and seafood-infused broth, served with a generous portion of shrimp, calamari, and scallops. Like many things in Stockholm, it was outrageously expensive, but it was worth every penny - and not just because it was on my employer's tab (although it didn't hurt!).


The risotto that I've made and ordered before has had a much creamier consistency, and it was nice to try something different. Although it was probably richer than risotto I've made at home in terms of its ingredients (restaurants generally love to cook with plenty of fat), its light consistency made it feel like a healthy meal.

When I got home, I found myself craving seafood risotto. Although I couldn't find a recipe that would yield a lighter risotto, like that which I had in Stockholm, I decided that this Shrimp and Tomato Risotto from Food Network sounded delicious - it would definitely satisfy my seafood risotto craving.


While a traditional risotto is made (using shrimp stock instead of the traditional chicken stock), tomatoes are blended with freshly sauteed shrimp and cream. When the risotto is nearly cooked, the shrimp mixture is added. More sauteed shrimp is added to the final risotto as a garnish.


The result is a rich, creamy risotto with shrimp and tomato flavour in every bite.

For the Shrimp and Tomato Risotto recipe, click here. A recipe for shrimp stock isn't included. You can use store-bought fish or shrimp stock bouillon, or you can check out this recipe, which yields a basic shrimp stock.

Maple BBQ Salmon and Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to receive a request to host a dinner party featuring True North Salmon as the main course.

As I'm living away from my friends and family while I complete my internship, any excuse to spend time with them is hard to turn down. My family and I are also huge salmon fans, so there was no way I could turn down the request! It would have been salmon-lover-sacrilege.

I travelled to London on the weekend of June 5, a huge box of three freshly-delivered salmon halves in tow, to host the party. The afternoon of the party, my boyfriend and I spent some time portioning out the salmon into individual filets. Actually, my boyfriend was kind enough to do the portioning, while I put the excess salmon into freezer bags for our future enjoyment.

My niece was up visiting my brother and sister-in-law that weekend, so they suggested that we hold the party at their place. They're both fantastic cooks, so I knew that though we were bringing the salmon, potatoes for baking, and dessert, they'd probably put together some awesome side dishes.


For their part, my sister-in-law made a nice side salad with homemade vinaigrette, while my brother made spicy, Asian-inspired Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms.


We made Maple BBQ Salmon, a recipe from True North. The salmon marinated in a mixture of maple syrup, fresh garlic, and garlic salt for over 30 minutes. When it was done, we put it on the barbecue until it was light pink and flaky. It was perfectly tender, if a little bland (extra salt really made a difference). My three year old niece, who I don't think has had salmon before, loved it. She doesn't usually have much of an appetite, but when she began to get full, we asked her to eat more potatoes -- instead she finished her salmon. A girl after my own heart.


All in all, it was so much fun to have an informal dinner party with family. All of the elements - the salad, baked potatoes, grilled mushrooms, and of course, salmon - made for a well-rounded and extremely filling meal. We barely had room for dessert (peach cobbler), but somehow we were able to polish that off, too.

Maple BBQ Salmon
4 servings

4 Fresh Atlantic Salmon portions
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper

1. Mix the maple syrup, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2. Place salmon portions in a shallow dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon portions in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning over at 15 minutes.
3. Drain the salmon fillets and discard used marinade.
4. Season salmon with salt and pepper.
5. BBQ the salmon portions over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked to taste.

Here's a link to the mushroom recipe we used from Off the Broiler - keep in mind it was very spicy, so you may want to use less ginger or hot pepper:
Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms

Lemon Risotto with Salmon

I'm back from Stockholm, Sweden! I had a fun but hectic time, working as much as 17 hours a day. It's amazing how, when you're really busy, a double-shift can pass as quickly as half a shift. I got to see some gorgeous sights along the way and visit some of Stockholm's most beautiful buildings (City Hall, Grand Hotel, Concert Hall, and more). But I'm happy to be back home in Canada. And I've missed all of you and your comments and blog posts - I've got lots to catch up on!


Before I left for Sweden, I made this lemon risotto topped with salmon. The risotto is adapted from a Giada de Laurentiis appetizer recipe. It's made with rice that is simmered in chicken broth and white wine. The rice is constantly stirred while more broth is added. When the risotto is creamy and cooked al dente, lemon juice and zest, parmesan cheese, butter, and heavy cream (if using) are stirred into the mixture and a simply prepared salmon filet is sliced up and piled atop each plate of risotto.


Fish and lemon are a natural pairing, but when it's not just lemon but a creamy, rich lemon risotto, the combination is even better! Still, this risotto is fantastic with or without the salmon.




Lemon Risotto
Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 tablespoons butter
2 large shallots, diced (or half a medium onion, minced)
1.5 cups Arborio rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
3/4 a lemon, zested and juiced (the best way to do this is to juice and zest 1 whole lemon and use all but 1/4 of the juice and zest)
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan bring the broth and 1 cup water to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.

In a medium, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots or onion and saute until tender but not brown. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add a ladleful of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, at least 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan, heavy cream if using, the lemon zest and juice, and the salt and pepper, plus more to taste if necessary.

Serve immediately with salmon and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

To make salmon:
This salmon is cooked very simply so that it complements but doesn't take away from the flavour of the risotto.

1 salmon fillet per person
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Season salmon fillets on each side with salt and pepper. Add to frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked through (light pink in colour and flaky).

Baked Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Honey-Dijon Sauce

Salmon is easily my favourite fish to cook with. It's very versatile and pairs well with so many flavours. It also lends itself very well to different ethnic genres of cooking. Soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar make for a delicious Asian marinade. Or you could use yogurt and spices to create an Indian Tandoori-style salmon. Or just brush on a maple glaze and grill the salmon on cedar planks for a very Canadian meal. A few days ago, I made salmon with a very classic flavour combination - honey and mustard.


Equal parts honey and dijon mustard are combined with a bit of fresh lemon, some garlic and dill, and a healthy dose of spicy cayenne pepper. Some of the sauce is reserved (for serving later) while the rest is poured over the salmon, which is baked until it's light pink and flaky. The resulting flavour is sweet, tangy, and spicy enough to keep things interesting.

Baked Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Honey-Dijon Sauce
Adapted from a recipe by Robin Miller

4 salmon fillets (typically 6-8 oz.)
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 minced clove garlic (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or 1 tbsp. dried dill)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place aluminum foil in a baking pan or shallow baking dish. Spray with cooking spray or grease very lightly with oil. Place salmon in prepared pan or dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, water, lemon juice, cayenne, and garlic. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce and set aside. Pour the remaining sauce over the salmon fillets in the pan. Roast the salmon until fork-tender, about 15 minutes (check after 10 if your salmon is thin).

Stir the dill into the reserved mustard sauce. Taste and season as necessary, adding more cayenne pepper if necessary. Serve the salmon hot with the reserved mustard sauce on top.