Just a little peek…

You never know when inspiration will strike. I seem to like the absurd challenge of figuring out what to make for dinner when I get home and root through the fridge and freezer.

This time, the carrots, carrot greens and a summer cabbage made me think “stir fry”, and the salmon made me think “crispy skin”. Sweet potato noodles that I’d picked up in a past life at a Korean supermarket finished it off. Though since my go-to Korean supermarket has been demolished thanks to the addition of a new train line in London, I’m not sure where to go to replace them. (Any suggestions out there? …Bueller?)

If you haven’t tried sweet potato noodles (in Korean: dang myun), they’re like glass noodles but thicker. They’re chewier and slipperier than wheat noodles, and are really light in flavor so you can enhance them with whatever you want – plus they’re gluten free!

I’ve half-heartedly tried meal planning before, but it just doesn’t seem to work. Sometimes plans come up, or Main Ingredient is missing or has gone off…

But maybe that’s how it should be. I don’t think I would’ve thought of this in front of a google doc spreadsheet. I needed to see to be inspired. Thank you, wizened carrots of the crisper drawer.

Serves: 2

On the Counter

Stir-Fry
320 g (12 oz) salmon, scaled (80 g/3 oz piece per serving)
1 tbsp neutral oil, such as peanut, rapeseed or sunflower
2 large carrots (about 300 g or 2 cups)
2 big handfuls of leafy green vegetables, your choice
1 medium onion (about 110 g or 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic
200 g (7 oz) Korean sweet potato noodles

Dressing
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp naturally-brewed soy sauce (Kikkoman is my preferred)

What to Do

Combine the sesame oil, chili flakes and soy sauce, and set it aside.

Slice the carrots into matchstick sized pieces, and chop the onion. Chop or tear the greens into bite-sized pieces.

Pat the salmon filets dry and lightly salt them on each side. Make sure it’s been scaled or you definitely won’t want to eat the skin.

Heat the oil in a flat, cast iron or non-stick pan on medium heat until shimmering and hot enough to make a drop of water jump out.

Place the salmon in, skin-side down. Don’t touch it for at least 4 or 5 minutes. You’ll need patience. When it’s ready, you won’t have to put in any effort to get the salmon and its skin out of pan. If it’s not easy to pick up with a spatula, leave it alone. That’s how you get the best crispy skin.

Once your skin is crispy, flip it over and cook for another 2 minutes. Set it aside, covered, or in a low-heat oven.

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5-6 minutes, until they’re a texture you’re happy with. Immediately rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking process.

While the noodles are cooking, stir fry the vegetables in the pan you used for the salmon. It should take about the same amount of time to cook as the noodles. At the very end, add in most of the spicy soy dressing, and combine it with the vegetables. Save the rest to drizzle on top of the salmon.

Once everything is done, you can mix the noodles into the saucy stir fry, and give your crispy skin salmon a place of pride on top.

England (and maybe the rest of the UK too?) had been in the midst of some really lovely autumn weather… a little rain here and there, but mostly it’s been warm, sunny days. It does mean that the fact that it now starts getting dark around 5 seem strange, especially when it’s still nice enough to sit outside.

A couple of weekends ago, we went for a walk around some of the wooded areas of Surrey, and it was hard to believe that it was really autumn. We had lunch outside at a great local pub, The William Bray, where the food and the beer were both delicious.

Along the way, I picked some chestnuts for roasting, and wished that I knew enough about wild mushrooms to choose between the tasty ones and the deadly ones. I wonder if there’s a field guide to mushrooms somewhere out there that would make me confident enough to try.

There weren’t as many colorful leaves as you’d expect in mid-October.

…but there were still a few prime specimens

I wish I knew enough about mushrooms to pick them and not die.

We did roast the chestnuts I picked, which were sweet and soft right out of the oven. However, we just had to make do with mushrooms that trustworthy people had gone through the trouble of growing and sorting, when it came time for the main course. 

I think the combination of salmon and lentils combines two very different types of flavors – lentils, which can be heavy but very lean, and salmon, which is less dense, but rich and fatty. The leeks add sweetness and green to the plate, and, well, mushrooms taste good.

For any gluten-free readers out there, lentils are often harvested with wheat, so it’s worth being extra-careful and reading online reviews of brands when looking for lentils that will work for you. 

Serves: 4

On the Counter

4 filets of salmon
475 mL (2 cups) vegetable stock
1 leek, thoroughly washed
250 g (1/2 lb) chestnut or cremini mushrooms
175 g (7/8 cup or 6.2 oz) French green lentils (lentilles vertes)
1 garlic clove, chopped
small handful of chopped fresh parsley

Dijon Sauce
4 tsp dijon mustard
8 tsp water
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme

What to Do

Preheat oven to 200 C/390 F.

Rinse the lentils. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil. If you are using unsalted stock, add 1/2 tsp of salt. Once the water is boiling, add in the lentils and cook according to the package. Green lentils should boil for 10 minutes and simmer for 35 minutes. Drain the lentils.

Meanwhile…

Thinly slice the leeks and mushrooms, but set them aside separately.

Combine Dijon mustard, thyme, water, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt, whisk. Set half the sauce aside.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, place the salmon skin-side down. Cover the salmon with 1/2 of the Dijon sauce. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

On medium-low, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sautee pan until shimmering. Add in the leeks and stir frequently, until they begin to soften – about 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms, and continue to stir frequently, for another 3 minutes or so, or until the mushrooms begin to soften and shine. Add in garlic and 1 tsp of salt and cook for another minute until garlic is fragrant and soft. Mix in 1/2 of of the remaining Dijon sauce (1/4 of the total), and set aside.

When the lentils are finished, spoon them into a wide-bottomed bowl. Top with shallots and mushrooms, and then salmon. Sprinkle parsley on top.

June weather in the UK is unpredictable at best, which is something I’m still getting used to. Three years in, and I think I’m finally starting to accept that June is just going to be a mix of warm days, rainy days, and a combination of the two. But, some of those days are hot enough to justify a salad for dinner – and if it’s made with asparagus, I’m in.

I guess you could say that I’m still inspired by food we had in Sweden, as I had it saved from Anne’s Food Blog and finally got around to making it.

You don’t need to spend much time in the kitchen to make this, and it’s a lot more substantial than a bowl of lettuce. I’m hoping for a summer here in London that means more time to try interesting new salads… plus I’m looking forward to more iced coffee and sunny days.

We ate this without salmon for dinner, and with salmon for lunch the next day. (I’ve included instructions for poaching salmon at the end.)

Asparagus and Potato Salad Recipe

Serves: 4 (with or without salmon)

On the Counter

2.5 lbs (1 kg) new potatoes
1 lb (500 g) asparagus
1/2 lb (250 g) carrots, cut into chunks
2 scallions (green onions), sliced
3 tbsp creme fraiche (or slightly more sour cream)
3 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp whole-grain mustard
salt, black pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, optional

large bowl of ice and cold water
steamer

What to Do

Quarter the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until fork-tender but before they start falling apart. Drain and set them aside to cool.

Snap off the ends of the asparagus, and slice them into halves, length-wise. Steam them with a pinch of salt for 5-6 minutes until bright green and tender.

Meanwhile, boil the carrots in salted water for 6 minutes, until fork-tender.

Once the asparagus and carrots are cooked, plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Combine the sour cream, dijon and whole-grain mustard, with salt and black pepper to taste. If desired, mix in teaspoon of lemon juice for extra tanginess.

Toss with potatoes, carrots and asparagus. Serve, and sprinkle with sliced scallions.

Optional: Serve with poached salmon.

Poached Salmon Recipe

1 sprig parsley or dill
1 shallot, chopped
4 filets (3 oz or 85 g) of salmon, or 1 large piece of salmon (12 oz or 340 g)
1 cup water (or 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white wine)

Sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt on both sides.

Add water/wine, herbs and shallot into a wide, flat-bottomed pot and bring to a simmer.

Place salmon, skin-side down, into the pan. Cover and begin to check the salmon at 5 minutes, until the flesh is entirely light pink.

Flake the salmon or serve as whole pieces, depending on your preference. If flaked, combine with the mustard cream and vegetables.

I really wish there were more hours in a day. I wrote a first draft of this post last week and lost it, unfortunately, but the fact that it took me nearly a month to even write this gets to me.

By the time I cook, I’m too tired to sit down and write about it at 10 pm. But, until someone makes a real life TimeTurner, my recipes will just have to wait patiently in the drafts queue.

This is probably my favorite thing to make for group dinner/lunch parties. It was for my first Burns Night, and I was joining the gentleman’s yearly tradition. In typical fashion, I spent far too much time stressing about what I’d bring to Burns Night dinner, even if I “didn’t have to bring anything.” Of course I had to bring something.

I finally settled on making herbed crepes with creme fraiche and Scottish smoked salmon, and even though I was sure it fit the theme, I still worried endlessly until I got my first positive (and unsolicited) review. Burns Night, by the way, is a celebration of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, with a main course of haggis and root vegetables.

Since then, I’ve made these several times, always with great success. The best part was when one of the gentleman’s friends asked me if I’d brought the crepes again. Appetizer jackpot!

Once you get the hang of making crepes (or pancakes for that matter), this is a pretty easy starter to do, and you can make it ahead, since it’s a cold dish.

Serves: 10-15 people, as long as no one’s late (they go quickly!)

On The Counter:

Crepes:
2 large eggs
1 cup (120g) plain flour
1 1/4 cup (300ml) milk
5 tsp (25g) butter, melted
1/4 cup (10g) fresh parsley, chives & dill, chopped
salt and white pepper (black is fine, but white looks better)

Topping:
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/2 lb (225g) smoked salmon, finely diced
1 1/4 cups (300ml) crème fraîche
3 tbsp (5g) fresh parsley, chives & dill, chopped

What to Do:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks pop. Gradually add in flour, milk and melted butter. Add in chopped herbs and combine. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

Let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place diced cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle salt on top. After 5 minutes, drain excess liquid. (You can also squeeze the cucumber between paper towels to remove more water.)

Melt a small amount of butter in a crepe pan or flat skillet over medium heat.

Fill an ice cream scoop and gently pour the batter so that it forms a thin circular layer. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until set. You should be able to flip it over easily. Flip it and cook for 30 seconds, until golden.

Repeat with all of the batter, stacking the crepes between sheets of parchment paper.

Place crème fraîche, 3 tbsp chopped herbs and cucumber into a medium bowl. Combine until well-mixed.

To serve, cut crepes into quarters. Top with a small piece of salmon and a generous spoonful of crème fraîche.

Apologies for the lack of good final dish photo… I didn’t get take a very good one before the hungry hordes descended!