Salmon Two Ways

This is the third post for Fish is the Dish, with the first being Smoked Mackerel Two Ways, and the second being Trout Two ways.  This week it's the turn of the salmon, which is one fish I will buy if I had to buy any (other than a tin of tuna or some pre battered cod).

My favourite way to cook a fillet of salmon is to bake it with a crust on. This can be made with nuts, breadcrumbs and cheese, but I went for a crunchy coconut crust, spiced up with some chilli. The second version was a simple fried salmon fillet, served in a ciabatta with salad and a yogurt dressing. Both dishes were really quick and simple to cook - fast food doesn't have to be unhealthy.

Salmon with chilli & lemon coconut crust - serves 2

2 salmon fillets
4 tbsp shredded coconut
4 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp chilli flakes
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

• Lay the salmon fillets in a lightly oiled baking dish, skin side down
• Mix the coconut, mayonnaise, chilli flakes, lemon zest and coriander together
• Spread over the salmon fillets
• Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 15 minutes

so simple but so tasty. I am converted and could eat this every day of the week!

Simple Salmon Ciabatta Burger - serves 2

olive oil
2 salmon fillets
handful fresh parsley, chopped
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 tbsp Natural Greek Yogurt
salt & pepper
2 square Ciabattas
lettuce

• Heat a little olive oil in a pan
• Lay the salmon in the pan, skin side down
• Fry for 4-5 minutes 
• Season the salmon with salt & pepper before turning it over & frying again for approx 4 minutes, until cooked through
• Mix the the parsley with the onion & yogurt & season
• Slice the ciabatta
• Add some lettuce leaves to the bottom half of the ciabatta
• Lay on the salmon and top with the yogurt & top half of ciabatta

Serve as it is for lunch, or with a side of fries for a main meal

this post has been commissioned by Fish is The Dish

Salmon Cannelloni

Sadly the six month long Swallow's Recipes for Life challenge on Bangers & Mash is now coming to an end, with this month being the last. I have been lucky enough to win the challenge for the last three months so the pressure is now on. Unfortunately one of the three ingredients for this month isn't a favourite food of mine so I may only manage this one recipe - I've got to give everyone else a fair crack at the whip too of course!

AMENDMENT - apparently I can't count & we still have another challenge for July, yay!! 

Fish and seafood are not something that I eat very often and really have to be in the mood for it so when I heard that one of the ingredients was salmon my heart sank a little. The husband absolutely loves it though, so he was pleased! 

Since receiving some pre-cooked salmon from the Saucy Fish Co a few weeks ago that's how I now like to buy it, although on my latest shopping trip had to opt for some that you need to cook yourself, thankfully in sealed bags that can be cooked in the microwave or oven, without the need for handling the fish.
I've never actually cooked cannelloni before so I thought it would make a nice change to our usual fusilli or penne, although Jack said that it wasn't real pasta.

Salmon Cannelloni - serves 4

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 courgette
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 pre-cooked salmon fillets
250g Ricotta
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
16 Cannelloni tubes (I used the type that don't need pre-cooking)
300ml Double cream
2 Egg yolks
pinch of cayenne pepper
50g Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan / Grana Padano), grated
100g Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated
Ground black pepper

• Slice the courgette & then slice into strips
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the courgettes & garlic
• Fry on a medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until softened, then set aside
• Flake the cooked salmon and mix with the Ricotta, chilli flakes and some ground black pepper
• Stir the courgettes into the salmon mix
• Fill the cannelloni tubes with the filling - the easiest way to do it is to use a piping bag
• Lay the filled cannelloni in a baking dish
• Mix the cream with the egg yolks, cayenne pepper, Pecorino cheese, half of the cheddar and some black pepper
• Pour the cream over the cannelloni and top with remaining cheese
• Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 180 C oven for 25 minutes and uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling

Salmon Fish Cakes

Sometimes you have an idea of what you want to cook for dinner, and then you realise that you don't have all the ingredients. That was me yesterday when, halfway through making fish cakes, I realised that I'd forgotten to buy eggs. I had three options, either go to the shop and buy eggs, abandon the fish cakes until another day or carry on regardless. As the husband was out and I didn't fancy bundling Jack into the car & then carrying him around the shop just for eggs, and I had nothing else planned for dinner, I decided to carry on regardless, winging it as I went.

Makes approx 8 fish cakes
500g Boiled Potatoes
2 Cans of Wild Pink Salmon, drained
1 tsp chilli powder
3 tbsp Coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
bunch of coriander, finely chopped
2 Spring onions, chopped
Olive oil for frying


For the coating
100g Oatmeal
100ml Coconut milk
100g breadcrumbs

• Mash the potatoes, salmon, chilli, coconut milk, lime juice and coriander together, stir in the spring onions
• Take a large handful of mix and form it into a patty, repeat with the rest of the mix
• Add the oatmeal, coconut milk and breadcrumbs to individual plates or wide bowls
• Dip the fish cakes first into the oatmeal, covering all round, then into the milk and lastly into the breadcrumbs
• Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry each fish cake until browned on both sides, repeat until all the fish cakes are browned
• Transfer to a baking tray and cook in a 200 degree (C) oven until crispy all over and warmed completely through

Great served with a bag of the local chippy's finest..... 

They were perhaps a little more difficult to handle than if an egg had been used but they turned out great in the end and, like of said before, anything that Jack eats is a winner in my eyes!

I was sent Princes Wild Alaskan Salmon to use in family friendly recipes

Salmon Pots

I'm not a great lover of fish but the husband was over the moon when we got sent some Princes Wild Alaskan Salmon to review. First up I made some Salmon pots which can be made very quickly and eaten straight away or left in the fridge to firm up a bit.

1 Can Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon, drained
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 red chilli, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
black pepper
50g Butter, melted
200g Philadephia light cream cheeese 

• Whizz up all the ingredients, except the cream cheese, in a food processor until smooth
• Mix in the cream cheese
• Divide into 4 small ramekins and eat straight away or chill overnight in the fridge

Use as a pate on crackers, or as a dip with home made tortilla chips whilst watching the Wimbledon Men's Final.

I was sent Princes Wild Alaskan Salmon to use in family friendly recipes