Macadamia, panko and furikake crusted salmon

Crusted salmon
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

The last of the summer's stash of wild salmon came out of the freezer this week and was baked with a crust of panko, macadamia and Japanese rice seasoning, also called furikake.

Here's wikipedia's definition of furikake:

"Furikake (振り掛け / ふりかけ?) is a dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice. It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other flavorful ingredients such as katsuobushi (sometimes indicated on the package as bonito), salmon, shiso, egg, powdered miso, vegetables, etc. are often added to the mix.

Furikake is often brightly colored and flaky. It can have a slight fish or seafood flavoring, and is sometimes spicy. It can be used in Japanese cooking for pickling foods for onigiri, or rice balls."

How it ended up in my pantry...
Yes, MSG is a no-no in my household... but I got addicted to this after babysitting my 4-year old nephew, who loves to eat rice seasoned with this stuff, so I'm making a small exception here. It was the only way he would eat the brown rice - and if you're a mom, you know how difficult it can be to get your kids to eat so you make exceptions every once in a while right? After feeding my nephew and eating with him for a week, I was hooked too and ended buying some when my sister and I visited the Japanese store.

I don't eat rice very often so my jar of furikake seasoning is getting close to expiring. I hate to waste food so that's how I ended up using this seasoning in my salmon crust. Plus I like how it adds some color to the crust, makes it look more appetizing.

Crusted with macadamia, panko and black sesame seeds

I've also used black sesame seeds to make my crust look more interesting and it gives it a nice flavor too. My husband and I cook/eat so much salmon throughout the summer season that I have to find different ways to prepare it. 9 out of 10 times we just throw it on the grill seasoned with just salt, white pepper and dill or sometimes I spice it up or marinate it. But when the weather gets colder I'm more inclined to turn on the oven - that's when I can experiment with making a crust.

Smoked salmon cream cheese spread with chives

Making those fancy appetizers (or hors d'oeuvres) is not my thing... so painstaking and time consuming. I prefer to just throw a few things (like sliced veggies, cheese, crackers, etc) on a large platter, arrange them nicely and be done with it. The French call it crudités. It's not so much that I'm lazy, it's more that I'd rather spend the time on the main meal or dessert. So I'm all about fast and easy appetizers, but it also should be tasty and healthy (as much as possible).

Appetizer is defined as "a small amount of food or drink taken at the start of a meal to stimulate the appetite". Notice the words small amount... i.e. your guests are not suppose to be full before the lunch or dinner is served.

Occasionally, I will take the time to prepare one thing and one of my favorite easy recipes is a smoked salmon and cream cheese spread with fresh chives.

Here's how to make it...

Step 1:
Chop up the smoked salmon and place in a medium or large bowl.

This package is about a 1/2 pound of salmon (I think) and I bought it at Trader Joe's.



Step 2:
Add whipped cream cheese. I used an 8-oz package from Trader Joe's.

You can use non-whipped cream cheese. It's easier to mix by hand when the cream cheese is pre-whipped.

Step 3:

Chop the chives finely.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had some ready in my garden. Really fresh chives has a slightly stronger flavor and compliments the smoked salmon well.

Step 4:
Wet your hands a little and form a ball with the salmon and cream cheese mixture and then roll it in the chopped chives.

Once it's covered in the chives it's easier to handle and form into whatever shape you want.

That's it! You're done. I like to put it on a small plate and decorate the middle of the cheese ball with chive flowers or other edible flowers. Oh and it's awesome spread on toast for breakfast the next morning.

My favorite serving tray is made by Marimekko (Finland), in the classic vintage (1964) pattern called Unikko.

Re-using vintage dishes

Retro dinner party
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Look! My friends and I had a pot luck using our vintage dishes. Not only did we feel good about making good and healthy food for our friend's birthday dinner (last summer), but we also used old dishes that were passed down from our Moms or found at garage sales or thrifts. Re-using (or continuing to use) old stuff instead of filling the landfills can be fun.

The vintage look and the bright retro colors was perfect. Mid-century goodness for our mid-century friend.

The menu:
- vegetarian waldorf salad made with organic brown rice, apples & walnuts
- grilled wild salmon
- organic mixed green salad with avocado, feta, cucumber, toasted almonds witn EV olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- crudite platter of veggies with various dips (hummus and a couple others, can't remember exactly)
- multi, whole grain organic bread
- blackberry cobbler (berries picked and baked the night before)
- and birthday cupcakes

We certainly enjoyed a delicious and colorful feast!

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

One of my favorite ways to prepare salmon is to bake it with a crust consisting of:

- panko crumbs
- chopped macadamia nuts
- black sesame seeds

First whisk an egg with a little salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Slice the fish fillet into individual servings. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, then roll in the crust mix and bake on a lightly greased (olive oil) pan at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. (I know wild salmon is out of season now but it's available frozen.)

I always make a big batch so I have enough for lunch and dinner the next day. When it's cold it can be served over a bed of organic baby greens (dressed with EVOO and balsamic vinegar) to make a delicious salad. Yum!