Salmon and Corn Chowder

Salmon and Corn Chowder | Delicacious

Are there days where you just crave a bowl of hot soup for dinner? I do so occasionally, especially on cold, rainy days. Or sometimes, it’s just me being lazy and trying to figure out a quick fix for dinner. Whatever your reason for wanting soup for dinner, this salmon and corn chowder is sure to satisfy.  It is hearty, healthy (I use low fat milk instead of cream), and tasty, and goes perfectly with biscuits or soft dinner rolls. Serve this with my bacon, parmesan and scallion scones and you will definitely have very happy people at the dinner table.

My little one came into the room while I was typing this post, saw the photo and exclaimed, “Oh I remember this soup! It’s full of corn, mushrooms and fish. It’s yummy! I like it.” There you go. Even two and a half year olds like it. I am sure you would too.

Salmon and Corn Chowder
 
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch slices
  • 1 medium potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ¼ cup of chopped scallions
  • 1½ cups corn kernels
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup low fat milk
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ tsp dried dill
  • 500g boneless salmon fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • cornstarch and water for thickening (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over a medium flame.
  2. Sauteed celery and potato for about five minutes.
  3. Stir in corn, scallions and stock.
  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce flame to low and simmer covered for 12 - 15 minutes.
  5. Stir in milk and lemon zest.
  6. Add salmon and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes.
  7. Stir in lemon juice.
  8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  9. Thicken with cornstarch water if preferred.
  10. Serve hot.
Notes
Adapted from Epicurious

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Easy Miso Glazed Salmon

Miso Glazed Salmon | Delicacious

I am a fan of salmon, when it is prepared right. I like salmon best as sashimi; smoked salmon comes close when served with eggs benedict, rosti or in a good caesar salad. I may be changing my preferences soon though. This easy miso glazed salmon is rising fast in my list of favourite salmon dishes. The reasons? It is simple, healthy and really delicious.

Miso is wonderful not just because of its flavour, but because of its health benefits. There is a long list of benefits but I will just name a few. Scientifically, miso has been proven to reduce risks of colon, breast and prostate cancer. It is a source of probiotics, is high in anti-oxidants, lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and strengthens the immune system. Are you rushing to your nearest Japanese food store to buy a tub of miso yet?

The longer miso is aged, the deeper its flavour and its colour. Commercially, miso is sold as shiromiso (white miso) or akamiso (red miso). You can also buy a blend of it. For this recipe, I used a blend of both white and red miso. Since the flavour of akamiso is stronger than shiromiso, you will want to adjust the amount of miso used according to the type you used.Continue Reading

Salmon Potato Cakes

salmon potato cakes I didn’t use to make salmon potato cakes. I like salmon oven-baked or pan-grilled, but my daughter changed that recently. You see, a couple months ago, my 2-year old daughter developed an adverse taste towards fish. Any kind of fish. So these fish cakes were my attempt to sneakily introduce fish into her meal with something that does not look too “fish-like”. Besides, they are really tasty and the adults loved them too. Salmon and potato – what’s not to like?

Verdict? She liked them. Success!! If you have a picky eater, try them. I make a larger batch and flash freeze them in a baking tray. Once frozen, I pack them in ziplock bags. Easy!

Salmon Potato Cakes

Serves 4
A tasty and flavourful salmon potato cake recipe.

Ingredients

  • 300g Salmon fillet (bones removed)
  • 1 teaspoon Olive oil
  • pinch sea salt
  • pinch ground black pepper
  • 4 Russet potatoes
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 3 stalks Scallions (thinly sliced)
  • 3/4 cups Japanese breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Optional

  • 1/2 cup Green peas

Note

Salmon potato cakes can be frozen before the pan-frying step. Make a larger batch of these and serve them up for a quick dinner another day! Recipe is adapted from here.

Directions

Step 1
Season salmon with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill in a pan or in an oven until they are golden brown. Flake salmon into smaller pieces.
Step 2
Boil and mash potatoes. Add salmon, dijon mustard, scallions, beaten eggs and peas and combine. Season with more salt and pepper.
Step 3
Shape into patties and coat evenly with Japanese breadcrumbs.
Step 4
Preheat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Pan-fry salmon potato cakes until they are golden brown on both sides.

Salmon Tofu Miso Casserole

The flu bug is going around and both my husband and my toddler girl are down with flu. I had initially intended to cook salmon tofu balls but seeing that they were sick, I decided that something less “heaty” would be good.

I chanced upon a recipe on epicurious and did some modifications to get this yummylicious dish that even my rather fussy toddler liked it!

Salmon Tofu Miso Casserole

Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 40 minutes
Total time 1 hour
Meal type Lunch, Main Dish
Misc Child Friendly, Serve Hot
Region Japanese
Delicious Salmon Tofu Miso Casserole, perfect for a cold evening's dinner.

Ingredients

  • 450g Boneless salmon fillet (Cut into cubes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 150g Assorted japanese mushrooms (cleaned and dried)
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
  • 1 Red capsicum (sliced)
  • 1 Block chinese tofu (Cut into cubes)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Miso paste ((I use a mix of red and white miso))
  • 2 cups Chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon Mirin
  • 3 stalks Spring onion (cut into sections)

Directions

Step 1
Marinate salmon pieces with salt for 10 - 15 minutes.
Step 2
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a casserole. Brown salmon pieces in oil and set aside.
Step 3
Add remaining oil and stir fry garlic, red capsicum and mushrooms in the casserole.
Step 4
Add in the tofu to combine and finally the salmon.
Step 5
Add in miso paste and stir to mix with ingredients.
Step 6
Pour in the chicken stock and mirin and bring to a boil.
Step 7
Simmer for 20 minutes and add the spring onions, and continue to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes more.
Step 8
Serve hot with rice.

Salmon En Croute

I had to attend a course last Monday and mom was coming over for dinner in the evening. There wasn’t much time to prepare an elaborate meal, and so I thought that this would be perfect, seeing that mom enjoys salmon. I used ready made puff pastry in this case. It simply is not worth the effort to make your own puff pastry, I think. Perhaps if I had alot of extra time at my disposal, I just might be crazy enough to try it one day. Till then, I think Pampas is good enough.

For this dish, I added some mushrooms for extra flavour. If you do not like mushrooms, or would like to do without the hassle, you can omit them. I served my salmon en croute with some salad by the side.

salmonencroute

salmonencroute

Recipe (serves 4):

750g salmon fillet, boneless
400g puff pastry block
300g asparagus
150g brown swiss mushrooms, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 small sprig of thyme
3 tbsp freshly chopped dill
zest of one lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten (for glazing)

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 230°C.
  2. Melt butter in a small frying pan. Add chopped onions and fry till translucent.
  3. Add thyme and diced mushrooms. Fry over medium fire till mushrooms are soft, and the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the thyme sprig. Set aside.
  5. Remove the bottom 1/3 of the asparagus stalks.
  6. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water till soft. Upon removal from boiling water, place them in cold water immediately.
  7. Using a blender, or food processor, puree the asparagus stalks. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of water.
  8. Add whipping cream, chopped dill and lemon zest to the puree. Blend and season with salt and pepper.
  9. Remove the skin of the salmon. Prepare the salmon by cutting it into 4 equal parts. Season both sides of the fillet with salt and pepper.
  10. Roll out the puff pastry and separate it into 8 sections.
  11. On one rectangular piece of puff pastry, place one portion of mushrooms in the centre, topped by the salmon fillet and finally the asparagus puree.
  12. Place another piece of puff pastry over this, and seal the sides by pressing down on it.
  13. Repeat for the other 3 servings.
  14. Brush with eggwash and place it on a tray lined with baking paper.
  15. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top of the pastry is golden brown.