Sunday 23 September 2012

Cedar Plank Salmon




A few months back I was on the far coast of BC doing some surfing and fishing. Though we were fishing for halibut, we ended up catching some beautiful spring salmon instead.  So I thought I would share my favorite way of preparing salmon… the manliest way I could think of…on wood.  Cooking the salmon on a cedar plank infuses the fish with the most glorious, earthy taste.  Add to that the fresh and tangy herb topping, and a drizzle of creamy cucumber dill sauce and you’ve got yourself a crowd-pleaser.

Here is my recipe for Cedar Plank Salmon... Do try. It’s awesome.

First step… go fishing. ;)... thats me holding the tiny pathetic ones. 


The Recipe    (printable version here) 

Ingredients

1 untreated Cedar plank
-----
2 Shallots, diced
10 Cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp (45 ml) snipped fresh dill
3 Tbsp (45 ml) chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh cilantro (or more if you like it)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon zest
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) Olive Oil
-----
3-4 lb. Salmon fillet
Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste

Cucumber Dill Sauce:

¼ English cucumber
¼ tsp (1 ml) Salt
-----
1 cup (250 ml) plain yogurt
½ cup (125 ml) sour cream
1 tsp. (5 ml) lemon juice
Pepper to taste
-----
3 green onions finely chopped, white part only
2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh dill


Preparation Instructions

Soak cedar plank in water for several hours. The longer the better.


In a small bowl, combine shallots, garlic, dill, thyme, cilantro, lemon zest and juice, green onions and olive oil.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to do their thing and get super tasty. ;)



Place your beautiful salmon on a cedar plank and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the salmon with the herb mixture. 

Set the plank on the preheated BBQ and close the lid. Cook for 30 mins on medium to high heat, until the fish flakes easily with a fork… depending on how well-done you like your salmon. (I like mine a little more rare).


To prepare Cucumber Dill Sauce, finely chop cucumber, toss with salt and let stand for 15 mins.

----

Combine yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, pepper, onion and dill.

---

Drain water from cucumber and add to yogurt mixture.



Serves 8 

I served mine with a bed of spiced quinoa and oven roasted asparagus sprinkled with feta and balsamic reduction. Enjoy! 





Wednesday 5 September 2012

Epic Aeropress Coffee

This is my first post ever!! So I thought I would start with something I do every morning. My epic Aeropress Coffee!

I recently came into the possession of the most amazing little coffee maker. It's called an Aeropress.. This little plunger thing makes an absolutely mean cup of coffee. Since I started using it, my espresso machine sits there unused, as this thing is super quick and makes super tasty coffee.

There are many different methods to make good coffee when using the aeropress... everyone has their own personal preference.... Here is my method. It's not exact, but its awesome and easy to replicate. 


First, you will need an Aeropress. Get one here >> http://www.aeropress.ca/

Make sure you get the optional reusable metal filter. The paper filters it comes with work great, but the metal filter makes it so you can use a finer grind. Finer grind = better tasting coffee. It's worth the extra $20. 
What you need:

Aeropress
Just below boiling water 
2 Aeropress scoops of fresh coffee beans
Awesome small coffee mug 
Less than a min of your time.


Now my method is pretty simple, I pretty much do exactly what the instructions tell you to do, with just one little difference, "the pull back". So I will go through the steps starting from the beginning. 

-  Boil water and let water sit for 1 min
-  While the water is boiling, grind your beans about halfway in-between a paper filter and espresso
-  Fill aeropress with coffee 
-  Add water to the #4 line (with aeropress on your mug)
-  VIGOROUSLY stir for 10 sec
-  Plunge halfway down, ***then pull almost all the way back up**** 
-  continue plunging till you cant plunge anymore
-  DRINK 

Your coffee should have some lovely "crema" on the top, the pull back up after the half plunge makes this coffee just that much better. If its too strong you can always add water like you would to an americano. I like it as is ;) 

Enjoy your Epic Aeropress Coffee! And be sure to experiment with it for yourself, everyone has their own taste! 


Just a note, the mug used in this post was made by my girl Jen, check out her DIY here! :)