Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa

To be honest, I haven't been feeling very inspired in the kitchen lately. I've been busy with lots of things including travel, and when I'm home I've been trying to eat the food in the freezer since it is on the verge of overflowing. But yesterday I was at the store and I found local king salmon on sale and some beautiful white corn. I thought about the mango I had and just like that, a plan came together.

Sometimes ingredients speak to you and the lightbulb goes off. I diced the mango to serve with dessert a few nights before but it was firm and a little too sour. That's not good for dessert but it's excellent for salsa. The salsa can be used with chips, with roast chicken or scallops. It's actually pretty good without the tomatoes too. I was a little undecided as to which way I preferred it, so try it both ways and you tell me which you like better!

This recipe has a lot of parts, but you can make the salsa and the sauce for drizzling ahead of time. You can even use already cooked salmon if that's what you have on hand. Even though it's cooked on the stove and not on the grill, it really tastes like summer--the fresh corn, tomatoes and salmon look like summer too. Here's to a little summery inspiration!



Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons mild flavored oil ( I use rice bran oil)
1 ear of corn, white or yellow
1/2 cup diced firm mango
1/2 cup diced tomatoes, drained
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 - 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste

3-4 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I used wasabi mayo)
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tablespoon plain non-fat Greek yogurt

12 ounces wild salmon
Chili powder

8 Tortillas
1 1/2 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
Sprigs of cilantro, to taste, optional

Instructions

Make the salsa first. Slice the corn off the cob, you should have about 1/2 cup of corn kernels. Heat a skillet and add a couple teaspoons of oil. Add the corn and stir, cooking a couple of minutes until fragrant and sweet. Remove the pan from the stove and allow the corn to come to room temperature. In a bowl combine the mango, tomato, scallions and sliced serrano pepper. Add the cooled corn and lime juice and taste for seasoning.

Make the drizzle by whisking together the mayonnaise, lime juice and yogurt. Taste and adjust to your liking.

To cook the salmon, remove any bones and cut some slits in the skin. Heat a non-stick skillet and when it's hot, add the salmon, skin side down. Sprinkle the salmon with chili powder and cover with a lid. Cook until barely medium, about 130 degrees internal temperature. Break the salmon into chunks or large flakes. Do not overcook.

To prepare the tacos, heat a dry skillet and warm the tortillas over medium heat. When pliable and hot, top each tortilla with salmon, shredded cabbage, salsa and drizzle with the mayo sauce. Add cilantro if desired and serve.

Enjoy!

Roasted Corn & Black Bean Salad Recipe

This recipe for Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad is brought to you by the fresh corn, leftover cotija cheese and a can of beans. And that lazy feeling that strikes during the Summer for something delicious yet easy. Like most everyone, I love fresh corn. Eight ears for 2 dollars? Sold! When corn is sweet it's a cinch to prepare. In addition to adding it to a salad, my other favorite ways to prepare it are making corn chowder (I make a different version just about very time) and on the cob, slathered with mayo and dredged in crumbled cheese served with a wedge of lime.

While corn should be cooked soon after picking or purchasing, cotija cheese is the exact opposite. I bought cotija for some recipe or another and found the leftover cheese lasted and lasted. Like other Mexican cheeses, it's inexpensive, and easy to use. Cotija is a crumbly cheese, less salty than feta, but a little goes a long way. The beans in this recipe make the salad feel hearty and substantial. I suppose you could make it with canned or frozen corn all year round, but it really feels like a Summer dish to me. 

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad makes the perfect side dish to go with barbecue chicken, steak, pork chops, you name it. It's a very flexible recipe, you can leave out the cilantro if you like, add more green onions or use red onions instead. Add more tomato or less. Add as much or as little hot sauce as you like. If you don't like spicy food, start with a teaspoon, taste, then add more. I hope you will make this recipe your own! 

Roasted Corn & Black Bean Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

3 ears of corn

1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tomato diced, include the juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 green onions, chopped

1 Tablespoon Habanero Pepper Tabasco Sauce

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1/2 cup crumbled Mexican cotija cheese (or feta)

Salt

Instructions

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Strip the corn from the cobs, into the skillet and

cook, stirring, until beginning to brown in spots, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in black beans, tomato and juice, cilantro, green onions, Habanero sauce and lime juice. Fold in the cotija cheese. Taste for seasonings and add salt if needed. 

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I created this recipe on behalf of Tabasco and I was compensated for it. The choice to post it here, was my own.

Chilled Corn Soup Recipe

It's not Summer until you've eaten a peach over the sink, nibbled on cherries, and enjoyed a stack of fresh blueberry pancakes. One of the most highly anticipated Summer treats aside from all the luscious fruit, is fresh corn. When I see Brentwood corn, I buy it. It's sweet, tender and pairs wonderfully with all types of shellfish, blueberries, lime and avocado.

Corn is high in starch and carbohydrates but it's also a good source of Vitamins B1, B5, and C, folate, dietary fiber, phosphorus, manganese and protein. I use white and yellow corn interchangeably. White seems a bit sweeter and yellow a has a rounder flavor, if that makes sense. Corn should be cooked as soon as possible, after it has been picked. It's particularly good in fritters, pancakes, succotash and salads. If you eat it on the cob, try squeezing lemon or lime juice over it and dipping it in something spicy like smoked paprika or chile powder. Another way to enjoy it is with crumbled Mexican Cotija cheese. Slather the hot cobs with mayonnaise and dip it in the cheese. Messy, but good.

At a recent visit to the delightful SolBar restaurant at Solage in Calistoga, I got a kick out of the menu which was divided down the middle into healthy dishes and indulgent ones. The soup of the day was a chilled corn soup and it had no cream in it. I was intrigued. After a little experimenting I found you can get the maximum flavor by limiting the ingredients to a minimum. This recipe is vegan and the exact amounts of salt and lime will vary depending upon how sweet the corn is; the sweeter the corn, the better the soup!

Note: I use a conventional blender, but I have a feeling that if you use a Vita-Mix you will get even better results! If you have one, try it and let me know.

Chilled Corn Soup with Avocado
Serves 4

Ingredients

6 ears of fresh shucked corn, yellow or white
2 limes
salt
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

Instructions

Remove the corn kernels from the cob, using a chef's knife. Place the corn in a saucepan with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer until the corn is tender, just a couple of minutes, no longer. Strain the corn out of the water, reserving the water, and place in a blender. Puree the corn with enough water to give it a smooth texture. Strain the corn puree through a strainer and and add some of the reserved water to achieve the desired consistency. Squeeze the limes into the soup and salt to taste. Chill the soup then serve with a garnish of avocado.

Enjoy!

Kona kampachi Ceviche: Recipe

I know, it's February and I ought to be singing the praises of cabbage and turnips but frankly I'm not in the mood. The sun is shining, the weather is warm and I feel like celebrating with something tropical and refreshing. I need a break from Winter. Right now. And ceviche is just the ticket.

Knowing that the ocean's resources are rapidly being depleted, we should all be concerned with the sustainability of our seafood. The problem with seafood harvested in the wild is that it has the potential to drop below sustainable levels. You probably know what has happened to cod populations and tuna may not be far behind. Also in some instances the pollution and chemical levels in wild fish is not very healthy. On the other hand some farmed seafood practices can lead to pollution and disease which can harm wild populations. There is no hard and fast rule. In some instances we should buy wild, in other instances farmed seafood.

Kona Blue, the company that produces Kona kampachi was founded by two marine biologists who wanted to find a way to raise fish that would be healthy for the the ocean, the fish and for human consumption. For me, tilapia is mealy and bland though inexpensive and sustainable. While Kona kampachi is relatively expensive, it's worth every penny. Similar to a type of Jack or Kahala, it's high in healthy fat, has fantastic moist firm texture and luscious flavor. While it is not local, the company is looking into different locations around the world to minimize shipping distances and lower cost.They are also working to help establish organic standards for farmed seafood.

I've had the chance to try this fish cooked and raw and while it's good cooked, it's just amazing raw. I hesitate to give a recipe for ceviche because you really should make it to taste. This is how I make it, but by all means, add, subtract, experiment and make something yummy. I tried it with red chile flake, with yuzu kosho and with a combination of both and it was delicious every which way. Chilling the fish to make it easy to dice.

Kona kampachi Ceviche
makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup Kona kampachi, diced (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup corn, cooked (fresh or good quality canned or frozen)
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (or more to taste)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil (I used a blood orange olive oil for more flavor)
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes, fresh chile, yuzu kosho or combination.

Instructions

Gently combine all the ingredients and allow the fish to marinate for at least 10 minutes. Serve with plenty of tortilla chips.

Enjoy!