Salmon with Cucumber Vinaigrette

Salmon is one of my favorite fishes (especially Wild Salmon) to cook and eat.  It is very versatile – great poached, sauteed or grilled, in a cream sauce or lightly spiced with a spritz of lemon.  This preparation is incredibly simple – just 3 ingredients and 3 steps.  Jazz up Lucini’s award-winning Cucumber Vinaigrette with some fresh dill, spread it on the salmon and bake.  That’s it!!  The dish is guaranteed to impress your friends and family.  (Who says you have to divulge your secret sauce?)  For even more sophistication, add some rinsed capers to your marinade.

Not only is salmon a beautiful and flavorful fish, but it is also one of the best sources of omega3 fatty acids – conducive to brain cell development and shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, some cancers and hypertension.   It is also a great source of selenium, protein and Vitamin D.  Remember that Wild Salmon is much preferable to farmed – it tastes so much better better and has more nutritional value.

This recipe is for 2 servings, but it is easy to adjust for any number of fillets.  For example, if you want four servings, just use four fillets, one cup of the vinaigrette, 2 TB dill and 1/4 tsp of each spice.

Ingredients:

• 2              Salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each, Arctic Char and Trout will work as well)
• 1/2 C      Lucini Delicate Cucumber Vinaigrette
• 1 TB        Dill (fresh, or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/8 tsp  Turmeric (optional)
• 1/8 tsp   Salt
• 1/8 tsp   Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1 tsp        Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Wash and dry your salmon pieces.  Mix the vinaigrette with the dill, turmeric, salt and pepper.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Spread the marinade on the fish and allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Grease the bottom of an oven-safe dish or pan with the olive oil and bake the salmon until it is opaque – about 15 minutes.   Top with any excess vinaigrette and serve.

Sloppy Joe recipe

I have always loved Sloppy Joes, even as a little kid when we made them with a packaged spice mixture and canned tomato paste.  This recipe is great with ground turkey (by itself or mixed with turkey sausage) – just be sure to add a bit more olive oil when you brown the meat so that it doesn’t dry out.  The sauce should cling to the meat – do not let so much liquid cook off that the sauce sticks to the pan.

So simple!

Ingredients:

• 2 TB          Lucini Garlic Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 C             Onion (sweet, diced)
• 1 C             Green Pepper (diced)
• 1/2 tsp    Salt
• 1/4 tsp    Black Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 1/2 LB  Ground Beef (chuck; can substitute turkey)
• 1 Jar         Lucini Organic Tuscan Plum Tomatoes (liquid reserved, crushed by hand)
• 1 TB          Worcestershire sauce
• 1 TB          Lucini Pinot Noir Vinegar
• 2 tsp         Smoked Paprika (optional)
• 2 tsp         Chili Powder (optional)
• 1 TB          Lucini Basil Infused Olive Oil (optional, but especially great with turkey)

Preparation:

Heat the garlic infused olive oil over medium (4 out of 10) heat.  Saute the onions, 1/4 tsp salt and ground pepper for one minute.  Then add the green pepper and continue to cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Remove the vegetables to a plate.

Turn up the heat to medium high (7 out of 10).  Add the ground meat without crowding the pan – make two batches if necessary – and 1/4 tsp salt.  Cook until all of the meat is browned.   Remove any excess (greater than 2 TB) fat then add the vegetables back to the pan.  Stir in the tomatoes, 3 TB of reserved tomato liquid vinegar and worcestershire sauce and bring the mixture to a boil on high (9 out of 10) heat until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick, sauce like consistency.  Turn the heat back down to medium low (3 out of 10), add the paprika and chili powder and simmer for 15 minutes.  Lower the temperature if necessary – do not let the sauce stick to the bottom of the pan (if it does add tomato liquid,  stock or water until the consistency is right).  Add the basil infused olive oil.  Adjust the spices and salt to taste.  Serve on buns or rolls.

Elote – Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cob

Here is a twist on that Mexican street food favorite – Elote.  There are many toppings available, but I love the most common combination of  heat, salt and citrusy lime.  Traditional recipes use butter and mayonnaise, but this healthier alternative is just as bursting with flavor.

Grilled corn goodness

Ingredients:

• 4  ears   Corn (on cob and in husk)
• 1/2 tsp  Chili Powder or Paprika
• 1/4 tsp  Salt
• 1/4 C     Lucini Fiery Chili Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Lucini Robust Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3/4 C     Lucini Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano (grated very fine, Cotija cheese is traditional)
• 1              Lime (quartered)

Preparation:

Start your grill.  Prepare the ears of corn by carefully peeling back the husk without damaging and then removing all of the silk.  Tie the open end with a piece of husk or cooking twine  and then soak the corn (husks and all) in cold water for 20 minutes.  Remove the and grill on a rack set about 6 inches over hot coals until the husks are charred – about 12-20 minutes.  Grills seem to heat radically so keep a close eye on your corn.  The corn is cooked when the kernels feel tender.

While corn is grilling, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil and spices.

Brush the olive oil mixture onto hot cobs of corn and sprinkle with the cheese.  Season the corn with more salt, chili powder or paprika if desired.  Serve corn with the lime wedges – one wedge per ear of corn.

Maple Chicken recipe – Vermont

Maple Chicken is a traditional chicken preparation in Vermont.  Of course, maple syrup is the culinary pride of the state and I find it pairs well with chicken and pork.  The combination of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar may seem like it will be too sweet, but here the balsamic actually cuts the bright, sugary syrup, adding a sour note to the sauce.  Sometimes I use the balsamic in more traditional savory sauces and gravy and there it contributes more sweetness.

I love paring this dish with broccoli rabe, because its slight bitterness makes a nice counterpoint to the sweet maple sauce, and mushrooms for their earthy, umami quality.

Ready to eat

Ingredients:

• 1              Chicken (whole, cut up into quarters)
• 1 tsp       Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp  Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1/2 tsp  Smoked Paprika (optional)
• 1/4 tsp  Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• 1 TB        Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB        Maple Syrup (pure Vermont, of course!)
• 2 TB        Lucini 10-Year Gran Riserva Balsamico
• 1 TB        Lucini Delicate Lemon-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and dry the chicken parts well, then season with the salt, pepper and, if using,  paprika/cayenne pepper.  Allow the chicken to sit for 10 minutes.  While the chicken sits, make the sauce by heating the maple syrup over medium flame for 1 minute and then add the balsamic.  Simmer until the syrup ‘melts’ and the sauce has an even color.

Place the chicken in a well-oiled baking dish and then top with half of the sauce.  Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, until the internal temperature of the breast is 160 degrees.  Drizzle the chicken with the lemon oil, turn down the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes – the chicken should have a deep brown color, but not black.  Remove from the oven, top with the remaining sauce and serve.

Bloody Mary recipe

Just in time for Fathers’ Day, here is a tasty Bloody Mary recipe.  I love the new Lucini Infused olive oils and have been working on creative ways to get more of them into my belly.  Here, three of the infuseds mix with tomatoes and a bit of horseradish, salt and pepper to create my favorite Bloody.  I think the drink stands up fine without the worcestershire sauce and celery salt, but in my testing most people preferred the drink with those traditional ingredients, so they are included below.

A lot of places, including the King Cole Bar in midtown NYC, claim to be the ‘birthplace’ of the Bloody Mary, but it is more likely that the drink developed over time rather than in a single birth.  What began as a simple vodka and tomato juice added different ingredients until the tasty beverage we know today was achieved.

I was worried that the olive oil would separate in the drink, but the emulsification held and the drinks look great!

This Bloody Mary is best enjoyed outdoors ...

Ingredients:
2 C     Lucini organic tuscan plum tomatoes
1 TB  Lucini chili infused extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp  Lucini basil infused extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp  Lucini lemon infused extra virgin olive oil
2 jiggers ice-cold vodka (two large shots, not the little 1oz)
Dash of worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper (to taste)
Horseradish (to taste)
Celery Salt  (to taste)
Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Sea Salt (to taste)

Preparation:
Combine the tomatoes, oils, vodka, worcestershire sauce and black pepper into blender and puree.   Stir in the horseradish and celery salt, to taste.  Mix together well the celery salt, cayenne and sea salt mixture in a small bowl or plate. Dip the glass rims into water and then the salt/spice mixture.  Fill the glasses with good quality ice.   Add the Bloody Mary mixture.   Garnish generously (see below).

Garnishes:
Celery stalk
Pickled Green Beans
Pickled Asparagus
Basil (leaves and stalk)
Cerignola Olives (all 3 colors)
Crab Leg
Oyster
Bocconcini
Pepperoncini
Special Pickles (Homemade, Guss’, McClure’s…)
Anchovy
Bay Leaf
Shrimp
Scallion
Pickled or fresh carrot
Lemon Wedge