Salmon Poke Bowl, Avocado and Scallions

 

This past semester, I read Haruki Murakami’s book “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” while training for the Philadelphia half marathon. The book opens up in Hawaii, as the author reflects on his island summer runs. He describes his feelings, the weather, the landscapes, the routes… painting colorful pictures in his reader’s mind. I found Murakami’s writing to be incredibly motivating and inspiring. Surely, any reader will feel an urge to drop the book, go for a long long run, and never give up. While that thought certainly crossed my mind, his book also made me want to finally try my hands at Poke (though that could also be the influence of Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown”, which includes a great episode in Hawaii)!

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Wild Salmon Ceviche Salad, Meyer Lemon-Ginger Dressing

A few weeks ago, I visited my best friend in Montreal for my Fall break. For the second year in a row, I fell head over heels for this city (minus the cold). For the second year in a row, I was amazed by all that it has to offer (food included!).

For starters, I was conveniently there for Canadian thanksgiving. Since I had only ever celebrated the American one, it was exciting to compare the two. We got together and cooked ourselves a delicious Friendsgiving, and let me tell you it was one for the books! First difference was the bird: no turkey on our menu… Instead, we went for Peruvian-style chicken from rotisserie Romados, which is apparently a Montreal institution. We roasted potatoes on the side and served them with a maple vinaigrette salad (Montreal-style!). Finally we ended on a sweet note for dessert, with warm homemade apple crumble. Speak of my kind of holiday!

Passion Project: Roasted Salmon with Caramelized Golden Beets

We’re officially off to the last stretch of my project: fish! I decided to start off with my favorite kind, which is salmon. If salmon is offered on a restaurant menu, you can be sure that it’s what I will order. I don’t know what it is about it but I find salmon to be one of the most delicious things that can be eaten. I’d pick a grilled salmon filet over a piece of steak almost any day. Seriously.

Buckwheat Crepes with Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs

It’s a fact: pancakes have nothing on crepes. Or at least it’s a widespread idea among French people. We love our crepes, and wouldn’t exchange them for pancakes in any way. Whether sweet or savory, buckwheat or regular flour, for lunch or dinner, there’s always a way to indulge in these deliciously warm circular treats. In fact, I really miss Parisian “creperies” when I’m in the US. Here, I mostly eat pancakes for brunch, but I don’t like savory ones. On the other hand, I find buckwheat crepes to be perfect savory options. This allows me to eat crepes for lunch or dinner as well. I just can’t get enough! The original recipe comes from the region of Brittany, but mine is slightly modified because I use milk instead of water. I find that it makes them more moist and flavorful, but that’s up to you! You can also be as creative as you want with the filling, and even go for sweeter options if you prefer (I’d then substitute AP flour for the buckwheat). Bon appétit!

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Total time: 10 minutes (1 hour for the batter to sit)

Ingredients for the batter: 

• 1/2 cup almond milk (or regular)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• butter (for the pan)

Ingredients for the savory crepes:

• 2 slices smoked salmon
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt
• a bunch of fresh parsley
• a handful of spring mix

Directions:

1. Make the batter: mix the buckwheat flour with the eggs, then add the milk and a pinch of salt, and mix until homogeneous. Let it sit for about an hour in the refrigerator.
2. Once the batter is set, cook the crepes. Melt some butter in a pan on high heat, and add just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. The crepes will start to bubble quickly, and once they’re set on one side, flip them to cook the other side for another minute. Set the cooked crepes aside, and keep going.
3. Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce by mixing the yogurt with a splash of water, salt, pepper, and fresh chopped parsley.
4. Then, make the scrambled eggs. In the same pan, melt a little bit of butter, crack an egg, and whisk until the egg is just set but not dry.
5. To plate, start with a buckwheat crepe, add the scrambled egg, top with the sliced smoked salmon and spring mix, and drizzle with the yogurt sauce. Adjust the seasoning and enjoy!

TIP: Another one of my favorite savory crepes is ham, fried egg, and cheese. It’s a more traditional one in France and it’s amazing with a glass of spiked apple cider. 

Smokey Salmon Pasta

I’ve been on a seafood pasta trend lately. I don’t know why, but I just love all the different combinations possible. As a follow up to my Totally Tuna pasta recipe, I decided to get my hands dirty with some good ol’ smoked salmon. This version blends the fish with a creamy sauce and caramelized onions. The flavors are amazing and really make for an original dish. If you ever get bored of your typical marinara, take a plunge with this salmon sauce (yes, pun intended). Additionally, this dish comes together really quickly. The sauce is ready by the time the pasta is cooked, which takes about 15 minutes total. Bon appétit!

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Prep time: 15 min 

Ingredients:

• 100g penne pasta (preferably whole wheat)
• 1oz. cream cheese
• 1-2 slices smoked salmon
• 1/4 yellow onion
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it reaches the texture you like (mine is al dente in 10 minutes).
2. While the pasta cooks, sautée the diced onion in a pan with salt and olive oil. When it becomes brown and slightly caramelized (about 5 minutes), add about 2 tbsp of the pasta water and let it evaporate.
3. Add the cream cheese and let it melt. Next, add the tomato paste with two to three spoonfuls of the pasta water. Stir well so that the sauce becomes homogenous and let it cook for an extra couple of minutes.
4. When the pasta is almost done, add about 3/4 of the smoked salmon bits and adjust the seasoning of the sauce with salt and pepper. Stir in order to incorporate all the ingredients together.
5. Reserve about 1 tbsp of the water before you drain the pasta. Then, toss it with the creamy salmon sauce until it is well coated. At that point, you can use the extra pasta water to make your sauce more fluid. Top with the rest of the smoked salmon and enjoy!

TIP: You can squirt some lemon juice on top of it for extra flavor!