Pan Seared Salmon with a Citrus Fennel Salad

This is a simple yet elegant salmon dish that anyone can make. The delicate flavor of the salmon is complimented by the fresh crunch of the fennel and the tartness of the citrus. Finally, we top it with micro greens for another layer of flavor.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1 pink grapefruit
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 TBS fennel fronds, chopped
• 2 TBS orange juice
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless filets of salmon
• 2 TBS Cajun seasoning 
• 2-3 TBS your favorite jalapeno jelly
• 1 small pkg micro greens
• 1 lemon (optional)

Begin by removing the segments from the grapefruit. Do this by peeling the grapefruit with a knife. Remove as much of the white pith as possible. Next, using a sharp knife, carefully remove the flesh from the each of the segments. Discard the membrane.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the grapefruit, the thinly sliced fennel bulb, the chopped fennel fronds, the orange juice and olive oil. Toss to coat and season with a little salt if so desired. Set the Citrus Fennel Salad aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat both sides of your salmon filets with the Cajun seasoning blend. Then, in a nonstick pan, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil until hot. Add the salmon filets and just sear each side to form a crust. You do not want to cook the salmon all the way. 

Place the pan in your preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes to finish off the salmon. When the salmon is finished, you are ready to plate. Place some of the citrus fennel salad on a plate. Top it with a piece of the salmon. Microwave the jalapeno jelly for about 30 seconds until it becomes a liquid. Pour it over the salmon (you just want it to glaze the salmon, not create a puddle). Finally, top it with some of the micro greens. Optional: Cut the lemon in half and place it under a broiler until it begins to char. This will bring out the natural sweetness of the lemon. Garnish each salmon filet with a char broiled lemon half.

 

Enjoy!

Jolly Rancher Tray

During the holiday season of 2012, I noticed that the trays made of melted peppermint candies were quite popular. I thought these were a clever idea but limited to the season. So, I came up with the Jolly Rancher Candy tray which can be used year round. In addition, my tray is featured on ABC's The Chew web site and was aired on the show on 3/16/13.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 1 or more bags of Jolly Rancher candy (the amount of candy depends on the size of tray you want to make)
• 1 baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap the candy and arrange them on the parchment paper leaving about 1/4 inch between each piece. You can randomly arrange the colors or make your own pattern. They sky is the limit!

Bake the candy for 7-10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Once it has cooled and firmed up, peel off the parchment paper and you now have a Jolly Rancher tray which can be used for serving desserts, candies, etc.

Once you have the technique down, you can try to make a fluted bowl. Follow the steps outlined above. Once the tray has cooled a little (still pliable), pick it up by the parchment paper and set it into a bowl to harden. Work the parchment to get the desired amount of fluting.

Enjoy!

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a great Spring or Summer appetizer when tomatoes are in season. The tomatoes are combined with fresh basil, garlic and olive oil and served on toasted baguette bread. I grew up on home grown tomatoes so I always stress to people that if you can't grow your own, try to find a local farmers market to get them. It will make a world of a difference, especially in this recipe.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced to about 1/4 of an inch
• 10 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 slices of baguette bread
• 2 TBS olive oil

Combine the tomatoes, basil and garlic in a medium size bowl. Add the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Brush one side of the bread with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the oiled side down onto a hot grill pan, BBQ or under your broiler. Grill both sides of the bread until its evenly toasted.

Finally, arrange the bread onto a plate and mound the tomato mixture onto the center.

Enjoy!