Wednesday, July 28, 2010

I’m Back – with Braised Salmon a Giveaway

August 2010 006Did you miss me? Probably not since most of you didn’t even know I was gone. For the last three weeks I’ve been on vacation in Vancouver, Canada and Alaska. I’ve been posting recipes but I haven’t opened my computer once. They were all automatically set to appear through the magic of technology that’s way beyond my comprehension.

In the upcoming days, I’ll have a lot of things to share with you about the sights, sounds and tastes from my vacation, and let’s just say for the record there were a LOT of tastes. Why else did I gain four pounds? I’m still not as large as this humpback whale I saw, but I’ve got to get back to reality and sane eating. Hence the braised salmon.

July 2010 Alaska 223 For my fellow food bloggers, I tried to connect with some of you while I was gone on public computers wherever possible (libraries are great for this), but for those of you who haven’t heard from me in the last few weeks, I’m working on catching up with what’s been going on in your kitchens while I’ve been away.

To show my appreciation to those of you who follow my blog, I’m offering a giveaway of items I brought back from Alaska: a 1/4 pound of smoked salmon in a nifty wooden box, a dish towel with a salmon design woven into it and a 47-page Alaska Seafood Cookbook.  Just leave a comment at the bottom of this post by 9 p.m. EDT July 30, telling me what fish dish you like to eat the most.  And if you don’t like fish or you’re vegetarian, well, sorry you probably won’t be interested in the salmon or the cookbook, but the dish towel is nice. But if you are a vegetarian – maybe you’d like to give the salmon and the cookbook as a gift - just stop by and say hello in a comment at the end of this post.

August 2010 016

You don’t have to have a blog to leave a comment, but I’ll need some way to get in touch with you if you win, so please leave an email address. The winner will be picked at random by a computer generated program.

The recipe below is adapted from the cookbook in the giveaway. It’s healthy, delicious and low-cal. Just what I need to get started on losing those extra four pounds.

Braised Salmon

printable recipe here

  • 4  8 oz. silver king salmon fillets
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 3/4 cup carrots, sliced
  • 3/4 c. carrots
  • 3/4 c. fennel, sliced
  • 3/4 c. sweet onion, sliced
  • 3 cups red new potatoes, sliced
  • 2 cups plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1 T. tomato paste
  • 1 quart shrimp stock (I used water)
  • salt, pepper,
  • 1/4 c. chopped parsley or other favorite herb
  • fennel tops for garnish

Rinse salmon fillets and dry with paper towels; season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet. Add salmon, flesh side down and sear on both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add carrots, celery, fennel and onion; sauté until soft. Add tomato paste and stock or water; stir well to combine. Add potatoes and tomatoes and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Cook with a lid on top at a light simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Place salmon fillets in pan on top of vegetables. Cover and place in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and fish is cooked through. (I just kept the pan on the range and added the salmon, then cooked it another five minutes.)

Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove salmon and set aside. Ladle vegetable mixture into serving bowls and top with salmon and a sprig of fennel for garnish.

44 comments:

  1. Wow what a great giveaway! I love Native American art... Alaska is my dream place.

    That is a delicious looking dish! I love to make tuna carpaccio or salmon poke...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. This looks lovely, Linda. Sounds like a great vacation, too. I've always wanted to see the west coast. As far as my favourite seafood, I'd say any shellfish. I'm trying to pick a particular favourite, but there's too many delicious visions swimming (haha) in my head.

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  3. What a beautiful trip. You fooled me, with your scheduled posts. I look forward to hearing all aboaut your trip.
    Debby

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  4. Ahhh...Alaska..what is not to like? Beautiful scenery and wonderful seafood. It is hard to select just one variety of fish...I love salmon and halibut but couldn't let a week go by without shrimp! So, I love all of it and look forward to a trip to Alaska...In the meantime, I can live vicariously through cooking seafood!

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  5. I ahve never been to Alaska but many friends have taken cruises. I love to see the majestic whales most of all.

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  6. That must have been a wonderful vacation! I am looking forward to hearing more and seeing some pictures. Since I am allergic to the sun (lupus), that would probably be the sort of vacation I could enjoy. We almost always grill salmon so this recipe is a welcome change.

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  7. Looking forward to hearing about your trip! The salmon sounds delicious.

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  8. I know that I'll have to bow out from the giveaway because italian customs will just keep that salmon until it's no longer fit for consumption. Nice to see you back....I suspected that you were gone because your posts had that feel of being "scheduled". That's coming from one blogspot user to another!

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  9. Your trip sounds like it was fabulous! My son was just talking about how much he would love to visit all the spots you mentioned.
    Maybe next year! Did you take an Alaska cruise?

    Glad you are back...of course I am a follower! Great giveaway!

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  10. I want to go to alaska someday. It sounds amazing. I love seafood. My favorite dish is the cioppino

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  11. Your salmon looks delicious and your vacation looks incredible! Alaska is on my list of places to see before I die! My favorite seafood is crab. I love it steamed with melted butter. Heaven!

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  12. Mmmm, I do love smoked salmon. We were camping last weekend and for breakfast one morning we toasted bagels on the grill, and I served them with whipped cream cheese and smoked salmon on top. I had to hide one for myself! Even the kids loved them.

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  13. Welcome back, and what a nice giveaway you have here. Your salmon looks delicious Linda.

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  14. Vancouver and Alaska are on my list! What a grand vacation - look forward to the posts... even if I had no idea you were gone! We are a salmon eating family - most of it is bought from wild waters by Alaska so definitely will do this. Relax, renew and savor your experiences.

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  15. Thanks for this great giveaway...Seer fish is our family favorite, especially in India and we buy salmon here in U.S. I would love to go to alaska one day, an amazing place!!!

    ramvinayak_81@rediffmail.com

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  16. I have a friend who also just returned from Alaska ... while we were all suffering through 100-plus degree heat indexes, he was enjoying mild weather and beautiful scenery. Envious!!
    I'd have to say my favorite seafood is a good old-fashioned crab boil ... of course that could be because when I was a kid I loved the catching part so much!

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  17. I absolutely love fish and appreciate very much your giveaway. I hope I win, but if i don't I'll still be your blog friend

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  18. Hi Linda
    Glad you had a great vacation!
    My favorite fish dish are drunken shrimp- bandy sauteed shrimp wrapped in proscuitto.

    A close second is grilled salmon.

    Thanks!

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  19. Sounds like a fun trip, and you're right - I had no idea you were away! I'm going to Canada on a cruise in a few weeks with school..should be fun.

    This salmon dish looks delicious! I think my favorite salmon dish is a maple glazed salmon I made a few years back. Sweet salty heaven.

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  20. wow, I was so excited when I came across your blog yesterday! The gratin looks amazing, and your pictures of your Alaska trip are beautiful.

    I love the dish towel, salmon, cookbook giveaway you're doing. A favorite seafood? Hmmm, that's hard. Love, love, love fresh clam sauce over pasta, or mussels and clams. My favorite fish used to be cod, but now I love corvina, tuna, swordfish, chilean sea bass!

    Anyway, you have an awesome blog and I look forward to reading more. My Pop used to say I was an "Italian in training", 'cause although I am Irish, I loved cooking, eating, and reading about Italian food. :)

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  21. Welcome back from your fabulous vacation. Linda! I look forward to hearing more about it. The whale photo is amazing!

    We eat salmon once a week --this sounds like a delicious way to cook it.

    I love all seafood but I especially like lobster, soft shell crabs, shrimps, oysters and clams on the half shell...I could go on and on.

    My older brother served his Army duty in Fairbanks, Alaska (he was there when they had a big earthquake, and had to camp in minus 30 degree temps!), so I'd love to win this gift set so I could share it with him.

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  22. Welcome home! I am really looking forward to your upcoming posts. The braised salmon looks perfect! I prepare salmon more than any other fish since it is so readily available and versatile.

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  23. Welcome home Linda! Can't wait for more photos of your beautiful Alaskan adventure. 20 something yrs ago I lived in the Pacific Northwest for a couple of years and I grew to love salmon, I'm not fussy I'll eat it any way!

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  24. I love swordfish, grilled with olive oil and a touch of fresh garlic, salt & pepper.
    A big thank you to mentioning the wonderful little Italian ABC book that I quickly bought for la mia bella nipote!

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  25. And my e-mail is ldhitch@hotmail.com (Previous post about swordfish!)

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  26. "Of Course I MISSED You"!!! I've had to read over all the oldies but goodies!!! I would LOVE that give away... It's a fantastic group and good luck to everyone... Thank you Linda.

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  27. Sounds like a great trip & now a great giveaway! LOVE salmon, although I really enjoy it in an almost ahi consistency

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  28. Welcome back!
    Love those pretty dish towels......

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  29. Welcome back, Linda! Magnificent shot of a humpback (unfortunately I AM feeling as large as that whale these days LOL). The salmon looks delicious, perfect for summer. My favorite fish dish is miso-glazed sablefish (aka black cod). Hopefully you got to try some of in Vancouver!

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  30. ciao Linda complimenti per il tuo viaggio....un piatto che a me piace sono le penne con salmone e zucchine. un bacio

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  31. My favorite fish is salmon...in fact I had salmon loaf today. You're recipe looks awesome.




    pinesnpickets@hotmail.com

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  32. Can't wait to hear about your trip! I love these virtual trips that are available to me via the great techology of computers! We love barramundi ( a delicous fish caught in our tropical waters) simply fried and served with lots of lemon!

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  33. Linda, I did not know you were on vacation and yet you emailed me back. Very sweet of you to do that. I would have waited if I knew.

    Before I forget, I adore this Braised Salmon recipe. I use a LOT. And I learned it or very similar way back when I was young and could not cook a lick. Remember when we could buy those one pound, frozen blocks of flounder for 97 cents? I used to use those and would add a green bell pepper and some Worcestershire about a spoon full to it and serve it over rice, was so easy and so tasty.

    I also just have to ask you if you had the Sockeye Salmon while there? I just adore that bright red fish. In fact, I never really loved Salmon (ate it for health) till I had the Sockeye.

    And I love to make a marinade and also bake the fish, whether in the oven in the cold weather or in a fry pan in the hot summer... and it is so simple and inexpensive. Believe it or not, it is just white vinegar and Smucker's Raspberry Seedless Jam.

    And my all time favorite seafood is crab legs with plenty of clarified butter..... let me die in the chair..... grin.

    And I have heard it is just as hot up in NJ as it is here in Jax, FLA, so good for you to have done the fish on the stove top instead of heating up your kitchen with the oven and using all that extra energy.

    Thanks from Sheryll & Critters.

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  34. Welcome home Linda! What a wonderful trip--lucky you! This dish looks so delicious. We just love salmon, Alaskan wild my fave. Can't wait to hear/see more of your trip.

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  35. Ciao! Absolutely love your blog! My wife and I enjoy salmon many ways, but our favorite is bbq'd cedar plank salmon with a dijon and maple syrup glaze. YUM!
    John

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  36. Linda, What an experience.!...but I'm glad you're back .....
    Grouper is my fav seafood but it's so expensive here so whenever I can, I go for smoked salmon or salmon jerky...

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  37. sounds like a fun vacation Linda! I'm sure you had a blast. Welcome home to you too.

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  38. Welcome back and thanks for feeding us while away. I'd love to win this book (PICK ME PICK ME)!!

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  39. Being a Pacific NW girl, there is nothing I love better than wild salmon, grilled and served with a squirt of lemon juice. It always brings me back home! Love your blog.

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  41. Being from a southern gal I guess my favorite fish dish is my Dad's fried catfish. I do love all fish though and my second favorite would be plank grilled salmon. YUM!
    joosbornenc@yahoo.com

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  42. I just popped in to say hello and let you know I'm glad you're back. I hope the trip was fabulous. The salmon sounds incredible and will be tried really soon. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  43. Carolyn MacLeod1@aol.comJuly 30, 2010 at 12:49 PM

    I love the Pacific Northwest. I will definitely try the braised salmon tonight. While I love salmon, I also love fresh haddock from Maine - fried, in fish chowder, or haddock lester from a restaurant in Boothbay Harbor.

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  44. Spectacular photos. I've often wondered about this trip. Now I can wonder no longer. I know I want to do it.

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