Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Week 2: Honey Salmon and Brussel Sprouts

Honey Salmon In Foil
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/20829217000857279/
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Red Onion, and Avocado
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/20829217000771864/

Two Recipes at once!  I know….it’s getting a little crazy up in here.
But the Salmon caught my eye and the Brussels Sprouts was only a few Pins below it.  Seemed like fate!  And they both have pretty simple recipes.
 
For the Salmon I needed to pick up:
Fresh Thyme, I really need an herb garden which is in the works.
And Salmon.  The recipe calls for two pounds, but it’s expensive.  I got four cuts which equaled about 1.5 pounds and it looked like plenty.

For the Brussels Sprouts I picked up:
One pound of Brussels sprouts
One red onion
A package of tick cut bacon
One avocado
And chicken stock

I also grabbed a box of Mushroom Risotto because it sounded good.

I started on the boxed risotto first because it takes the longest.  And then started cooking the bacon.
 
I mixed together honey, minced garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar and minced thyme with a dash of salt and pepper for the sauce for the salmon.  I didn't particularly abide by the exact recipe amounts, mostly because I’m not cooking in my own house and I didn't want to dirty too many dishes.  So I went by feel and taste.  The salmon went on a baking sheet covered in foil and the mixture on top.  I’m letting it sit until the Brussels sprouts go in the pan.

At this point the risotto needs stirring every once in a while, the salmon is marinating, and the bacon is cooking….and cooking.  It’s taking longer than the 5-7 minutes suggestion in the recipes.  But once they are cooked and most of the fat rendered, out they go onto a paper towel and in go the sliced red onions.  Holy moly do they smell delicious.  Red onion and bacon fat….mmmmmmmm.  I may of forgotten to mention I used 6 slices instead of the called for 4 slices of bacon J

The red onions take about 6 minutes to get to the desired carmelization that I like and get put to the side in a bowl.  By this time the risotto is already done (whoops! But hopefully it’ll stay hot) and I’m preheating the oven to 375 for the salmon.  Thank goodness it goes quick and the salmon is in the oven cooking for 14 minutes.

Olive oil and Brussels sprouts into the pan and the heat goes up to high.  About 3 minutes and they are nice and brown and the chicken stock gets added.  Now I've just gotta wait until the stock cooks off and add back in the red onions, salt and pepper.  I transfer everything over to a dish and crumble the bacon and diced avocado over it.


Delicious!  Seriously the Brussels sprouts may be my new favorite dish and the salmon came out perfect.  I would not recommend buying the risotto though.  It was way too salty and took away from how great everything else tasted.

Honey Salmon in Foil: SUCCESS 4/5 Stars
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Red Onion, and Avocado: SUCCESS 5/5 Stars

The original recipes:
Hone Salmon in Foil

HONEY SALMON IN FOIL
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Yield4 servings
A no-fuss, super easy salmon dish that's baked in foil for the most tender, most flavorful salmon ever!
INGREDIENTS
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 pounds salmon
INSTRUCTIONS
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together honey, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Place salmon onto prepared baking sheet and fold up all 4 sides of the foil. Spoon the honey mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon, covering completely and sealing the packet closed.
  • Place into oven and bake until cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.
  • Serve immediately.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Red Onion, Avocado

Ingredients:
4 strips thick cut bacon
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
½ cup chicken stock
1 medium avocado, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large nonstick saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning until crispy and the fat has rendered, about 5-7 minutes. Set the bacon aside to drain and keep the pan on the heat.
2. Add the red onion to the bacon fat and sprinkle with kosher salt. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, keeping the pan on the heat.
3. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and the Brussels sprouts. Cook the sprouts on high heat for about 2 minutes until starting to brown and the pan is drying up. Add the chicken stock.
4. Cook the Brussels Sprouts about 5 minutes until just tender and the broth has cooked off. Add the onions back in and toss together. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
5. Transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the bacon over the sprouts. Add the chunks of avocado.
6. Mix together the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and drizzle over the top of the dish. Serve warm.


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