Hint of mint salmon

Boy last night was I exhausted. I was up way way too late on Saturday, just doing this and that and the next day I had promised the kids I would take them to the zoo. Come 7:30am, I was buddled in bed - just way way to early

for me on a Sunday. I really wanted to bail out, my responsible other half reminded me how disappointed the kids would be. I finally agreed! The Bronx zoo, if you have not visited it is really a wonderful place to be. Just has an awful and overpriced cafeteria! I understand people do not go to the zoo to eat. Well, by 4pm, we were all exhausted. All except Dad took a nap in the car. I came in and whipped up a really quick dinner. I was too tired to even take proper pictures. I made salmon with a really simple horseradish and mint dressing. Did I tell you that I cannot live without my food processor? I served this on cous-cous. Which actually was on the list to make for a while, ever since Deepta heard that her Dad had some for lunch, she is convinced it is the thing to eat! She likes the name - here is my fish.
Hint of mint salmon
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves 3-4 (it works for our family of 2 grown-ups and 2 kids)
Ingredients
1 small red onion
1 large piece of peeled ginger
1/3 cup prepared horseradish
1/3 cup mint chutney
2 dried red chillies
Salt to taste
1 lbs sock-eye salmon
1/3 cup olive oil
Lime or lemon slices
Method of preparation
1. Process the onion, ginger, horseradish, chillies and salt into a smooth puree.
2. Apply this on the salmon and set aside for 5-7 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet. Place the salmon on a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with lime.
Deepta's Arabian Cous-Cous (Hey you have to learn to sell!)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup tri-colored couscous
1/2 tablespoon salted butter
1/3 cup orange juice
1.5 cups of water
2 tablespoons organic dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
Additional salt if needed.
Method of Preparation
1. Place all the ingredients in a rice cooker and stir lightly and let this cook till done.
2. In 15 minutes, you get soft fluffy couscous.
Dinner in 30 minutes!
I am sending this to Indrani and Appayan, who is hosting a really neat event spotlighting fish.

Blogathon - Day Two

I was out pretty late last night, unusual for a weeknight, that too a Monday and I am just so tired today, I am glad we have this blogathon going on, because it is motivating to post this entry rather than loosing it in the shuffle. Something that happens to me so often. Well, along with the mint we went a little overboard with the pepitas (pumkin seeds) in this recipe. Let me tell you if you have not tried toasted pepitas before be prepared to be completely swept away with the rich taste. The kids have been generally excited with the new "nut" so they were rather eager to try it. The sauce for this 20 minute wonder is made my evening. Best of all the sauce was really just cleaning out the blender bowl after the chutney was made.

Seared Salmon with a creamy mint sauce

For the sauce

3 tablespoons nutty mint/cilantro chutney
3-4 tablespoons lowfat sour cream (you can your about 1/2 cup light cream if you want to be indulgent).
1/2 cup water

For the salmon

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lbs salmon, cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon pepitas

Method of Preparation

1. Blend the ingredients for the sauce and place in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes on high.
2. Add the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan and cook on low till the butter begins to brown.
3. Mix the cumin, pepper and salt together and rub onto the salmon.
4. Place the salmon in the pan in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides.
5. Remove and place the salmon in a single lay on a flat serving dish.
6. In the same cooking pan as the salmon, add the pumpkin seeds and the nuts and toast these until they darken just a little.
7. Pour the sauce over the salmon and top with the toasted nuts and serve with a salad.

The nutty mint chutney is really a cross between a salsa and what in Indian cooking is considered a fresh savory chutney. The later chutneys unlike their sweet counterparts are not cooked, they are a spicy melange of fresh herbs and some spices and some nuts (such as coconut) for enriching the base. They are great as a condiment but also useful for light marinade and sauces as used above. So here is how I made this variation.

Nutty Mint Chutney

Makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (you can use tender stems if you wish) (

1 cup loosely packed mint leaves

1/2 cup grape tomatoes

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 teaspoon dried pomegranate seeds (note these are different from their fresh counterparts, however you can actually use 1/2 cup fresh pomegranates for a different taste)

2-3 hot serrano chillies

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Juice of 2 limes

Method of Preparation

1. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a blender and blend for a good 3-4 minutes until smooth and thick.

2. Place the chutney in a glass container (with a lid) and use as needed with a 3-4 days of preparation.

Punida-Lemon Rasam and a meme

Well without the camera I have lost a little blogging momentum. This week I did make something interesting. That and then I was tagged by Sharmi, for a meme. So I figured, let me just write without having to worry about the uploading, downloading getting the picture just right...

What I made earlier in the week was Rasam, and, on a whim I added some dried mint leaves to it. The results were pretty amazing. The delicately tart and spicy broth tingled on the tongue and was balanced perfectly by the gentle freshness of the mint leaves.

Now for my random throughts,

1. Living in the East Coast I love Fall. I thing I live 10 months of the year to experice the burst of colors and crisp clean air. I am probably one of the few people who feel happy when summer is leaving.

2. My children want to make me be a better person everyday. That among many other ways is how they have enriched my life. I want to eat better, do better deeds on a daily basis. So, I thank you Aadi and Deepta for helping me strive everyday.

3. Only when you have your own children do you really understand how much your parents did for you. Especially the early years, they mean so much, needs so much and they still continue to give every day of our lives.

4. My one regret is that I am so far away from my parents. I wish I could be closer and do more for them.

5. I love cooking, it helps me feel happy on both good days and bad. Especially on bad days, the calming experience of chopping, mixing and putting everything together makes a big difference in my spirits when I am done.

6. As a mother, it is very difficult to find time for oneself. However, simple things like even doing groceries peacefully (yes, this is what I do every Saturday morning, while my husband feeds the kids breakfast can make a difference).

7. I think overall, I have been lucky with my share in life.

Well, thanks Sharmi for making me thing. I must be so self-obsessed since all my random thoughts are about myself.

Mint - Chilli Salmon

Mint is another one of those staples, right next to cilantro, in my kitchen. I use mint less, but it is more versatile, I use it for sweeter seasonings, tea, and of course regular saviory food. I have another week of restricted activity in the kitchen, both for work and the knee, so I was thinking of something somewhat simple.

I would like to think that you are what you cook, if you cook, and love to cook that is. This recipe is very characteristic of my style, it is extremely flavorful, relatively healthy and highly adaptable ( I do it here with fish, but it works wonderfully with paneer, tofu, chicken, and cauliflower). The seasonings in this are like a good marriage, each ingredient complementing each other without overpowering, each retaining its own character. This recipe without the marination takes all of 15 minutes, but these 15 minutes it does need your attention.

Mint-Chilli Salmon

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 red chillies

4 green chillies

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 lb thin (3/4-inch thickness max) salmon steaks cut into small pieces

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

Method of preparation

1. Gring the mint, lemon juice, chillies and salt into a paste.

2. Mix in the turmeric.

3. Marinate the fish in this mixture for 2 hours.

4. In a heavy non-stick pan heat the oil.

5. Add the cumin seeds and sear the fish on high heat on both sides.

6. It takes about 2-3 minutes on each side.

7. Reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 more minutes on each side.

8. Place on a platter garnish with more mint and enjoy.

The real epicurean is hosting WHB this week, so this post is for him.