Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Salmon one of my favourite fish in cooking. I eat it almost at least twice in a week. As we can get really fresh Norwegian salmon at the seafood wholesale at Seabrook near my place, we usually buy a real huge fillet cut. Last week we bought a 7 pound salmon fillet and looks like it can last us for 2 weeks.


So my homework is to find different ways to cook salmon so that we (or maybe me) will not get bored with eating the fish cooked in the same way. I have already experimented and posted some of the ways I have tried in the blog. Today I will add another addition. This time I have used balsamic vinegar. A western way of cooking. It is real simple and I love the sourish and sweet glaze. I got this recipe from Giada in one of her cooking shows. I like her recipes cos it's simple Italian cooking. If you have a bottle of balsamic vinegar and don't know how to use it except for salads you can give this a try.

Ingredients

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (i use honey instead)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed or chopped

Salmon:

• Four 6-ounce center-cut salmon fillets, skinned
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

For the glaze: In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard and garlic to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

For the salmon: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the salmon on the baking sheet. Drizzle both sides of the salmon with the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Drizzle the salmon with the glaze.

Since there are still some sauce left, I have make a salad and use the glaze as a salad dressing to go with my fish

蚂蚁上树

我又在“冰冰好料理”学会一道菜！每天十二点我都会锁定中天频道观看这个节目。很多时候我每个星期晚餐菜谱的灵感都靠它了。 很久以前就看到这菜的食谱但是就是没有尝试去煮。这次在电视上看到如何煮其实一点也不难。看起来还很下饭呢！最近在超市找到樱花虾。我知道台湾人很常用它煮菜。这次买了就很想用它煮菜，但是就是不知道要用它煮什么？我就突发奇想，就用它煮蚂蚁上树吧！当然传统的这道菜是不加这个的。不过，我觉得加进去，煮出来的味道更香。樱花虾跟虾米不一样。它的味道没有虾米咸而且它还有带壳。

让我在找找樱花虾的煮法，下次在和大家分享。

食材：
1）肉末 大概200g
2）粉丝一把
3）樱花虾一把
4）蒜末1茶匙
5）葱末2茶匙
6）姜末1茶匙
7）辣豆瓣酱1汤匙
8）胡椒粉少许
9）绍兴酒少许
10）糖少许
11）水半碗

步骤：
1）用热水将粉丝泡软后沥干水份。
2）肉末用酱油、胡椒粉、绍兴酒、太白粉腌大概1／2 小时／
3）在锅中加入少许油。等油稍热后，加入樱花虾炒至香脆（大概5－8分钟）。然后捞起备用。
4）用炒樱花虾的油，爆香葱、姜和蒜。
5）然后加入肉末。将肉末炒散。等到肉末开始变白，将肉末拨到锅的一边，然后加入辣豆瓣酱炒香。
6）加入糖、绍兴酒和胡椒粉和水。
7）加入粉丝和樱花虾。
8）将材料和调味料炒均匀。
9）让所有材料焖3－5分钟，就可以盛盘。

如果你家里有砂锅可以将它盛在烧热的砂锅里。

鱼鳔干贝鸡丝汤

突然想吃有点像鱼翅类的羹汤。当然为了环保就不吃鱼翅了。逛了逛海味店，看到了鱼鳔和竹笙，正好可以煮鱼漂汤。我就买了鱼鳔和竹笙各一包。每次尝试煮一道新菜就会很兴奋！我还是第一次煮鱼鳔。鱼鳔有一些腥味，一定要先想办法处理。网上的丰富资料真是我的救星！我马上就找到去腥的方法。由于鱼鳔和鱼翅一样没有什么味道，所以汤头就很重要。我用金华火腿、鸡胸肉和干贝熬汤，所以汤头很鲜甜。如果没有金华火腿，我想可以用排骨取代。但是，我觉得金华火腿会是很好的选择。我也是找了很久才找到这个火腿，而且还是薄片，最适合小家庭使用. 以后熬高汤就靠它了，超开心！

食材：
1）带骨鸡胸肉一个（你也可以用鸡腿肉）
2）10颗小干贝，用水泡软，然后剥成丝。干贝水留着备用
3）金华火腿一小片（大概5cm）
4）鱼鳔3小条

这是我买的鱼鳔。有些鱼鳔是一片片的。

5）竹笙一把 （注：以下图片是我把用剩下的鱼鳔放在袋子里拍的照片不是分量）

6）葱一条
7）姜片6－7片
8）绍兴酒少许
9）盐少许
10）胡椒粉少许
11）太白粉水少许

步骤：
1）用3片姜和拍扁的葱放在一锅烧开的水。加入鱼鳔用小火煮至鱼鳔变软。这次我直接把这三样东西放在一个大汤碗加入水用微波炉煮到鱼鳔变软。等到稍微冷了后，小心把鱼鳔里的水挤掉，然后切成段。
2）用清水浸泡竹笙一下子。把水倒掉，用清水洗净。把伞状的竹笙切掉，剩下条状的，然后切成段。
2）用热水川烫鸡胸肉然后捞起备用。
3）将清水和干贝水倒入锅中煮开。水煮开后，加入姜片、鸡胸肉、金华火腿和干贝加入水中用中小火煮大概1小时。
4）1小时后，把鸡胸肉捞起然后将肉取出弄成丝。
5）将火转大，等水煮开后，加入鱼鳔、竹笙和鸡胸肉。盖锅盖等水再次煮开，加入绍兴酒、盐（如果你觉得汤已经够咸了就不需要放）和太白粉水勾芡。
6）将煮好的汤倒入碗里撒入胡椒粉。你喜欢的话也可以加入少许镇江醋。

PS：差点忘了，我刚好剩下一些罐头鲍贝的水，我决定不要浪费掉加入汤里。味道马上有所提升。如果你想吃金华火腿的话，可以将煮好汤的火腿切成条状加入汤里。

冬菇焖海参豆腐包

最近在超市找到豆腐包。很想买来尝试看看。它其实像是很多层的腐竹叠在一起。我想用冬菇和蚝油拿来焖的话，豆腐包可以吸收酱汁，味道应该很好！如果你是素食者，可以用素蚝油取代。我这次也买了海参因为吃海参对降低胆固醇有用。所以这道菜还蛮健康的哦！

食材：
1）冬菇8朵，浸软
2）豆腐包一包
3）海参一条，洗净切成块（我买的是新鲜海参）
4）蚝油
5）蒜蓉少许
6）浸泡香菇的水（分量根据你喜欢汁多或少，酌量加）
7）绍兴酒少许
8）糖少许
9）油少许
10）太白粉水

步骤：
1）热油锅将油倒进去然后加入蒜蓉把它爆香。
2）加入冬菇爆香。
3）加入海参和豆腐包炒一下。
4）加入蚝油、绍兴酒、冬菇水和糖。
5）将所有材料炒均匀。盖上锅盖焖大概10－15分钟。
6）加入太白粉水勾芡。
7）起锅前可以加入少许麻油和胡椒粉，就可以盛盘。

这就是我的晚餐：2菜1汤。另外一道菜是酱油煎鱼。汤是白果马蹄瘦肉汤。看起来很多，因为吃剩的就是我先生另一天的午餐了！

Garlic bread

Pardon the ugly photo of the garlic bread. I don't have the knife for cutting bread that's why the bread looks unevenly cut into half

I have always enjoyed eating the freshly baked bread served at the restaurants here. The Italian restaurants love to serve the bread with herbs infused olive oil. Love it! That day I was pondering what to prepare for my lunch and my mind keep thinking about the bread served at the Italian restaurant. I decided to try making my own version of the herb infused olive oil. I have bought some dried italian herbs which is sitting on my pantry. And there is also a multi grain frozen baguette in the fridge.

Actually I just pour some olive oil into a bowl, add some minced garlic and the italian herbs into it. You can add some salt and black pepper to taste. I let the mixture sit for a while for all the different taste to combined together.

Than I brush the olive oil mixture onto the baguette and put it into a pre heated oven of 350 F and bake it for 10 minutes. I make a simple salad with lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette to go with the bread. Actually the bread taste pretty good! It is slightly different with the garlic butter spread. The later has a richer taste but the herb infused olive oil garlic bread has a fresher taste and I guess it is more healthier since it is made of olive oil??  

Almost forgot to take a photo. I took a bite and immediately grab my camera to take this shot ;p

白果马蹄瘦肉汤

有时我是个喜新厌旧的人。我已经煮腻、喝腻了常煮的玉竹汤、苦瓜汤、玉米汤、药材汤......。所以常找一些特别的汤水的食谱。那天就给我找到这个我从没有喝过的汤－－－白果马蹄瘦肉汤。一般上，白果我都拿来煮糖水。马蹄我拿来煮甘蔗水或加入云吞肉馅里。把这两样食材加在一起煮汤，会发生什么“化学作用”，汤会是什么味道的呢？我喜欢这个汤里白果的味道和马蹄的清甜味的结合。非常特别，我喜欢！

我很幸运那天在超市买到新鲜的白果，一包里只坏了几粒。我上几次买到的白果，一包里坏了超不多半包。已经几次了，都是这样，我有点生气！有一次我就买了冷冻的煮糖水。我觉得味道怪怪的，还是新鲜的最好。虽然买新鲜的白果要花很多时间处理，但是绝对值得。我可要感谢妈妈在我小时候“训练”我如何“处置”新鲜的白果，不然我绝对不会学到怎样快速剥壳、去掉白果的外衣和去除白果有苦味的心。虽然，那时候会有些怨言，但是现在真的怀念小时候和妈妈坐在地板上，一面看电视、一面处理白果的时光。

这个食谱我是在http://ellenaguan.blogspot.com/2011/03/water-chestnut-ginkgo-and-lean-pork.html 找到的。我完全根据里面的步骤和材料煮汤。如果你有兴趣，不妨到此网站看看。

Stir fry oyster mushroom and pork with miso

 I always have a small tub of miso in my fridge. Basically I use it to make miso soup. But what else can I use it to cook with? I have tried miso fish which turns out not bad. Than I happen to see a cooking show which uses miso to stir fry oyster mushrooms with chicken. It is a very easy dish. But I have used pork loin meat instead. I think you can also use other types of mushrooms which you like. 

This is the oyster mushrooms. I like it's crunchiness 

Ingredients:

1 1 packet of oyster mushrooms cut into chunks

2 100- 200 g Pork loin cut into strips

3 1 tablespoon of white miso 

4 1 tablespoon of sake (you can substitute with chinese cooking wine)

5 1 teaspoon of sugar

6 1 teaspoon of water

7 2 clove garlic minced

Steps:

1 Marinate the meat with some soya sauce, pepper, corn starch and cooking wine. 

2 Mix the seasonings in a bowl. Make sure there is no lumps of miso in the seasonings. Please feel free to change the amount of sugar as some brands of miso might be more salty than others.

3 Heat up some oil in the pan. Add in the garlic and stir fry till you can smell the fragrance of the garlic. 

4 Add in the pork loin and stir fry till half cook, than add in the mushrooms.

5 Add in the seasonings. If you find there's too little gravy, you can add some water. Stir fry for 5 minutes or till the meat is cooked and mushrooms are tender. 

6 You can add in some chopped spring onions when serving.