Grilled Salmon Cedar Wraps

RECIPE TRIAL:

I have never wrapped my fish up in cedar wood paper before. It is not something that would have occurred to me as something cool to do. However, I found some of this cool Fire and Flavor Cedar paper at the grocery store. Last night I wrapped up some marinated salmon, some carrots from our garden and some zucchini from the farmer's market in these beautiful packets.

The result was exactly what I had hoped for. (although the salmon didn't get cooked quite long enough. I should have given it another minute or two.) Subtle but refreshing flavors. Salmon (or the pink fish as it is sometimes called) always gets eaten in our house but I really loved the hint of cedar flavor in this dish.

We served it with a side of edamame and roasted peaches with mascarpone.

Asian Salmon with Vegetables
Serves 5 

2 TB Soy Sauce
2 Tsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp of Chinese five spice
1 carrot cut into thin strips
1/2 medium zucchini cut into thin strips
3 Scallions cut into thin strips
5 -- 6 oz salmon fillets
5 Cedar Papers, soaked for 10 minutes.

Combine soy sauce, olive oil and chinese five spice in a zip top plastic bag. Add salmon and toss to
coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.

Preheat grill to medium heat (about 400 degrees). Remove salmon from marinaded and season each fillet with salt and pepper. Place one fillet on center of each paper. Top with equal amounts of zucchini, carrots and onion. Drizzle with a little of the marinade.

Fold edges of paper over the fillets and secure with cotton string.

Place packets on grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill, unwrap and enjoy.

Teriyaki Beef and Zucchini Stir Fry

Featured Food Storage: Teriyaki Sauce and canned pineapple

Storage Suggestion: A little pre-made teriyaki sauce makes an easy and great seasoning for those inexpensive cuts of meat. Stock up with some in your pantry for those fast food at home days.

I know that there are those of my foodie friends who are dying at the suggestion of storing their own pre-made teriyaki sauce. Yes, I know you can make your own. But I believe every pantry and food storage should have a few delicious shortcuts for those days when you are squeezing dinner between runs from soccer practice to gymnastics. We are huge fans of Yoshida's Teriyaki sauce at this house and we buy it in as big a container as we can. But hey, use your favorite.

I needed to come up with a meal that was pre-prepped and quick to cook.

BEEF TERIYAKI STIR FRY

1 Flank steak or london Broil 1 1/2 to 2 Lbs

1 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice

dash of garlic powder

1 small zucchini sliced lengthwise

cornstarch

Slice steak thinly and on an angle (I like to do it when it is slightly frozen)

Combine teriyaki sauce, pineapple and garlic in Ziploc bag. Add meat and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1/2 hour or up to 4 hours if you are prepping earlier in the day.

Add meat to large frying pan or wok. Heat to medium high and cook and stir until browned on all sides. Add zucchini and cook until tender crisp and meat is desired doneness. Continue to stir occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining marinade from the bag and 1 tsp of cornstarch to pan. Stir until thickened. Add more cornstarch to thicken as needed, 1 tsp at a time. Remove from heat. Serve with rice.

Ratatouille -- Heritage Cooking

Featured Food: Zucchini for Zucchini week

Ratatouille makes me smile from the beginning. I catch myself grinning as I chop eggplant and slice green peppers. I admit there is always a certain silent zen that I achieve when I am chopping veggies but the thought of making this dish my French grandmother used to make for me, brings me sheer joy. Perhaps you have a dish that brings you joy from the making all the way to the eating. Hopefully, this post will inspire you to go make your happy food. My first bite of a perfect ratatouille is the beautiful fusion of memory and present. I just wish my kids could experience the same ratatouille nirvana. Someday, I tell myself, they will totally get it. For now, they at least love the couscous I serve it on.

I know every foodie out there knows how to make ratatouille. But this is the recipe my French Grandma Mimi who grew up in Morocco taught my mother, her daughter-in-law, and I love it. My family version takes about half an hour to cook. Although it is all about the fresh veggies and there are few pantry items in sight, most of the ingredients can come straight from the garden and I believe a garden is a living pantry. I do so love summer when so fewer things come out of a box or a can. I did have to go buy the eggplant. But only because last year when I grew eggplant I was the only one in the family eating it. This year I decided to give more space to a more well loved veggie, cucumbers.

Grandma Mimi's Ratatouille (I halved my recipe because this really does make a lot)

1 Tb Olive Oil

1 eggplant cubed

2 medium zucchini cubed

2 medium onions sliced

1 green pepper sliced

1 to 2 med tomatoes cubed ( I actually used some of my canned tomatoes)

1- 8 oz can of tomato sauce

Dash of cumin (you really need the cumin but don't overdo it)

1 tsp of garlic powder or a little more to taste.

Dash of salt.

Prepare eggplant by peeling and chopping into cubes. Place a layer of eggplant in strainer and sprinkle with salt. Repeat layers and salt. Let sit over a bowl or in sink for 10 minutes. Drain. This process reduces the bitter flavor of eggplant.

Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes. Add green pepper; saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add zucchini and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, eggplant, and spices. Stir well and cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes or until veggies are tender/crisp. Stir often but you can cover between stirring.

Serve over rice or couscous.

TIP: Ratatouille makes a great vegetarian meal and the leftovers make an even better low cal lunch the next day.

Chocolate Zuchinni Cake with Berry Cream Cheese Glaze

NOTE: For those of you who have already looked at this recipe, I did make a change to the frosting recipe. I reduced the butter.

I totally blew my calorie count today. I could not stop snacking on this moist, chocolate cake -- definitely the best way to eat zucchini, or at least one of the best ways. I also really love ratatouille. I topped off this with my own frosting/glaze adaptation and it has just the right amount of berry flavor, even if it is not doing my hips any favors. I think that pink and brown combo is so chic. I almost did not want to cut into this beauty. But I knew chocolate was waiting. And now straight to the recipe because I promised some friends - desperate to use up their zucchini -- that I would post this recipe today.

Cake

1/2 Cup butter (room temperature)

1/2 Cup oil

1 3/4 Cup sugar

2 Eggs

2 C grated zucchini

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 Cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 Cup buttermilk or sour milk

4 Tbsp Cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder.

1/2 to 1 Cup chocolate chips

Cream butter, oil and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Add remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips. Mix well and stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips.

Oil and flour a 9x12 pan or a bundt pan. I sprinkled the remaining choco chips on the bottom of the bundt pan. If using a normal cake pan sprinkle top with remaining choco chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan. Pour or spread on frosting. Recipe follows.

Berry Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese softened

1 Cup powdered sugar

1/4 Cup butter

1 Tb berry jam ( I used my triple berry jam)

1 Tb water

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and butter and cream together. Mix jam and water and heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Stir and pour into creamed mixture. Beat until well combined. Pour over cake.

Freezing Zuchinni Tips

Pretty little green things. I do love zucchini. Of course it is that time of year when your neighbors decide to gift you with their extra monsters from the garden, and not just one mind you, but several. I found several monsters on my doorstep Sunday evening, courtesy of my SIL who had received them from her neighbor. I am actually grateful for the zucchini, my plants have yet to give me even one squash. However, some of them were so big they inspired my son to pantomime hitting a baseball with one. It was time to get down and dirty with the shredder on my Bosch. Let's just say that in an act of sympathy for all of you other owners of prolific bounties of zucchini, I may just give you a zucchini week. How better to start the week off than a tip on how to freeze some of that zucchini. I always crave zucchini bread in the winter when all that is available is the scrawny pickings at the grocery store. I am happy to say that I am now the proud owner of 4 bags of 2 cup portions of shredded zucchini in my freezer, and I am only halfway through the pile sitting on my counter.

Shred zucchini at a medium grate. Two big of a grate and you have shreds acceptable for salads but not for the finer baked items. Two fine and you have pure liquid. If you are shredding large zucchinis scoop out or cut out the seed center. Those big squash have big seeds that just create a mess if not removed.

Using a steam basket or wire mesh strainer, place 1 to 2 cups of zucchini in strainer. Place strainer in a saucepan - three inches above a couple inches of water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Allow zucchini shreds to cool before placing in freezer pint or quart bags in 2 cup portions.

Tip: I place my small bags in a large gallon size freezer bag in order to keep track of all the baggies. You can also steam and freeze zucchini slices. Use frozen zucchini in baked items, soups or spaghetti sauce. Or try them in a delicious moist Chocolate Zucchini Cake -- Recipe coming tomorrow.