Salmon with Roasted Fennel & Blood Orange Salsa

Since I wanted to use my blood oranges in salsa or vinaigrette form, I did some browsing on Foodgawker for inspiration. I found out that blood oranges work with fennel and both work with tarragon and soon dinner was born. 

Pan-seared Salmon with Roasted Fennel & Blood Orange Salsa

Fennel

1 1/2 c fennel, cut into bite sized chunks

olive oil

salt

pepper

Salsa

1 blood orange, peeled and chopped

juice of 1/2 blood orange

1 tbsp champagne vinegar

1/2 tomato chopped

1 tbsp shallot, minced

1/4 tsp tarragon

1/8 tsp cumin

salt

pepper

Beans

1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp blood orange zest

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt

Salmon

1 small fillet salmon

salt

pepper

Heat oven to 425. 

Prepare salsa by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Toss fennel with salt, pepper and olive oil. Scatter on a roasting pan or foil and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender. 

As fennel is roasting, combine all ingredients for beans in a small pot and cook on medium low until heated through. 

Heat a pan over medium high heat. Cook salmon skin side down for 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness) before flipping. Cook for another 3 minutes, or until done. 

March ingredients used: fennel, orange

Ok, I'll be honest, I could have done without the salmon. In fact, I was happier as I ate just the beans, fennel and salsa. Had I planned properly, I probably would have tossed some jalapeno into the salsa, but I used what I had lying around. Not my favorite dinner, but I was seriously into the bean/fennel/citrus combo. Expect another experiment with those ingredients soon!

For dessert, a sweet treat from Tartine Bakery.

After our Burn class, we stopped into Tartine and since it was my first time there, I had to buy something! I went with the gorgeous Lemon Creme Tart which was just as yummy as it looks in the pictures.

It was a pricey treat, but it was perfect. The crust was just the right thickness and not too crisp or sweet. The lemon filling had just the right amount of acidity and when paired with the homemade whipped cream (which was not sweet at all), a perfect balance was achieved.

As you can see the tart(lette?) was as big as my hand, so I snacked on half at a time. Happiness.

The one thing I'd change: the massive dollop of whipped cream. I ended up scraping off about half of it because I thought there was too much in one bite. Meh. Not a deal breaker.

Springtime pasta in February

This wave of mild weather put me in an even bigger veggie mood than usual. For Jamie's farewell dinner, I combined some seafood I had in the freezer (a filet of cod and some shrimp) with a few springy vegetables and tomatoes to make a light sauce to top some angel hair pasta. Light, crisp and slightly spicy...perfect for this weather!

Springtime Seafood Pasta

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

4 tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp white wine

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 c yellow squash, cut into thin half moons

1 c zucchini, cut into thin half moons

1/3 c tomato sauce

1 cod filet, cubed

15 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp basil, chopped

splash fish sauce

pinch brown sugar

salt & pepper

1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked according to package

parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pan and saute onions until they begin to soften. Add garlic and saute for about a minute before adding tomatoes. Cook tomatoes for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, add wine and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes.

Add squash and zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir in fish sauce and brown sugar. Add fish and shrimp and bring heat to medium low. Cook for another 3 minutes before adding tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Let everything simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta with a slight sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Rosemary Cod Cakes

I had some cod. I had some leftover Carr's crackers. It seemed only natural to mash them all together. The result? A quick batch of fish cakes good enough to top a salad.

*man, I need to invest in some better lighting.

Rosemary Cod Cakes

1 cod fillet, minced

5 rosemary crackers (or you can sub in some buttery Ritz crackers and some rosemary), crushed

1/2 egg, beaten

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp coconut milk

pinch cayenne pepper

2 tbsp oil

1/4 c panko

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Form into 4 patties, coat with panko and chill for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and cook cakes for 3 minutes on each side.

I'm still in my 'all veggies, all the time' mood, so naturally I popped these on a salad with some of my favorite random toppings. Those big dark circles: pickled beets. YUM. They taste way better than they look in that photo. Any tips on shooting better photos? I can't exactly splurge on fancy schmancy lighting and that crazy hint o yellow comes from my kitchen and dining room lights.

As for the cakes...they weren't my favorite, but they were a quick weeknight dish that incorporated a couple ingredients that really needed to be used. Hm. Maybe I'll add that to my list of goals. Try to do one meal a week that only uses ingredients that exist in my kitchen? It'll force me to be creative! Sold. Hurrah!

Mystery Box Theatre

Are you up for the challenge? The challenge of the mystery produce box??

Selin and I decided to go halfsies on a "mystery box" from the Country Line Harvest Rogue Market this past Sunday. I saw an article in the Chronicle about Namu (love) hosting a new Rogue Market on Sundays from 12-3. We chatted about signing up for a CSA box and I thought this sounded like a great option. $25 a box, no commitment and multiple days/locations throughout the city. Another perk, Namu was offering a jar of kimchi with each box. O hey free goodies!

It's super easy to get a box. You simply email the folks at Country Line Harvest (I didn't get around to emailing until Saturday afternoon) specifying the location you want to pick up from, show up with your wad-o-cash and ta daaa!

Massive box of seasonal organic produce.

Produce makes scrappy looking me happy.

In this particular box, we had rainbow chard, braising greens, dandelion greens, spinach, pea shoots, turnips, beets, carrots, cherry tomatoes, a variety of peppers, Armenian cucumber, dill, basil, and flowers. I think that was everything...

For my first meal, I made Salmon with Mustard Shallot Capellini and Pea Shoots

Mustard Shallot Capellini

1/2 lb cappellini, cooked and drained

1/3 c pasta water

2 tbsp whole grain mustard

2 shallot, minced

1 tbsp greek yogurt

2 tbsp white wine

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

handful cherry tomatoes

salt & pepper

In a skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Saute shallot until translucent. Add white wine and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in mustard and greek yogurt and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add pasta and cherry tomatoes. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until tomatoes start to burst. Add pasta water if sauce gets too sticky and season with salt and pepper.

Sauteed Pea Shoots

1 bunch pea shoots, trimmed

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper

Heat olive oil in a pan, add pea shoots and garlic powder. Cook until pea shoots start to wilt. Season with salt and pepper.

I topped these with a seared piece of salmon. A simple sprinkle of salt and pepper and a quick sear on both sides. Ahhh.

How inventive are you when it comes to using the ingredients you have on hand? Would you be excited or overwhelmed about a mystery box of produce??

Last part of labor day. For reals.

Had enough yet? Too bad. I have more photos and recipes for you!

We took things easy on Monday with a leisurely stroll through Russian Hill and Nob Hill. To kick things off, we had lunch at Za...delicious pizzas as usual. Then some neighborhoody shots

And some wandering in Grace Cathedral

I even attempted to walk the Labyrinth (emphasis on attempt), but got impatient. Surprise. I opted to photograph it instead :)

It was incredibly warm out on Monday. I was so glad we went wine tasting the day before...it would have been way too hot to be wandering around up there! We called it quits early and I whipped up a tasty and light dinner for us. On the menu: Pan Seared Tilapia with Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salsa and an Arugula and Frisée Salad.

For some reason I had an urge to combine tomatoes and watermelon...I'm very glad I acted on that urge.

Pan Seared Tilapia with Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salsa

3 tilapia fillets

1/4 c fresh pineapple with juices, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp mirin or dry white wine

1/2 c watermelon, diced

2 medium heirloom tomatoes, diced

1/2 shallot, minced

1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c cilantro, chopped

Combine watermelon, tomatoes, shallot, balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and cilantro in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Combine pineapple, garlic, olive oil, salt, mirin and tilapia in a dish. Let marinate for 5 minutes on each side.

Drizzle some olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Cook tilapia for 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately with 2 spoonfuls of watermelon salsa on top.

For some starch, I quickly roasted some fingerling potatoes (garlic, olive oil, salt, rosemary, thyme). Standard. Addicting. Yum.

Arugula & Frisée Salad

1 large head frisée

1 c arugula

1 c spring mix

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 plum, sliced

shaved parmesan

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp maple syrup

2 tbsp champagne vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together mustard, syrup, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine greens in a large bowl and coat with half the dressing. Top with plum, avocado and parmesan.

I'm having a rough month with plums. I just can't find one with the right flavor...it's either too tart or too sweet. Gah! I was happy with my vinaigrette though!

Phew. Labor Day weekend is done! We'll return to your regularly scheduled blogging topics shortly :p

Running fail, kitchen success.

Perhaps I was a little too ambitious in thinking I'd be able to rock a 16 miler this weekend after being sick all week. Yah? Yah.

Yesterday's mid-day run felt good since I was itching to get the legs moving (I had a serious case of runner envy this week), but apparently my body had another idea. I made it about 30 minutes before the coughing kicked in so I decided to walk up some hills the rest of the way home. I took a little side trip to snap some photos at the Palace of Fine Arts

Can we say obsessed with Hipstamatic? Ha.

Of course I got impatient with the whole walking thing and ended up running halfway up hills and walking to the top. Not a bad workout after all! What are your thoughts on walking? Do you get impatient too or am I crazy??

I decided to give 16 another try this morning and mapped a pretty sweet route. Unfortunately, this time around the coughing cooperated, but I was just feeling too tired to even make it through a run/walk. FAILURE. I power walked home and planned on stopping at the farmers market except I forgot my debit card. Sad. Looks like produce at the grocery store instead :\

I'm seriously bummed about missing the farmers market...I tasted some grape tomatoes I bought at Safeway and they are totally not the same. I miss my farmers market tomatoes :( MUST go next Sunday!

After a quick stop at the apartment, I headed out on a walk to meet a friend in Union Square. I opted for a fairly hilly and long route to make up for my failed runs and to enjoy the beautiful weather. I love that it's gorgeous and sunny on weekends...totally makes up for the cloudy and cold weekdays :) Naturally, I snapped a photo

Once I got back, I realized I might have a bit of a shoe problem...

O yes, count 'em up...3 pairs of identical sneaks. Haha. Hey, just because two of them aren't good for running anymore, doesn't mean I can't walk in them! Since my most recent pair are still ok for short runs, I took them out yesterday. The oldest pair gets demoted to walking. Ta Daa.

I rocked out in the kitchen to a fun cooking soundtrack as I whipped up an early dinner of Tilapia with Orzo Salad and Brussels Sprouts.

I know, I need to start using regular sized plates so my food doesn't fall off. It'll happen...someday.

Sunday Cooking Funlist

Little Secrets - Passion Pit

Alright - Jamiroquai

Rise - Samantha James

Lucky Star - Madonna

Paper Romance - Groove Armada

Yes, I was a very happy camper in the kitchen. I'm sure my across the street neighbors enjoyed the dancing. HA.

Recipe time!

Orzo Salad

1/2 lb orzo, cooked and drained

1/2 c grape tomatoes, quartered

1/3 c fat free feta, crumbled

1/3 c corn

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 onion, minced

1/4 c mustard vinaigrette (see below)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. Onion can be substituted with shallot or scallions.

Mustard Vinaigrette

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp tarragon

1 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

salt & pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together.

Spicy Brussels Sprouts

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chili garlic paste

sprinkle garlic powder

1 c frozen brussels sprouts

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add frozen brussels sprouts and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic powder and chili garlic paste, stir and cover for 1 minute. Uncover and cook for another 2 minutes.

Quickie Pan Seared Tilapia

1 tilapia fillet

garlic powder

olive oil

lemon juice

mirin

salt

pepper

Combine all ingredients in a shallow dish and let tilapia marinate for 5 minutes. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. *I used mirin only because I didn't have any white wine and it seemed like a good idea. Not bad.

Back to simple, fresh, yummy food!

AHHH. I've been seriously craving fresh food! After some crazy rain cut my morning run short, I decided to make a little breakfast parfait:

I used some Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt, honey, crumbled Nature Valley Oats N Honey Granola Bar, sliced bananas and strawberries. Here's another view because I thought it was a pretty breakfast.

So I learned that bananas and thick greek yogurt are not my favorite pairing. A little too much mooshiness going on. Bleh. Maybe I'll try nanners with regular yogurt instead.

Since it rained on and off all day, I took time to veg and unpack a few items...and by a few, I mean half a box. HA. What? I'm embracing my time off! :) I wandered around downtown for a little bit before moseying over to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner.

I feel like it's been forever since I've cooked a real meal in a kitchen, so I planned on making dinner for me and Selin. I grabbed some really great looking champagne mangoes the other day and figured they should be used in tonight's dinner. I also wanted something light and fresh...result? Thai-Inspired Fish Cakes with Mango Pineapple Salsa:

Thai-Inspired Fish Cakes

1 tilapia fillets, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp lemongrass, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 scallions, chopped

2 tbsp egg beaters

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1/4 tsp chili garlic paste

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cilantro, finely minced

salt

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 - 1/2 c panko

Combine first 11 ingredients in a bowl and slowly add panko until mixture becomes thick enough to mold. Form small patties and chill for at least 15 minutes.

Heat 1/2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Cook cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side. Top with mango salsa.

Mango Pineapple Salsa

1/2 avocado, chopped

1 champagne mango, chopped

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/4 c cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp ginger, grated

1/3 c pineapple, diced

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp cumin

salt

pepper

1/2 jalapeno, minced

1 tbsp shallot, minced

Combine ingredients in a glass bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes.

The fish cakes had a pretty subtle flavor (I'd was hoping to achieve more of a kick/zing), but they worked well with the slightly tart, sweet salsa. I intentionally didn't puree the fish (most fish cake recipes require you to put them all in the food processor) because I wanted to maintain a chunky fish texture, not that spongy texture you sometimes get.

I think these flavors would also work great with ground chicken or turkey! A revised version of this recipe might include more lemongrass, lime and/or fish sauce...maybe some ginger?

The cakes were supplemented by a salad a la Selin

Some mixed greens, cucumber, shallot vinaigrette and feta - o so simple and delish! *sigh* All is now right in the world...I've returned to the kitchen :)

I did it!

First half marathon of the year/first long run post-injury - CHECK!

Probably not my best idea ever, but I decided to still run/walk/jog the National Half Marathon this weekend. My longest run/walk had only been 45 minutes, but I couldn't let my running buddies run their first half marathon alone - especially since I coerced them into signing up ;p

Susan came over to drop off our race packets, feast on some pasta and talk race morning logistics. Check out the nifty new bib timing:

Crazy, right? These little strips are located on the back of your bib and you need to strategically place your bib on your torso and have it visible at all times on your outermost layer. Eh....ok? I ended up attaching my bib to a t-shirt that I wore over a long sleeve shirt. Long sleeve shirt got tossed (and may I say it was quite a sight as I tried to take off the long sleeve shirt mid run) eventually. I think I prefer the D-tag timing. Much easier to deal with.

I had a pretty good jog on the Mall Friday evening - 30 minutes of straight jogging (yay!) followed by a nice long stretch session so I figured I would be good to go on Saturday morning. Plan was to take it at a comfortable jog for the first few miles and then switch to a run/walk. I was feeling good for the most part so I ended up running at a comfy pace until about mile 8 and then took it down a notch.

Kept it at a slow pace until mile 10 and then switched to the run/walk, with a little extra run at the end, and finished in 2:18. Definitely not my fastest time, but not my slowest either! I'll take it :) I stretched, Sticked and iced a bit before work and was feeling pretty good...until the next morning. OW. Achilles is still a little swollen, but not really painful. Fingers crossed I didn't mess things up too much :(

Enough about my lame run. My running buddies finished their first half marathon!! WOOO hooray for Sparky and Susan! We celebrated with a few of these

at the Brickskeller in Dupont where we met up with another half marathon finisher friend and shared some race stories. Apparently there was a dude running barefoot through the streets of DC. UM, no. I'm sorry, but every time I see people running straight up BAREFOOT, I cringe. These are city streets. They are filthy. I don't even like my shoes touching them. Who knows what you are stepping in...and I'm pretty sure there are random sharp particles scattered around. *shudder*

O wait, I forgot the most important part of the weekend - DINNER! Haha. Susan and I planned a pre-race sushi dinner, but I swapped it out for a home cooked diner last minute since I should be saving some cash. I got a little experimental and made Artichoke Edamame Pesto. Totally winged it and the consistency of the pesto in the blender was looking a too thick, but it ended up fine once I mixed it with the pasta. I must say it was a tasty success!

Bowties with Artichoke Edamame Pesto and Mushrooms

1 1/2 tbsp Artichoke Edamame Pesto (see below)

3 c bowtie pasta, cooked

1/4 c pasta water

1/2 package cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add pesto, pasta and some of the pasta water. Stir to coat, adding pasta water as necessary to thin out the mixture.

Artichoke Edamame Pesto

1 1/2 c edamame, blanched

3 cloves garlic

6 pieces quartered artichoke hearts

1/4 c hazelnuts, chopped

2/3 c olive oil

1/4 c manchego cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp chili garlic paste

14 large basil leaves

Place first 4 ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree. Add remaining ingredients and puree.

Super easy, right? I think that was my fastest meal this month! Also, note my lack of meat. No, I'm not going vegetarian...I'm just too impatient to wait for my frozen meat to defrost haha.

Tonight's dinner was another impromptu dish since I wanted to clean out my cabinets and fridge. My creation - Tahini Mustard Wheatberry Salad.

I wanted to make a fish dish and started thinking I'd do a quick seared fish over mixed greens, but when I opened up my cabinet and saw the bag of wheatberries, I thought I should try something new.

Tahini Mustard Wheatberry Salad

1/2 c wheatberries, rinsed and drained

1 3/4 c water

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c tahini

2 heaping tbsp whole grain mustard

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c roasted red peppers, chopped

2 tbsp basil, chopped

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Boil water, salt and wheatberries for about 1 hour, drain and set aside.

In a measuring cup, combine tahini, mustard, honey, vinegar, oils and garlic powder. Scoop one heaping tablespoon of mixture into wheatberries and stir in basil and roasted red peppers. Let sit for at least 20 minutes for flavors to blend.

I made a simple white fish (um, I say white fish because I don't remember what the vacuumed pack freezer pack was) to set atop my wheatberry salad. I seasoned each side with salt and pepper and cooked it for a couple minutes on each side, drizzling it with some of that Balsamic Glaze my sister sent over.

Light and delicious - perfect for the weather we've been having lately! To round it all out, I had a mini salad with some leftover Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette.

Um, these pictures make my meal look GIGANTOR. Let it be known, that piece of fish was about 2/3 the length of my iPhone.