Category: Fish & Seafood
Baked Salmon with Turmeric and Onions
| April 3, 2013 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Indian, Main Dishes |
This recipe is full of flavour thanks to the tasty blend of turmeric, hot mustard powder, and rice wine vinegar. I have my mother-in-law to thank for introducing me to this delicious dish. Her version involves pickling the onions, which really enhances the tastiness of this dish. However, it’s a little time-consuming for weeknight cooking so I’ve simplified her recipe to create a throw-together weeknight version.
I try to marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes while I prep my side dishes or putter around, but in a pinch, you can totally throw it in the oven right away. The sauteed onions add some serious kick in the flavour department. We have this with rice and simple sauteed vegetables to round out a simple home-cooked weeknight meal that’s light and healthy. Bonus, turmeric has been link to health benefits like liver detoxification and Alzheimers prevention. Read more about it here. Thanks to my mom-in-law for all her yummy home cooked meals. She’s super thoughtful and always makes our favourite meals when we are in town, and goes to great lengths to make sure I have lots of gluten-free options. I’m pretty lucky.
Indian Spiced Baked Salmon (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon hot mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 salmon filets
- Salt and pepper
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- ½ white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine mustard powder, turmeric and vinegar. Whisk together to create a paste. Place the salmon filets on a small tray or plate and spread a thin layer onto each salmon filet, about ¼ teaspoon each. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes up to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degree. Place salmon on a foil-lined pan with coated with non-stick cooking spray (or thin layer of canola oil). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness and size of salmon.
- Meanwhile, heat a non-stick wok or frying pan to medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of canola oil to pan and add onions and garlic. Turn heat down to medium and sauté for 5 minutes or until onions are softened and golden brown and fragrant. Add remaining mustard paste to onions until onions are evenly coated, about 30 seconds (no longer as the spices will become bitter). Remove from heat. Divide onions and place on top of cooked salmon before serving.
Potato Leek Soup / Seafood Chowder
| September 14, 2012 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Sides, Soup & Sandwiches, Vegetables |
The other night, we had a friend come over for dinner last-minute. I had already planned on making potato leek soup but wanted to step it up for our guest. So I took my simple potato soup and turned it into a seafood chowder by adding some baby clams, scallops and calamari. That would have been enough to make it entertaining-worthy but I took it a little farther by making a bacon and vegetable garnish, restaurant-esque. I liken this recipe to your favourite pair of jeans – they can be dressed up with fab shoes and accessories or dressed down to go to the movies. Versatile and classic.
Do you remember the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’? There’s a memorable scene when Anne Hathaway’s character is buying lunch and her new colleague informs her “… that cellulite is one of the main ingredients in… chowder.” A total mean girl moment, yet kind of true. Most chowders are full of heavy cream and butter and while delicious, aren’t very good for the heart or the hips. I figured I’d make a healthier version that would still satisfy the cravings and can be enjoyed by lactose free/vegetarian/vegan folks alike.
This skinnier version of potato leek soup is dairy/gluten/guilt free. Blending up the potatoes creates a creamy base and lots of onions and leeks amp up the flavour so you don’t even notice the lack of cream. Friends and family who’ve tried it can’t believe how tasty it is and always go back for second helpings. You can make any version of this recipe: just the soup, added seafood to make a chowder, and/or the bacon garnish. Depending on your mood, pantry and the crowd you’re feeding, you’ll definitely having a winner with some combination of this recipe.
This makes a pretty huge serving but it freezes well and leftovers make satisfyingly simple mid-week meals; or the recipe can be halved. Don’t forget, your guests wouldn’t mind a serving to take home like our friend did. Who knew that the ultimate parting gift could be a yummy bowl of soup?
Recipe (makes 8 to 10 servings) Adapted from Fine Cooking recipe and Chuck Hughes recipe
Potato Leek Soup (Dairy-free)
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 3/4” dice
- 2 cups sliced leeks, white part only
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 6 cups chicken stock, preferably low-sodium (vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
- Pinch of chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped chives to garnish
Seafood Chowder (Optional)
- 3 cups seafood (scallops, squid, mussels, shrimp, 3/4″ diced fish)
- 1 can baby clams, including liquid (142 grams or 5 ounces)
Bacon & Vegetable Garnish (Optional)
- 3 large slices of bacon, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
Directions:
- To prepare leeks, slice leeks into rings and separate. Soak in a large bowl of cold water for a few minutes and rinse. Scoop them out and drain.
- Heat a large pot to medium high heat and add butter. When butter has melted, add leeks, onions, celery, garlic, and potatoes. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the leeks are softened, stirring often to prevent sticking.
- Add the broth and chili powder. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Stor occasionally. Potatoes should be quite soft. Remove from heat.
- Using an immersion blender or blender, puree potatoes until soup is creamy. Add chives and stir through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Seafood Chowder Option: add mixed seafood, and clams including liquid to the soup. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Bacon and Vegetable Garnish Option: In a medium frying pan on medium heat, add butter or oil. Add onion, celery and bacon and sautee until bacon and vegetables are browned. Remove from heat and add chives.
Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
| May 4, 2012 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Salads, Sides, Southwestern, Vegetables |
Happy Cinco de Mayo! The fifth of May is a day of celebration and reminds me of all the fun times I had living in Arizona, enjoying all the benefits of living in a mucho Mexican-influenced town. This salad is so fresh and flavourful, yet hearty and packed with protein to keep you full for hours. It’d be great at a summer barbecue or as a side to some fish tacos.
I’ve been packing this salad for lunch all week, served atop crisp romaine lettuce, topped with roasted tomatillo avocado salsa from my fave brand Mad Mexican, and some tortilla chips. If only I could enjoy a fresh margarita at my desk to wash this down. Sigh… dare to dream.
Recipe (Serves 6 to 8 )
Ingredients:
- 1 15 oz can black beans (preferably low sodium), rinsed
- 1 12 oz can whole kernal corn (preferably low sodium), rinsed
- 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large avocado or 2 small, cubed
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 lb imitation king crab meat
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine beans, corn, crab meat, and vegetables together. Whisk honey and lime, add to salad, and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with tortilla chips and guacamole. To make vegetarian, omit king crab. To make vegan, replace honey with agave nectar or 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Enjoy Cinco de Mayo with this salad. Or mustaches. You decide.
Thai Shrimp Skewers
| April 18, 2012 | Filled under Asian, Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers |
I’m always on the hunt for recipes that are a) simple/fast b) delish and c) healthy (and of course gluten-free) and these Thai shrimp skewers get top points in all categories. You can easily make these skewers after a long day of work and commuting (like I did today) or for a crowd at your next BBQ. This recipe is one the fastest and easiest recipes on my entire blog, second only to the Macedonian Mama cocktail, which would be the perfect accompaniment to these tasty shrimp sticks.
Sidenote: foods on sticks make everything taste better / fun-ner to eat. For great ideas, check On a Stick by the amazingly talented food stylist/photographer/blogger Matt Armendariz or check out his blog here (even Martha Stewart is a fan).
Shrimps are great for lots of reasons – they cook up lightning fast, taste great, are high in protein and low in fat. I buy mine frozen, either peeled and cleaned or with the zipperback which basically makes them super easy to peel. To thaw quickly, just immerse in water for a five minutes. I always keep some Mae Ploy curry paste on hand in the fridge; I’ve used red here but green or yellow are great too. It’s amazing how much flavour can be packed into such a tiny amount of curry paste and how versatile it is. You can even brush the paste on sliced vegetables or chicken before grilling, just remember, the more you use, the more intense the flavour and heat will be.
As for portions, you can make as many or as few as you need. The portion above was the perfect amount for one with a salad as a main course, or you could do two shrimps on smaller skewers to serve as hors d’oeuvres. At my family BBQs, my aunts use long skewers and add some peppers and onions to make shrimp kebabs. Anything goes really, and these are always the first to go at any gathering.
Thai Shrimp Skewers (recipe serves one as a main course)
Ingredients:
- 9 raw shrimp, thawed, peeled and patted dry
- 1 tsp Thai curry paste
- Canola oil or cooking spray
- Lime and fresh chopped cilantro, to serve
Special Equipment/Tools: wooden or metal skewers, pastry brush
Directions:
If using BBQ to cook, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using. Thread shrimps onto skewers and brush the shrimps with curry paste. Heat skillet or frying pan to medium high heat and spray with canola oil. Place shrimps onto heated pan and cook on each side for 1 to 2 minutes until pink and cooked through. If using a BBQ, lightly brush the shrimps with canola oil before grilling to prevent sticking. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime.
Mexican Tortilla Soup with Shrimp
| February 2, 2012 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers, Soup & Sandwiches, Southwestern, Vegetables |
This dish is hearty, deliciously satisfying, and super easy to make – it’s a variation of traditional Mexican tortilla chicken soup. Suprising, even though I lived in Arizona where Mexican food is amazing and bountiful, I didn’t make this soup until I got back to Canada. I guess it’s the cold dark winter months that’s got me craving a taste of sunny Scottsdale, which is warm and wonderful this time of year. Dear Scottsdale, I miss you. Send over some summer while I make this soup and remember the good times we had together.
PS – make this soup ahead of time and reheat mid-week with a grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla for a fast comfort food dinner.
I happened to find some colourful carrots at the market over the weekend, but normally I would use regular carrots. And that may look like a lot of jalapeno, but this recipe makes quite a bit of soup and it adds a nice flavour and not a lot of heat. Also, when using canned tomatoes for this soup, get the crushed kind if possible. I only had whole tomatoes in my pantry, so I did a little puree after it was done to break up the big chunks.
Lately, I’ve started using organic chicken bouillon cubes – no msg. This recipe was based on Ina Garten’s ’Barefoot Contessa at Home’ cookbook and she’s got a great recipe for homemade chicken stock. If I had more time and freezer space, I would make buckets of homemade stock. But for now, these cubes are a life saver. PS – this brand has a ridiculously high amount of sodium, so maybe try one that has less or use less of it.
Not a fan of shrimp? Chicken is the traditional way to serve this soup and store-bought roasted chicken is a great way to easily switch it up. Just shred the chicken breast and add it in when the recipe calls for shrimp. Or throw in some canned black beans for a vegetarian option. Either way, it’s a belly warming delicious soup that will wipe your winter blues away without packing on the pounds.
Mexican Tortilla Soup with Shrimp (Serves 6 to 8 ) Adapted from Ina Garten’s barefoot contessa at home
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Liters/quarts water
- 2 organic chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz can)
- 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
- 36 to 40 medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
To serve:
- 6 to 8 corn tortillas, cut into ½” strips
- 1 avocado
- Sour cream (optional)
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- Corn tortilla chips (optional)
Directions:
- In a medium pot, bring water to boil and add chicken bouillon cubes to make stock. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and add onions, celery and carrots. Cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes or until onions start to brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add stock, canned tomatoes with juices, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, and ground black pepper. Add half the tortilla strips and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer covered for 25 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Before serving, add the shrimp to the soup. The shrimp will be cooked after two minutes or when shrimp pink. To serve, add cubed avocado and garnish with remaining tortilla strips and fresh coriander sprigs. Add a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and broken corn tortilla chips if desired.
Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard Herb Crust
| August 18, 2011 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes |
This one is a crowd pleaser. Universal. Finicky eaters who don’t like mustard, love this. Chinese aunties who like their fish steamed or fried, dig it. Hardcore meat lovers are into it. Basically, this describes my family. And I’ve served this to both my hubby’s side and my side, families full of great cooks/food critics/meat-eaters, and they were won over. It’s so tasty that we limit how often we make this at home. Why? Because we don’t want to get tired of it and stop making it (this is what happened to my mom’s baked Thai salmon – seriously, I’ve banned it for about 12 years now due to overkill).
Confession: Originally, this is my hubby’s recipe. What’s his is mine right? Right?? Anyway, he didn’t invent it, he found it here and we’ve modified over the years. There’s a reason why it has 4.5 stars, 1,300+ reviews, and been saved almost 50,000 times – it’s delicious and easy. Thank you Esmee for posting this and thank you hubby for making it for me.
There are 3 parts to this fish: 1) Salmon 2) Honey Mustard, and 3) Crust.
1) Salmon: Depending on who you are feeding, you can make this for one or scale it up for a crowd. I’ve done both. It’s the same amount of work and leftover salmon is great cold on a salad.
2) Honey Mustard: AKA the glue to hold the crust in place and adds yummy flavour. Dijon mustard is best, grainy or smooth. Honey doesn’t really matter, I’ve used the inexpensive one in the bear squeeze bottle, and overpriced wild clover honey from the market. Both taste great. Equal parts of dijon mustard and honey.
3) Crust: A blend of herbs, garlic, bread crumbs, oil, and nuts (optional). My Chinese family likes the flavour of coriander, a fresh herb we use often in cooking so this suits their palettes best. Parsley is super flavourful too. I use whatever I have on hand or sometimes a combo. Bread crumbs are gluten free – sometimes I’ve blended some old bread, crackers, or some cereal in a pinch. I used corn crumbs for the one shown here. Nut-wise, I like walnuts, if using. I ran out, so didn’t use them here.
Cooking times for this varies depending on the size of the salmon. Single servings like this one take about 12 minutes. If you’re in a rush, you can just lay all your portions on a baking sheet about 1 – 2″ apart. You can also bake a large filet and depending on the size, can take from 25 to 35 minutes. You can tell it’s done when you see the white oozy bits of the salmon poking out of the crust. From beginning to end, this dish takes about 18 minutes, including pre and cooking time. Simple enough for a weeknight dinner, and easy to jazz up for company. Served with a salad in a honey dijon lemon dressing.
Recipe Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard Herb Crust
Serves 1
- 1 portion salmon filet, rinsed and dried
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp fresh herbs (cilantro or parlsey or both)
- 1 Tbsp gluten free bread crumbs
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 Tbsp walnuts (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay salmon on foil on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper. Mix honey and mustard together and spoon over salmon, coating it evenly.
2. In a mini chopper, combine herbs, bread crumbs, garlic, oil and walnuts, if using. Chop until finely blended. Spoon over salmon evenly including the sides.
3. Bake for 12 minutes or until done, you will see white oozy parts poking out of the crust. Serve with a salad and/or roast potatoes.
Fish Tacos with Guacamole and Pico de Gallo
| April 24, 2011 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Sauces & Dips, Snacks & Appetizers, Soup & Sandwiches, Southwestern |
Growing up in Toronto, my exposure to Mexican food was limited to A) Taco Bell (fries supreme anyone??), B) Old El Paso taco kits and C) Cancun resort food (spring break at a 3 star = pepto bismal appetizers).
Fish tacos are pretty easy to find on a lot of restaurant menus, especially here in the Southwest. For a while, I thought that in order to get them, I had to go out to eat . But I figured out how to make them and now my fast fish tacos are a go-to meal when I want a yummy and healthful meal, with minimal effort.
Authentic Mexican? Um no. Infinitely better than Taco Bell/Old El Paso/Cancun all-you-can-eat? Si.
A note about corn tortillas: living in Scottsdale, Arizona is amazing for authentic Mexican food. Ingredients like Mexican hot sauce and fresh corn tortillas are staples in grocery stores but definitely harder to find in Toronto. I know they carry the fresh corn tortillas at Whole Foods in Hazelton Lanes in Yorkville (not sure where else though).
I used blue corn tortillas from Trader Joe’s for these tacos here but like using white and yellow corn tortillas too. I don’t discriminate, just appreciate.
The hot sauce is the secret ingredient here to keep the tacos somewhat authentic tasting – it’s smokey and delicious and I use copious amounts. D adds it to ketchup for a spicy ketchup-y dipping sauce for his grilled cheese sammies… so clever. Secret sauce no more. Go find it… Cholula and Tapatio are the best (Cholula ships to Canada!). Don’t you just love the dude on the Tapatio label? We use this one at home.
Fish tacos are typically garnished with shredded cabbage; I add a dollap of fresh guacamole (avocado dip) and/or pico de gallo (fresh condiment made from tomato and onion). To heat the tortillas, I pile them on a plate (max 5 at a time) and put a damp but not wet paper towel over them and microwave for about 30 – 45 seconds. Or if you have a tortilla warmer, use that instead (duh). Or you can individually heat them in a pan with a little spray oil.
You can use just about any firm white fish – I used sea bass here but have used halibut, cod, tilapia and trout in the past and all have been great. I really like the texture of the sea bass so that’s my preferred fish taco fish choice.
And of course, you don’t have to make all the condiments for the tacos. Store bought salsa or guacamole are great time saving options or you could just use a few slices of fresh avocado and/or tomato. That’s what makes this such a great meal – you can usually find enough of the basics to whip this up with just about anything you happen to have on hand.
PS – when cutting the jalapeno, de-seed them to reduce the heat factor as most of the heat is in the seeds. I also removed the white parts and dice the green, which adds flavour without too much heat. And don’t touch a jalapeno and then touch your eyes – your eyes will burn like crazy (trust me, I learned the hard way). Wear gloves or use a fork when handling jalapenos or any hot peppers.
PPS – I revised the recipe because I’ve started adding some tapioca powder or cornstarch to the spice mixture to coat the fish before pan frying. This gives the fish an amazing lightly crispy coating making these tacos even more delicious. Revised ingredients are underlined below.
Recipe (serves 2, about 5 – 6 tacos) ***Recipe revised***
Fast Fish Tacos
- 12 oz firm flesh white fish, cut into 1″ pieces (I used seabass for these ones)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca powder***
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp canola oil, plus cooking spray or canola oil for the pan
- 1 lime
- 5 - 6 fresh corn tortillas
- Mexican hot sauce (optional)
- Coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1 to 2 cups finely sliced purple cabbage
Combine the fish, spices, cornstarch or tapioca powder, salt, and oil in a bowl and toss until fish is evenly coated. Heat a large non stick skillet to medium high heat and coat with cooking spray or canola oil. Add fish pieces to the pan without crowding – the fish should not touch the other pieces or the edge of the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes before flipping. Edges should start to crisp up. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until fish is cooked (depends on thickness of the fish). Remove from pan and squeeze fresh lime juice.
To heat corn tortillas by microwave, pile tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp but not wet paper towel and heat for 30 – 45 seconds. To heat on stove, spray a skillet with non-stick cookcing spray and warm tortillas until slightly crisp. Assemble and serve with sauces and garnishes of your choice.
Fresh Guacamole (serves 2)
- 1 medium ripe Hass avocados
- 1 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp finely minced coriander/cilantro
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- Pinch of cayenne or chili powder (optional)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
- Salt to taste
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mash. Serve chunky or smooth. Serve immediately.
Pico de Gallo (serves 2)
- 1 cup diced and de-seeded tomatoes (I used baby plum tomatos)
- 2 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and finely diced (optional)
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- pinch of sugar
- Salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Stacked Crab and Avocado Salad
| April 22, 2011 | Filled under Asian, Fish & Seafood, Salads, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Stacked salads look so fancy, don’t they? I recently had a couple friends over for a girls night and when I whipped out this salad, they were totally wowed. ‘Five star’ was what they called it (thanks girls!). But really, they had no idea how easy this is to put together, well until now. All you need is a 3″ ring and a little patience to put this posh looking starter together. And not only does it look glam, it’s so full of fresh yummy flavour.
A salad is only as good as it’s ingredients. Nevermind the fancy tower of seafood, if the ingredients aren’t fresh, it’s just a stack of grossness. So buy the best ingredients you can – you’ll be able to taste the difference. When cutting fresh mint, make sure your knife is super sharp so you don’t bruise the delicate leaves. To cut, I stack up a pile of leaves, roll them, and slice into thin ribbons before chopping them up.
To get uniformly thinly sliced veggies, you would need a mandoline. Read more about it here. No mandoline? No problem. Just slice thinly and you’re perfect. This recipe is adapted from the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine from a few years back. The great thing about this mag is they post all their recipes and gorgeous photos online. I simplified the salad and modified the seasonings a bit. This website is a great source for food and drink recipes – I use it often.
How do you get cubed avocado? I cut the avocado in half and cut the flesh into squares. Then use a tablespoon to scoop out the avocado flesh. This way, you don’t need any of those fancy avocado slicers. To get slices, just cut the avocado lengthwise and scoop out.
The ring I used here is from Sur la Table for $3.95. If that’s not convenient, I think you can just go to a hardware store and buy some plastic plumbing parts. When filling the ring, press the ingredients down gently. The more compact the ingredients, the less likely it will fall apart when you slowly remove the ring. Don’t freak out if the crab starts falling out – just gently put the pieces back into place or put them back on top. Most likely, no one will even notice. The chives crossed on top are an effective decoy for any errant pieces of crab.
This salad can definitely be made ahead of time – up to 4 hours is fine. Just make sure the avocado is really well coated in the dressing; the lemon and lime juices keep the avocado from turning brown. The nice thing about making this ahead is that the cucumbers get slightly pickled from the lemon and vinegars in the dressing. So refreshing. Reminds me of a california roll.
Recipe (serves 4)
Stacked Crab, Avocado and Cucumber Salad
Avocado Dressing
- 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pickled sushi ginger finely diced (I found an organic one here)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
Salad
- 2 ripe medium Hass avocados, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced rounds
Crab Salad
- 8 oz fresh lump crab meat
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp minced shallot
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- pinch of salt
Special Equipment/Tools: one 3″ metal ring, mine was from Sur la Table .
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the crab salad and set aside. When ready to plate, place ring in the center of your dish. In a small bowl, add half an avocado, cubed into squares, and add 1 tablespoon of the dressing so avocado is well coated. Place in ring and press down to make an even layer. Add about 10-12 slices of cucumber to create an even layer to cover the avocado. Press down and add a half teaspoon of dressing. Add 2 ounces of crab and press down gently. Slowly lift the ring off while down the crab. Repeat for additional servings. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving. Garnish with two stems of fresh chives, sprig of mint on top of the stack and scatter chopped fresh chives around the plate.
Stacked salads look so fancy, don’t they? I recently had a couple friends over for a girls night and when I whipped out this salad, they were totally wowed. ‘Five star’ was what they called it (thanks girls!). But really, they had no idea how easy this is to put together, well until now. All you need is a 3″ ring and a little patience to put this posh looking starter together. And not only does it look glam, it’s so full of fresh yummy flavour.
A salad is only as good as it’s ingredients. Nevermind the fancy tower of seafood, if the ingredients aren’t fresh, it’s just a stack of grossness. So buy the best ingredients you can – you’ll be able to taste the difference. When cutting fresh mint, make sure your knife is super sharp so you don’t bruise the delicate leaves. To cut, I stack up a pile of leaves, roll them, and slice into thin ribbons before chopping them up.
To get uniformly thinly sliced veggies, you would need a mandoline. Read more about it here. No mandoline? No problem. Just slice thinly and you’re perfect. This recipe is adapted from the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine from a few years back. The great thing about this mag is they post all their recipes and gorgeous photos online. I simplified the salad and modified the seasonings a bit. This website is a great source for food and drink recipes – I use it often.
How do you get cubed avocado? I cut the avocado in half and cut the flesh into squares. Then use a tablespoon to scoop out the avocado flesh. This way, you don’t need any of those fancy avocado slicers. To get slices, just cut the avocado lengthwise and scoop out.
The ring I used here is from Sur la Table for $3.95. If that’s not convenient, I think you can just go to a hardware store and buy some plastic plumbing parts. When filling the ring, press the ingredients down gently. The more compact the ingredients, the less likely it will fall apart when you slowly remove the ring. Don’t freak out if the crab starts falling out – just gently put the pieces back into place or put them back on top. Most likely, no one will even notice. The chives crossed on top are an effective decoy for any errant pieces of crab.
This salad can definitely be made ahead of time – up to 4 hours is fine. Just make sure the avocado is really well coated in the dressing; the lemon and lime juices keep the avocado from turning brown. The nice thing about making this ahead is that the cucumbers get slightly pickled from the lemon and vinegars in the dressing. So refreshing. Reminds me of a california roll.
Recipe (serves 4)
Stacked Crab, Avocado and Cucumber Salad
Avocado Dressing
- 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pickled sushi ginger finely diced (I found an organic one here)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
Salad
- 2 ripe medium Hass avocados, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced rounds
Crab Salad
- 8 oz fresh lump crab meat
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp minced shallot
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- pinch of salt
Special Equipment/Tools: one 3″ metal ring, mine was from Sur la Table .
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the crab salad and set aside. When ready to plate, place ring in the center of your dish. In a small bowl, add half an avocado, cubed into squares, and add 1 tablespoon of the dressing so avocado is well coated. Place in ring and press down to make an even layer. Add about 10-12 slices of cucumber to create an even layer to cover the avocado. Press down and add a half teaspoon of dressing. Add 2 ounces of crab and press down gently. Slowly lift the ring off while down the crab. Repeat for additional servings. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving. Garnish with two stems of fresh chives, sprig of mint on top of the stack and scatter chopped fresh chives around the plate.
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