Ingredient: onions, chopped

Canadian Salmon Pie

Salmon pie is a variation on a classic Canadian Christmas meat pie from Quebec called a ‘tourtiere’. Fundamentally, tourtiere is a pie that contains meat and spices baked in a flaky crust. The meat is generally diced or ground, including any or all of pork, veal, beef or wild game. No matter what the meats used, or the presence or absence of potato, bold seasoning is the rule for all varieties. The four original spices used in the classic tourtiere are cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Like so many of these recipes that have been ‘handed down’ over generations, each family alters it to suit their taste. 

The salmon pie version takes the same meat pie concept, but uses flaked, cooked salmon that is seasoned and mixed with mashed potatoes.

I thought it would be nice to have some salmon pie before we get into all that Christmas turkey. The lemon dill sauce is such a nice condiment to go with it.

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 Canadian Salmon Pie
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Cuisine American
Keyword Canadian salmon pie
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Salmon Filling
Lemon Dill Béchamel Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword Canadian salmon pie
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Salmon Filling
Lemon Dill Béchamel Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Pastry
  1. In a large bowl, combine flour & salt. Cut in butter until mixture is an even crumbly texture. Add cold water a Tbsp at a time & mix until dough comes together. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap & chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling prepare filling.
Salmon Filling
  1. Wash & peel potatoes. Cut into chunks & boil in a medium size pot of water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain, mash & set aside.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions & sauté until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, thyme & Old Bay seasoning to skillet.
  3. Season the salmon fillet with salt & pepper & place it into the skillet skin side down. Spoon liquid & onions over salmon, cover the skillet & cook until the salmon is opaque, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat & let salmon cool slightly.
  4. Remove the skin & break salmon into pieces. Add the salmon, onions & poaching liquid to the mashed potatoes & mix to combine. Taste & adjust salt & pepper if needed. While the salmon pie is baking, make the dill béchamel sauce.
Lemon Dill Béchamel Sauce
  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour & whisk until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. When sauce begins to thicken, add the lemon juice, dill and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for 2 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serving
  1. Remove pie from oven & let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Cut pie into wedges & drizzle with lemon dill sauce. Serve warm.

Salmon -Stuffed Savoy Cabbage w/ Tomato Sauce

Stuffed cabbage rolls are believed to have originated in the ancient Middle East where it spread to Eastern Europe as trade routes flourished and various ethnic groups migrated. Many countries lay claim to its origins, which accounts for the several interesting riffs on the traditional recipe.

German cabbage rolls called kohlrouladen is the quintessential German comfort food that’s a complete and hearty dinner on its own, but it also goes well with boiled mashed potatoes or spaetzle.

Jewish cabbage rolls (called holishkls, a concoction of ground beef, rice and raisins enveloped in cabbage leaves and simmered in a sauce of brown sugar, lemon and tomatoes) have been traced back 2,000 years to Eastern Europe.

Romanian sarmale combines ground pork, caramelized onions and rice nestled in a pickled sauerkraut leaf, and then smothered in dill and tomato sauce. It is often topped with bacon or smoked sausage.

Poland’s golabki, translating to ‘little pigeon feet’ (named after the French dish that wrapped cabbage around cooked pigeon), stuffs the leaves with pork, beef, rice or barley, accompanied by sour cream and sweet paprika.

Ukrainian holubtsi are typically vegetarian, filling pickled cabbage leaves with either buckwheat and wild mushrooms or a mixture of whole grains and root vegetables, braised in tomato juice or vegetable stock served with perogies.

Egyptian mahshi kromb are simmered in an aromatic tomato-based sauce with mint, cumin and other Middle Eastern herbs and spices.

The Asian variation wraps Chinese cabbage around seafood blends, tofu and shiitake mushrooms.

On a blog some years ago, I made a whole stuffed cabbage but used a ground turkey filling. Today, I wanted to try doing it with a salmon filling. I think this should be real tasty!

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 Salmon -Stuffed Cabbage w/ Tomato Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Cuisine American
Keyword salmon stuffed cabbage w/ tomato sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Stuffed Cabbage
Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword salmon stuffed cabbage w/ tomato sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Stuffed Cabbage
Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Stuffed Cabbage
  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions, mushrooms & garlics for 5 minutes in oil. Add rice & broth; bring to a boil. Cover & cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat or until rice is tender & all liquid has been absorbed. Add salmon cubes. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until salmon begins to flake. Season with salt & pepper; set aside.
  2. In another large saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch cabbage leaves for 5 minutes or until tender. Cool in an ice bath & drain. Pat dry with paper towels. Lay cabbage leaves flat & using a paring knife, trim the thickest section of the stem at the base of each leaf.
  3. Line a bowl with a 9-inch opening with 7 cabbage leaves, starting with the greenest leaves. Cover with 1/3 of the salmon mixture. Layer with 4 cabbage leaves. Cover with remaining salmon mixture & remaining 4 cabbage leaves. Press stuffed cabbage into the bowl to create a rounded shape.
Sauce
  1. In a small bowl, combine the broth & tomato paste. Set aside.
Cooking
  1. Gently turn stuffed cabbage out into a large skillet. Reshape, if needed. Pour broth mixture into skillet & place tomatoes around cabbage. Season with salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover & simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked & cabbage is tender but still bright green.
  2. Gently cut stuffed cabbage into wedges & serve with tomatoes & sauce.

Roast Turkey Breast w/ Sausage, Pecans & Cranberry Stuffing

In acknowledgement to our American neighbors who are celebrating Thanksgiving today, I am featuring a stuffed turkey breast meal on the blog today.

Technically, stuffing cooked inside turkey/chicken is called ‘stuffing’ whereas stuffing cooked separately is called ‘dressing’. But no matter what you call it, stuffing can easily upstage the turkey.

If you’ve never made sausage stuffing, your missing out on all the flavor and savor it adds to the meal. Any kind of ground sausage that you think would blend well with the other ingredients will work well.

You can use dried herbs, but your best flavor will be achieved from using fresh. I not only like herbs in the stuffing but using them in an herb butter for rubbing on the outside is so good.

Toasting the bread cubes isn’t always necessary. The toasting process is meant to dry out the bread to prevent your stuffing from becoming soggy with the bread absorbing too much liquid too fast. ‘Stale’ bread is already dried out and can be used instead of toasting. Crusty bread, such as sourdough or a French loaf, make good choices for preparing stuffing.

The addition of fruit and nuts further enhances the flavor and texture. For me, I can easily make a meal of the stuffing alone. I guess its another one of those ultimate ‘comfort foods’.

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 Roast Turkey Breast w/ Sausage, Pecans & Cranberry Stuffing
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword roast turkey breast w/ sausage, pecan & cranberry stuffing
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Suffing
Turkey Breast
Herb Butter
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword roast turkey breast w/ sausage, pecan & cranberry stuffing
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Suffing
Turkey Breast
Herb Butter
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Stuffing
  1. In a saucepan, cook sausage meat until brown & crumbled, about 5-7 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon to a paper-lined plate & set aside. Drain off excess fat from saucepan.
  2. Add butter to saucepan & melt. Stir in onions & celery; sauté until softened. Add apple & garlic; cook & stir for 2 minutes. Stir in herbs & spices. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in sausage, bread cubes, pecans & cranberries. Add chicken broth & stir to combine. Set aside.
Turkey Breast
  1. Arrange turkey breast skin side down on a work surface so that it lies open & flat. Cover with plastic wrap, then pound lightly with a meat mallet to flatten & make an even thickness all over. Discard plastic wrap & season turkey with smoked paprika.
Herb Butter
  1. In a small dish, combine all herb butter ingredients & set aside. Preheat oven to 325 F.
Assembly
  1. Spread stuffing over turkey breast, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edge. Close up snugly, tucking in the stuffing as you go, then tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals around the entire turkey breast. Rub turkey all over with herb butter & arrange in a roasting pan.
  2. Roast uncovered, basting occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours or until cooked thru. Cover with foil if top browns too quickly. Transfer turkey to a craving board, tent with foil & set aside for 10-15 minutes. Remove & discard twine, slice turkey & serve.

Baked Avocado Bacon Omelette with Salmon/Dill Scones

What to call it — an omelette, frittata or quiche? While this trinity of brunch egg dishes all contain eggs, the preparation methods vary. All are delicious but here’s what defines them.

The traditional French omelette contains eggs, a splash of water and a pinch of salt and pepper. The briskly whipped eggs are cooked in clarified butter then turned out of the pan when still a little custardy and unset. These (colorless) omelettes are rolled up like a business letter and served with only a few herbs. In North America, we seem to want to ‘clean out the fridge’ so to speak, adding just about anything and everything. This version is cooked until mostly dry on top and golden on the bottom. As a rule, they are folded over once, then served.

Frittatas are generally thicker than omelettes. The ingredients are mixed in, instead of sprinkled on. While started on the stove, sometimes they are finished under the broiler then served in slices like a pie.

Quiche, on the other hand, is a savory custard baked in a pastry crust or a potato crust. Quiche gets its richness from the addition of whole milk, half & half or even heavy cream. Just to add another twist to the mix — enter the ‘crustless quiche-omelette’.

This particular meal at our house, was one of those ‘clean out the fridge’ ideas that turned out absolutely wonderful. I had posted the salmon/dill scones on a blog a number of years ago. They made an ideal compliment for this meal.

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 Baked Avocado Bacon Omelette with Salmon/Dill Scones
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, French, Mexican, Spanish
Servings
Ingredients
Baked Omelette
Salmon/Dill Scones
Course Brunch, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, French, Mexican, Spanish
Servings
Ingredients
Baked Omelette
Salmon/Dill Scones
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Baked Omelette
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a deep pie plate with cooking spray.
  2. In a skillet, saute bacon until cooked but not real crisp; dry on paper towel & crumble. Add onions, mushrooms & garlic to skillet, sauteing in bacon drippings until tender crisp. Chop tomato & 1 avocado. Grate cheese. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt & pepper. Add all prepared ingredients; gently stir.
  3. Pour mixture into pie plate distributing evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes, rotating once half way through. Let omelette cool for 5 minutes. Top with remaining sliced avocado & serve.
Salmon/Dill Scones
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners. In a bowl, mix together flour & baking powder. Add grated cheese, smoked salmon & dill. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk & oil.
  2. Place half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients & stir well. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients & mix until completely combined. Spoon into paper liners until each is filled halfway, then place a heaping tsp of cream cheese in the middle of each scone. Divide the rest of the batter between the 8 cups.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate pan & continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until scones are just browning on top & test done.