Roasted Salmon Burrito Bowl + Cookbook Giveaway

Over a month has gone by since my last blog post. In nine years, I can't recall another instance where this much time has elapsed between entries. When I saw my calendar filling up with projects, I quickly resigned to the fact that the blog would be moved to the back burner for a bit. In some ways, it was refreshing to take a step away from it; when something has such a strong presence in your life, a break can be healthy. But I missed this space; it remains a creative outlet that I relish, and it feels good to be here. 

I have Jessica to thank for this resurgence. The other week, I received a copy of her second cookbook, The Pretty Dish: More Than 150 Everyday Recipes & 50 Beauty DIYs to Nourish Your Body Inside and Out. When it arrived, I quickly glanced through the photos (all of which are lovely) and set it aside. I'd dig into it when I had a free moment, which didn't occur until a few days ago. I sat down with my morning cup of coffee and flipped through the pages, searching for a recipe to dig into (there were a lot of excellent candidates). I found the colors and flavors of her carnitas burrito bowl striking, and I realized simply swapping in roasted salmon would make it pescatarian. 

Now, I have the honor of hosting a giveaway of The Pretty Dish!  One lucky winner will get a copy of Jessica's book!

Giveaway Details: 
To enter, leave a comment on this post. Eligible to US residents only (sorry international friends)! Giveaway ends at 12PM EST on Friday, April 6, 2018. The winner will be contacted via e-mail. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another name will be drawn. (Note: Be sure to fill out the e-mail field in the comment form) 

ROASTED SALMON BURRITO BOWL

Source: Adapted from Jessica Merchant's The Pretty Dish

Notes: To make Jessica's recipe pescatarian, I swapped out the carnitas she included for spice roasted salmon fillets. All the other components came from her book. 

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
For the salmon
4 skin-on salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Zest of 1 organic lime
Olive oil

For the pickled onions
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt

For the corn salsa
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile pepper, diced
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

For the pico de gallo
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and ground black pepper

The Basic Bowl Setup
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 avocados, thinly sliced
A few spoonfuls pickled onions
3 tablespoons cotija cheese

Additional toppings (optional)
Sliced scallions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions
To make the roasted salmon
Preheat the oven to 485 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the pan with olive oil or cooking spray. In a bowl, combine all the spices, lime zest, salt and black pepper and whisk together. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, on the prepared baking pan. Cover the flesh of the fillets with the spice mix. Transfer to oven and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let salmon rest on the pan for another 10 minutes before serving. 

To make the pickled onions
Place the onions in a jar or cup. In a bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the sliced onions. Let sit at room temperature for an hour. You can make this ahead of time and once made, store it in the fridge in a sealed container or jar.

To make the corn salsa
In a bowl, combine the corn, onion, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Mix well. 

To make the pico de gallo
In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime juiced, stirring well. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Baked Haddock Sandwich with Roasted Garlic Aioli (Recipe and Thrive Algae Oil Giveaway)

This post is sponsored by Thrive Culinary Algae Oil. Thank you for supporting these partnerships. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. 

My cooking involves a lot of oil. That's not to say that my food's oily, just that I rely on it as an ingredient for many of our meals. On our counter, there are always a few bottles within arm's reach so I can quickly drizzle over vegetables, add to a hot pan, or whisk in salad dressing. For all of these, I've become quite fond of Thrive Culinary Algae Oil. Now, I'm often skeptical when someone reaches out to me with a product I've never heard of. It rarely falls in line with my cooking style. But I've been using Thrive in almost everything I've made these last few months, and it's found a permanent place in our kitchen. 

When I'm looking at oils, my main priority is that they do what they need to do and I've found that Thrive is a great multi-purpose oil. Its high smoke point (up to 495 degrees F) is perfect for frying, searing, sautéing and roasting. Its neutral taste is ideal for salad dressings and homemade mayonnaise. The added benefit is that Thrive is high in monounsaturated fats (the good kind of fats), making it an excellent alternative to butter and other cooking oils for those looking to help maintain heart health. 

This recipe felt like an appropriate way to showcase the versatility of the oil. Here I've used it in a variety of ways... roasting the garlic, preparing the aioli, and for baking the fish... resulting in a satisfying sandwich you can sink your teeth into.

Curious to try Thrive Algae Oil out yourself? Well, they have generously provided a bottle of oil to three lucky winners!  

Giveaway Details: 
To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite sandwich toppings are.  Eligible to US residents only (sorry international friends)! Giveaway ends at 12PM EST on Friday, February 23, 2018. The winner will be notified via e-mail. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another name will be drawn. (Note: Be sure to fill out the e-mail field in the comment form) 

BAKED HADDOCK SANDWICH WITH ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI

Servings: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
For the baked haddock
1 1/2 lbs haddock fillet, cut into 4-ounce pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 large eggs
Thrive Algae Oil 

To assemble burgers
Hamburger buns
Garlic aioli
Tomato slices
Pickle slices

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Using a baking brush or paper towel, spread 1 tablespoon oil on foil.

Add flour to a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, add the panko breadcrumbs. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs. 

Season haddock with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, then egg, and finally panko. Transfer to baking pan. Repeat with all fillets. Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes, until flaky and golden brown. 

To assemble the sandwiches, spread garlic aioli on both halves of the hamburger buns, add a tomato slice to the bottom, followed by the fish and the pickles. Top with the second half of the bun. 
 

ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI

Yield: 1 cup aioli

Ingredients:
Whole head of garlic, outer skin removed
3/4 cups Thrive Algae Oil, plus more for drizzling on garlic
1 large egg yolk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack positioned in the middle. 

Using a knife, trim 1/4" off the top of the head of garlic, which will reveal the tips of the cloves. Place heads of garlic (you can do 3-4 at a time), in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle a few teaspoons of the oil on top of exposed garlic cloves. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake for 55 minutes (checking after 40 minutes), or until it turns a golden brown color. 

Let the garlic cool before handling. Press the bottom of the clove to push it out of its skin. The garlic can be used immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To make the aioli, mash the roasted garlic in a large bowl until it turns into a paste. Add egg yolk, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt and whisk to combine.   While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture begins to emulsify.  Continue to whisk in the oil until mixture has achieved a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency. Alternatively, this can be done using an immersion blender by placing the ingredients in the cup of an immersion blender and blending until it forms an aioli. It can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Hazelnut-Crusted Salmon with Roasted Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Are there things in your pantry you struggle to use up? For me, it's nuts. I'll buy a bag of almonds for a recipe and then neglect them for months. Next to the almonds are five walnuts lingering in a bag . One day I'll get frustrated and either eat them or chuck them in the garbage. I'm not even sure why I initially bought a container of hazelnuts... but they've been hanging in our cabinet for a while.  Occasionally, I'll be looking for something to snack on and will reach for a handful, but it never seems to do much to deplete our supply. I finally decided to take action and, the other day, I ground up the remaining nuts, mixed them with panko and parsley, and spread it on top of some salmon. The whole dinner came together quickly and has an air of elegance (just saying "encrusted salmon" feels sophisticated). You can serve it with any of your favorite vegetables. A lightly-dressed green salad would really round out the meal. For me, I went with what we had in the fridge, some baby potatoes and Brussels sprouts.  

Hazelnut-Crusted Salmon with Roasted Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Servings
4 servings

Ingredients
4 skin-on salmon fillets (approximately 6 oz each)
1 lb baby potatoes, cut in half
1 lb Brussels sprouts, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Lemon zest
Salt
Black pepper
Vegetable oil
Olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 8-10 minutes to par cook them (they're done when a knife slides easily into the potato, but there should be some resistance). Strain potato in a colander. 

Preheat oven to 385 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a bowl, toss potatoes and Brussels sprouts with 1-tablespoon olive oil and season generously with salt. Spread them onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer with the cut sides down. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes, giving them a stir halfway through to prevent sticking.

Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together chopped hazelnuts, panko, parsley, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. In another bowl, stir together Dijon mustard and honey. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Spread Dijon mustard-honey mixture on top of fillets, this will allow the chopped hazelnuts and panko to adhere to the salmon. Spread hazelnuts and panko on top of the mustard.

Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a large, oven-safe skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, carefully place the salmon fillets, skin-side down, into the pan. Cook for 5 minutes and then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for another 7 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve salmon with lemon wedges, roasted Brussels sprouts and potatoes.