Salmon!

I have to confess I never thought I'd like fish. My fish experience growing up consisted mostly of trout that we caught in the summer with my grandparents while camping/fishing at Fish Lake in Central Utah. The trips were terrific! Fishing while groggy and freezing at 5 in the morning was even terrific, but eating the fish was never a high point for me. Grandpa made some for breakfast once that he battered and fried and that was bearable, but otherwise, I ate as little as possible. My mom made salmon occasionally, but I adamantly stuck to my "as little as possible" rule. All fish to me tasted fishy until I moved to Oregon.

We've been here only 3 weeks and have had quite a bit of fish. Ty was excited to get wild salmon again (after great experiences in Brittish Columbia). I reluctantly agreed to prepare and cook it as long as it was done outside. Still hate the smell of fish!

We've done it two differend ways and have loved it both ways. The first was a tried and true version thanks to my aunt and family -

salmon filet
1-2 T butter
1/4 c lemon juice
salt & pepper
1/2 t dill (optional)

lay salmon filet on large piece of foil. top with butter, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper and/or dill. wrap in foil and cook on bbq for 20 - 30 min.

we ate it with dill sauce that we made up as we went along from what was in the fridge -

1/4 c sour cream (i'm want to try it with greek yogurt instead)
1/3 c mayonaise
2 t dill weed
2 T lime juice
(measurements are approximate)

it was delicious and probably pretty healthy (minus the butter, sour cream and mayo...)

the second reciipe we tried was a recipe we "improved upon" from the internet -

1 salmon filet (~2 lbs)
2 T milk
1/3 c mayonaise (the olive oil version)
1/2 c finely chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 t lemon pepper
1 c fineley chopped spinach
6 - 8 mushrooms sliced
1/2 - 3/4 c parmesan cheese

mix onion, garlic, lemon pepper and spinach in a small bowl.

lay salmon filet, skin side down, on a piece of tin foil. use a basting brush to "paint" the salmon filet with milk, then spread mayonaise evenly across the top. top with onion, garlic, lemon pepper and spinach mixture, then with parmesan cheese and mushrooms. lay open on bbq for 30 min or until fish is flakey.

this was delicious. a little more fattening maybe, but really tasty! if we did this recipe again we decided we'd add a T or so of lime juice and some zuccini and or yellow squash on top. this was a great all in one casserole style dinner. more veggies would have been great. it was nice because (now that we don't have ac) we didn't have to heat up our kitchen at all.

these recipes were a hit with tyler and me and with the kiddos too. obviously they didn't inherit their mother's wariness of fish.

Steak with Potato Salad and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I made this tonight and Jack and I really liked it. It was different from what we normally eat. I cut the steak into strips and put them on the salad. The steak would be a little bland without the vinaigrette.

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 15m Total Time: 30m
Ingredients

* 1 pound small red potatoes (about 12)
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 small steaks (such as Newport, flat iron, or top round; 1 1/2 pounds total)
* 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 ounce)
* 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
* 1 small head Boston lettuce, torn (about 4 cups)

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 14 to 16 minutes. Drain, run under cold water to cool, and using a fork or your fingers, break the potatoes in half.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steaks with 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper and cook to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
3. In a large bowl, combine the blue cheese, vinegar, the remaining ¼ cup of oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the lettuce and potatoes and toss to coat. Serve with the steaks.