blood orange tahini salmon

like most of my dinners, this one started with a random purchase. i was wandering aimlessly through the produce section, past the 5000 yen melon gift sets and on into the "exotic" section, when i was hit with the smell of a blood orange. i love blood oranges, how strong they smell, their beautiful color, their subtle hint of berries. it's a fruit that's fun to just tear into, smearing and dripping the red juice on my hands and face and whatever i'm wearing. there were only two on the shelf, both sporting a half-off sticker, meaning they were super ripe and going home with me. the first i ate in the manner described above, the second i juiced for a salmon glaze.

i know, i know. i did salmon last time. it's just so yummy and cheap, i can eat it every day. i promise i'll cook a different kind of fish for the next recipe. this is good, though. you won't be sorry.

ingredients
3 salmon fillets
50 mL blood orange juice
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp grated ginger
lime juice
rock salt
oil

the olive oil is from yamaya in takaoka. the lime is from a.l. plaza in kosugi. the tahini is from peace street kitchen in toyama (you can also find white and black sesame paste at the supermarket. it'll be next to the beans and seeds, usually in the seaweed/salt/wheat gluten aisle, in a jar or tube that says ねりごま or ごまペースト, 白 or 黒. it will be more bitter than tahini, and you might need more honey).everything else is from e-town in kosugi.

let's go!
1. rub the salmon fillets with lime juice and salt. set aside.

2. warm the blood orange juice, tahini, honey, and ginger in a small saute pan, stirring until smooth. set aside.

3. place the salmon on an oiled pan. broil in your fish drawer for 3 minutes. remove, turn over and brush with the glaze. return to the broiler for 2 minutes, or until flaky.

enjoy!

soy ginger marinade

i should have added this long ago. we used something like this in a restaurant where i used to work, and i just started putting it on everything. well, not everything, but i know it's good on seafood, tofu, potatoes, and all kinds of veggies. ingredients
200 mL soy sauce
100 mL salad oil (like canola)
50 mL sesame oil
1 tbsp course grain mustard
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp salt

let's go!
put everything into a squeeze bottle and shake well. it'll separate, so you'll need to shake it before using it each time. i like things pretty salty, so i toned it down a bit, but you still might want to play with the recipe. these proportions will give you a pretty strong mix; you can dilute it with a little salad oil if you use it for a green salad.

enjoy!

spicy roasted salmon & cucumber mint raita

it's been awhile since i posted a recipe, so i thought i'd better make it a good one. this is an incredibly simple, healthy, and inexpensive dish to make. silver salmon is definitely my most frequently cooked fish. you can get little fillets year-round for super cheap. i made an india inspired spice rub to coat the fish, and then cooled it down with raita.

ingredients for raita
500 g plain unsweetened yogurt
2 cucumbers, grated
1 bag fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp powdered garlic (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

ingredients for salmon
4 salmon fillets
30 mL lime juice
1 tsp cayenne (red chili) pepper
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp cumin
3 tsp salt
4 tsp powdered ginger
4 tsp ground coriander seeds

i bought the cumin at coração do brasil and the turmeric at yamaya in takaoka. i bought everything else at e-town in kosugi.

for added deliciousness, listen to fleet foxes.

let's go!

making the raita
1. strain the yogurt. you can use cheesecloth, but i just put a damp paper towel in a metal strainer in a big bowl. it worked great. i really recommend not skipping this step --it doesn't really affect the flavor, but it does wonders for the both the texture and the visual appeal. you know that little bit of yellowish juice at the top of the yogurt container? well, there's loads more--in about 20 minutes i strained off about 125 mL, and was left with lovely thick yogurt.

2. while you're waiting on your yogurt, combine the rest of the ingredients. if you don't have a grater, you can just finely chop the cucumbers. either way, make sure you leave the skin on. raita is also good with coriander leaves (cilantro) if you can find it or a bit of minced onion.

3. mix all all the ingredients into the yogurt, cover, and refrigerate. for best results, start the raita a couple hours before you want to eat, or even the night before. it will taste better if you allow some time for the flavors to blend.

making the salmon
1. mix all the spices together. these proportions will make a medium spicy mix. adjust the cayenne (red chili) pepper to your tastes.

2. coat the fillets first in lime juice, and then the dry spice rub.


3. put fillets in the broiler on an oiled baking sheet, skin side down. cook for about 6 minutes on medium high heat, until flaky.

enjoy!
i served the raita over the salmon with onion chutney i made from this easy recipe and rice mixed with cashews, raisins, and a briyani spice packet from yamaya. it was awesome!

toro and tofu salad

last month, i was hanging out at max's house after our marine day weekend camping trip got rained out. i was feeling pretty miserable, sunburned and a little ill after an uozu banger done quite right. but then takashi saved the day with this amazingly delicious salad that, along with a bucket of bloody marys, perked me right up. it was tasty, yet simple and healthy, so i had to make it myself. it makes a great bento, too.

ingredients
1 head leaf lettuce
1 block tofu
1 pack pounded tuna belly (1)
2 tbsp soy sauce (2)
1 tbsp sesame oil (3)

(1) ねぎとろ or まぐろたたき (2) しょうゆ (3) ごま油 or ごまあぶら

i got the sesame oil at marushin in takaoka. everything else is from e-town in kosugi.

i listened to nujabes--metaphorical music while preparing this.

let's go!
1. cut lettuce into thin strips and place first on the plate.

2. put tofu on top of lettuce. i cut my tofu into little blocks, but you could just as well leave it whole.

3. now, the tuna. toro is the fatty part of the tuna, and is definitely the most delicious. if you can't find it, go to the sashimi counter in the seafood section and ask for it. it should already be pounded up, so all you have to do is sprinkle it on the tofu.

4. pour the soy sauce and sesame oil on top. you should be able to get sesame oil in a regular grocery store--just ask for goma abura if you can't find it. if you are a tall blonde, the grocey girl may freak out when you try to talk to her, but you must resist the urge to backhand her. that solves nothing. talk to someone else who isn't a total hivemind basketcase.

enjoy!
this was just as good the second time. i sprinkled some sesame seeds on top when i had it for lunch the next day, and that gave it a nice texture--i recommend. takashi served a bowl of this with natto at max's house. not my jam, but he says it's great, so if you like natto, rock on. thanks for the recipe, takashi!