Busy Day Alaska Salmon Salad

This is an easy lunch or light supper.  I made it in minutes with canned Alaskan salmon that my sister-in-law put up a few years ago by the hot water bath method using jars.

 Ingredients:

1, 14.5oz (411g) canned salmon, flaked

1, 14.5oz (411g) canned green beans

1, 5 oz (142g) canned water chestnuts, sliced

1/2 cup halved, black olives

1/4 red onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 cup, fennel, chopped

1/4 sweet pepper, any color, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, squeezed of juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.  Serve with toast.

© Judy Labi 2013

Alaskan Halibut with Tomato & Mushroom Sauce

Back home in Alaska, I am inspired with the beautiful wild ocean fish we have readily available to make healthy tasty dishes like this one.  First I baked the halibut, with seasonings, in foil and then topped it with the thick, chunky, red tomato and mushroom sauce.  Thirty minutes start to finish. The brown rice cooked up at the same time in Mom's rice steamer and the broccoli in five minutes in the microwave.





Ingredients:  To Serve four    Preheat Oven:  180C/350F

Two large halibut loins (no bones)
1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Lay the halibut on foil; sprinkle with pepper, garlic, and squeeze of the lemon half.  Place the lemon on top and fold the foil to make a loose envelope around the halibut.  Secure.  Place in a preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes. Serve with the Tomato and Mushroom Sauce given below.

Tomato and Mushroom Sauce Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1, 14.5 oz (411G) can chopped tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Or use fresh if you have it.  About two/three chopped springs.)
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1, 4 oz (113G) can sliced mushrooms (Or use fresh, sliced. About one cup heaping.)

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Serve on top of the halibut as pictured.  A bit of chopped parsley is the perfect garnish.

© Judy Labi 2013

Haraimi Salmon

This is where my Alaskan heritage teams up again with my husband's Libyan one.  I choose the 49th state's famous fish to simmer in this warm spicy North African sauce.  I've adapted the recipe, omitting the flouring/frying the fish before briefly plunging it into the gently just boiling sauce.
The resultant beautiful, even more red coloured salmon is most appetising.  From start to finish it takes less than 30 minutes.  This dish is great served with bread, to soak up the sauce, and salad or steamed vegetables.  Traditionally it was served with coucous.


Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil
one salmon fillet, cut into quarters
salt and ground black pepper
5 large garlic cloves
one red chilli
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
lemon juice, squeezed from 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons sugar
Garnish:  chopped flat leaf parsley and lemon wedges

Puree' garlic, chile, caraway, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and 4 Tbsp. olive oil in a food processor or blender.

Heat remaining 2 Tsp. olive oil in heavy pot with lid, over medium heat.  Add pureed paste and simmer for just a few seconds.  Add tomato paste and 1/2 cup water and bring up to simmer.  Stir in lemon juice, sugar, and just a little salt and pepper.

Plunge salmon pieces into simmering sauce and cover.  Cook for 12 minutes or until fish is just cooked through.

Place cooked salmon and sauce onto plates and garnish.  Serve hot.

© Judy Labi 2013