Category: Side Dishes

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Office Eats (3): Grilled Salmon Filet with Greek-style Couscous Salad

Photo by Justin Janowitz
Photo by Justin Janowitz

On the third episode of Office Eats, I made grilled salmon filets accompanied by a Greek-style couscous salad. I’ve written about my luke-warm love affair with fish before, and salmon in particular is one of the greater offenders. However, since I figured out a way to make it not only palatable, but actually enjoyable, I thought I’d share.

This recipe is very similar to one I featured a little over a year ago, but this one has an extra key ingredient that takes it to a whole new level. Not to mention that it’s prepared using my cooking method of choice: grilled. The real secret to it’s taste bud success is that I’ve paired it with a side dish that is so full of flavor that if you’re lucky enough to get a flake of fish and a few pearls of couscous in the same bite, you’ll understand why these two dishes are a match made in heaven.

On film shoot day, the crew was happy to finally reach this recipe, because not only did it mean we were halfway through the call sheet for the day, but it signified that we were that much closer to taking our lunch break. Since this was a bonafide production, our production assistant, or PA, fulfilled both a coffee run (I know, I know, but we started really early in the morning), as well as a mad rush for our lunch. You know it’s a sanctioned production when you break for lunch. Trust me on this one.

By the time our PA dutifully jotted down our lunch orders, Kenny, who was upstairs studying the entire time, hadn’t yet come down for a breather, and I was beginning to suspect that he might be getting hungry. Given that we had a date-night scheduled for that evening, I earned my good-wife-stripes early, when I specifically ordered a lunch I knew Kenny would enjoy. He was pleasantly surprised when our PA returned with lunch, and I invited him to join the crew as we chowed down. Little did he know that I was actually more interested in feasting on the fruits of my Office Eats labor than any of the restaurant options.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, click here for episode 3 of Office Eats, from Relativity Media’s #COIN.

 

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Grilled Salmon Filet with Greek-style Couscous Salad
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 2-4
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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This perfect pair will satisfy fish lovers and haters, alike!
Ingredients
For the Couscous:
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1¼ cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup whole wheat couscous
  • 11/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
  • 2 Tbs. fresh oregano, minced
  • 2 Tbs. fresh mint, minced
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 1 cup feta cheese, diced
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
  • freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt to taste
For the Salmon:
  • 2 salmon filets
  • 2 Tbs. stone ground dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 Tbs. fresh oregano, minced
  • 2 lemons, divided
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
  • *Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
For the Couscous:
  1. Place red onions in a small bowl, and cover with red wine vinegar. Set aside to soak.
  2. In a small saucepan, bring chicken stock and 1 Tbs. olive oil to a rapid boil. Add couscous, stir, cover, and turn off the heat. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine cucumber, oregano, mint, tomatoes, cheese, olives, salt and pepper.
  4. Once the couscous has steamed and absorbed all the liquid, fluff the couscous and add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
  5. Stir in the red onions and a few teaspoons of the red wine vinegar. Add remainder of the olive oil, and stir to combine ingredients. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later.
For the Salmon:
  1. Place filets in a large plastic bag. Add in mustard, garlic, oregano, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, and the olive oil. Close the bag, and massage all the ingredients into the fish. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat your grill (or grill pan) to medium/high heat, spray with cooking spray, and grill fish, skin side down first, for 3 minutes per side.
  3. Place the fish on plate, and garnish with Italian parsley and fresh lemon juice.
  4. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
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Giving Thanks, Hanukkah-style: Sweet Potato Latkes with Autumn Spice Applesauce

Sweet Potato Latkes with Spiced Applesauce

It is fitting that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving intersect this year, because as the year comes to an end, it seems that I have a lot to be thankful for. Like many other congregants, my husband and I joined Temple Emanuel, because we were looking for community. Almost immediately after walking through the doors, first for a lively Shabbat B’Yachad, and then for a series of thought-provoking high holiday services, we knew this was the right place for us. We quickly made friends in our newlywed chavurah, and I even played a bit part in the annual Intergenerational play. While my husband joined the temple softball team, I found my niche planning events for the temple’s 20s &30s group, and teaching the Jewish Holiday Cooking series. Before we knew it, we had become a part of that community we were searching for.

As I regularly explain to my cooking students, every family has their own culinary traditions, especially when it comes to holidays. Whether it’s through blood, sweat and tears, or from a box found in the frozen food aisle at your local grocer, we all have our own favorite way to make potato latkes for Hanukkah.  And while I commonly teach my family’s approach, this year, my students and I are doing something a little bit different to commemorate the once-in-a-lifetime event that many are calling, “Thanksgivukkah.”

Just as no Hanukkah party is complete without crisp, golden-brown potato latkes fried in piping hot oil, I would be remiss if my Thanksgiving feast lacked the characteristically orange tinge of a sweet potato side dish. That’s why instead of traditional latkes, in this year’s Hanukkah cooking class, we’ll be taking our favorite elements of both holidays, and combining them into one dish: Sweet Potato Latkes with Autumn Spiced Applesauce. The combination of spices that permeate the applesauce work to enhance the distinct flavor of the sweet potato, and bring to it a certain warmth reminiscent of my favorite Thanksgiving casserole. And the shredded strands of sweet potato bound together with flour and egg remind me of the type of sweet potato fries we all love: crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside.

No matter if it comes early or late, a common truth is that Hanukkah always seems to creep up on us. Some say that this convergence of holidays won’t happen again for nearly 80,000 years, and in my book, that rare occurrence is worth a little attention. This year, let’s take the opportunity during the festival of lights, and share our thanks for the community that has welcomed us all!

As featured on the Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills blog.

Sweet Potato Latkes with Autumn Spiced Applesauce
 
Author:
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: Jewish
Serves: 6-8
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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Something a little bit different to commemorate the once-in-a-lifetime event that many are calling, “Thanksgivukkah.
Ingredients
For the applesauce
  • 8 various types of apples (I like gala, fuji, honeycrisp, and pink ladies)
  • 1 Tbs of fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp powdered ginger
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbs honey
  • pinch of kosher salt
For the latkes
  • 2 Garnet sweet potatoes, peeled
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3-5 Tbs all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • canola or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
For the applesauce:
  1. Peel, core, and chop the apples, and place them in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the following ingredients, and toss to coat.
  2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and pierce a few holes using a fork.
  3. Microwave on high for 7 minutes, or until apples are soft.
  4. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave, and uncover. Using a potato masher, mash the apples to desired applesauce consistency. Serve warm or chilled.
For the latkes:
  1. Grate the potatoes. Place the grated potatoes in a cheesecloth or thin kitchen towel, and squeeze out the starchy liquid.
  2. Place the onion and garlic in the food processor, and chop until very small. Mix the onion mixture and the potatoes.
  3. Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Add the flour until it creates a slightly thick batter around the shredded potatoes.
  4. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add a spoonful of the batter at a time, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 2-3 minutes. Flip the latkes, so they brown on the other side, and fry for another 2 minutes or until browned. Try one at first to see if the seasoning is right. If it is well-seasoned, continue frying the rest of the latkes.
Notes
This recipe is very easily halved or doubled depending on the number of guests you anticipate.

 

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