Salmon Avgolemono

Full disclosure: I did not take this picture. But you already knew that.

I did, however, make a very delicious salmon avgolemono. So now glance at that picture again and then imagine a delicious piece of salmon where that roasted chicken is hanging out. That's what I ate for lunch and dinner on Sunday.

This is one of those Greek recipes that sounds more bizarre than it is--trust me when I say that you will never combine lemon, eggs, and rice in a more delicious way.

We are moving into High Holy season here-- the countdown to Greek Easter is on and the final Ferragosto decision has been made (sailing in the Cyclades Islands, thank you very much), so expect an uptick in the number of Greek-related recipes.

In other news: we apparently gain 3 minutes of daylight per day in March. Need I say more?

Salmon Avgolemono
Ingredients

• 2 lbs salmon, skin off
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 3 lemons
• 3 eggs, separated into whites and yolks
• 3/4 c grain of your choice (cous cous, rice, orzo, pasta, whatever)
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)

Assembly
1.Preheat the oven to broil. In a medium pot, put the salmon and chopped onions in just enough water so that the salmon is covered. Add 1 tsp salt and let water boil. Boil the salmon until it is cooked through--this took me about 8 or 9 minutes, but will depend on the cut of salmon, thickness of pot, etc The key is not to let it boil much longer than necessary. 

2. Take salmon out of pan and put it on a broiler-proof pan (preferably a rimmed one) with the onions (but leave water in pot--don't throw it out!). Mix together in a small bowl juice from 1 lemon, 2 TBS olive oil, 1/2 tsp pepper, half the oregano, and a tsp of salt. Dump this mixture over the salmon/onions--it will seem an excessive amount but you will be glad later that you did. Broil the salmon/onions until the salmon is gold on top, which took me 7 minutes or so (note: I have an extremely small oven so don't be surprised if yours takes longer).
3. While the salmon cooks, add 2 c water and 1 tsp salt to the pot from before and bring it back to a boil.  Add your grain, cook it according to normal instructions and remove pot from heat when finished.
4. Using a standing mixer, hand mixer, or plain-ol whisk, beat the egg whites until a good foam has formed on the top.  One at a time, mix in the egg yolks and juice from remaining two lemons, fully incorporating each before adding the next (I did yolks first, then juice but it probably doesn't matter)
5. When the broth has reached room temp (and not a degree before!), keep whisking and slowly add the broth into the egg mixture.  AGAIN: you should be whisking in its entirety. Keep whisking until the broth gets thick and frothy. Then add remaining oregano and salt/pepper if you feel so inclined.  Serve warm (mine got thicker, creamier, and frothier once I heated it back up in the microwave) either over the salmon/grain or on the side as pictured above. I poured mine right over top, which ruined the chances of getting a good picture but made for a very, very delicious lunch!
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Can't-Believe-It's-Not-Take-Out Shrimp Fried "Rice"

There's no run-up to this one: last night I made the most delicious imitation ever-- shrimp fried "rice" that uses my favorite culinary chameleon, cauliflower, instead of rice. Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list-- this dish is actually quite easy and would be great for a cozy dinner party on an ugly winter night. Enjoy!

Thanks to Tastespotting for bringing me this recipe

If you have two frying pans, you'll need both. If not, just make the cauliflower and then the vegetables.
Ingredients 
--1/4 c water 

--3 TBS fresh lime juice (to taste)

--2 TBS green curry paste (international aisle)

--1 TBS + 1 tsp honey or agave

--1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

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--3 c cauliflower, grated (about 1 large head)
--2-3 TBS coconut oil (or whatever oil you like)
--1 c carrots, diced
--1 c onion, diced
--3-5 garlic cloves, minced
--1 c shrimp, chopped  
--2 large eggs, beaten lightly 
--1/4 cup spring onions, chopped 
--1/4 cilantro, chopped

Assembly
1. Grate the cauliflower, using a hand grater if at all possible (even I did not use the food processor this time!). Keep in a separate bowl.
2. Mince and dice and chop all the the other ingredients (carrots, onions, garlic, shrimp, spring onions, and cilantro).  Keep each separate.
3. In one pan, heat 1 TBS oil over medium heat.  Add the cauliflower, spreading out in as thin a layer as possible.  Cook for at least five minutes, or until it begins to brown.
4. In the other pan, heat 2 TBS oil.  Add onions and cook until fragrant and translucent, 2-3 minutes.  Then, add the garlic and carrots. Cook over med-high heat, until carrots are soft (5-7 minutes).
5. While the vegetables are cooking, mix together all the sauce ingredients. Now you have a delicious sauce.
6. Back to the cauliflower--once you have a good portion of browned "rice," make a well in the middle of the cauliflower. Add eggs and toss around, until the rice becomes light and fluffy and egg is cooked. Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
7. Once the carrots are softened, add the shrimp and cook until done all the way through.
8. Add the cauliflower to the vegetables and toss evenly. Garnish with cilantro and spring onions.
9. Separate into servings and use sauce evenly among the plates.

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Nurse Kefi Makes Salmon Cakes

Five years ago, I graduated from college.  Roughly two weeks after I graduated, I figured out that I wanted to be a nurse.  Which means that for the last four years and 50 weeks, I have been wanting to be a nurse, waiting to become a nurse, and going to be a nurse someday. Well my friends-- someday is here, and I am, in fact, a real, live, Registered Nurse.

This is, for many reasons, no small miracle.  To my friends and family who supported me, cheered me on, bought me coffee, and prayed for me through all those tests and months of studying: there will never be enough thank yous. Please recharge your batteries for the next few years because becoming an Nurse Practitioner will require a very, very large miracle. To BFKef, the great love of my life, who was there through alllllll the breakdowns (and there were many)-- I owe you another big, fat, juicy steak. And to my parents who were kind enough to give me a low-interest loan better than the deal Barack Obama leveraged from that wench Sallie Mae-- I will make sure my nicest nurse friends take care of you in the nursing home when you are old. Haha.

Finally attaining a benchmark I had set years ago got me thinking about goals, and how we make progressively fewer of them as we age.  We used to have milestones every few months--first to tie our shoes, write our names, ride a bike, defeat King Koopa, and then to make the team, beat a PR, graduate from high school, maybe college, get a job, keep the job, and then.... what? Why is it that when we finally make it to this strange place called the Real World, our goals become fewer and farther between?  Why do we trade the clearly-stated (if sometimes trivial) goals of our younger selves to settle for a long list of "maybes", "somedays," and 'if I have time I'll..."?

I don't know the answer to those questions.  I'm not even really sure where this is going, or what it has to do with the truly delicious mango salmon cakes whose recipe is below.  Perhaps I'll make it a goal to finish this thought and figure it out.  But what I do know is that finally reaching this goal has me feeling more proud of myself now than when I graduated from college the first time, and I can't wait to see where my life as a nurse takes me.

Chef Kefi, RN's First Recipe: Mango Salmon Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 mango, peeled and diced pretty small
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz of salmon (I used canned- just make sure its skinned and peeled)
• ~1/3c Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2/3 c unseasoned breadcrumbs (I used gluten-free) 
• Olive oil for frying, about 5 TBS
  -----
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 cobs of corn, with corn cut from the cob
• juice of the other half of the lime

Assembly

1. Put 2 tsp olive oil and coriander in saute pan over medium heat. After about 90 seconds, add mangoes and stir around. Cook for about 5 minutes, until mangoes are soft and fragrant.
2. Set mangoes aside and cook diced onion in same pan without cleaning it.  Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until onions are tender.
3. Combine all ingredients up to breadcrumbs, with breadcrumbs last.  Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to absorb--this will make the frying easier.
4. Shape the batter into patties, about 1/3c at a time. Use your palms to make them flat. Do not place them on top of one another.
5. Heat 1-2 TBS of olive oil over medium heat in same pan.  After about 90 seconds, put first batch of salmon cakes in-- I was able to make 3 at a time. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until patty is firm and easily flippable. Depending on your pan and stove, it may take longer. If you find patties burning but not flipping without breaking, turn down your heat.
6. Combine avocado, corn, and lime juice in bowl and serve on side, or just heap it all on top like I did:

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