Homegrown Gourmet #6 - Breakfast - Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry

There are many reasons that I love the weekend, obviously =), but one of the great reasons is because this is the only time I have to make breakfast for everyone in the morning. When Michelle from Real Life Foodie said that because she won Round Five of the Homegrown event with her Ode to Carolina Sweet Potato Praline Bread. . .OMGoodness, does that not sound delicious?! . . .it became her turn to pick the next event. What a great event she picked! Round Six for the Homegrown Gourmet features Breakfast along with an explanation if how this food represents my home region, The Great Northwest, Seattle, WA. Perfect!


I make these cute little Smoked Salmon Puff Pastries that can be put entirely together the night before. All I have to do on Saturday morning is put an egg wash on the top, sprinkle grated Parmesan Cheese or Romano, whichever I have on hand, and throw them into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Easy and Yummy! Oh, I also purchase puff pastry in the freezer section of the local grocery store because I dread making my own puff pastry. Believe me, I have tried and failed. Lost a LOT of great butter in the process. Someday I will have to conquer this nemesis, but not today!


The reason I picked this for the challenge is because of the smoked salmon. Here in Seattle, we are known for our Pacific Salmon. Salmon is starting to be aqua-farmed so that it is available year round, but I personally choose to only purchase wild Salmon. The season for wild Salmon is summertime. The fish is born in fresh water and migrates to salt water for 1 to 4 years before returning to their ancestoral river to spawn. In Seattle we have a favorite tourist destination, called the Ballard Locks, where people can watch the migrating Salmon ascend the fish ladder that gets them around the locks. Salmon stop eating once they leave salt water, so the best time to catch them is just before they enter the fresh water. This is the time that Salmon have the highest fat and protein content.


The different types of Pacific Salmon that we are known for are the King (also called Chinook), Sockeye (The most prized salmon in Japan), Coho, Pink, Chum (cheapest type of salmon because of low fat content and coarse-textured flesh), and steelhead (which used to be called a trout but has since been reclassified as a Pacific salmon).


Salmon fishing in the summer seems to be a must for so many of us. Salmon Charters are everywhere along the coastline and I used to go with my father as a little girl. I have taken my own daughter several times and there is nothing like seeing the elation a young child has the first time catching a fish! An awesome event and memory =D.


I found this recipe a while back from the Arlington's River Rock Inn here in Washington and haven't stopped making them since. These are absolutely delicious and easy to make. If you do not live by a smoked salmon source then you can reach Mutual Fish, 2335 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 by mail or calling (206) 322-4368 for local Seattle smoked Salmon, local oysters and mussels, and other great fish products.


Here is my delicious recipe retrieved from Arlington's River Rock Inn:

Smoked Salmon in Puff Pastry

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
2 c. Western style frozen hash browns (cubed potatoes with onions and peppers)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Directions For Hash Browns:
In large skillet over medium heat melt olive oil and butter then add potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until browned about 5 minutes. Set aside.

1 T. butter
6 farm fresh eggs
1 T. fresh dill chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 T. orange juice
2 T. cream cheese
1/2 c. smoked salmon (I prefer the Pacific Northwest kippered smoked salmon)

8 - 5" x 5" pieces of frozen puff pastry thawed in the refrigerator the night before assembling
1 T. flour for rolling out pastry
1 egg whisked with 1 Tablespoon of water to make an egg wash
2 T. freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large frying pan on medium low heat. Meanwhile whisk the 6 eggs in a bowl until frothy. Add eggs to pan. Continue stirring, moving the eggs at all times. Cook until eggs are just set then remove from heat. Add dill, salt and pepper, orange juice, cream cheese and smoked salmon. Stir egg mixture gently until all ingredients are combined.


Combine the egg mixture and the potatoes. Stir gently until combined. Set Aside.

Roll out the 5" x 5" puff pastry sheet until slightly larger than the original shape.

Add 1/2 cup egg and potato mixture to the middle of the pastry sheet. Fold pastry into a

triangle or whatever shape you prefer. Crimp edges of the pastry to close dough.






Put filled pastry on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. With a pastry brush - brush the egg wash on top of the closed pastry and sprinkle a pinch of the Parmesan or Romano cheese on top.







Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook pastry for 20 minutes until browned. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on a cooling rack. Serve warm.

TIP: Make this ahead of time =D!

This is the perfect recipe to make the night before serving. Assemble everything up until the egg wash, sprinkling of the cheese, and the cooking. Instead put plastic wrap over the pastry and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 400 degrees and coo for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Yellow Food for International Women's Day with a Lemon Martini, King Crab and Corn Chowder, and a Blueberry and Lemon Custard Filled Stars

International Women's Day
A special event has been put together for International Women's Day by Zorra. Just click on her name to go directly to her blog to read about this event in more detail. The idea is to show unity for women around the world and celebrate our achievements throughout history in political, economic, and social aspects. We are doing this by cooking or baking something yellow! What better way of showing a connection between people of all cultures and countries then a sharing of what we enjoy, that also brings our own families together, for food. Solidarity and representation in using a yellow food. I love it! My grandmother came from nothing and worked selling Watkins spices from door-to-door, as a young woman, so that she and Grandpa could afford a home and raise my father. Since my Grandfather was in the Navy, they had very little to live on. As my father got older, my Grandmother put herself through college programs through the Washington State University so that she could get a degree and knowledge for helping others. With the backing of the University, she taught single mothers with children how to cook and take care of their families. She took additional classes so that she could spend her personal time teaching her other true love, horticulture. She ended up doing both until she retired. My grandmother was a strong and courageous woman who taught me to never take "no" for an answer but instead just look for a different route. Needless to say she was stubborn but she helped many people survive and I know that their are many women out there today that learned the same motto from my Grandma and achieved goals they never thought possible.

Personally, because of her example, I went to school at night for 5 years while working long days as an apprentice so that I could become a commercial electrician. It is a man's world and I am in no means trying to change that, but I am trying to state that a woman can work just as hard, if not harder, have the right to earn the same pay, and deserve the same respect. It is a hard road to go down but there have been many rewards. I also decided that I was going to go back to college and finish getting my Bachelor's Degree in Administration as a long time personal goal for myself and an example for my own daughter. I do college online in the evenings and work full time. My daughter is still in High School but she has learned to look at her future as if everything is possible. This day means a great deal to me and my family. My own mother is a strong woman and raised 4 children while Dad worked. She was a stay at home Mom until we were all raised, she did work from time-to-time as a personal weight trainer for women at Mom and Dad's gym, but the children were top priority. After we were all raised, Mom and Dad moved to Yuma, Arizona and became part-time personal trainers with my father still continuing in body building. He does body building shows at the age of 61 with 3% body fat as of today. I have many great examples to follow and I am proud to be a part of their walk in life.

I am going to post twice for this because I had trouble choosing. My first choice is a meal with a Lemon Martini that I have worked on for some time to get how I like it. I am having trouble with my blog for adding any more pictures but Hopefully I will be able too later.

Dinner is:

King Crab and Corn Chowder

Dessert is:

Blueberry and Lemon Custard Filled Stars

The recipes are as follows:

Lemon Martini
Ingredients:
3 oz. sweet-n-sour mix
2 oz. Citrus Vodka (any type will work fine) already in freezer chilling
1 1/2 oz. simple syrup
3 lemon wedges
3 ice cubes
small plate of sugar

Directions:

Dip Martini Glass lightly in water then dip into a plate of sugar. Let sit while making lemon drop.
LEMON DROP Martini: Put 3 lemon wedges in shaker and muddle or use the handle part of a wooden spoon and smash the juice out of the lemon wedges in the shaker(just enough to get some of the juice). Add sweet-n-sour mix, Citrus Vodka, simple syrup and ice cubes. Shake everything well and strain into martini glass with sugar rim. Enjoy!

King Crab and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1 lrg. onion, finely diced
4 lrg. potatoes, cubed and cooked (I microwave them)
1 c. half and half
1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. clam broth
2 cans canned whole Kernel corn (Drained but save the Juice)
1 can Creamed corn
2 t. Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 pounds fresh crab meat

Directions:

Preheat a 6-quart soup pot on medium heat with butter.
Add onions, whole corn, and half of the crab meat. Cook until onions are clear. Add Old Bay seasoning and Cook 3 minutes longer.
Add clam broth, liquid from corn, and creamed corn. Bring to boil and add evaporated milk and half and half. Slowly bring chowder to a low simmer, being careful not to boil. Add potatoes. Add the remainder of the crab meat the next day, just before serving the chowder.
Cool chowder in refrigerator overnight and serve the following day - if you can wait that long. All chowders are always best if made the day before...

and Dessert. . .

Blueberry And Lemon Custard Filled Stars

Ingredients:
1 package (3 3/8 oz) instant lemon pudding and pie filling
1 cup milk
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 sheet (from a 17-oz pkg) frozen puff pastry, thawed
confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold puff pastry; with a rolling pin roll pastry out 1/2-inch wider than its original dimension. Using 3" star-shaped cookie cutter cut out 12 stars. With a spatula transfer stars to an ungreased baking sheet 1" apart.
Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer stars to a wire rack; cool slightly. Cut stars in halves horizontally; cool.
In a bowl place pudding mix and milk. Beat until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in sour cream; refrigerate covered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Combine blueberries, sugar, and orange zest. Refrigerate covered, until ready to serve.
Sprinkle tops of stars with confectioner's sugar: On each plate place 2 star bottoms; spoon on 1/3 cup custard and 1/3 cup blueberries; top with 2 star tops.
6 servings.

Fresh Poached Ahi Tuna Casserole

I am not a fan of tuna casserole that Grandma used to make. . .sorry Grandma, I love you!I am sure you know the kind? Canned tuna fish, cream of mushroom soup, a little sour cream, a little milk, some frozen peas, and lots of cheese to mask everything or make it taste better. Okay, I kept the pea part. You would never tell Grandma that this wasn't something you liked because she could obtain that LOOK. . .the one where you want to crawl under the dining table but point at Grandpa first and say that it he said it first. Then she would look at Grandpa and asked if he would like to make himself a peanut butter sandwich and she could just feed the casserole to the poor dog. She didn't say the poor part. I'm improvising. Grandpa, of course, would still get to do the dishes. My Grandpa was a saint. He would always look at me and wink when he knew Grandma wasn't looking. I think one of the reasons I got away with it was because he knew I would always make it up to him by baking him one of his favorite goodies the next day. Good thing Grandma was usually an awesome cook! A person could get tired of peanut butter sandwiches, maybe.
I love my tuna casserole because it is made from freshly poached tuna, sauteed mushrooms and shallots, along with a creamy homemade sauce created from heavy cream. You can use half-n-half but I don't use much to make the sauce. Just enough to pull all the ingredients together and serve. BTW, mine does not get baked in the oven.

Freshly Poached Ahi Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf day-old crusty bread or 2 crusty day-old rolls

1 1/4 pounds tuna steaks (2 big steaks 1 -inch thick each)

1 c. white wine

water

1 bay leaf

1 t. peppercorns

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

4 T butter, divided

2 large shallots, chopped

About 16 small button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 t. ground thyme, or you can use poultry seasoning

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. chicken stock

1/2 c. heavy cream or half-n-half

1 c. baby frozen peas

1 pound extra-wide egg noodles, cooked to al dente or 12 ounces egg fettuccine (1 box)

Chopped fresh parsley leaves, to garnish

Directions:
Place bread in warm oven, 250 degrees F, to dry and toast, 20 minutes. Place tuna in a skillet and add wine, then water - just enough to cover fish. Add bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring liquids to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover skillet. Poach fish for 12 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter - reserve remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Add shallots and mushrooms and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in ground thyme and flour and cook flour 1 minute, stirring with a whisk or wooden spoon. Whisk in stock, then cream. Adjust seasonings. Add peas.

Remove cooked, poached tuna to a bowl and flake fish with a fork.Add cooked noodles and tuna to sauce. Remove sauce from heat and transfer mixture to a casserole or serving dish. Use the widest cutting edge on a box grater to grate the bread into large crumbs. Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in a small cup in microwave and pour melted butter over bread. Scatter buttery bread crumbs and parsley over the top of the casserole. Serve immediately with a nice salad and glass of white wine.