Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde

Salsa:


2 large oranges
1/4 cup evoo
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves  (this can be omitted if need be)
2 tablespoons tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
S&P

Salmon:


Vegetable oil for grill
2 center cut salmon fillets skinned and about 3 inches square
(obviously you can cook this for as many as you want or as few)
2 tablespoon agave nectar
S&P

Directions:

For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment. 

Grilling Sides

Well with my birthday and vacation I slacked a few days on posting so here is two WONDERFUL sides I cooked for bday celebration with my brother, sister in law and BEAUTIFUL new niece, my dad and his hilarious girlfriend! Sorry the pics arent that great, we were all so hungry I didnt have time to place them on plates for a formal pic and totally forgot to take of of the veggies until they were almost gone! Thank goodness for camera phones!

As always, Enjoy!

Cheesy Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 pound each, scrubbed and dried
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 scallion, finely chopped separate the whites from the greens
Freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (I use white cheddar is mo-betta) haha
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive Oil 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato in a couple spots with a fork and continue to bake until tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.


Hold the potato with an oven-mit or towel, Cut the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape.  Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along the butter and sour cream and all but a little of the cheese . Stir in the white part of the scallion, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins with salt and pepper with the olive oil either with a brush or your hands. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. I have found it is easier to sometimes put in a ziploc bag and cut the end out rather than possibly taking forever and damaging the skin.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the potato filling. Brush the reserved top with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.



Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.Sprinkle with greens of scallions or chives if you rather.

Lemon Prosciutto Asparagus

Lemon juice (fresh or other)
Olive oil
S&P
dash of sugar to offset the sting of the lemon


You make a basic vinaigrette and toss the asparagus in about half of the mixture making sure it isnt soaked.
Grill the asparagus AND the  prosciutto.
I had never thought of grilling prosciutto before and it was delicious. 

When the asparagus is done you toss it with the remaining vinaigrette, chop the prosciutto and sprinkle that on top.

And let me tell you what YUM-O I got this picture right before all the rest was snagged... sorry for its roughness!