Salmon Coulibiac

We had this for New Year's Eve also a treat. I am not a huge fan of salmon but in this dish it all comes together great. It is best to do all of the prepping the day before and put it together 2 hours before baking. This is a russian fish pie packed with salmon, rice, hard-boiled eggs and mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry.

Ingredients
1/4 cup rice, cooked
3 eggs, hard bolied and finely chopped
3 TBSP butter
1/2 cup scallions, finely sliced
1/4 cup shallots, finely sliced
12 oz mushrooms, finely diced
2 TBSP lemon juice
4 cups salmon, cooked
1 1/2 lb puff pastry
2 1/2 TBSP fresh dill, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup yogurt, plain

Directions
1. Melt half the butter in a saucepan and add the scallions, cook 4 minutes or until soft; season to taste and set aside
2. Melt the remaining butter and ad the shallots, cook gently for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, lemon juice, salt & pepper and cook until the mushrooms are dry.
3. Cut the pasrty in half on a lightly floured surface; roll out one half to a 1/8 inch-thick rectangle. Transfer to a cookie sheet and trim to about 9x14 inches
4. Wrap and chill the trimmings
5. Leaving a 1 inch border on all sides, spread the rice in the center of the pastry
6. Sprinkle with 1/2 TBSP dill, then the salmon, salt and pepper, mushroom mixture, chopped eggs and scallions in separate layers
7. Beat the remaining egg and brush over the border.
8. Roll the remaining pastry to 18x12 inches and place over the filling, press the edges together to seal then trim neatly and brush top with egg
9. Roll out the reserved trimmings into strips to decorate the pie. Lay them on as a lattice
10. Place pie in the refrigerator for 15 minutes
11. Preheat oven to 400º Beat the egg yolk and brush over the pie. Make 3 small holes down the center of thepie using a skewer
12. Bake for 30 minutes, until crisp and golden
13. Stir the remaing dill into the yogurt and serve alongside the coulibiac

Servings 8

Authentic Spanish Paella

We had this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a real treat. It has a lot of steps so it's not something you will make often but for a special occasion it is the perfect meal. It helps if you can make the broth a day ahead. The authentic way to make paella is outdoors but this one has been adjusted to make at home. Paella is best prepared over an open fire, charcoal BBQ or gas paella burner. The reason for this is so that the heat is evenly distributed and because the heat should gradually decrease as you are cooking it. If you prepare paella often, you may want to invest in a Paella Burner & Adjustable Tripod Stand, designed specifically for cooking paella outside. They usually come with two ring burners and allow adjusting each ring separately. These burners connect to a propane tank via a hose and regulator. (see photo below)

Broth
Ingredients
2 TBSP olive oil
12 cups chicken or fish broth
1 cup white wine
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
handful each of parsley and cilantro
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
6-8 whole black peppercorns
2 stalks green onion
1 onion, quartered
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 tsp cumin
3 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 TBSP saffron threads, crushed
splash tabasco sauce

Directions
1. Add all of the ingredients to a large soup pot
2. Boil for 30 minutes (it should be pretty salty)
3. Cool, sieve and refrigerate

Sofrito (you will need 4 cups total)
Ingredients
3 medium onions
8 plum tomatoes with seeds and skin, cut in half
1/4 cup pimentos

Directions
1. Place onions in a cuisinart and process until finely diced.
2. Add the tomatoes and pimentos, process until everything is diced; set aside

Paella
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
10-12 cups broth (remove from refrigerator a few hours before using)
4 cups sofrito
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
8 cups arborio rice
2 lbs. shrimp, shelled, deveined, lightly salt & peppered
3 lobster tails, shelled, sliced, lightly salt & peppered
2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into small chunks, lightly salt & peppered
1 1/2 lbs. pork loin, cut into small chunks, lightly salt & peppered
1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained
1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
fresh asparagus tips (for decoration)
pimentos, sliced into strips (for decoration)
green olives (for decoration)

Directions
1. Place the broth in a large soup pot and heat through, lower heat but don't allow to cool
2. In an 18 inch large skillet heat the olive oil, almost covering the bottom (this might seem like a lot but it's not)
3. Add pork and sauté until no longer pink
4. Add chicken and sauté until no longer pink; Add the garlic
5. Add sofrito and cook about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent
6. Add the rice and stir well
7. Start adding the broth slowly, stirring in between until you have added 10 cups (save remainder in case you need more later)
8. Continue simmering, add the peas, artichoke hearts, asparagus, pimentos and olives
9. Cover with foil and lower temperature to low for 10 minutes.
10. Do not uncover just shake the skillet from side to side to prevent sticking
11. Leave an additional 10 minutes, uncover if too dry add a bit more broth
12. Add the shrimp and lobster (do not stir in just place on top of the rice), cover and leave another 10 minutes or until seafood is done (when it turns opaque)
13. Take off heat and let rest for 10 minutes, covered

Servings 12

Fish Stew

I love soup this time of year and this is a hearty one. Serve with crusty garlic bread and you have an easy weeknight meal. This stew is very versatile so you can add your favorite white fish.

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped into cubes
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp each of salt and black pepper
2 1/4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs all purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1(8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 lb frozen or fresh white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, halibut), cut into 1" chunks

Directions
1. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and carrots, stirring often until onions are translucent.
2. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper
3. Add water, broth, potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender
4. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce bring just to a boil and add fish.
5. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until fish is done

Servings 6

Simple Salmon

This is an easy salmon recipe packed with flavor but without overpowering the delicate flavor of salmon. I make this all the time after a long day, it's healthy and easy.

Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs. center cut salmon fillets, cut into 4 portions
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 TBSP stone ground mustard
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded
2 tsp lemon juice
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil, then coat it with cooking spray.
2. Place salmon pieces on the prepared pan; season with salt and pepper
3. Combine sour cream, cream cheese, mustard, parmesan and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread evenly over the salmon
4. Broil the salmon 5 inches from heat; 10 - 12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork
5. Top with parsley and serve

Tip: Serve with lemon wedges; steamed buttered asparagus and buttermilk mashed potatoes. Reheat any leftover sauce in the microwave and serve along side the salmon.

Serves 4