Simpel starters: salmon salad

Salmonsalad2This salad is a great way to make the most of slices of smoked salmon. This salad is inspired on carpaccio. It is an easy way to impress your guests without too much fuss. If you buy good quality salmon, you just need to bring the ingredients together to create a beautiful harmony of flavors and textures.

I like making 4 individual servings, but if you want you can make a large serving platter.

Salmon salad (4 servings)

  • 200 grams smoked salmon
  • 2 handfuls of your favorite lettuce leaves
  • 1 (spring) onion finely sliced
  • 1 handful of pine nuts
  • olive oil
  • 1 lemon. Use half for dressing the salad and cut the rest in wedges for presentation.
  • parmesian
  • Optional: sliced tomato and cucumber

Salmonsalad3

After slicing your ingredients, assemble your salad. Dress your leaves with olive oil and lemon juice and divide them over the plates. Spread your ingredients over the leaves. Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of sea salt.

This salad also works great with slices of fresh tuna.

Barbecue side dish: beetroot carpaccio

Beetroot is a vegetable I had to learn to appreciate. Beetroot carpaccio always does the trick for us and our guests. I make it on a festive and large dish, this recipe serves about 2 people. In these fotographs I used yellow beetroot.Beetroot2

I make this dish very often, so I like to vary the ingredients depending on the contents of my refrigerator. Just discover your own favorite set of ingredients and let me know how it turns out!

Beetroot carpaccio

  • Three boiled beetroots (boil in water for 75 minutes and then peel)
    Use mixed colors of you can.
  • 200 grams white cheese – my favorite is soft goats cheese, but feta cheese works as well. On occasion I have use crumbled Boursin as well.
  •  Generous sprinkling of fresh or dried herbs. I like using mint, basil and/or dill.
  • 2 spring onions finely sliced – although your plain onion would work as well.
  • Honey
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar or other sweet vinegar
  • Optional extras:
    • Ribbons of smoked salmon
    • Capers

1. Make fine slices of beetroot and arrange these on your plate.

2. Crumble your cheese on the beetroot. I like a generous cover of cheese.

3. Sprinkle on the herbs and onion. (And optional extras.)

4. Drizzle with honey, vinegar and a generous helping of olive oil.

5. Season with freshly crushed black pepper.

Beetroot1

Tip: This salad tastes great on a piece of fresh bread too.

Posh Fish & Chips

SalmonMeal

The title of this blog post is misleading, this posh dinner is easy to make. All you need is an oven and some patience. The recipe describes how to make a fancy but delicious salmon in a crust and delicious sweet and salty chips. As a side dish you can mix the suggested sauce. I also recommend making a simple green salad on the side.

I think this makes a great family meal. My son loves the sweet potato chips! It also makes an impressive dish if you have guests. Make a whole piece of salmon in a crust and cut lovely slices. Baking in the crust means your salmon will be moist but cooked, so enjoy!

Fish & chips (serves 2)

  • Salmon:
    • 300 gram salmon filet
    • 4 squares of ready made puff pastry
    • 4 tbsp herbed cream cheese
    • 1 beaten egg
    • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 2 large regular potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • rock salt
  • Sauce:
    • 1 tsp mustard
    • 1 tbsp mayonaise
    • 3 tbsp greek yoghurt
    • 1 tsp mint
    • 1 tsp dill
  1. Take your pastry squares out of the freezer and preheat your oven to 220 degrees C.
  2. Prepare your chips:
    • Clean and peel your potatoes.
    • Slice in long strips about 1 cm thick.
    • Lightly coat them in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
    • Place on a baking sheet.
    • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, the salmon can be added after 10 minutes.

SweetSaltyChips

3. Prepare the salmon:

  • Connect the 2 dough squares.
  • Spread the cream cheese under the salmon.
  • Place the salmon filet on the cream cheese.
  • Season the salmon.
  • Make a few paralel slashes in your top dough squares.
  • Cover the salmon with the slashed squares.
  • Connect the bottom and top squares by pinching the dough together.
  • Brush the salmon package with egg.
  • Sprinkle with sesame and sea salt.

Salmon

  • After the potatoes have been in the oven for 10 minutes, you can place the salmon in the oven for 20 minutes.

This way all ingredients will be ready to eat simultaneously.

ZalmKorst

While the sweet&salty potato chips are cooking, mix your sauce ingredients and prepare your salad.

Bon apetit!