Salmon Baked in Foil and four years of blogging

The past four years have gone by in a breeze.  So what better way to celebrate the four year milestone of this little blog than with a breezy recipe?  Thank you to all my friends out there who make this journey fun, exciting and worthwhile, who try my recipes and who read my mostly incoherent ramblings.  I couldn’t have done it without you!  Thank you all so much!! 

Recently, it would seem that I’ve been avoiding complicated recipes like the bubonic plague.  Well, maybe I’m being a tad harsh; I wasn’t so adamant at dodging any elaborate recipes per se, I just happened to be really absorbed in this phase of lazy cooking, the less cooking involved the better.  Or you can say that I’ve been basking in the realm of easy, clean and few-ingredient dishes.  

And this Salmon Baked in Foil recipe is right up that alley.  Not to mention that this is a dish Adrian and I have been feasting on more times than I care to count this summer and we’re still not tired of it.  Every time I was mulling over what to whip up for dinner, a tiny voice was growling in my head: salmon, salmon, salmon.  Besides, it’s the first year that I’m celebrating my blog’s anniversary with a non-plum related recipe.  That says a lot!    

In a nutshell, this Salmon Baked in Foil is an unpretentious and easy dish with a nice gourmet edge to it; it’s simple, superb and mess-free.  The fish is perfectly cooked and the wrapping produces a lip-smacking blend of flavorful juices and aromas.  The only downside to it – it’ll be hard if not downright impossible to order salmon in a restaurant once you’ve tried this recipe.  Pair it with this lovely Creamed Corn or this Fluffy Basmati Rice and you’ve got yourself a sinfully delicious meal!  Enjoy!   

   

Salmon Baked in Foil

Adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis

Makes: 2 main-course servings

Ingredients:

·         1 medium tomato, chopped, or ½ (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained

·         1 shallot, chopped (if you’re not very picky, half of a small yellow onion will work just fine, too)

·         2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

·         1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about half a lemon)

·         ½ teaspoon dried oregano

·         ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·         ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus a bit more for salmon

·         ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus a bit more for salmon

·         2 salmon fillets (about 5 ounces each)

·         Parchment paper or aluminum foil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.  In a small bowl, stir the tomatoes, shallot, 2 Tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  

Place each salmon fillet, skin side up in the center of each of two large sheets of parchment paper (or aluminum foil).  Spoon 1 teaspoon of oil over the skin of each salmon fillet.  Turn the fillets over and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon fillets.  Fold the sides of the parchment paper over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely, and seal the packets closed by twisting the ends.  Place the foil packets on a large, heavy baking sheet.  (The salmon packets can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead.  Refrigerate until ready to bake.)

Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 23-25 minutes.  Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.  (You may want to unwrap and plate the fish in the kitchen before serving.)   

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread

I’m an only child, which on occasion means being spoiled rotten.  So, when at age eleven I demanded a puppy, my parents happily obliged.  Granted, the three of us lived in an eight hundred square foot one bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of a ten story building with no air conditioning during the scorching summer months.  Did it matter?  Not at all…  The four of us simply learned how to gloriously bake in the one bedroom hell of a sauna.  But being treated like a princess was not the case when visiting my grandparents in the northern part of Romania.       

Maramureș, a region in the northern part of Romania, is a place where time seems to stand still and hundreds of years of culture and traditions are firmly engrained in the rugged mentality, hardened way of life and extremely hardworking people.  It is here where the nearby volcanic mountains are proudly covered in a dense layer of snow well into spring; where locals master the elaborate process of making the famous ţuică drink every year (my ninety five year old great-grandmother is still deeply invested in this process); not to mention how chickens and other domestic animals roam freely around the yard all day long and are considered proud members of the family.  Maramureș is also the place where I learned how to forage for plump beautiful mushrooms in the untamed forests, how to gingerly maneuver a two handle saw and help my grandfather cut wood at the very young age of four, and most importantly where I learned how to whip up this rustic and mouthwatering Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread. 

These flatbreads are without a doubt a staple in my grandma Aurica’s kitchen – simple, basic dough stuffed with a cheesy goodness.  It can’t get better or easier than that!  They are unpretentious and versatile; delicious for breakfast, satisfying as a snack, great for lunch, and light for a quick dinner.  Needless to say, they are a terrific alternative for the beloved bread.  The yeasty dough winds up tender and sweetly chewy while nestling a perfectly salty and savory interior.  These Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbreads are deeply flavorful without being fussy and I guarantee you won’t stop with just one.  Enjoy!  

Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread

By Simply Romanesco inspired my Grandma Vicki and Grandma Aurica

Makes: 15 stuffed flatbreads

Ingredients:

·         500 grams (3 ½ cups) all-purpose flour

·         ½ teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 packet (7 grams) fast rise dry yeast

·         1 ½ teaspoon sugar

·         1 large egg, at room temperature

·         125 ml (1/2 cup) water

·         125 (1/2 cup) whole milk

·         50 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil, plus more for frying

Ingredients for the filling:

·         350 grams (12 oz) feta cheese

·         A good bunch of fresh dill, chopped (the green parts of green onions, chopped, also work really well)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, yeast and sugar.  Mix well.  Add the egg, water and milk and, using clean hands, gently combine all the ingredients.  Add the oil and mix well until the dough gathers into a ball.  Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes pliable and easy to work with.  Leave the dough in the bowl.  Cover the bowl with a dish towel and allow the dough to rest and rise for an hour and a half until it almost doubles in size.

In the meantime, combine the feta cheese and dill in a medium bowl and set aside.

Divide the dough into 15 balls.  Lightly flour the work surface and the rolling pin and roll out the balls of dough one at a time.  Add a heaping Tablespoon of the feta cheese and dill filling and fold the edges of the dough to seal the filling inside.  Set aside and allow the filled concoction to rest for 10 minutes.  Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. 

Lightly flour the rolling pin and roll out each of the filled doughs careful not to break the surface and the filling to spill out.    
    

  

In a large skillet, heat about ½ cup of vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add one or two flatbreads at a time and cook them over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden-brown.  Place the cooked flatbreads on a platter and cover to keep warm.

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Tableau at Wynn

I know we’re in the midst of the scorching summer and Las Vegas, where the mercury escalates to mind-numbing temperatures this time of the year, is probably the last place on Earth you’d want to be.  But if you do find yourself in the baking heat of Sin City, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Tableau at Wynn Hotel and Casino for an unforgettable breakfast, lunch or weekend brunch.

 

I haven’t reviewed a restaurant in a very long time, and I think that Tableau is an ideal fine dining restaurant to get back in the saddle.  Tableau is a bright and charming little spot tucked away in the serene vicinity of the Wynn Tower suites.  Upon arriving, you enter a bohemian and whimsical setting with a breathtakingly stunning décor flooded with fresh flowers, natural light, cozy chairs with adorable designs on every backrest, immaculate linens, and a gorgeous single rose on each table.  

Besides the food at Tableau, I cannot rave enough about the staff: impeccably trained, attentive and eager to accommodate any extravagant requirement.  On top of it, even your purse gets a specially crafted stool to sit on!  And before I finally move on to the most important subject – the food – at Tableau you have the option of dining inside, in the romantic conservatory while enjoying a sweeping view or poolside.  Everything here is so classy yet relaxed and the perfect place to spend your day.   

   

Now, let’s talk about the food, which, in my humble opinion, is particularly good.  From the start, you should know that Tableau only offers breakfast and lunch from Monday through Friday, and brunch on the weekends, so plan accordingly.  Also, be advised that the regular and vegetarian / vegan menus at Tableau change throughout the year, and seasonal items are added and dropped regularly, but there is always a vast assortment of tantalizing and sophisticated items to choose from that are nothing short of stellar!  Here are our favorites:

-          Juices and smoothies

-          Roasted Clam & Corn Chowder

-          Handmade Orecchiette

-          House-made Pappardelle with Duck Confit

-          Soft Shell Crab Sandwich

-          Banana-Sour Cream Pancakes

-          Hot Beignets

-          Vanilla Latte

-          Cappuccino        

First off, I need to mention the bread basket.  On our first visit to Tableau, we were treated to a rather traditional bread basket filled with a couple of slices of sourdough bread, popovers, which I’m mildly obsessed with, and house-made crackers.  Currently, waiters meander around the dining area with a large bread basket loaded with four different types of complimentary popovers including cornbread and bacon popovers.  Needless to say, I opt for the cornbread while Adrian goes for the bacon popover. 

Tableau offers an eclectic selection of detoxifying freshly squeezed juices and smoothies plus an additional juice of the day.  Below, you have the Flight of Fresh Juices, which comes with samples of their three main juices, Orange Zest (a mixture of orange, carrot, ginger, asian pear and nectar), Red Deliciousness (a mix of fuji apple, bell pepper, pomegranate, beet and lime), and Purify (a combination of honeydew, green apple, kale, spinach, cayenne and organic honey.)   

The Roasted Clam & Corn Chowder listed on the Lunch menu is a must for a corn junkie like me.  This soup is sweet and savory, creamy yet light, with a delicate smokiness, a vibrant punch from the poblano pepper, richness from the bacon, and a cheesy crunch from the house-made crackers.  You’ll also receive a side of hot sauce to drizzle over the soup for that extra kick of spiciness and light acidity.  Personally, I skipped the hot sauce and fully enjoyed this out of this world super delicious soup unadorned.  I was very, very happy! 

As mentioned above, the restaurant provides a generous vegetarian / vegan menu.  On our last visit, we decided to try the Handmade Orecchiette with wild mushrooms, asparagus and fresh tomatoes, although we’re both die hard carnivores.  Truth be told, I didn’t think there was anything ground-breaking about this dish, but it was definitely simple, elegant, and very tasty.

To continue with the pasta theme, our most memorable pasta dish is hands down, the House-made Pappardelle with Duck Confit.  It is a rustic yet refined plate of freshly made artisanal black-pepper pappardelle pasta served with tender house-made Muscovy duck confit, sautéed organic spinach, and a poached organic egg, and finished with a few drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil, fleur de sel and a couple of shaves of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  The good thing about this luxurious delicacy is that it’s a truly glorious dish.  The bad thing about it is that it’s no longer the menu.  But I wanted to tell you about it so that you see the fine art, quality ingredients and small details that go into preparing the sophisticated dishes at Tableau.  

           

La pièce de résistance, however, is without a doubt the Soft Shell Crab Sandwich.  A fat, meaty soft shell crab, deep fried to a perfect crunch layered on fresh bibb lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and fried onions, nestled in a toasty brioche roll and smeared with a lovely creole rémoulade.  The sandwich is accompanied by seasoned fries and a wonderfully sweet and tangy house-made ketchup speckled with tomato seeds that I couldn’t get enough of.  This sandwich will rock your world and I don’t see it going away anytime soon.     

The Banana-Sour Cream Pancakes are the best pancakes I’ve ever had!  They are great as your breakfast main course, sweet treat or shared dessert after a copious meal.  These sour cream and lemon pancakes are adorned with slices of banana, nutty and crusty house-made granola, dusted with powdered sugar, and smartened up with a good shower of pure Vermont maple syrup.  I should probably add that they are nothing short of spectacular; light and airy, dense and rich, not the slightest bit heavy or rubbery or bland, but packed with flavor and delicate texture, just how proper homemade pancakes should taste like.  It didn’t take us long to polish the plate until it shined.   

For a more proper dessert, try the Hot Beignets injected with boozy caramel sauce and drenched in powdered sugar.  All you have to do is dip them in the side of decadent chocolate sauce and fully enjoy these boozed-up cottony pillows.  Heaven!   

And to end an excellent meal, order a frothy cappuccino or a cup of vanilla latte.  Either one will seal the deal quite nicely.

One final word, like with many other restaurants at Wynn and Encore, it’s always a good idea to make reservations ahead of time.  If you’re celebrating anything in particular it never hurts to let them know.  And I’d encourage you to venture out to Tableau at the beginning of your Las Vegas trip because you might want to go back!

Restaurant Information:

Tableau

Wynn Resort Las Vegas

3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S

Las Vegas, NV 89109

Phone: (702) 770-3463

Tableau serves breakfast daily 7-11:30 am and lunch 11:30 am-2:30 pm.

http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/Restaurants/FineDining/Tableau

Fish Soup with Fennel and Baby Potatoes

Bon Appétit calls this dish a Fish Stew with Fennel and Baby Potatoes, a perfectly acceptable name except that this fish concoction seemed at odds with the description “stew” especially after I had toyed with it and custom-made it to fit my wishes.  In the end, it turned out to be a gloriously light and meaty fish and broth mélange, something that nestled comfortably between a soup and a chowder.  Rachael Ray might name this fish soup a choup, meaning that it’s thicker than a soup but not quite a chowder, but I’ll simply call it a Fish Soup with Fennel and Baby Potatoes. 

Whatever you decide to call it, make sure you try this recipe!  It’s super easy and fast to whip up and the result is deliciously refined.  I first made this soup a couple of days after I laid my eyes on it in the April issue of Bon Appétit and more than half a dozen times since.  But the best part about this simple yet flavor-complex fish soup is that it instantly brings me back to Westport, MA and The Bayside Restaurant where I used to religiously devour their legendary Rhode Island style chowders (and the ridiculously stuffed lobster roll) on our regular trips to the beach every summer when we lived in Boston.  

Overall, this dish is so refreshing and summery, piled up with subtle flavors and silky fish.  The crème fraȋche gives the soup a pleasant richness while still keeping a thin and light broth.  The corn and potatoes add a tad of sweetness and that extra level of texture, the dill brings freshness and color, whereas the highly encouraged squeeze of lemon before serving brightens up the symphony of aromas.  It is so good, you’ll make this soup all summer long!    

Fish Soup with Fennel and Baby Potatoes

Adapted from Bon Appétit (April 2014)

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         ½ lb. small waxy potatoes (such as baby Yukon Gold), scrubbed, sliced ¼” thick

·         ½ medium fennel bulb, finely chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

·         Salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         ¼ cup dry white wine

·         1 cup frozen corn

·         Heaped ¼ cup crème fraȋche

·         1 ½ lb. skinless flounder or fluke fillet, cut into 2” pieces

·         2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

·         Lemon wedges (for serving)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and cook them, tossing occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the fennel and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is soft, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes.  

Add the corn and 6 cups of water to the pot, season with salt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.  Stir in the crème fraȋche.  Add the flounder and 2 more cups of water, cover the pot, and reduce the heat.  Simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.  

Stir the dill into the soup; season with more salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve with lemon wedges.    

  

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)