Recipe(tried): Sear-Roasted Salmon Fillets with Lemon-Ginger Butter, Jasmine Rice with Green Onions, Peas, and Lemon, and Romaine Hearts with Lemon Chive Vinaigrette

Finally, we have had some nice spring weather, here, in MA:-)!! DH and I had this spring meal and we sure thought it was good so I wanted to share it here at recipelink.

Sear-Roasted Salmon Fillets with Lemon-Ginger Butter
Serves four.
From Fine Cooking

" Warming the lemon juice makes it easier to mix it into the softened butter. Wrapped well, the compound butter keeps for weeks in the freezer."

6 Tbs. butter, well softened at room temperature
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, warmed slightly
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives
Olive oil for the pan
4 salmon fillets (5 oz. each), skinned if you like, patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, blend the butter, lemon juice, ginger, and chives well. Set aside at room temperature.

Heat the oven to 500 F. Set a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to make a light film. Sprinkle the salmon lightly with salt and pepper. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon, skin side up, and cook until nicely browned, about 1 min. Flip the fish over and put the skillet in the oven. Roast for 2 min. for medium rare; 4 min. for medium well. Check for doneness with the tip of a knife. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the fish to serving plates, and immediately top the salmon with a dab of the lemon-ginger butter.


JASMINE RICE WITH GREEN ONIONS, PEAS, AND LEMON

Adding lemon peel shortly before the rice has finished cooking gives it a bright flavor.

1 3/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups jasmine rice, rinsed well, drained, or long-grain white rice (I rinsed the rice 5 times to remove as much of the starch as I could.)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shelled fresh or frozen peas

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Combine 1 3/4 cups water, rice, and salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered 15 minutes. Fluff with fork. Cool.

Cook peas in medium saucepan of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add all but 2 tablespoons green onions; saut 30 seconds. Add rice and saut until heated through, stirring to break pieces, about 4 minutes. Add peas, lemon juice, parsley, and lemon peel. Saut 2 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon App tit
March 2002


Romaine Hearts with Lemon Chive Vinaigrette
adapted from Rachel Ray

1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch sugar (Personally, I liked it with more. I used 1 tsp. sugar.)
10 blades chives, chopped or snipped
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper (I used 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper)
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1/2 pint grape tomatoes

Whisk lemon juice, mustard, and sugar together in a bowl. Add chives and whisk in oil in a slow stream. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Quarter each heart of romaine lettuce lengthwise. Trim core at ends. Cut horizontally into 1-inch strips. Place in salad bowl or on a platter. Halve a few grape tomatoes and place in salad bowl or at platter's edge for garnish. Drizzle salads liberally with vinaigrette and serve. Yum :-)!!!