Salmon in Coconut Milk

I'm not sure if I can contain my excitement or focus long enough to write this blog post. 

You see, I'm going on vacation tomorrow. Not just any vacation. I'm going on my first vacation after having my Daughter nearly 8 months ago. 

Sure, it's only Palm Springs. It's only 1.5 hours away from home, so what? It's a vacation! 

I'm sure I'm underestimating the amount of separation anxiety I'll experience, but I'm gonna choose to embrace the time away. 

"You'll get to sleep all night and as late as you want" my Husband says. "Sold" says me. One long pregnancy and 8 short months (whoa, that went fast!) I get to drink a couple glasses of wine without being sobered by Mom duties, sleep a whole night through, read a book without folding every corner, and most importantly, go 3 whole days without washing a baby bottle. Yipee! 

Since this vacation is so deserved and anticipated, I'm leaving you guys (anyone out there? cricket...cricket) with a recipe and I'm signing off of all social media accounts until Monday. Will I survive? Not sure. But, I'm going to enjoy the time away from working. Cheers! 

Introducing- Your new favorite way to prepare Salmon... 

Salmon in Coconut Milk 

4 salmon portions, skin off 

1 Cup Vegetable broth

1 Can Coconut Milk 

1 Tablespoon coconut oil 

1 lime, sliced in half 

salt and pepper

• Pour the vegetable broth and coconut milk into a medium skillet, add the coconut oil and place on high heat. 
• When the liquid has reached a boil, season salmon with salt and pepper and add it to the pan, presentation side down. Add the lime slices, flesh-side down. 
• Turn the heat to medium-high and let salmon simmer for 3 minutes. Flip salmon over, cover the skillet, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until salmon has reached desired doneness. 
• I serve mine with brown rice or a cold soba noodle salad. 

Salmon Burgers with Avocado Aioli

Growing up, we didn't have a ton of money, and we usually ate from a very short list of menu items each week. My Mom offered up tacos, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, and chili dogs for dinner regularly. She had a few other items in her holster that were simple, but special. Meatloaf was one of them. When asked the question, "What would you have for your last meal?" I typically answer, "My Mother's meatloaf". Another one was Salmon Patties. She adapted the recipe from my Grandmother (who is a wonderful and traditional cook) and maybe made a few alterations. Made up of canned salmon, eggs, seasonings, and not much else. Much like the meatloaf, they were served with ketchup.

I crave those patties often. When I was traveling and living away from home, there came a few times when I found myself at the grocery store, buying cans of salmon and running home to cure my craving. Everyone can relate to this- it's a meal that brings me back to my childhood. It makes me feel like I'm a kid again. I remember playing outside all day with the neighbor kids then returning home for dinner. When I walked in the house, you could smell food cooking and feel the warmth that the stove puts off. Usually, I was walking towards the dinner table hoping it would be salmon patties, that meatloaf, or my other favorite, goulash. They always tasted the same. They always tasted like Mom made them.

Yesterday, the craving returned. However, my taste buds and diet have changed dramatically since Mom was cooking for me. It made me think of one of my favorite lunch spots in Jackson Hole, WY called Betty Rock. They had a killer Asian-inspired salmon burger. Last night I put the two ideas together and made magic happen. My Salmon Burgers with Avocado Aioli turned out awesome! I used a new brand of gluten-free wraps that I've fallen in love with and served them with roasted potatoes. The organic ketchup was saved for the potatoes.

Salmon Burgers
4 Cans of wild caught salmon
1/2 Cup green or red onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Eggs
Pinch of fresh or ground ginger
Coconut Oil for cooking

• Preheat your oven to 420 
• Mix all ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Divide into 4-5 equal parts and pat down like a burger patty. 
• In a cast-iron skillet (or any skillet) heat a generous amount of coconut oil over medium-high heat. 
• Place the patties in the heated skillet and cook for 3 mintutes. 
• Flip the patties and cook for 3 minutes 
• Place the patties on a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven for 5 minutes. 
• Serve on a gluten-free wrap or bun with your choice of toppings. I used lettuce, tomato, red onion, and avocado aioli. They'd be great with cabbage, pickled cucumbers, grated carrots, or even grilled pineapple. 

Avocado Aioli

1 Avocado 

1/2 Cup Vegenaise 

1 handful of chopped fresh cilantro 

Juice and zest of 1 lime 

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon sriracha 

• Everything in a food processor, blender, or bullet until well combined and smooth 

"Wifey tip"- I put my Husband's Salmon Burger on a whole wheat ciabatta roll and added bacon. He loved it! 

Gluten-free tip- I'm totally obsessed with these gluten free "Sandwich Petals" I found in my local Organic market. A must-try! 

Summer Baking - Berry & Buckwheat Crumble

It's beginning to feel like summer! The Farmers Market last weekend was filled with bright berries, the kids are getting out of school, the weekends are jam packed and fun filled, and the grill is being used constantly. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you saw that last week I asked for some summer dessert ideas, as I was craving something sweet and fruity. All of that heat and grilling, I wanted something simple, fruity, and sweet to top off one of these busy days. The winning suggestion was blackberry. 

I picked up a bunch of berries at the market and got to creating. The blackberry suggestion quickly turned into a multiple berry and gluten free buckwheat cobbler. I'm so happy with how it turned out! I have totally fallen in love with my recipe. With honey and pure maple syrup as the sweeteners, and the cobbler topping filled with fiber, oats, and seeds, you could also enjoy this healthy dessert for breakfast! 

A crowd pleaser no matter who you're feeding. It's a guilt-free dessert that would be perfect for any summer affair. As always, I recommend buying local berries if possible. 

Berry & Buckwheat Cobbler 

For the cobbler topping: 

1 Cup Buckwheat flour

1 Cup gluten-free oats 

1/2 Cup chopped almonds or sunflower seeds (I used sunflower seeds) 

2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 Cup pasture butter, melted 

1/2 Cup local honey 

For the berry filling:

18-20oz berries (I used blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry) 

2 Tablespoons coconut flour 

Zest and Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1/4 Cup pure maple syrup 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

• Preheat your oven to 350 
• In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the berry filling. 
• In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the cobbler topping with a fork. 
• Grease a glass baking dish or ceramic pie dish with pasture butter or coconut oil. 
• Pour in the berry filling. Then, top with cobbler topping. 
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. This step is optional, but the cobbler topping will turn out better if it is chilled. 
• Bake for 35 minutes and enjoy! Will keep in the refrigerator for 4-6 days.