Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Canapés

These smoked salmon canapés are just perfect at any party. They are super easy to make and packed with flavor. The cucumber provides the crunch and a clean crisp taste. Make sure to make plenty, it's a crowd favorite.

Makes 25-30.

Ingredients:

• 1 English cucumber

• 50-75 g smoked salmon

Cream cheese/dill spread:

• 50 g cream cheese

• 25 g creme fraiche (you can use sour cream)

• 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped, safe some for garnish

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• salt to taste

Directions:

Mix the ingredients for the spreads together and season with salt. Scoop the spread into a piping bag and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to develop.

Cut the cucumber into ⅓-Inch  (1 cm) slices. Arrange the cucumber slices on a serving platter. Pipe the spread in small tops on top of the cucumber slices. 

Cut the smoked salmon into strips. Fold it up and place on top of the cream cheese.

Garnish with a small sprigs of dill.

Enjoy!

Salmon en Croûte - Indbagt Laks

Salmon en Croûte - Indbagt Laks

This is one of my favorite dishes to make for an spring or summer buffet. I'll just use more puff pastry and a large piece of salmon fillet.

The creamed spinach is to die for. The sweet, creamy and a bit tangy taste pairs well with any fish or smoked sausage. This recipe makes too much for this dish, but I always serve it as a side for the fish.

Ingredients:

• 300 g salmon filet, deboned and without skin

• 1 package puff pastry, defrosted

• 1 egg for egg wash

Creamed Spinach:

• 450 g baby spinach (you can use frozen leaf spinach)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 250 ml heavy whipping cream

• 1 lime, zest and juice

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Defrost the puff pastry in the refrigerator according to instructions on the package. 

Creamed spinach:

Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, steam the spinach in the butter a few minutes until it is wilted down, and you have cooked most of the water from the spinach down. Sprinkle the flour on the spinach, and stir until incorporated. Stir in the cream and cook the spinach until the sauce thickens, about a few minutes. Finally add sugar, lime juice and zest and season with salt, pepper and additional sugar. Cool the creamed spinach to room temperature, before adding it to the puff pastry.

Roll the puff pastry to two 16x8-inch (40x20 cm) rectangle. Place the on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Place a dollop of spinach in one end of the pastry, make sure to leave a ½-inch border to seal the pastry. Place the salmon on the spinach, and add more spinach on top. Fold the pastry over the filling, and close the pastry package by pinching it shut. Repeat with the next, and brush the packages with egg wash. Score the top with a sharp knife.

Bake the salmon for 25-30 minutes.

Serve the salmon with a nice salad.

Enjoy! 

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

Salmon kebabs are light, delicious and a perfect dish for a summer night BBQ. The kebabs are very easy to make, especially if you have double skewers, otherwise I will recommend using two single skewers for each kebab, so the fish doesn’t turn on the skewers.  I served the kebabs with boiled fingerling potatoes and a creme fraiche dip with fresh dill, salmon roe and lemon.

Ingredients:

Kebabs:

• 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 lemon, sliced very thinly
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• pepper
• olive oil 
• 4 bamboo skewer soaked in water for at least 1 hour

Dip:

• 8 oz (226 g) creme fraiche or sour cream 
• 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tablespoons salmon roe or other roe
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Dip:

Season the creme fraiche with pepper, lemon juice and dill, wait with the salt, because the roe is salty. Fold in the roe, and season with salt if needed. Set dip aside in refrigerator until ready for serving.

Kebabs:

Prepare grill for medium heat.

Beginning and ending with salmon, spear salmon and folded lemon slices onto 4 double skewers. Drip with lemon juice and brush with oil. Season with salt, pepper and dill.

Grill, turning twice, until fish is opaque throughout, about 5-8 minutes.

Marinated Salmon

Marinated Salmon

I wanted to try a new way to make my salmon. We love salmon in my house, and we have it frequently, and I needed a new easy recipe. I found a picture on Pinterest where they used soy and brown sugar, witch made me think of the marinade from my angry tacos, from where I got my inspiration.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces salmon, serving size
• lemon pepper
• salt

Marinade:

• ⅓ cup (80 ml) soy sauce
• ⅓ cup (60 g) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) grape seed oil
• grated ginger, to taste
• ½ jalapeño pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:

Marinade:

In a bowl, whisk the cilantro, brown sugar, oil, soy sauce, jalapeños, and coriander to blend well. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for dressing the slaw. Pour the rest of the marinade into a ziplock bag and place the salmon in the  marinade and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours in refrigerator. 

Preheat stove grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grill grates. (I used a Le Creuset cast iron grill)

Place salmon on hot grill. Cook salmon for 4-6 minutes per side, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook the salmon, nobody like a piece of dry fish.

Serve with an easy slaw a la this one.

The danish version:

Marineret Laks

Ingredienser:

• 2 stykker laks
• citronpeber
• salt

Marinade:

• 80 ml soyasauce
• 60 g brun farin
• 60 ml varmt vand
• 80 ml vindruekerne olie
• revet ingefær, alt efter smag
• ½ jalapeño 
• 2 tsk frisk koriander

Fremgangsmåde:

Marinaden:

Bland alle ingredienser i en skål, og rør indtil sukkeret er opløst. Hvis du laver en "coleslaw" så tag ½-¾ dl marinade fra til dressing. 

Kom marinaden i en frysepose, og kom laksen i. Lad fisken marinere i mindst 20 minutter, eller op til 2 timer i køleskabet.

Varm en grillpande op til den er godt varm. Pensel panden med lidt olie og steg laksen 4-6 minutter på hver side, eller indtil laksen ikke længere er gennemsigtige lyserød. Pas på med ikke at give laksen for meget, da den bliver kedelig når den er tør.

Server laksen med en hurtig “coleslaw" evt, den jeg bruger til Angry Tacos. (Kinakål, gulerod, forårsløg, jalapeño, frisk koriander og den ubrugte marinade som dressing)

Baked Salmon - the best ever!

Baked Salmon.

I love baked Salmon, the soft moist mild fish. It's so easy to make and is perfect to serve when you're having guests. Serve it with a cream sauce and pasta, sour cream dip and fingerling potatoes, the options are never-ending.

You can cook salmon in many different ways, but baking it like this is by far my favorite one, and properly one of the most healthy. 

Serves 3. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 pieces salmon, portion sized

• 1 lemon

• salt

• 1/2 cup wine or water

• 1/2 teaspoon canola oil (for greasing the baking dish)

Direction: 

Salmon ready for the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the skin and bones from the salmon.

Place the salmon fillet in an oven-safe baking dish greased with oil. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon on top of the salmon and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Slice the other half of the lemon in slices and lay them on top of the fish. Add wine or water to the baking dish. Bake in the oven for roughly 12-18 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness. 

Enjoy.