creamy - Living The Q Life Travel Adventures

During our trips to Mexico, we have always enjoyed having seafood cooked with local preparations. Not all food in Mexico is spicy and this recipe isn’t overly spicy, but it does have a little bit of heat. Although you can certainly use a fish other than salmon, we found that salmon was able to hold up to the bold taste of the creamy pepper sauce. We have often made a hollandaise sauce to go with salmon, but using the peppers provides a different alternative. With the summer months coming, the salmon could also be grilled instead of pan-seared, but pan-searing it does create a nice and crispy skin. We found this dish to be extremely delicious and relatively simple to make. It is also the type of dish that can be made for a more formal occasion or a simple weeknight dinner.

INGREDIENTS

2 Salmon Filets – about 5 ounces each
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Fresh Anaheim Peppers
2 tbsp Corn Taco Shells – ground (or 2 tbsp of Masa Harina, which is a corn flour)
1 1/2 cups Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Either by heating the peppers on the open flame of a gas stove or on a grill, cook the peppers until the skins are blistered and black. While still hot, put the peppers into a bowl and cover them with plastic wrap so that they steam. Once cool, you can use a knife or a paper towel to remove the charred skin of the peppers. Roasting the peppers gives them a nice, smoky taste. Roughly chop the peppers and set them aside.

Season the salmon filets with a half a teaspoon of the garlic powder as well as a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is fully heated, place the salmon skin-side down into the pan and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes and the skin is nice and crispy. Flip the fish and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. If you are going to put the fish into an oven to stay warm while the sauce cooks, simply cook the fish a minute or two less before putting them into the oven. Otherwise, simply cover the fish and set aside and let the fish rest while the sauce cooks.

Add the peppers, remaining garlic powder, ground taco shells or flour, milk, and some salt and pepper to a blender (works better than a food processor for this sauce) and mix until smooth. Pour the pepper mixture into the same pan that the fish was cooked in while the temperature is still at medium-high. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce thickens. Be sure to taste the sauce and add additional salt or pepper if necessary. Plate the fish and serve with the sauce over top.

One of the things that you can find in many different countries throughout the world is potato salad. There can be a lot of variations, each with its own flavor profile, but we have been making this recipe for years. It is creamy, refreshing, and can be paired with just about any entrée. It is also perfect for summer picnics or any large gathering. We happened to serve it with some halibut that we’d dusted with Old Bay Seasoning and then breaded, but it could have just as easily been served with hot dogs, hamburgers, or anything else. The key to a good potato salad is to not over cook the potatoes, but to get them just to the point that a knife slides easily through them and then immediately cooling them off so that the cooking process stops. If you over cook the potatoes, they will become too soft to mix with the sauce. This is one of our favorite side dishes, so we hope that you enjoy it.

Ingredients

4 Medium Potatoes – cut into half-inch cubes
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Brown Mustard
1/2 Stalk of Celery – finely chopped
2 tbsp Onion – finely chopped
2 Hard Boiled Eggs – chopped
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
2 to 3 tbsp Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes into cold, salted, water and heat to a boil. Boil at a slow-rolling boil for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife easily penetrates the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, put them back into the hot pan to help get any excess water off of the potatoes, then put the potatoes into a bowl and chill them in the refrigerator until cold. If you are in a time crunch, you can put them in the freezer until they are chilled (not frozen). In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustards, celery, onion, celery salt, milk, salt and pepper, stirring until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the egg to the potatoes and gently toss with the mayonnaise mixture until all of the potatoes are fully coated.

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Tag: creamy

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