Family Dinner 1/11/11- Hazelnut/Pecan crusted salmon and Red quinoa

I was inspired by Trader Joe's Hazelnut/Pecan crusted salmon and figured I'd try my own recipe-- it was awesome! I'm really picky with my salmon and how it's prepared, and this recipe is definitely a keeper! The fish is awesome without the yogurt sauce but if you're feeling brave, need some (lots) of extra calories, and want to try something new, the sauce is really good!

My recipes aren't normally this complicated but I had all the ingredients on hand and it all sounded really good so I went for it. It's really not as complicated as it looks, but since I'm just learning to officially "type out" my instructions, my posts will probably be more detailed than necessary until I get the hang of it. This dish was a huge hit (with Gary AND with Owen)

Hazelnut and Pecan crusted Salmon

Ingredients:

4 salmon filets (approx 8 oz each)

4 T Canola oil

2 C toasted breadcrumbs

1/4 C (toasted) Hazelnuts

1/4 C (toasted) Pecans

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder (or a few cloves of fresh garlic)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

For Sauce:

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
1/3 Cup Plain Yogurt
¼ Cup Fresh Italian Parsley
¼ Cup Fresh Basil Leaves
2 Tbs. Chopped Chives
Pinch of Paprika
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Lemon Juice

Zest of 1 lime

For sauce: In food processor, combine yogurt, cream, paprika, salt, pepper, lime juice and zest. Pulse to combine. Add in fresh herbs, pulse 2 to 3 more times, or until herbs are incorporated into sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 min, checking frequently to make sure they're not burning.

Raise oven temp to 450. Heat a large (preferably oven-safe) skillet over medium heat for about 10 min (until its very hot!)

Stick the nuts in a food processor and grind until they're about the consistency of bread crumbs. Add the bread crumbs and seasonings and pulse to incorporate everything. Pour onto a plate or shallow dish. Coat salmon with the bread/nut mixture

Add canola oil to the hot skillet and "roll" it around until the bottom is coated. Place salmon in the pan and sear each side about 2 min. Make sure not to crowd the pan (you might need to do it in batches).

Place the seared salmon into the oven (just keep it in the skillet if it's oven safe, or place on a cookie sheet if its not) and 'roast' for 3-5 min. Salmon is done when it feels somewhat firm to the touch.

Black bean salad over red quinoa

Ingredients:

1 cup red quinoa/2 C veggie or chicken broth (cook according to package directions)

1 15 oz. can black beans (drained/rinsed)

2 C roasted corn kernels (TJ's sells these in the frozen section!)

1 avocado (cut into 1/2" pieces)

1 pint grape tomatoes (halved)

1/2 C red onion (finely diced)

3/4 C Cilantro Salad dressing (not outgoing enough to make my own yet)

1/2 bunch cilantro (chopped)

1/4 Olive oil

Zest of 1 lime

sea salt/pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (except for the quinoa). Toss gently until coated with dressing. Set aside. When quinoa is cool, add a little olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. Toss gently.

Serve the bean salad over a bed of quinoa

Sorry for the lack of pictures tonight. I didn't think I'd actually follow through with my plan and start a blog, so there are no pictures at the moment. Plus, I made some weird carob chip cookies. I was busy! Recipe for those to come later. I still need to tweak it until it tastes better.

Edited to add picture. We had leftovers so I tried to make it look as presentable as possible!