Salmon Saute and Vegetables

Below is my barely-changed take on a Cajun recipe, which I found after my wife told me she'd like to have salmon for dinners at home.

Everyone likes this, including my son, Mr. Picky Eater.

What I think makes this one work so well is that the seasonings for the vegetables compliment the flavor of the fish extremely well.

As for what I changed, that was merely to experiment by seeing if using frozen versus fresh affected anything for the fish or the squash. It does not, so buy frozen without fear, and save yourself from the time and scheduling constraints of a visit to the seafood counter at the grocer.

***

Preparation Time is about an hour.

Ingredients

Use 4-6 steaks about this size. (Image by Katrin Gilger, via Wikimedia Commons, license.)

• skinless salmon steaks (fresh or frozen), about 16 oz. total
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• olive oil, 3 tbsp
• green onions, 2
• ginger paste, 1 tsp
• zucchini/squash, 3-4 (fresh) or 12-16 oz. (frozen)
• cremini mushrooms, 16 oz.
• lemon

Directions

1. If necessary, thaw salmon (a) overnight in the refrigerator, or (b) bagged in cold water for about an hour before cooking.
2. About an hour before cooking, set out vegetables, if frozen.
3. Mise en place: (a) large pan for salmon, (b) large pan with cover for vegetables, (c) two ramekins, (d) a medium-sized bowl, (e) a large mixing bowl, and (f) 2 tbsp water.
4. Season salmon with salt and pepper.
5. Chop and salt green onions and place in first ramekin.
6. Add ginger paste to first ramekin.
7. Grate about 1 tsp worth of lemon peel and add to second ramekin.
8. Chop as necessary and set aside in mixing bowl mushrooms and other vegetables.
9. Add (a) 2 tbsp. olive oil to salmon pan and (b) 1 tbsp. olive oil to vegetable pan.
10. Heat both pans until hot.
11. For ten minutes per inch thickness, saute salmon in hot oil.
12. For 30 seconds, saute the green onion/ginger/salt mixture in vegetable pan.
13. Dump vegetable bowl, water, and lemon peel into vegetable pan.
14. Cover vegetables and simmer until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
15. Quarter the lemon and place in bowl.
16. Garnish with lemon when serving.

Note: Leftover vegetables have paired well with Chinese takeout, and I suspect would do well with any other cuisine that uses ginger.

Enjoy!

-- CAV