Cookbook Challenge: Mustard and Parsley Crusted Salmon

I was very excited to try today's Cookbook Challenge recipe because it comes from one of my favorite television chefs. I actually have two of Lorraine Pascale's books but, until today, I had focused primarily on her party foods. Since those have always been a hit in the past, I had high hopes for this salmon recipe. 

Home Cooking Made Easy

By Lorraine Pascale

Harper Collins, 2011

As I mentioned in my coconut prawn curry post, I have been trying to increase my familiarity with seafood dishes so this recipe seemed like a relatively simple way to continue that trend. While I haven't been the biggest salmon fan in the past, I think the cooked version is starting to grow on me. This recipe certainly helped to improve my opinion since it was so easy and tasty! 

This recipe essentially has two parts: making the topping and then cooking the fish. Both of these stages take only a few minutes though so this could easily be used as a weeknight dinner. I hit a slight snag since I forgot to take the butter out of the fridge in advance so struggled a bit to incorporate it into the other ingredients. However, properly softened butter would probably have meant an even quicker prep time. 

The only strange part was that the recipe did not seem to include a baking temperature. I set my oven to 200 degrees celsius since that's my most commonly used temperature and everything turned out fine so I've included it in the recipe below. 

I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with the final result! In the past when I've tried to cook salmon, I definitely overdid it and ended up with fairly unappetizing results. However, I think ten minutes was the prefect length of time in the oven for my little fillets. The brown sugar was fairly subtle but definitely added a nice element of sweetness to balance out the Dijon mustard. When serving, I used the zested limes as added garnish and thought the lime juice also added a nice dash of flavor. Although I used salmon, you could also use trout or whatever type of fish you prefer. 

I served the salmon with a simple tomato salad and some broccoli and onion that I had sautéed in sesame oil. As a result, the final dish felt like a very healthy and light summer dinner! Finally, this recipe was originally for four people so I have cut the quantities in half below since I only had two salmon fillets. 

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Serves: 2

Ingredient: 

50g dried breadcrumbs
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
knob of butter
Zest of 2 limes
1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 Salmon fillets
Salt and Pepper

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 200C.

In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, light brown sugar, Dijon mustard, butter, lime zest and parsley. The mixture should form a paste.

Spread evenly onto the tops of the salmon fillets and then place them onto a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until your fish is cooked to your liking. Enjoy! 

Bell Pepper Baked Eggs

Easy. Quick. Delicious. I'm not much of a breakfast person so when I do take the time to make something, I want it to be simple, fast and worth the effort. Bell pepper baked eggs are definitely all of those things. Pop the egg in the pepper and throw it in the oven for 20 minutes and it's ready. Basically by the time you've had your shower, your breakfast is ready. I know most of you lovely readers won't want to try this on a weekday but I really think it could be incorporated into a morning breakfast routine if you're looking for something healthy and easy. I think this might be the healthiest way I've ever made eggs (I'm terrible at poaching...) since there's no butter or oil involved. I sauteed up a quick kale, garlic and onion mix to go along side but toast would be equally tasty. I cooked my egg all the way through which made it more of a hard boiled consistency so if you'd like a runny egg, start with 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven). It's ready to go as soon as the white sets. My bell pepper was amusingly lopsided so I had to construct a foil lift to keep it steady - you don't want the egg sliding out while cooking!

Preparing to bake

Heading into the oven 

Finished product: bell pepper baked egg and kale saute

Prep time: 3 min

Cook time: 15-20 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1 bell pepper (any color)

2 large eggs

Salt

Pepper 

Spring onions or herbs to finish (optional)

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 400F / 205C.

Halve and deseed the bell pepper, removing the stem and white ribs to create an open space for the egg. Line a baking tray with foil (in case of spills) and ensure that your pepper halves will stand on their own. Crack an egg into each half and season with salt and pepper. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the white has set and the yolk is at your preferred consistency.