Green Olive Crusted Salmon

Yesterday I made an impulse purchase while shopping at my local Italian specialty shop. I’m a big fan of Spanish green olives, whether pitted or stuffed with sharp provolone or creamy gorgonzola cheese. When I saw the jar of San Giuliano Green Olive Spread, I was quickly sold. This is basically a green olive tapenade spread, which is traditional made with pureed olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil, and used as a topping on hors d’oeuvres, breads or meats. This particular brand had simple ingredients of olives, sea salt and olive oil, but still made for a nice jarred condiment to keep on hand.

I had planned to bake some salmon for dinner, and occasionally stuff it with pesto (which is a popular recipe on this blog, by the way…you can find it y clicking here). Since I had no pesto on hand, this was a perfect opportunity to put the olive spread to good use. I did a basic preparation of the salmon (olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice and some fresh thyme that I had on hand), and placed it in a high-heat oven. About half-way through baking, I added a thin coating of the olive spread to the salmon and let it bake through. It was a great addition to the salmon, adding a nice, zesty tang to the lightly seasoned fish. I also made a warm spinach salad with cannellini beans and grape tomatoes, which was a beautiful complement to the salmon. You can find recipes for both the salmon and the warm spinach salad below.

I have seen other brand jars of olive spread on the market, and although I haven’t tried any of them, I’m sure they would all work well with this dish or as a condiment spread. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, search out a tapenade spread on line and give it a go!

Green Olive Crusted Salmon

2 salmon filets
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 tbspns green olive spread (to your liking)

Preheat oven to 450˚. Lightly drizzle salmon with olive oil, season lightly with sea salt and black pepper. Squirt juice of 1/2 lemon on salmon. Place salmon, skin side down, on a lightly sprayed baking sheet or a non-stick pan. Bake 5-7 minutes, or until salmon starts to turn a light pink. Remove from oven, spread a light coating of olive spread on top of salmon, return to oven. Bake another 10-12 minutes, or until salmon is completely cooked through and flaky.

Warm Spinach Salad with Cannellini Beans and Grape Tomatoes

1/2 bag fresh spinach leaves
1 tbspn olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
juice plus zest of one lemon
1/2 cup cannellini beans
handful of grape tomatoes
salt and pepper

Pre-heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic, heat until garlic starts to become fragrant. Add spinach leaves, stir to coat. Add juice and zest of lemon, stir to coat. Add beans and tomatoes, continue to stir. Once spinach begins to wilt, remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

A Little of This and Some of That: Resolutions

We’re kicking off our first podcast of 2015 with suggestions on how to make fun and interesting food-related New Year resolutions. We’re also talking about our idea on how to keep track of our resolutions…we’re calling it 15 in ’15, and you can click on the PDF link below to download your own 15 in ’15 tracker form!

Our show-notes word of the week is Cassia. Cassia typically refers to cassia bark, the spice made from the bark of East Asian trees related to the “true cinnamon” (Cinnamomum verum) of Sri Lanka. Cassia is the typical “cinnamon” marketed in North America but is distinguished from it in Europe.

Be sure to contact us at info@domskitchen.com or in the Comments section below to let us know about your 15 in ’15 ideas, and to let us know what you thought about this episode of A Little of This and Some of That.

Show-related links

Honey Balsamic Brussel Sprouts Recipe

Untapped

Alton Brown’s website

Click the following link for your personal 15 in 15 Tracker Sheet: 15in15_Tracker

Mini Giambotta Biscuits

This dish was inspired by a recipe that I recently saw for a store-bought can of biscuit dough, placed in muffin pans and filled with chicken, veggies and creamy soup to make mini chicken pot pies. The personal-sized version of popular dishes are a trendy item these days, especially for dinner parties and group get togethers. This recipe caught my attention because not only am I a fan of the personal-sized portions, but I also enjoy a warm and hearty dish this time of year. Being that we’re just coming off of the holidays, I thought a vegetable pot pie would be tasty and healthy choice. I decided to make giambotta for the filling, which is an Italian vegetable stew. Bread is always a must-have for dipping when you have giambotta, so to use it as a biscuit filling was a no-brainer.

I also chose to make my own flaky biscuits for this dish. I found a very simple and quick recipe online that calls for just a few basic ingredients and about 10 minutes or so of prep time…no electric mixer necessary! Of course, canned biscuits will work, but if you have a few extra minutes, give the home made biscuits a try. It will make the dish seem that much more impressive.

Mini Giambotta Biscuits

For the Giambotta
2 tbspn olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 zucchini, cut into 1″ pieces
1 8oz can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
1/2 tspn Italian seasoning

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the zucchini, stir together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the can of tomato sauce, season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning  to taste.

Stir together, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens up. Set aside.

For the Biscuits
courtesy of Taste of Home
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tspn baking powder
3 tspn sugar
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup 2% milk

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Lightly spray a muffin tray (12 muffins). Gently place each biscuit piece into the individual muffin cups (no paper liners needed!), and gently press the dough to fill out the bottom and sides of the cups. Fill up each cup with the giambotta, making sure none spills over the side.

Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

The 2014 Appetizer Wrap-Up!

Another year has come and gone, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and interest in my food blog. It’s a really pleasure to be able to share my passion with you, and I look forward to sharing many more fun and exciting recipes in the upcoming year. I am also very excited to roll out new episodes of ‘A Little of This and Some of That’, the new podcast that I will be co-hosting with my friend, Carl Bussler. You can check out the podcast episodes right here on domskitchen.com. Also be sure to check out my food updates on Facebook (CucinaDomenico) and Twitter (@domskitchen).

To help wrap up 2014, I thought I would share with you some of my top appetizer dishes, which are all perfect for your New Years Eve parties. You can click on the links below to take you to the recipe. Cheers to 2015!

Mini Meatball Roll-Ups

Eggplant and White Bean Meatballs

Caprese Garlic Bread

Mini Inside-out Pizza

Cheesesteak Eggrolls

Crostini

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Warm Italian Crab Salad

Stuffed Olives

Sausage and Escarole Bites