Challenging Ingredient: Canned Cream of Crab Soup

This was one of those evenings on which everyone looks at each other with the dreaded question: "What's for dinner?"  A brief rummage through the kitchen cupboard produced this unfamiliar item:

Condensed Cream of Crab Soup

The directions called for half-and-half and a gentle simmer on the stove.  But after I opened the can, I decided a bit more effort was necessary to transform the unappetizing gray, fishy substance that jiggled inside.  The end result was a delicious pot of soup without a hint of can flavor or fishiness.

QUICKish Salmon Gumbo?!

We had salmon for dinner last night.  Costco sells huge fillets, so I baked one with miso-ginger dressing and the other with mayo and Tajin seasoning ("The ultimate fruit & vegetable booster"... yummmmm...).

Tonight, I received a special request for gumbo.  The recipe I found via Google was going to take well over an hour, and I didn't have a third of the ingredients on hand, so a surprising concoction was born.  The makeshift gumbo was delicious!  And was ready to eat in less than an hour.

A Savory Stir-Fry Shared Between Friends

This one's for you, Jan!

Ingredients:

• Brown rice
• Water
• Coconut Milk (canned)
• Butter
• Onions (chopped)
• Celery (chopped)
• Bell peppers (cut to bite-size)
• Canola oil, if needed
• Shrimp (I used frozen, rinsed and drained)
• Sriracha sauce
• Cilantro (chopped)

For the Rice:

1. Scoop uncooked brown rice into a pot, then add enough cold water to cover about 1 inch beyond the level of rice at the bottom of the pot.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot and turn the heat down to simmer for 20 min.
3. Add some coconut milk, cover the pot again, and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed/evaporated.
4. Fluff the rice.

For the Stir-Fry:

1. While waiting for the water in the rice pot to boil, melt butter in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  Add onions and stir until golden.
2. Add celery and bell peppers.  Stir just until cooked through.
3. I added a little canola oil because the veggies weren't as "saucy" as I wanted.
4. Add shrimp and saute just until they turn opaque.
5. Drizzle sriracha to taste.
6. Add cilantro and stir.

Serve the stir-fry over the rice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Salmon leftovers... transformed!

I didn't want a repeat of our miso salmon/spinach salad dinner from the night before, so I gave the leftovers the good ol' crab cake treatment and made salmon cake.  

Salmon Can Be Simple

The sauces I use will vary, but the cooking is the same!  I like to spread butter or oil on the bottom of a glass baking dish, add salmon fillets skin-side-down, drizzle them with sauce, and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit), about 10 minutes per inch of thickness, but keep an eye on them.  I know my salmon is done when it flakes easily and resists slightly when I gently press on the flesh.

The Easiest Sauce You'll Ever Make

I personally can't handle much heat, but my taste buds love the chili flavor of sriracha sauce.  I'm dreaming about next drizzling this sriracha/butter combo over red snapper or steak.