Salmon and Lentils

With everything going on in the Middle East I haven't posted for a very long time, but I guess it is time to come back. If you don't know what is going on in the Middle East (Syria in particular) then please research about it, sign petitions to help the innocent men WOMEN and especially CHILDREN that are being brutally killed and tortured over there. The Syrian regime has no mercy and it is our duty as human beings to care for others when they are in need. This is one of my most favorite quotes:

First they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.Then they came for the trade unionists,and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.Then they came for the communists,and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak out for me.

Now, I am not quiet sure how to smoothly go into a recipe but here goes: Ok so i went to Costco today and they had some amazing wild caught Salmon (read about the difference between wild and farm raised and make your own desicion) so i decided to buy some. There was a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa that I saw on Foodnetwork a while back that i have been wanting to try so i made it. It is (I think) a french dish which is salmon and lentils...it was absolutely delisious (if you like salmon and lentils that is). Anyways this is how i made the dish:

I cut the recipe in half (I'm only cooking for 3 people) so i measured out 4 ounces of whole brown lentils (also known as french lentils)Chop an onion and a leek (to clean a leek you need to cut off the dark green part and then cut it in half and run it through cold water until all the dirt is gone or after you cut it you can soak it in water)Chop up the leeksBring a pot of water to a boilpour in the lentils and then turn the heat off and let them soak for about 15/20 minutesI covered it to leave as much heat in as possibleIn a pan add some olive oilAdd in the onion, leeks, salt, pepper and thyme. If you don't have thyme then you can be a creative boater and use...zaatar ( I think i have never tried it) or you can use some italian or chicken seasoning.When the onions are translucent add in chopped garlic and cook for about 2 minutesAdd in chopped carrots and celeryWhen the lentils are done soaking the water will be brown and they will have almost doubled in sizeAdd the strained lentils and some tomato pasteAdd in some chicken stock and stir to dissolve the tomato paste. Then cover and set it on low (once it comes to a boil) and cook for about 20/30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked all the way through. I also added a bay leaf at this point (my disease came into play...you know..my disease where I cannot follow a recipe)So while the lentils are cooking get you salmon ready...I used salmon with skin on but you don't have to. I cut the salmon into portions and then washed them with water and patted them dry (make sure there is no water this is very important for the next step)Put a little olive oil and salt and pepper on the salmonIn a very very hot dry pan (I let it heat up for about 10 minutes because if it is not really hot then this next step won't work) add in the salmon skinless side down (the side that you are going to have face up goes face down on the pan first)It will smoke but it wont burn...calm down...after about 2 minutes it will be easy to remove it from the pan. If you try to remove it before it is cooked then t will stick and fall apart. After 2 minutes turn the salmon over very slowly and...Salmon flippedplace the salmon in the oven (just until done). My salmon was thin so it didn't take very longOnce the lentils are cooked add in some red wine VINEGAR (not real wine people) and stir. This is the pan when I removed the salmon..the skin just comes off. Some people like to eat crunchy salmon skin....I'm not one of those people...but if you are then you will love this.Serve the Salmon over a bed of lentils and sprinkle some parsley (optional)

Some cooked perfectly on the inside...it is still flaky and moist

Written Recipe:

• 1⁄2 pound whole lentils
• 1⁄4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for salmon
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 1⁄2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
• 1 1⁄2 cups chopped carrots (3 carrots)
• 1 1⁄2 cups Chicken Stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
• 4 (8-ounce) center-cut salmon fillets (skin optional)

Curry Shrimp

This is a really easy, fast, simple dish that I made up one day. It is not original but I had chicken curry in a Thai restaurant one day and loved it so i just changed some things around and made it shrimp (it is what I had at home). This is a great dish for a quick healthy dinner at home or for an extra dish at an 3azeemeh because it literally takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

I started by chopping up some onions really small.

I sauteed them in a little bit of oil just until they are cooked but not breaking down.

I added in curry powder and some cayenne. (not in the picture but i also added in some ginger and garlic)

Then I added in chicken broth.

I buy my shrimp from Costco (they have the best i have found so far) and they say they are deveined but only the back one is cleaned, there is one located in the front so i take it out as well. When you buy shrimp you will notice a number range on the shrimp rather then small medium and large. Here is a chart I found online that tells you the size of the shrimp, the number that they sell them buy and how many are on average in a pound. So if you buy shrimp labeled 21/25 that means that there are about 21 to 25 shrimp per pound.

Extra Jumbo	16/20	18
Jumbo	21/25	23
Extra Large	26/30	28
Large	31/35	33
Medium Large	36/40	38
Medium	41/50	45
Small	51/60	55
Extra Small	61/70	65

After i cleaned and deveined the shrimp pat them dry and place them in the thickened curry sauce.

When the shrimp are cooked all the way through add in coconut milk.

At the very end I added in some fish sauce instead of salt but you can do either or.

Sprinkle with some cilantro and you are ready to go.

I served it with jasmine rice cooked with no oil so it is sticky like sushi rice.

Written Recipe:

1 lb of shrimp cleaned and deveined (size 21/25)

1 small onion

a little bit of oil

3 tablespoons of curry powder

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (more or less according to your taste)

2 smashed garlic cloves

1 inch piece of ginger grated

1 cup of chicken stock

1/2 can of coconut milk

1 to 2 dashes of fish sauce (or just add salt)

1/2 bunch of cilantro some mixed in and some on top.