Dukkah Crusted Salmon ~ and Handcrafted Ornaments

This dish is pretty straight forward and simple, but tasty and looks impressive.
When my daughter was little she loved salmon and would request salmon with steamed broccoli and rice! Honest, that's what she would ask for. I first started to make salmon on the George Foreman Grill, the little one. I had one just for fish. It took 4 1/2 minutes to cook. I would just put a piece of salmon on a plate and pour some Goya Mojo Marinade over it while the grill warmed up and Viola! It was done, and my little girl loved it.

The grill was nice and it let me know how to cook the fish for the right done-ness. I hated the clean up of the grill though...I couldn't just plunk it in some water and clean it. It dripped all over and I used too many paper towels...well you get the idea. So then I started baking it in my...you guessed it...stoneware baking dish, and was able to finally get the timing down so it is cooked right.

This is a new dish that I got from CSN after I used a gift certificate that I won from Seaside Simplicity. I was so excited to win. I have been wanting to replace my rice cooker which gave out after years of use. So after this I was able to get this beautiful Le Creuset 9" square baker it came with a 5" dish too, and my rice cooker! How cool is that? Thanks Martha!

I tried to get a photo of the dish...sorry it's blurry. That's what happens when you take photos as you cook, then check them out on the computer after everything is all done. Too late.

Back to the fish...so this is what I did for this one...

I found we really like Goya Mojo Marinade best, and it is actually made near us here, up in Palmetto Florida, so that's extra special. Plus if your child likes it, and eats fish because of it... why change anything?

Drizzle a little oil in the dish so the fish won't stick, then pour on some mojo over it all. Sometimes I will put some French fried onions crumbled on half of the fish for us. This time I ventured out and used some of my Dukkah nut and spice mix. This recipe makes a lot so I just freeze it and pull some out when I need it. I use it in salads, or on Chicken Breast with Goat Cheese and Dukkah. I'll bet you'll find more things to use the dukkah on or in.

Okay... so after the fish is in the dish, and mojo poured over top, sprinkle or dump some on some dukkah and press it in a little. You can drizzle a little more oil over the top if you like, I didn't do that this time. I guess it's not really "crusted" with the dukkah it more like "topped" . Sometimes when I do crust it I might use dijon or something else to make it stick more.

Bake 20 minutes at 350°F - or if it is a thick piece like this one was, I baked it 25-30 minutes.

It came out nice and moist inside and a little crunch of the spice/nut topping. My daughter is widening her tastes and ate it with the dukkah on top (usually she'd scrape it off).

This time of year for some reason we find sea urchins washed up on shore. I try to pick the ones that are already dried out and the spines are off. After cleaning and drying and glittering...we make them into snowmen...Maranda's idea. The sea urchin look really cool over the tiny lights too.

Another fun way to use them, this was my friends idea to make it into a jellyfish.

Last tree post you commented on how tall our Christmas tree was. Well it is not that tall, but very skinny, and we put it on some blocks to get it off the ground...

...and this is why. Usually we have a chair here and Tucker sleeps behind it and has for years. So every Christmas we invade his "room" and put the tree there. So we give him room to get back in his space! I guess we could set it up in the living room!

This is what I do with the scallop shells that I collect all through the year. ( I have a lot of feathery things on my tree).

Maranda's teachers, and all my relatives ended up with one as a gift over the years! :D

Do you have something special that you make each year?

Here's hoping your holiday planning is going well!

Cheers!

Chicken Breast with Goat Cheese and Dukkah

I will be showing some of the quick meals that I like to make, I know you all have some quick meals that you like to use. Even though it's hot out sometimes just tossing it in the oven for 30 minutes is well worth it. I had bought some beautiful chicken breasts, free range, hormone, and antibiotic free and I didn't have to trim them at all, which is a real time saver. I also had some dukkah spice and nut mixture in the freezer, and since I re-posted the recipe I thought about using it to top the chicken.

I first browned some chopped shallots in a little butter. Then turned off the heat and added 3 oz of goat cheese. At this point you can add some herbs like rosemary, or tarragon, but since the dukkah is very seasoned I skipped the extra herbs. If you were using just some chopped pistachios or hazelnuts the herbs would do well here.

Rub a little oil on the chicken then salt and pepper. Use a shallow baking dish, then spread the cheese mixture on each chicken breast.

Top with the dukkah spice and nut mixture. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked and juices run clear.

They turned out beautifully. They were tender and full of flavor. I think with the dukkah you really didn't need the shallots in there either.

We all liked it and the test is if Maranda scraped the topping off or not. I served it with some rice and sauteed green beans and edamame in a little ginger-garlic paste and Korean toasted sesame oil.

Score! She ate all of hers even with the spice mixture and goat cheese. She is trying so many new foods. You have to understand that she never at sauce on anything up until a few years ago. She still won't dip her sushi in soy sauce, or her crab legs in butter....baby steps! :D

What do you like to crust your chicken breasts with?

Dukkah - Egyptian Spice Mixture

Okay as promised in a post on Aqua Sunday that I would post my Dukkah recipe. This originated in Egypt and is very popular in Australia served as an appetizer. You take Turkish bread, pita, or ciabatta bread, or any good crusty bread and dip it in a good olive oil then in the nut & spice mixture. It makes a lot so I freeze the extra an use it to coat chicken or fish then bake, or grill it. It's so easy to pull out of the freezer to use. You can use it on meats, rice, veggies or sprinkle it on salads, pizza or pasta. It is like Chai spice, everyone seems to have their own blend. Some places use dry roasted chickpeas instead of the Hazelnuts. Here is what I came up with:

Dukkah Recipe

1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup pistachio nuts
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
You can add red pepper flakes if you want a little kick (my husband doesn't)

Heat a heavy skillet over med heat, add the nuts, and dry-toast until slightly browned and fragrant, being careful that they don't burn. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Repeat the procedure with each of the seeds and the peppercorns. Allow each of them to cool completely.

Place the nuts and seeds, along with the herbs and salt, into a mortar and pound until the mixture is crushed. Or pulse in a food processor to a coarse consistency; do not allow the mixture to become a paste. I found I liked mine a little bit finer texture so you can play with it a and see what you prefer.

Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 month. Or freeze.

Hope you enjoy it!