Salmon Crostini

Dax Phillips Leave a comment

Lately, we have been trying to incorporate fish into our diet at least once a week. We seem to default on baked salmon as it is something that everyone seems to enjoy. Typically this salmon is a pretty big slab of fish, so there is plenty of leftovers for my wife to bag up for lunches throughout the week, or for me to make a quick brunch snack, or light lunch. So as I had both leftover baked salmon, and some leftover day old rustic bread, I decided to make a great salmon crostini.

Salmon Crostini Recipe
Salmon Crostini Recipe

I thought this would be a great use of my leftovers as well as being able to use up some dill from the garden. These salmon crostini were not only super easy to put together, but whoa were they ever delicious.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • Roughly 1/4 cup of baked flaked salmon, per crostini
  • 1/4 inch thick slice of your favorite rustic bread, lighty toasted
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tbsp thinly sliced red onion, per crostini
  • 2 tbsp Chive and Onion cream cheese, per crostini
  • Fresh dill, to your liking

Once your bread is lightly toasted, rub the clove of garlic on the bread to infuse that garlic onto the toast.

Once you are done with that, spread on the cream cheese. Top with the flaked salmon, then add the red onions, and fresh dill.

Salmon Crostini Ingredients
Salmon Crostini Ingredients

Now you are ready to serve. I thought I was just going to eat one of these, but it was so good I decided to make one more. The lightly garlic toast coated with that cream cheese (which I never really buy), and topped with that salmon, along with the red onion and dill?! C’mon, it’s an awesome bite and would be a perfect holiday appetizer or game day snack. I hope you enjoy!

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Salmon Crostini
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: N/A
 
Ingredients
  • Roughly ¼ cup of baked flaked salmon, per crostini
  • ¼ inch thick slice of your favorite rustic bread, lighty toasted
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tbsp thinly sliced red onion, per crostini
  • 2 tbsp Chive and Onion cream cheese, per crostini
  • Fresh dill, to your liking
Instructions
  1. Once your bread is lightly toasted, rub the clove of garlic on the bread to infuse that garlic onto the toast.
  2. Once you are done with that, spread on the cream cheese. Top with the flaked salmon, then add the red onions, and fresh dill.
  3. Serve.

 

Rustic Daily Bread with Cheese

Dax Phillips 1 Comment

Nothing beats a chunk of bread with some lightly salted butter. It’s one of those things that our entire family loves. Since being laid up with cancer, I set out on a mission to master a great loaf of bread, and one that would not be labor intensive. Sure, I’ve nailed Lahey’s stecca recipe and for the most part they turn out really great, but I wanted to make something a bit more substantial, and something that would last a couple of days. Yes, my kids will take down a boule in a sitting if I let them. That’s what I love about this daily bread. Not only is it simple, but there is something about how rustic to it. This bread is great for sandwiches, tearing off chunks, and probably goes great with a glass of wine.

Rustic Daily Bread Recipe
Rustic Daily Bread Recipe

I’ve never been one to measure, but when it comes to baking, it is something that I think is a must. I use a digital scale for measuring things about, but like pizza dough and bread, I think there are factors that can impact the outcome. Temperature, flours, rise, etc. Don’t get frustrated if your first batch doesn’t work out, and keep trying.

Let’s get started.

  • 1000 g bread flour, or all-purpose
  • 720 g water, roughly 92 degree F
  • 21 g of salt (I like to use kosher)
  • 4 g active dry yeast

Four simple ingredients yields to boules and you will want to make another batch in a couple more days!

To a large mixing bowl, and I mean large as this is going to rise and double, if not more, in size. Add in the flour, and the water. Mix with your hands until the water is incorporated. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes.

Next top the mixture with the salt and the yeast. Wet your hands slightly, and mix well, making sure all of that flour mixture eats up the salt and yeast.

Cover and place in a warm spot (I set my container on my kitchen table where the sun comes in). After 30 minutes, it’s time to fold the dough Take an edge and fold over the top of the dough. Repeat this process roughly four times. Cover, and place back onto the warm spot. About 40 minutes into that rest, fold again. The hard part is over! Cover, and let this rise for about 4-6 hours.

I start this process when I wake up, this way I have warm bread later that day.

Rustic Day Bread Ingredients
Rustic Day Bread Ingredients

Once the dough has risen, lay out flour on a work surface. I use a big old bread board. Plop the dough onto the floured surface, then divide the dough into two portions. Flour the top of each dough ball, then cover to let rest for about 30 minutes.

During this time, preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Yep, ripping hot. If you have a dutch oven, preheat that as well.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover with cheese (if using), then fold and reshape into a ball, turning it over seam side down.

Remove the dutch oven from the oven with your kitchen mits, and carefully place the dough, seam side down into the dutch oven. Cover, place back into the oven and cook for about 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove the lid, and cook another 15-20 minutes.

Remove onto a wire rack to let cool, then repeat with your second loaf.

Slice into that bad boy and enjoy!

Indian Coconut Green Beans

Dax Phillips Leave a comment

My wife and I have been going to a local Indian restaurant in our area called Indian Garden.  I am no expert when it comes to authentic Indian food, but my taste buds are pretty good and I have eaten enough of that cuisine to know the good from the bad, and this place is the good. There are couple of things that differentiate an ethnic restaurant for me when I first arrive. My first sell is it busy and second are those sitting down to eat of the same ethnicity as the restaurant. Win, win on Indian Garden, and as a matter of fact we are often times the only ‘gringos’ in that joint. With all of that being said, we have only dined in for their lunch buffet and there are plenty of reasons why. It’s very affordable, and they offer a wide array of great Indian food, so much as my wife will say ‘we have to learn to make that’. One of our visits my wife tried their coconut soup and loved it so much that I had to learn to make it for her. It’s still one of her favorites to this day. On our most recent visit they had a green bean dish, one that was the first for us, that was just out of this world, and it was up to me to figure this one out.

Indian Coconut Green Beans Recipe
Indian Coconut Green Beans Recipe

This was perfect timing as we needed to harvest a bunch of green beans from our garden, and so it was time to use up some leftover coconut from making pies this summer and put it all to a good use.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of fresh green beans, trimmed, and cut into about 2 inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes
  • 5 Indian curry leaves
  • generous pinch of salt, to taste

Super simple stuff here but flavors that will have you coming back for more, trust me I know from that last visit to the buffet. I had no guilt getting a second serving of these beans.

Start by getting a large skillet on the stove, over medium heat. Add in the oil and let that come to temperature, about a minute or so.

Next add in the green beans, and give them a nice stir in the oil. Continue to cook the beans on medium heat for about 5 minutes, then toss in the Indian curry leaves. Give your wrist a workout and toss those in the skillet, and then continue to stir for a couple of minutes.

Indian Coconut Green Bean Ingredients
Indian Coconut Green Bean Ingredients

Now add in the coconut flakes, and continue to toss and stir.

Cook the beans and the coconut until the coconut flakes start to turn a golden color and the beans are just starting to get tender.

Slide these into a serving bowl and get ready to dig in.

These coconut green beans are so good you can just eat them as a main dish if you desire. Crunchy beans with a sweetness from the coconut and a slight pungent taste from those curry leaves. It was a win, win, just like the buffet at Indian Garden. If you are looking for a great side dish, and looking to harvest some beans, give this one a try. As a side note, you can get curry leaves from your local Indian market (I shop at Best Food Store in Milwaukee, and the curry leaves can get sealed up and frozen as well. Hope you enjoy!

Dill Pickle Peanuts

Dax Phillips Leave a comment

In the past month we have been harvesting tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs from the garden. Typically my wife snags a cucumber and handful of tomatoes for lunch, which is a great thing. Me on the other hand, well, think about ways I can make meals using whatever produce we can harvest. As I was walking along the garden, I realized I had a bunch of dill to use. As I typically love buying fresh dill, the reality is it doesn’t last but a day, if that, before it gets limp and unusable. That is if you don’t freeze it, which I recently found out!

So while looking at the dill, that’s when it popped into my head, why not try making some dill flavored peanuts. I’ve been tinkering with mixed nuts this summer, I love dill, my kids love snacking on nuts, and let’s just see what happens. What happened was pretty darn delicious as a snack.

This recipe is super simple.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of Spanish Peanuts
  • 1 tbsp your favorite seasoning blend (make sure it has some dill in it)
  • 1 tbsp dried onion
  • 2 tbsp canola or olive oil
  • 1 cup of fresh dill fronds, lightly chopped, packed
  • 1 tsp salt, to taste
  • baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Begin by preheating your oven to 325.

To a mixing bowl, add everything but the baking sheet and parchment paper, and give a good toss, incorporating all of the seasoning and oil onto the peanuts.

Dill Pickle Peanuts Recipe
Dill Pickle Peanuts Recipe

Spread the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and place into the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the peanuts while they are baking and feel free to give them a gentle stir halfway through.

Ingredients for Dill Pickle Peanuts
Ingredients for Dill Pickle Peanuts

Once cooked, remove them from the oven and place them into a serving bowl. Let them cool down before digging in. These are a perfect game day snack, balanced with hints of dill and a seasoning blend. Give these a try if you are looking to use up some dill in the near future! Hope you enjoy!