Thursday, January 20, 2011

One-Year-Old 51 Years Ago

The menu? Canned peaches, fried cod - the kind that came as a frozen fish brick, squishy canned peas that didn't make it into the photo, party cups of candies, and a pretty cake polka-dotted with pastel mint patties and topped with one giant candle. Sixties family food.




This year's birthday meal? Salmon with roasted red pepper sauce, risotto, steamed and stir-fried green beans, apple and fennel salad, and a nice mellow malbec.


Grilled Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Adapted by Je Mange la Ville from Eating Well magazine

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted slightly in a dry pan over medium heat
1 roasted red bell pepper
1/4 cup halved grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, or roasted
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 juice of ½ an orange (3 T.) or more if needed
1 tsp. paprika, preferably smoked
1 tsp. salt, divided
freshly ground pepper
3/4 – 1 lb wild-caught salmon fillet, cut into 2 portions
Canola or olive oil cooking spray

Process all sauce ingredients until almost smooth.

Grill salmon 3-5 minutes on each side.

Or bake in 425 oven for 15-20 minutes.


Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad with Orange Dressing and Ricotta Salata
from Food Network.com

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 navel oranges, juiced
1/2 navel orange, zested
1 small lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Couple pinches salt
About 15 to 20 grinds black pepper

Salad:
1 bulb fennel, shaved with a knife or mandoline (about 2 to 3 cups), fronds reserved and chopped
1 Granny Smith, or Honey Crisp, or other good salad apple, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices, then cut into matchsticks
1/4-pound ricotta salata, shaved (feta or parmesan are also good)

Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a sealable container and shake to emulsify.
Combine shaved fennel, some of the fronds, and apple in a mixing bowl and toss. Toss the salad with the dressing. Distribute between serving plates. Top with shaved cheese and scatter a few more chopped fennel fronds over the top. Serve immediately.

6 comments:

Laural said...

Sounds lovely! I hope you're not doing all that cooking yourself... Have a great birthday!

Unknown said...

Do you have any leftover Fennel Salad?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Little Lulu said...

You were a very cute baby. And look how pretty your sister is.
Happy Birthday, NDL! And many more....

double E said...

Dinner gets 5 out of 5! Thank you for treating us!! That's the swedish way, bake your own birthday cake. I've never really gotten used to that.

Georgiann said...

Looks like fried chicken to me. Look at those choking hazard beads and that death trap high chair.

Happy Birthday, the card is in the mail! You'll always be that much younger than me. Remember when the rental car guy kept referring to me as your mother?

Shaundra said...

Happy birthday! I hope your jewelery has improved as much as your meal. Sounds delicious!