Salmon & Celeriac, Smashed BS, Sourdough, Purple Cauliflower & Fishies

Salmon & Mustardy Celeriac
What?  Celeriac, isn't that that gluten-free disease thing?   Nope  Celeriac is the root of the celery plant.  Common in European dishes -- soups, salads, mashed, etc.  Not so common here in the States, but we can find it in our local Publix -- ask.  Still, it tastes good (like mild celery) and is good for you as a substitute for starchy potatoes.    This recipe comes from our friend Fiona Barnes in Maplethorp, England.  Like many older British recipes, this one was lacking in the spice department, so I added seasoning to the salmon.

2 Salmon Fillets
Salmon seasoning of choice -- I use Auntie Arwen's Waterfall Leapin' Salmon Spicetm
1-1/4 lb or larger Celeriac
6 oz packet Baby Spinach, stemmed

Peeled Celeriac

Mustard Dressing
Whisk together:
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 tsp Lemon juice -- 1 lemon worth
1 Tbsp EVOO
pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar

Bake the seasoned salmon fillets 12-15 minutes @ 375F.  Boil the celeriac for an equal 12-15 minutes.

Drain the celeriac and mash it in the hot pot.  Add the spinach, cover and cook another few minutes over low heat until the greens wilt.  Fold in a tablespoon of the dressing and remove from the heat.

Serve the salmon fillets on a bed of the mash, and drizzle the remaining dressing over the top.


Smashed Brussels Sprouts
We got some giant Brussels Sprouts in this week's Produce Co-Op box, and I went looking for something different to do with them.  This recipe also works with ordinary sized sprouts, of course.  I added a few to fill up the sheet pan.

2 lbs Brussels Sprouts
2 Tbsp EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Thyme
S&P TT
1 cup shredded Mozarella
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan (canned works just fine)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a hard boil, and blanch the Brussels sprouts about 10 minutes until bright green and tender.  Chill the sprouts in an ice bath and drain thoroughly.  Toss with the EVOO.

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay the sprouts on the parchment nicely spaced from each other.  Use a heavy Mason jar or something similar to smash each sprout flat into a sort of patty.   Season each patty with thyme, salt & pepper to taste.  Top each patty with both cheeses.

Bake the Brussels sprouts about 20 minutes until you've got a nice crust.  Serve hot.

Purple Cauliflower Gratin
This one was an "off the cuff" dinner using just things I had on hand

1 head Cauliflower -- I had a beautiful purple head from the Co-Op
1/2 jar Alfredo Sauce -- leftover from another recipe
2 oz or so creamy Goat Cheese -- we had an 8 ounce log in the fridge
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs -- always have those around
1/4 cup crushed Cheddar Goldfishtm Crackers -- bottom of a bag of our favorite crispy snack

I disassembled the cauliflower and then par-cooked it by steaming for about 6 minutes.  Laid the cooked florettes in a 9x9 baking dish.

Then I poured the Alfredo sauce over the florettes and dotted the top of things with pinched off pieces of goat cheese.

Lastly, I sprinkled the Panko and then the crushed crackers on top of everything and baked it for about 35 minutes in a pre-heated 375F oven.  It smelled sooo good and we were soooo hungry that I forgot to take a picture before we dove in.   But here's what Sally too to lunch the next day:

Colorful and tasty -- a great combination.  I'll be using crushed Goldfish as a topping for other dishes, I'm sure.


Sourdough 101 -- Whole Wheat Bread
One of the things I got Sally for Christmas - at her request - was  Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter Kit from an outfit called Cultures For Health.  So after the holidays I got the starter set up and 'started'.  A process which took about a week. 

So a couple weeks ago I made my first batch of simple whole wheat bread using the 'mother' and additional whole wheat flour.  Not having any idea of how much the dough would rise, I portioned it out into two pans, and created two smaller loaves of bread.

The result was VERY dense.  I mean denser than fruitcake dense.  And VERY tasty.  The sourness was wonderful.  But was it supposed to be this dense?  This heavy?  I dunno, but it was good.

So this week I made another loaf.  Proofed it about 10 hours, got a nice rise, and as you can see, a good looking loaf.

Still dense as all get-out, so whatever I did right/wrong before, I did it again.  Still very tasty and wonderfully sour.

Right or wrong, there it is.  Want a slice?