Pan-Seared Salmon with Warm Cherry Tomato Vinagrette & Lemon Pepper Papardelle

I'm a little bit late, but here is the meal I made for Father's Day this year. I would like to take a moment to thank Trader Joe's, who provided me with a fabulous papardelle so that I did not have to make my own. Thanks, Trader Joe's. You have saved me more time than you know. I was originally going to serve this over a potato/parsnip puree until I found the papardelle in my pantry(I guess I forgot about it!)....what was I thinking!? This salmon dish goes over pasta a THOUSAND times better than it would ever go over potatoes. If you make this, remember this little experience and serve this salmon over papardelle(or fettuccine, or even angel hair would be nice). But NOT potatoes.

Stupid, stupid, stupid...............

Ingredients:

• 4 Salmon Fillets(skinless), about 4-5 oz. each
• Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 c. Cherry Tomatoes, halved
• 1 Large Shallot, thinly sliced
  
• 1/4 c. White Wine Vinegar
• 2/3 c. Olive oil
• 1 t. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 1 t. Fresh Oregano, chopped
• 1 t. Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, oil, thyme, and oregano. Stir lightly to mix. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet(also, begin cooking your pasta at this stage). Pat salmon fillets dry and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Press into fillets. Place the salmon in the hot skillet and sear to a golden brown on each side. Remove the fillets from the pan and place on an oven safe baking sheet. Finish cooking the fish in the oven(salmon is done when it flakes easily and is cooked through, but just. Don't over cook!).

While the salmon is cooking in the oven, pour the tomato vinaigrette into the hot skillet and let simmer for about 1 minute, or until the tomatoes start to wrinkle. Remove from heat.

Serve the salmon on top of a bed of pasta and spoon the tomato vinaigrette on top of the fish.

Pan-seared Halibut with Sweet Corn Zabaglione

Now that Hell's Kitchen is over, Master Chef has taken over as my favorite cooking reality show. This dish was another challenge dish that I had to make myself, it looked so good. Cat Cora is the main creator of the dish, but here is my version, with my own preferences! I hope you like it!
*Try and use fresh, never frozen Halibut, if you can find it. The fish found in most grocery stores is previously frozen, although you would think it was fresh when laid out in the display case.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 Halibut Fillets, skinned (about 6 oz. each)
• Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
• Olive oil, to taste
• 2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut off
• 1/3 Red Onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 c. Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 c. Baby Arugula, washed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 c. Heavy Cream
• 1 Egg Yolk
  

For the Halibut: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan until sizzling. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides, pressing the seasonings into the flesh. When the oil is hot, Lay the fillets presentation side down in the pan and sear for 2 minutes. Flip over. The fish should be golden on top. Sear on the other side for about 1 minute more and then turn of the heat, leaving the fish in the pan to continue cooking. Keep warm.

For the Salad: In a frying pan, saute 1/2 of the corn and the red onion in olive oil until soft, but not soggy. Place in a bowl and allow to cool. Add the cherry tomatoes and arugula and toss. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the Sweet Corn Zabaglione: In a large saucepan, saute the onion and remaining corn in a small amount of olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and let simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Place the corn/cream mixture in a blender. CAREFULLY puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk until broken up. Add a small amount of the strained sauce to the yolk, whisking well each time, until the yolk is warmed. Add the yolk to the sauce and whisk in well.
Cook the sauce in a double boiler until slightly thickened and hot. Season with salt to taste.

To serve: Pour about 1/2 c. of sauce onto the center of a plate. Place the halibut on top of the sauce, presentation side up. Top the fish with a portion of the salad. Eat Immediately!

Herb Crusted Salmon

For Nikki in her search for good fish recipes, here is my all time favorite. Salmon fillets brushed with melted butter and then crusted in fresh herbs. You can use any herb combination that you like. I usually combine fresh thyme, oregano, parsley and rosemary. But you can also use basil or chives or as few or many herbs as you like. Try cooking this on the grill(wrapped in foil still) during the summer time. Serve it with roasted potatoes(Did I tell you I found a 5 lb. bag of fingerling potatoes at Costco for $5? I found a 5 lb. bag of fingerling potatoes at Costco for$5!!!) and broccoli or asparagus.

Ingredients:

• 1 large fillet of Salmon, skin on is fine
• 1/2 c. Butter, melted
• 1/4 c. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1/8 c. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 1/8 c. Fresh Oregano, chopped
• 1/8 c. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 1 T. Kosher Salt
• 1 t. Ground Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set out a baking sheet and tear two sheets of tin foil , each 1/2 times the length of the baking sheet. Lay the foil overlapping on the baking sheet so that the salmon fillet can be wrapped in it once it's ready to bake.
2. Lay the Salmon fillet on top of the tin foil on the baking sheet. Brush the entire fillet with the melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the herbs, salt, and pepper *Do not do this step before this point or the the mixture will become wet and difficult to sprinkle.
3. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the salmon, making sure that all areas are evenly covered. Pat down to help it stick.
4. Wrap the foil loosely over the salmon and place in the oven.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes and is no longer translucent. Do not overcook!

I hope you love this dish as much as I do!!