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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Cedar Plank Grilled Wild Sockeye Salmon with Zucchini Fries

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day -- definitely a top 10 day!  It started off great because I was able to sleep in and actually got in a little over 8 hours of sleep, which I rarely get.  t was in the mid-50s when we woke up and bright, sunny with a slight breeze. We decided to take advantage of the gorgeous cool weather and get our walk done before breakfast. We walked all over our little town and it was so pretty and because it's a holiday weekend, it was pretty quiet out as well. When we finished walking we were so rejuvenated that we started pruning shrubs out front and forgot about eating breakfast! We came in and had "brunch" since it was so late and then ran our errands in the early afternoon. We did our usual Costco run and they finally had wild salmon in again!  I was SO excited!!! We picked up some fresh produce and a few other odds and ends and then stopped at the grocery store  and ran a few other errands. I originally planned to roast brussels sprouts to go with our salmon dinner tonight, but instead decided to make Zucchini Fries. We picked up some cedar planks to cook our huge salmon fillet on. I have always wanted to try cooking salmon on one, so today we decided to try it out.  It turned out delicious, moist and tender. To make the salmon, I simply zested a lemon and squeezed the juice from it and then mixed it with about 2 tablespoons of melted Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter to make a "lemony-garlic-herb" butter. After we prepared the cedar plank and heated it, I sliced another lemon and placed the salmon fillet on top, then brushed it with the lemon herb butter and placed the lemon slices, alternating with fresh dill sprigs on top and covered and cooked it for about 20-25 minutes.

Before we grilled the salmon, I prepared Zucchini Fries (recipe below). I just added things together to make a seasoned "breading" for them.  In a shallow bowl, I mixed 1/4 cup golden ground flax, 1/4 cup blanched almond flour and 1/2 cup of finely shredded Parmesan. To that mixture I added 1/2 teaspoon each of: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and then 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and a few generous dashes of cayenne for some zip and mixed it together well. In a medium bowl, I made an egg wash by beating 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons olive oil and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I cut 2 medium-large zucchini into 2" long sticks. I added the zucchini sticks, about 1/3 at a time, to the egg wash, tossing to coat well. I lined a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and then used my right hand for handling the "wet mixture" and reserved my left hand for rolling them in the "dry seasoned mixture". I lined them on the baking sheet and baked them at 425 F for about 20-25 minutes until crisp. They turned out really good! I snapped a few photos below for you to see. Enjoy!


This is why I love Costco!  
Such a beautiful piece of salmon...
Zucchini fries ready to be popped into the oven...
Here's a closer look before going into the oven...
Salmon grilling away...



Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup ground golden flax
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Few dashes ground cayenne pepper, optional
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium to large sized zucchini

DIRECTIONS:

In a shallow bowl, mix together flax, almond flour and Parmesan. Add onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and cayenne. 

In a separate bowl, beat eggs with olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cut zucchini into 2" long sticks. Add zucchini sticks, about 1/3 at a time, to the egg wash; toss to coat well. Place on large parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

*Note: Use right hand to handle "wet mixture" and left hand for rolling them in the "dry seasoned mixture". 

   

7 comments:

  1. Hi GGC,

    It was a delightful picture perfect day here, too. We did yard work all afternoon and the next thing we knew it was after 5:00 ... it was so nice out that the time just flew by. :-)

    Will have to try the salmon this way. Every time I see the planks at the store I wonder how that would work. Now I know. It looks wonderful!

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  2. Hi CyberSis! Now, if we could only keep the weather this way all summer long! The cedar definitely added flavor...but not as much as I would have thought. We didn't burn the plank so much, which is what creates the smoke...and therefore, the flavor. Wasn't bad for our first try though! The salmon stayed nice and moist -- we enjoyed it and have 3 pieces left. I look forward to making a salad tomorrow with a piece of chilled salmon on top! Glad you had gorgeous weather too -- it makes working in the yard a pleasure, doesn't it! :-)

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  3. Thanks for spreading the LOVE! This looks so good! I just bought zucchini and have salmon so I know what's for dinner tonight! Am new to wheat free and am struggling! Your blog and FB page are a God send!

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  4. Thanks so much Shelia! I hope you enjoy it -- you can adjust the seasoning or spices to suit your own personal tastes...I hope you find some ideas here to inspire you. It really is possible to eat well and to eat tasty foods without wheat...I am living proof of that! LOL :-)

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  5. Made your zucchini fries last night to serve w/grilled sirloin. My.Oh.My...what an absolutely delicious side dish! Served the leftovers this morning w/scambled eggs and it was even more flavorful. I wonder if it would freeze well before or after baking?????

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  6. You can add a few twigs or store bought special wood (like mesquite or hickory) chips to the grill for added smoke rather than burn your plank. The plank keeps the fish moist and should be used with indirect heat.
    This means you shut off the middle burner and place your plank over that area. A well soaked plank used on indirect heat shouldn't burn much at all. The planks las a very long time thais way.

    You might want to soak them in a large plastic bag that can be sealed in some manner when water is added. Overnight or all day soaking is easy this way.

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  7. Thanks so much for the cedar plank grilling tips. I will definitely try soaking the cedar ahead of time next time we use one. :-)

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