Alaska: Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill

Bishop's Beach, Homer

We spent the last ten days of March roaming around Alaska.  We flew into Anchorage 8 hours late after missing our flight out of Denver the night before, and headed south towards the Resurrection Pass Trail.  After a hut-trip-gone-awry with too much snow and moonlight skiing, we crashed in the town of Kenai.  We spent the next few days cross country skiing and exploring the beautiful Kenai Peninsula, especially Homer where our friends Katie and Grant live.  Homer has amazing food.  We gorged on Seafood at the Mermaid Cafe, ate delicious baked goods at Two Sisters Bakery, and sampled local beer and wine (we would recommend the beer... Alaska should maybe leave the wine to warmer climes).


We also spent a couple nights in where we cooked wild crab and baked local salmon.  I grew up with salmon a weekly staple.  My mom barbecued it, baked it, broiled it, poached it, and served it smoked.  The most valuable lesson I learned from her cooking was that you should never over season a good piece of fish, or you will ruin it.  The below recipe is tried and true.  I have made it at least twice a month for many years, and my mom made it many years before me.

Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill

• 1 salmon fillet (I usually buy 3/4 pound for 2 people)
• 2-3 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 lemon
• 3-4 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Place the fillet in a large baking dish taking care to avoid the flesh touching the edges of the pan.
3. Cut the butter into small pieces and divide evenly over the fish.
4. Coarsely chop the dill and spread over the fish.
5. Thinly slice the lemon and place on top.
6. Grind some pepper on top and season with a very small amount of salt.
7. Cover with foil or a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
8. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes (depending on thickness) until you can see white fat emerging from the flesh, and when the flesh is divided with a fork the very middle is still slightly dark.

We spent the rest of our time in Girdwood, Anchorage, and Talkeetna skiing and dog sledding.  We ate wonderful pub-style seafood at F Street Station in Anchorage and enjoyed excellent beer at the Denali Brewing Company in Talkeetna.

Homer Marina

View of Iliamna Volcano, Kenai Peninsula

Lake Ski, Soldotna

  

Diamond Beach

Moose in Homer

Homer Overlook

Night Drive: between Homer and Girdwood

Turnagen Arm

Talkeetna, AK

Girdwood, AK

Friday Links: Meyer Lemons

photo credit

Happy President's Weekend!  We have the honor of Michelle Obama and Joe Biden skiing our slopes this weekend, so naturally Steven and I will be avoiding paparazzi filled hill in favor of bowl hiking and other pursuits this weekend.  We are also excited to celebrate Valentine's Day (belated) tonight at Element 47, Aspen's newest fine dining.

Today's links honor one of America's last truly seasonal fruits.  While many of us know better, we still buy apples in March and Kale in August.  We keep encouraging the excessive use of resources for food transportation.  Meyer lemons are not in season in Aspen, nothing is, but they do represent a dying trend of produce you can only find once a year.  Also, they are delicious.  So buy seasonal and enjoy these lovely, sweet-tart, gems.

Meyer Lemon Loaf from Sprouted Kitchen

Note: I made the Meyer Lemon Loaf with AP flour and it was so good I am making another this weekend.

Cocktail Hour: Meyer Lemon Whisky Sour
First Course: Leafy Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing
Main Course: Sauteed Chicken with Meyer Lemon and Rosemary
With Afternoon Tea: Meyer Lemon Loaf (gluten-free or not)
After Dinner: Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

Ginger-Maple Glazed Carrots

While the days are getting longer, it is still the season where we eat dinner after dark with condensation around the windows and soft lights glowing.  We linger in conversation, knowing that little will happen between dinner and bedtime.  This is also the season where broccoli has a shocking price tag, and green beans shrivel.  Tired of kale as a side, the other night I made these tasty glazed carrots to accompany creamy polenta, and roasted squash.  It made for an orange meal, but was well worth it.

Ginger-Maple Glazed Carrots

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3-4 carrots, cut into 2 inch sticks
• Sea salt
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground or fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet
2. Add carrots in a single layer and sprinkle a little sea salt over the top
3. Cook 20-30 minutes, turning once, until carrots begin to show some deep brown coloring and are almost fully cooked.
4. Whisk together maple syrup, ginger and lemon zest, add to carrots and stir to coat sprinkle cayenne if using. 

     5. Cook another 5 minutes until a glaze forms.

     6. Finish with salt and black pepper to taste.

Vegetable Barley Soup and January Gray

It has been a strange January with temperatures ranging from well below zero to 50 degrees, and not much snow until today.  We spent January skiing when the sun came out, ice climbing in Ouray, doing our best to enjoy the chaotic Winter X Games, and celebrating more stable jobs (I am working 15 hours per week in a clinic, and Steven is now a full time salaried employee at the school).  This January seems to be Gray.  Gray skies, gray attitudes, snowless gray streets.  So here is looking towards a February full of blue sky, more snow, health and positivity.  We are crossing our fingers for more snow in the near future, and preparing for a busy February and March.

This soup is basic.  It is the perfect cure for winter blues or grays, and is quick enough for a weeknight meal.

Vegetable Barley Soup
Adapted from Picky Cook

• 2 large or 3 small leeks, cut in small half moons
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 carrots, large dice or half moons
• 1 large russet potato or 3 red potatoes, peeled and 1 inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup barley
• 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 cups vegetable stock
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Minced parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Heat olive oil, add leeks and allow to soften.  Add garlic and a pinch of salt, cook until fragrant (1 minute).
2. Stir in carrots, celery and potato and cook about 5 minutes.
3. Push vegetables to the side and add 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Stir tomato paste in oil until it begins to stick and darkens (1-2 minutes).  Incorporate into the vegetable mixture.
4. Add barley and cook stirring 2 minutes.
5. Sprinkle paprika and oregano over the mixture and stir. 
6. Add stock and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.  
7. Simmer 25-30 minutes until potatoes are soft and barley cooks through (this will take an extra 15 minutes at altitude). 
8. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice.  Serve topped with minced parsley.

View from the start deck at the X Games SuperPipe.  We got to slip between riders.

Learning the basics of digging a snow pit during a weekend avy safety course.

Clouds in the valley.

Friday Links: Resolutions and Recipes

Photo Credit

Oh resolutions.  Last year I resolved to bake more cake, which I did.  I am not a fan of the "eat healthier" or "lose weight" brand of resolutions.  However, I do find that January is often a time where my body needs a cleanse.  I am not talking about the only drink smoothies kind of cleanse, but rather just a fresh start to the year filled with winter greens, hearty grains and low in saturated fats and meats.  Just taking how we usually eat and amping up the greens.  Today's links are resolution friendly and tasty.

Eat more dark, leafy greens: Kale and Chickpea Salad, and 14 other kale recipes
Be more creative with vegetarian cooking: Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes
Include winter squash in your diet: Butternut Squash and Shiitake Ragu
Lower your calorie intake (without being hungry): Spiced Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk
Cleanse the right way: Bon Appetit's Food Lovers Cleanse

In other news, we spent last weekend at the Ouray Ice Climbing Festival.  Here are a few pics:

Me

Kenz

Hiking In (Ed and Mike in Front)

The Competition

Friday Links: Winter Soups

Tuscan Bean Soup from The Italian Dish

The snow is coming.  The air is expectant with the incoming storm, and the anticipation is killing me.  We got our first storm a couple weeks ago, but this one is supposed to leave snow measured in feet.  With opening day coming up in two weeks, we are all ready for the flakes to fall.  I love soup on a snowy night.  The windows in my tiny house steam up, and outside is still and beautiful, reminding me of what I love about living in the mountains.  Here is a roundup of delightful soups for your snowy (or just cold...) weekend.

The Italian: Tuscan Bean Soup

The French: French Lentil Soup

The Thai: Chicken Coconut Curry Soup

The Vietnamese: Vegetarian Pho

And from the archives at SG:

The simple classic: Potato Leek Soup

The healthy choice: Black Bean Soup

The party dish: Chicken Chili

The travel-inspired: Quinoa Soup

Enjoy the weekend, and make some soup!