Barefoot Bloggers: Smoked Salmon Dip with a Tasty Glitch

It's barefoot Thursday!

Today is the day when Barefoot Bloggers around the blogosphere prepare a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten. Today's recipe was selected by Ashley of The Spicy Skillet . Ashley chose Smoked Salmon Dip.

Well, I shopped late last night at Whole Foods Market right after my son's night time baseball game under the lights. It was 9:45 and the store was closing so I rushed around like a mad woman to gather my ingredients. No surprise here, but when I went to make the dip I realized that I forgot the cream cheese...only the base of whole dip!

After a quick scan of the fridge I spied a package of Boursin Pepper Gournay Cheese-close enough! So with a couple of adjustments we were in business for the dip! My little glitch I thought turned our rather tasty.

Smoked Salmon Dip (desperately) adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

1 (5.2 ounce) package Boursin Pepper Gournay Cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon fresh horseradish

3 ounces smoked salmon, minced

Place the cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, dill and horse radish in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Add the salmon and pulse until combined. Serve with crudites or crackers.

Fine Limes

When it comes to grilling it's really all about the condiments. The grill adds terrific flavor to meats and vegetables and I really love those char marks, but let's face it, it's what you slab on before, during or after that can make all the difference in your grilled meal.

In my humble opinion, limes rank right up there with ketchup and mustard in the condiment hierarchy. They can be essential in marinade making, they make fabulous post grilling sauces, glazes and perhaps their best feature of all-they make darn good cocktails...margarita anyone?

I'm sharing a post grilling sauce today, a vinaigrette really. The vinaigrette is drizzled onto the meat just after grilling and can be drizzled on your grilled vegetables or salad as well. I have made salmon, but the vinaigrette would work equally well on chicken, some other grilled seafood or even grilled steak.

Just a word or two about selecting limes at the supermarket:

• Make sure you choose smooth skinned, nicely colored limes if you are planning on using the zest.
• Compare limes for weight in your hands, make sure you get one that feels a little "heavy" so you know it has a good amount of juice in it.
• If you are buying limes for a marinade or to make a sauce or dressing with be sure to pick up a few extra for those complementing cocktails.

Grilled Salmon with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lime zest
Juice of 1 lime (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salmon:
1 pound Wild Alaskan Salmon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Oil to brush the grill

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the cilantro, olive oil, vinegar, lime zest, lime juice, shallot salt and pepper in a blender container or small food processor; blend until smooth.

Preheat a grill to medium high heat.

Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Brush the grill rack lightly with oil. Place the salmon on the grill skin side up and grill for 3 minutes. Using a large spatula, carefully turn the salmon over and grill for an additional 3 minutes or until desired doneness. Transfer the cooked fish to s cutting board. Carve into 4 portions. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salmon to serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Asparagus and a Fish Story

There are two vegetables that I can genuinely say I look forward to each spring and summer: asparagus and sweet corn. It’s still too early for good sweet corn-at least it is here in New England anyway, but the asparagus I have found at the supermarket the last few weeks have been divine.

For years I would not eat asparagus. I was haunted by memories of the canned variety I was served -usually at holidays- their salty limpness was, well, nasty. It was not until being served asparagus in a restaurant that I realized what the real texture was supposed to be. My preference is tender crisp. I will lightly grill, quickly blanch or quickly roast them; but grilled is by far my favorite way to eat asparagus.

Tomorrow my daughter’s science class will be releasing salmon that they have raised from eggs, into a local tributary of the Connecticut River. I suppose it’s a little twisted, but that is what inspired me to make a salmon salad for dinner tonight. (That and I happen to think that asparagus and salmon go very well together.) Only about 10-15 percent of the salmon that they will be releasing is expected to actually survive, swim to the Atlantic Ocean and then return to Connecticut to spawn. Then I suppose they will ultimately be caught and served for dinner-oh that is twisted.

Grilled Asparagus and Wild Salmon Salad with Spiced Honey Vinaigrette

Spiced Honey Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon red pepper flavored extra virgin olive oil*
2 tablespoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, such as grey salt or sea salt
Salad:
Oil to brush the grill
2 teaspoons red pepper flavored extra virgin olive oil*
20 asparagus spears
Salt and pepper to taste
4 (8 ounce) Wild Salmon fillets
8 cups baby spinach
1 cup diced grape tomatoes

*you may substitute regular extra virgin olive oil for the flavored oil

Preheat a grill to medium high heat.

For the Spiced Honey Vinaigrette, in a medium sized bowl rapidly whisk together the honey, red pepper flavored oil, lime juice, cayenne pepper, ancho chili powder and the shallot. Stir in the salt then set the vinaigrette aside.

Drizzle the 2 teaspoons of oil over the asparagus spears. Place the spears directly on the grill rack and cook, turning once or twice, until tender crisp-about 3-4 minutes. Remove the spears from the grill, slice about 2 inches off the ends of each spear. Sprinkle the asparagus tips lightly with salt and pepper. (You can save the ends to make stock if you care to).

Lightly brush the grill rack with oil. Place the salmon directly on the grill rack skin side down, close the grill and cook for 6 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the fish over and grill for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the grill and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

To assemble the salads, divide the spinach between four serving plates mounding it in the center of each. Arrange the grilled asparagus spears, tips up, around the spinach. Divide the tomatoes between each salad.

Lean the salmon to the side of the spinach. Drizzle each salad and salmon portion with the vinaigrette. Add additional salt if desired and serve immediately.