Reducipe: Mirin Wasabi Glazed Salmon

Simply awesome! This is one of those recipes that’s easy to make, tastes great, and it’s good for you, too!

This is Eric’s most requested salmon dish and every time he finishes, he licks his plate clean. No joke.

It really is that tasty, folks.

This Mirin Wasabi glaze is out of this world. It blends sweet with a little tangy and a little hot. It matches really well with the fattiness of the salmon and complements it beautifully.

If you are concerned about the kick of wasabi, there is a trick to controlling the heat. If you want it on the milder side just add your wasabi along with the other sauce ingredients before cooking. Cooking really seems to temper the flavor and heat of wasabi. If you want your wasabi at full strength (like us) whisk it into the sauce after cooking.

Mirin Wasabi Glazed Salmon

3 tablespoons Mirin
1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste (more if you like it hot)
1 lb salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

To make the sauce combine the Mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a small bowl and whisk. Transfer to small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the wasabi paste. Set aside.

Sprinkle the salmon with the salt and the pepper. Set a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add a little olive oil. Add the salmon and cook, turning once, until the fish is browned on the outside and almost opaque in the center, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Transfer to plates and spoon the sauce over the salmon. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

As far as cooking temperatures go, my sanitation guidelines state that fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F. However, this must not be a hard and fast rule because restaurants often serve salmon medium and tuna rare. Personally, I like to remove my salmon from the heat when the thickest part reaches 132 F and I let carry over cooking take it the rest of the way to 135 F.

I chose farm-raised salmon for this recipe because it was fresh (not previously frozen) and on sale. I couldn’t believe I found it for only $4.99 a pound this week, especially with food prices rising every where. Turns out they overstocked. Yea for me!

I highly recommend finely grating fresh ginger when it’s being used in sauces. This step helps break down the fibers within fresh ginger and creates a better texture. To grate my ginger I use a microplane. They aren’t too expensive and can be used to grate all sorts of things like spices, chocolate, or even hard cheeses.

This time I had to make an educated guess at the cost for the Mirin. I always seem to have it on hand and I forgot to jot down the price at the grocery store as a reference. I decided to estimate high though, just in case.

Ingredient	Cost	Ingredient	Cost
Mirin	$0.10	Wasabi	$0.12
Rice Vinegar	$0.05	Salmon	$4.94
Soy Sauce	$0.10	Olive Oil	$0.06
Honey	$0.16	Scallions	$0.15
Ginger	$0.09		Total $5.77 or $1.44 a serving

Wow, a yummy salmon dinner for less than a $1.50 per serving. Not bad. As you can see in the picture I paired it with some plain rice (to soak up the sauce) and a frozen Asian veggie mix. Even with those additions it’s still well under $2.00 a serving. I hope you will try this out and tell me what you think! Enjoy!

Dining Out = Cost Savings?

Last week was my first week in culinary school . Yea!

Right now I’m taking sanitation and soon I’ll be starting basic cookery classes. Sanitation isn’t the most interesting subject (even though it’s important) so the chef instructor likes to interject stories and commentary along the way.

He stressed the importance of dining out several times a week to gain experience and exposure to new ways of cooking. He wants us to try at least one new restaurant a week and even asks us every morning who went out to dinner. I understand why he gave us that advice; you won’t grow as much as a cook if you stick with cooking at home and never try other people’s versions.

One of the students in the back of the class said he would need to get a second job in order to afford eating out all the time. The chef smiled and remarked that eating out was actually cheaper than cooking at home.

Half the class looked confused (myself included) and he was asked to explain. He said that if you eat cheap fast food, take out, or at hole-in-the-wall dives you can spend less on food than if you cooked that meal for yourself at home. He used a hamburger as an example.

He reasoned that in order to make a hamburger at home he would need to buy more product than he needed. He couldn’t buy just one meat patty, one slice tomato, and one bun. He would need to buy a pound of hamburger, a whole tomato, and a pack of buns, all to get just one hamburger. Those minimum purchases result in excess and makes it more expensive than buying a $1.09 hamburger from a value menu.

This was an intriguing argument and it reminded me of the first time I made lasagna at home. I remember laughing when the bill for the ingredients came out to $30 when I could get a frozen pan of prepared lasagna for only $10. Mine may have tasted a ton better but it certainly wasn’t cheaper.

I see his point and agree that it is valid, assuming several things:

You are not cooking in bulk or for more than 1-2 people
You are wanting lots of variety in your meals
You only want enough for one meal and don’t want leftovers
You stick with low cost restaurants and cheap meal choices (no fine dining)

I fully agree that if I wanted to make dinners in single portion sizes that there would be waste and higher costs involved to cook at home. My single homemade hamburger would end up costing me over $5. That $1 fast food burger looks pretty good by comparison.

However, if you are cooking for more than 2 people or don’t mind leftovers, I feel cooking at home almost always wins out. I know that my food bill decreased dramatically when we started packing lunches, eating leftovers, and cooking at home almost exclusively.

After class I went up to him and said that although I understood the point he was trying to make I disagreed that eating out was always cheaper. I argued that buying/cooking in bulk, eating leftovers, and forgoing some variety actually made for a cheaper food bill.

If cooking large quantities of food from a planned menu wasn’t cost effective, restaurants wouldn’t be making huge sums of money. Right?

He agreed that economies of scale can be an “equalizer” and under those circumstances eating at home can be cheaper. He didn’t really seem convinced though. He said we would discuss it more towards the end of the course.

I guess I should start detailing real life examples for when we discuss it again. I want to be prepared to show the other side of the story if I get the opportunity.

A lot of the students in my class seem to be pretty young, maybe even fresh out of high school. I would hate to see any of them start picking up fast food everyday thinking it was the most cost-effective option for them.

Image Source: ebruli

Reducipe: Mexican Ham & Bean Soup

Mexican Ham & Bean Soup With food prices still going up I wanted to post another bean recipe that we enjoy. Bean soups are a filling and hearty way to satisfy your family and keep food costs down. This one isn’t vegetarian and incorporates a little bit of ham.

This recipe is a spiced up version of ham and bean soup. It brings in a lot of the flavors of my region and is anything but bland. The ham and chipotle chilies add a smoky note to the soup and really compliments the other flavors.

If you can’t find whole chipotles where you live you can also use ground chipotle. Just be careful not to be too heavy handed with the ground stuff. It’s smoked jalapeno and it can get spicy! If you have to leave it out entirely I would consider adding a ham hock to boost up the smoky goodness.

The Manchego cheese and cilantro toppings bring coolness to the soup and offer a wonderful contrast to the highly flavored broth.

Mexican Ham & Bean Soup

1 lb dried pinto beans
10-12 cups chicken broth
2-3 cups onions, chopped
2 cups smoked ham, cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 chipotle chilies
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons oregano
3 bay leaves
Dash cayenne
Kosher salt, to taste
Manchego cheese, finely shredded
Cilantro, chopped

Pick through beans for pebbles and wash thoroughly. Place beans in large dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Combine beans, broth, onions, ham, garlic, and spices in a dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in tomatoes and chilies and simmer another 30-45 minutes. Discard the chilies and bay leaves and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve hot with cheese and cilantro sprinkled on top. Serves 6-8.

I actually put the chipotles in the soup at the time I mix all the other ingredients. I tend to like my soups spicy and the added time steeping really amps up the heat factor. If you don’t like too much spice be sure to add the chipotles when you add the tomatoes.

The soup is awesome when it is brothy so don’t skim on the liquids. If you can’t find low sodium chicken broth cut it with some water. Otherwise the soup can turn out a little salty after it condenses. Save your salting for after the simmering on this recipe.

I like to buy the prepackaged slice of center cut ham for this recipe. I find it gives just enough and keeps the price low. Make sure to go for smoked ham, or if you want you can also add a ham hock for added smokiness.

I really like Manchego cheese for the topping on this dish. It’s a feisty cheese that can hold it’s own to the spiciness of this soup. I like it so much that I’ll try to bargain for it! If Manchego just isn’t in the budget you can replace it with Monterrey Jack.

I think this is great with a little cheese quesadilla on the side. I used fresh tortilla, Manchego, sautéed onions, and a little garlic powder for mine. Yum!

Ingredient	Cost	Ingredient	Cost
Pinto Beans	$0.57	Canned Tomatoes	$1.36
Chicken Broth	$3.00	Chipotles	$0.11
Onion	$0.79	Spices	$0.10
Ham	$2.99	Cheese	$2.00
Garlic	$0.04	Cilantro	$0.33
		Total	$11.29 or $1.41 a serving

This soups sure packs a lot of flavor for such a small price tag! You can cut down the cost even further by substituting a cheaper cheese for the Manchego, using your own chicken broth (or buying it in bulk), and getting a deal on the canned tomatoes. Enjoy!

Debt Becomes Her: The Decision

As a chef I guess I’ll need to pimp my oven Yep, that’s right. We have decided to take on debt.

A large amount of debt.

I know what you’re probably thinking. Why on earth would you take on debt in this economy? Let me explain.

One of my biggest dreams has been to go to culinary school. In fact, whenever people would ask me what I’d do if I won the lottery, my first response is always that I’d finally enroll. The other day Eric asked me why I felt I needed to win the lottery to pursue a dream like that. Good question.

I guess I felt it was too expensive, especially since I already have a bachelor’s degree. The tuition for this 15-month culinary school costs more than the tuition for my 4-year degree. It’s been hard for me to justify spending that amount on an associate’s degree, even if it is a dream of mine.

Five years ago, before I met Eric, I applied to the culinary school and got all the way through financing. When I realized I wouldn’t be eligible for any grants because of my BBA and that I’d owe the entire sum in unsubsidized student loans I just couldn’t do it. I was too afraid to be saddled with that kind of debt and it’s been one of those “what ifs” in my life ever since. You know, the kind that make you sigh out loud when ever you think about it.

So what has changed that makes me think I can do it now?

We are in a much better place financially. Eric and I have learned how to budget and have reached several financial goals together (paying off our cars, buying a new home, saving for an emergency fund). We feel that as a team we can handle taking on “good debt” in order to fulfill a dream and enrich our family.

I have the emotional support now. The first time I looked into culinary school I was on my own. My parents didn’t think it was the greatest idea and I didn’t know if such a drastic career change was the right thing for me. Now, everyone is behind the idea and supportive my decision to go. Especially Eric. I think Eric is more excited about me going to culinary school than I am. It has been a long time since I’ve been in school and I’m a little scared. It’s natural to be nervous, though, and I’m sure it will pass.

With Eric’s encouragement and reassurance (not to mention the fresh dose of confidence from my recent catering gig) I took a chance and enrolled. I’m going through with it this time.

I start next week and my estimated graduation date is June 2009. Tonight is orientation and I will be making the first tuition payment. It marks the beginning of the new debt. More on the financials soon…

Why not just save up the money and go when you can pay in cash?

Sure, I guess I could have done that. If we saved $1,000 a month (lofty goal) I would be able to enroll in 3 years, assuming no increase in tuition (yeah right). The tuition has risen about $5,000 since I first applied in 2003.

Unfortunately, I think if I wait I will end up missing out. We both have a sense of “it’s now or never” and that I might not have as good of an opportunity in the future.

Right now, we don’t have kids or any other debt (besides a mortgage). That means now is the right time. In a few years we might want children and with that comes a big change in priorities. Financing additional school for us would be unlikely to be high on that list.

We also think now is the time because of the sour economy. I’ve been thinking of starting a small catering company but with a possible recession starting a small business in a “luxury” industry might not be the best idea. I might as well ride out the bear economy with schooling and start the business when there is enough discretionary spending power out there to support it.

I still can’t believe I’m actually going to culinary school. It’s been a dream for so long it doesn’t seem real. No more “what if’s”.

I have chosen the early morning schedule so most of my classes will be held before noon. After I complete my classroom credits I’ll be working in the onsite fine dining restaurant followed by a few months of a real-world “externship”.

Eric says he can’t wait for me to start the hands-on labwork so he can benefit from all the new techniques I’ll be learning. He says he fully supports me practicing a lot at home. I think I just figured out why he is so excited…

Image Source: mccheek