Maple Glazed Southwestern Dry Rubbed Salmon with Marinated Avocado Salsa

I am an avid salmon-hater. I'd literally rather eat my own foot than even buying the fishy stuff. But as of lately, my husband and I have been trying to eat a tad bit healthier. And unfortunately for me, my mountain man is an avid salmon-lover. So, when we were going over healthy dinner options, he asked me if I was willing to give it one more try and make salmon for a weekday meal. I knew that in order for me to eat it, I would have to try and mask the fishy flavor that gives me the goosies (shutter). I eventually decided upon dry rubbing the filets in a southwestern spice mix that you broil in the oven until it blackens just slightly. After that, you just brush on the smallest amount of maple syrup to give it a little bit of sweetness. Now you've got this smokey, spicy blackened salmon that is cooked just perfectly with a candied flavor, which perfectly complements the bold southwestern seasoning. But what really takes this dish over-the-top is the marinated avocado salsa! This salsa is essentially a more rustic guacamole because it has big chunks of avocado instead of being finely mashed. The addition of the extra virgin olive oil gives it such a luscious texture, it feels like absolute velvet. However, the biggest compliment I could give it would be that it completely hides all of the fishy flavor that I have hated my entire life! We have made this dish 4-5 times since and I gobble up the whole thing, which is newsworthy. I decided to finish up the meal with some sauteed bell peppers and onions, but I also think that rice, black beans, or a salad would go great with this meal! Enjoy y'all :) 

For the Maple Glazed Southwestern Salmon:

1t Smoked Paprika

1t Chili Powder

¼t Cumin + Coriander

1t Sugar

1t Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper

4 Salmon Filets

2T Maple Syrup

Fresh Minced Cilantro, For Sprinkling

For the Marinated Avocado Salsa:

3 Ripe Avocados, Sliced

1 Lime, Zested + Juiced

2-3T EVOO

1 Large Shallot, Minced

1 Clove of garlic, Finely Minced into a Paste

1-2 Fresh Jalapenos, Minced (depends on your spice preference)

2T Fresh Cilantro, Roughly Chopped

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to broil, set an oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven, and line a baking shit with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. For the Marinated Avocado Salsa: In a mixing bowl, add in the sliced avocado, followed by the lime zest, lime juice, EVOO, minced shallot and garlic, fresh jalapenos, roughly chopped cilantro, kosher salt, and fresh cracker pepper. Toss all of the ingredients together, so that the avocados are covered in the lime. The sliced avocado should have some still some large chunks, instead of being like guacamole. Set the marinated avocado in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it with the salmon.

3. For the Maple Syrup Glazed Southwestern Salmon: Mix together all of the spices together into a bowl and place the salmon onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the spice mixture heavily and evenly all over the filets of fish. Broil for 5 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and brush the salmon with the maple syrup. Place the pan back into the oven and broil for one more minute.

4. Assembling the Salmon: Remove the glazed and blackened salmon from the oven onto a serving plate and top it with a large serving of the marinated avocado salsa. I served our dinner with sautéed bell peppers and onions, but rice and black beans would be a great option as well!

"Bae" Toast with Crispy Bacon Lardons, Marinated Avocado, + Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs on Garlic-Rubbed, Bacon Fat Fried Multigrain Sourdough Toast

If you could do one thing for me when it comes to cooking, it would be to make this avocado toast... before anything else. Have you ever wondered what "bae" stood for? Some people believe it to be what I already previously stated. But in my crazy foodie world, it obviously stands for bacon, avocado, + egg. Yep, the craze of 2016 had to be avocado toast. I wasn't really on board with it in the beginning because I'm not much of an avid avocado person. Don't get me wrong though, I love me some guacamole. But just toast and avocado? I wasn't quite buying it just yet. However, I started seeing recipes pop over all over the blog-o-sphere and pinterest and they included much more than just a piece of bread + avocado. That inspired to make one of our favorite dishes yet, Smoked Avocado Toast with Herbed Crab Salad, Bacon Fat Fried Sourdough, + Citrus Caviar. It's so good that we make it a few times a month. So, I knew I would've eventually come up with another twist on this new-found classic. What I absolutely love about this recipe is that you can literally eat it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, a snack, or dinner-- it is so versatile! Now, let's break down each component. First let's talk about the "toast"... if you could even call sliced thick cut, multigrain sourdough pan fried in smokey bacon fat toast. It's crunchy on the exterior, but perfectly melts into your mouth like a perfectly cooked piece of bacon. That golden brown piece of bread is then rubbed with garlic, which gives the toast a little bit of bite, especially in such a rich dish. Speaking of rich, let's get to the marinated avocado. I personally think avocado is a little too bland to me. So any time I use it, I like to "marinate" it. I do this by buying an almost ripe avocado, cutting it into slices, and then smashing it ever-so-slightly with some salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, and lime zest. This adds just a wee bit of flavor and intensifies it just enough to bring everything together. Now far and away, the best component of this toast are the luscious cheesy scrambled eggs. A chef can make or break a recipe by the way they cook their eggs. And this is the only way I will scramble an egg. Eggs are beaten together with heavy cream (YES), kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. They are then slow-slow-slow-and-low-low-low cooked in a skillet with butter and oil. This is very, very important. The key to getting fluffy, luscious, and creamy eggs is to continuously stir and fold the egg mixture with a rubber spatula. If I could describe it best, I would say to graze the pan, gently moving the cooked eggs from the outside of the pan towards the center. I will say that this method will take some time, anywhere from 15-30 minutes, but it is so unbelievably worth it. At the very end of cooking, I like to grate some parmesan on top of the curds and gently fold it in. I also love to garnish with fresh chives, but that's completely optional! Really, all that is left are topping the toasts with crispy bacon bits and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes... and that is it! It is such a simple dish, but oh-so-amazing! I mean, anyone can make this. I hope y'all love it as much as we did. Enjoy :)

For the Marinated Avocado:

2-3 Ripe Avocados, Sliced

1 Lime, Zested + Juiced

1T EVOO

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, To Taste

For the Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs:

2T Unsalted Butter + 1T EVOO

6 Extra Large Eggs

¼C Heavy Cream

Pinch of Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan

1-2T Fresh Snipped Chives

For the "Bae" Toast:

Prepared Marinated Avocado

Prepared Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs

6 Slices of Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons + Cooked until Crispy

Reserved Bacon Fat, For Frying

4-6 Slices of Multigrain Sourdough Toast, Fried in Bacon Fat

1 Large Clove of Garlic

Dried Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. Fry the bacon lardons in a large skillet over medium heat until they are perfectly crispy (but not burnt). Remove the bacon lardons from the hot pan and place them on a paper towel to drain and cool them. Reserve the rendered bacon fat for frying the toast.

2. For the Bacon Fat Dried Multigrain Sourdough Toast: In the same large skillet, over medium heat, add in about 1-2 inches of the rendered bacon fat. Fry the toast for a couple minutes on each side until they are golden brown and slightly crunchy. Repeat this process until all of the bread has been fried/toasted. Set them aside and let the toast cool for a few minutes, and then rub the clove of garlic all over the warm surface of the bread. Set them aside before assembling.

3. For the Marinated Avocado: In a mixing bowl, add in the sliced avocado, followed by the lime zest, lime juice, EVOO, kosher salt, and fresh cracker pepper. Toss all of the ingredients together, so that the avocados are covered in the lime. Right before assembling, mash the sliced avocado slightly, so that there are still some large chunks amongst the smoother smashed avocado. Set the marinated avocado aside until you are ready to assemble the toast.

4. For the Luscious Cheesy Scrambled Eggs: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over low heat. Add the butter and EVOO and allow it to melt and start to froth a bit. Pour the egg mixture into the warm pan. Using a heat-resistant rubber spatula, continually stir and fold the eggs until super soft curds form. It is important that you neatly and gently scrape (or graze) the sides of the pan, making sure to never stopping the motion. Push the eggs from the outside of the pan towards the center and repeat it until they are creamy, but cooked through. This process should take 15-30 minutes depending on your stovetop. Once the curds form and the eggs are cooked, sprinkle the top with the freshly grated parmesan and snipped chives. Stir to combine and be prepared to serve them while they are still warm.

5. Assembling the "Bae" Toast: Grab your perfectly browned bacon fat fried toast and rub the surface with the clove of garlic. Top each of the slices with some of your marinated mashed avocado and season with a pinch of salt. Spoon a mound of the luscious cheesy scrambled eggs on top of the creamy avocado. Scatter the crumbled, crispy bacon lardons evenly over the avocado. Garnish with some red pepper flakes for some spice and enjoy!

Chicken Tinga + Grilled Corn Enchiladas with Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce + Homemade Avocado Salsa Verde

I'll go ahead and admit it... I'm not a fan of classic Mexican food. Don't get me wrong, I could drink a bowl of queso and I quite fancy a gourmet taco. But, I am by no means a burrito, enchilada, or nacho kinda gal. However, I came across a recipe for an avocado salsa verde on Diners, Drive In's, + Dives, and I know I just had to recreate it and use it for a meal. I loved this verde salsa... it's refreshing, a little bit spicy, + has hunks of diced avocado in it. Although, this wasn't the best part of the meal; it was most certainly the chicken tinga! Most traditional recipes call for using this tinga sauce with chorizo, but I absolutely adored this sweet + spicy sauce on chicken. It is a quick and easy recipe that still packs a punch, without the hassle of finding a bunch of hard-to-find ingredients in order for it to taste delicious. Typically, chicken breasts are poached in the sauce, so it is infused with all the wonderful Mexican flavors. My solution to avoiding the poaching process... just buy a ro-to chick and pull the meat into bite-size shreds. Oh and P.S., a "ro-to chick" is just a store bought rotisserie chicken, and trust me, it cuts out a bunch of steps and it tastes just as good! This pureed sauce combines onions, garlic, oregano, cumin, fire roasted crushed tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, sorghum molasses (honey or maple syrup will be a perfectly fine substitute), chicken stock, and grated bittersweet chocolate. Most tinga recipes don't call for grated chocolate, but I loved the idea of making this a little bit sweet and a'whole'lotta heat. And by adding this element to the sauce, it gives you that Mexican mole feeling to it. Once that has been assembled and simmered, throw in your shredded ro-to chick and toss it until the chicken is extra juicy and coated in the unbelievable yumminess. As for the rest of the recipe, place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken tinga, a handful of grilled corn, and a sprinkling of Monterey Jack cheese into flour tortillas... making sure to roll them tightly and place them seam-side down in a baking dish. After the tortillas have been stuffed and place into the prepared baking dish, spread some of the avocado salsa verde and red tinga sauce over the top. The last component you have to complete is the creamy, velvety candied jalapeno sour cream sauce. This sour cream is tangy and quickly take away the burn from all of the spicy flavors. Though, I decided to add candied jalapenos for an extra kick and a wee bit of sweetness. Finish the dish by pouring the sour cream sauce over the enchilada, scattering a bunch of Monterey Jack cheese on top, and a heavy sprinkle of crumbled feta. Bake these chicken tinga + grilled corn enchiladas in the oven until the cheese has melted and the edges have begun to brown + bubble. Garnish with some leftover grilled corn and minced cilantro. Enjoy this dish while it is still hot!! Enjoy :)

For the Avocado Salsa Verde:

½lb Tomatillos

2 Bunches of Green Onion

1 Poblano 

1 Avocado

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 Jalapeno, Roughly Chopped

½C Fresh Cilantro

1 Lime, Zested

Juice from Half a Lime

1T Apple Cider Vinegar

¼C Water

2-3T Hot Sauce

½t Cumin + Dried Oregano  

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Pinch of Sugar, To Taste

1 Avocado, Finely Diced

½C Sweet Vidalia Onion, Finely Diced

For the Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce:

4T Unsalted Butter

¼C AP Flour

15oz Chicken Stock

1C Sour Cream

4oz Candied Jalapeno, Finely Minced

For the Chicken Tinga:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, Pulled into Pieces

2T EVOO

2C Sweet Vidalia Onion, Diced

4 Medium Cloves of Garlic, Minced

½t Oregano

½t Cumin

2 14.5oz Can of Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

2 Chipotle Pepper + 4T Adobo Sauce

½C Sorghum Molasses

1C Chicken Stock

2 Bay Leaves

2T Finely Grated Baker’s Chocolate (bittersweet or unsweetened)

For the Chicken Tinga + Grilled Corn Enchiladas:

8 Flour Tortillas

Prepared Chicken Tinga (with some leftover sauce to top the enchiladas with)

Grilled Corn

2C Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded

4oz Crumbled Feta

Prepared Avocado Salsa Verde

Prepared Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce

Fresh Cilantro, Minced

Directions:

1. For the Avocado Salsa Verde: Char the tomatillos, green onion, and poblano on the grill until they are black and blistered. Cut off the ends of the green onion and place them into a food processor, along with the tomatillos. Put the blackened poblano into a plastic bag and let the pepper steam for 10 minutes. Peel the skin off of the poblano and toss it into the food processor as well. Add in the avocado, garlic, chopped jalapeno, cilantro, zest of a lime, juice from half of a lime, apple cider, water, hot sauce, cumin, and oregano. Pulse until blended and smooth. Pour the salsa into a medium mixing bowl and stir in salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Finish the salsa verde by folding in the diced avocado and minced onion. Keep it cold in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. 

2. For the Chicken Tinga: Add EVOO, onions, and garlic to a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat tow low and simmer for another 4 minutes. Add in the oregano and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss in the tomatoes, chipotle, adobo sauce, sorghum molasses, and grated chocolate. Remove from heat. Transfer the sauce to the jar of a blended and puree until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pan, stir in the chicken stock, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Pull the rotisserie chicken into shreds, discarding the skin, fat, and bones. Stir the chicken into the sauce and cook over medium heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. For the Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook until bubbly, and then gradually in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream and minced candied jalapenos.

4. For the Chicken Tinga + Grilled Corn Enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with Pam. Spread ¼C of the Avocado Salsa Verde in the bottom of the dish. Divide the warm chicken tinga evenly between 8 flour tortillas. Sprinkle some of the shredded cheese and grilled corn on top of the chicken. Roll the enchiladas and place seam-side down. Spoon on some of the Avocado Salsa Verde and leftover Tinga sauce on top of the enchiladas, followed by an even layer of the Candied Jalapeno-Sour Cream Sauce. Top with 1C of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and some crumbled feta. Place the assembled enchiladas in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the edges of the sauce have begun to brown and bubble.

5. Garnish the hot enchiladas with some leftover grilled corn, and minced cilantro, and serve with a side of rice.

Smoked Avocado Toast with Herbed Crab Salad, Bacon Fat Fried Sourdough, + Citrus Caviar

Okay, I've finally jumped on the avocado toast bandwagon (#avotoast). I will be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of avocado to begin with. I always found their mushy texture and lack of flavor to be less than appealing... even though I do love me some guacamole. So, when I saw recipe after recipe of pieces of bread topped with nothing besides avocado, I normally just skipped over them and didn't think anything else about it. But my Mountain Man is a lover of avocado and begged me to make them for him. As with most of my recipes that involve bread, I always have to fry them in some kind of fat or oil, this time I chose bacon fat... because we all know I keep a jar handy in the fridge. I love the smokey flavor and the richness that the bacon fat lends. But, if you aren't a crazy person like me (who keeps bacon fat in a jar), then any oil will be fine here. The toast should be beautifully golden brown, saturated in yummy fat, and perfectly crisp. After you have fried the slices of bread, make sure to give them a rub-a-dub-dub with a big ole' clove of garlic while they are still warm. Now here is the fun part... the smoking of the avocado (and y'all it's so damn easy)! Essentially, all you have to do is get a large dutch oven and place a small bowl upside down in the center. Scatter your choice of flavored wood chips around the bowl, no need for soaking them in water, and turn up the heat to high. While you wait for the chips to start smoking, scoop out your avocado into another small bowl and dress them with fresh lime juice and zest, as well as some fleur de sel. If you want more smokiness to your avocado, then I suggest you slightly smash them, if you want a tame smoke flavor, just leave them in halves. Next, all you have to do is put the bowl of avocado on top of the overturned bowl in the dutch oven (with the chips smoking away), and cover the pot. Smoke the avocado for 5 minutes... any more and it might be overkill. While the avocado is smoking, it's time to quickly whip up your herbed crab salad. This is easy-peasy. In a medium mixing bowl, add the in the jumbo lump crab meat, homemade aioli, dijon mustard, fish sauce caramel, lemon juice + zest, red pepper flakes, minced garlic + shallots, and fresh herbs. If you can't find/make fish sauce caramel, a white balsamic reduction or honey would be a good substitute. As gently as possible, fold together the lump crab meat with the herbed aioli until the crab is completely coated, but still has a few big pieces of meat. Now your bacon fat fried toast, herbed crab salad, + smoked avocado are all ready to be assembled into amazing avotoast. I'm a little coo-coo, in that I had Finger Limes shipped to me from California... specifically for this recipe. Finger limes are so interesting because we you slice them open, a citrus caviar comes out, as opposed to pulp and seeds. If you can, order some, they are so fun, and can be used in a million different ways. But, the toast is just as good with some lime zest + freshly squeezed lime juice on top, so don't worry about it if you can't wait to make this. This smoked avocado toast is so good that we've made it for the past three weeks. I believe I'm now an avocado toast lover... who would've ever thought? Enjoy :)

smoking the avocado

bacon fat fried toast

bacon fat fried toast + smoked avocado slices

all of the components for the herbed crab salad

it's hard to resist it, but save it for the toast

see the citrus caviar from the finger limes on top?

citrus. caviar.

For the Herbed Crab Salad:
8oz Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
3-4T Homemade Aioli
1t Dijon Mustard
1T Fish Sauce Caramel
1 Lemon, Zested (plus the juice from half of that lemon)
1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or depending on how spicy you want it)
1 Small Shallot, Finely Minced
1 Clove of Garlic, Finely Minced (into a paste)
½t Fresh Cracked Pepper + ¼t Kosher Salt
1T Fresh Snipped Chives (plus a little extra for garnishing)
1t Fresh Tarragon, Basil, + Parsley, Finely Minced (plus a little extra for garnishing)

For the Smoked Avocado: 
2-3 Avocados
1 Lime, Zested + Juiced
Pinch of Kosher Salt


For the Smoked Avocado-Crab Toast:
Prepared Herbed Crab Salad, Chilled
Smoked Avocado, Lightly Mashed or Gently Sliced
4 Slices of Sourdough, Fried in Bacon Fat (or any other oil can be substituted)
1 Large Clove of Garlic
Citrus Caviar (finger limes) or Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
Mixed Herbs, For Garnishing


Directions:
1. For the Herbed Crab Salad: In a mixing bowl, put in all of the ingredients of the herbed crab salad. Gently fold these together until the crab is coated in the herb-aioli mixture. Do not mix too hard because you want to maintain as much of the “lump crab” pieces as possible. Now, taste and season with salt and pepper, if it is needed. Refrigerate this crab salad until you are ready to assemble the toasts.
2. For the Smoked Avocado: Line a Dutch oven (or any heavy bottomed pot with a lid) with foil to keep your pot from burning. Place a small metal bowl upside down in the middle of the Dutch oven. This will help prop everything up. Then, scatter about 2C of wood chips around the small metal bowl. We used mesquite wood chips, but any kind will work (hickory, apple, etc.), and there’s no need to soak these either! Turn up the heat to medium-high and wait for the chips to start smoking, it can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, while you’re waiting for the wood chips to smoke, it’s time to get to avocados ready to be smoked by halving, pitting, and peeling them. Put the avocado halves into another small bowl and zest + juice a lime over the top. If you want sliced avocado for your toast, leave the halves untouched. These will be slightly less smoky. If you love a smoky flavor, lightly smash the avocado, which gives more surface area for the smoke to infuse into. Once the chips are smoking, place the bowl of avocados on top of the upside down bowl in the pot. Top the Dutch oven with a lid and set your timer for 5 minutes (any more time than that, it’ll be way too smoky). After the time is up, remove the smoked avocado, season with some fleur de sel, and place in the fridge to chill.
3. Assembling the Toast: Grab your perfectly browned bacon fat fried toasts and rub the surface with the clove of garlic. Top each of the slices with some of your chilled smoked avocado and season with a pinch of salt. Spoon a mound of the herbed crab salad on top of the creamy avocado. Scatter the citrus caviar evenly over the crab mixture. If you can’t find finger limes, some lime zest and lime juice will do just fine! Garnish with the leftover mixed herbs for presentation.