Grilled Salmon with Spicy Sweetcorn Salsa

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Corn also known as maize is one of the worlds most popular and nutritious cereal crops. Corn is also used to make corn syrup, breakfast cereal, cornflour, corn chips, polenta, popcorn and etc. Also corn has similar benefits to wholegrains which is rich in carbohydrates, fibre and antioxidants.

Here we are cooking a grilled salmon dish with spicy sweetcorn salsa which is full of vibrant colours that would perk up your day.

GRILLED SALMON WITH SPICY SWEETCORN SALSA

For this dish you could choose either salmon fillet or salmon belly which would be better in texture and taste. And if you could get hold of some white firm fish fillet such as snapper or Barramundi they could also be used for this dish too.

(serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients for Salsa:
2 Fresh Sweetcorn Cobs, trimmed and halved
400g Can Chickpeas(garbanzo bean), drained and rinsed
1 Ripe Avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Small Red Capsicum, diced
1 Long Green Chilli, thinly sliced
1 - 2 stalks of Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
50ml of Lime Juice
50ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4(150g each) Salmon/Snapper Fish Fillets, halved
Fresh Coriander Leaves, to serve

Method:-

1. Place corn in a pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes, remove and set aside to cool before using a sharp knife to remove the kernels.

2. Combine chickpeas, avocado, onion, capsicum, chilli and chopped coriander in a large bowl.

3. Mix 2 tablespoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl, season with salt and pepper before pouring it into the chickpea and corn kernels mixture. Toss to combine.

4. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.

5. Season fish with salt and pepper. Cook in batches for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through.

6. Transfer to plate and drizzle with remaining lime juice.

7. Arrange fish between plates and top with salsa and coriander. Serve plain or with some crusty bread at side.

Apart from having this dish plain on its own you could also serve it together with some crusty bread for a fuller meal which would be great with it different layer of textures and flavour. And for a more spicy taste, you could also replace the green chilli with the red with or without the seeds on.

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Zespri Kiwifruit Recipes Kiwi Lime Mint Cooler Avocado with Gold Kiwifruit Salsa and Pan fry Salmon with Green Kiwifruit

Using fresh fruits in either Cooking/Baking is always something that interests me. As you can search through my recipes list, I have tired many dishes with fresh fruit like mango, apple, orange, avocado and etc. And this “Kiwifruit” feast featured here was inspired by the ZESPRI Kiwifruit tasting event held at Heart Bistro which I have missed out last week.

With the goodwill of the folks from Edelman(ZESPRIs PR), they have sent me a set of their press kit which includes fresh kiwifruit, kiwifruit recipes, cute kiwifruit 2GB thumb drive and etc. Below are 3 recipes using fresh ZESPRI Kiwifruit which I would like to share with you and hopefully it would inspired you to in-cooperate some kiwifruit in your daily dishes too.

In Singapore you can easily get a pack of these yummy ZESPRI Kiwifruit from any leading supermarkets or fruit stalls. And do you know ZESPRI Kiwifruit are the most "nutrient dense" of popular fruits that belong in the "Super Fruits" category. Each bite contains more essential nutrients than the other 27 most popular fruits.

ZESPRI Kiwifruit also contains more than 210% of the recommended daily intakes of Vitamin C which gives you 2 times more Vitamin C than an orange. Furthermore it is also a good source of folate which is essential for healthy development of the foetus in early pregnancy. You can read more details HERE with a kiwifruit skin firmer recipe too.

KIWI, LIME AND MINT COOLER

If resources is possible do use fresh Green or Gold kiwifruit in your drinks if you are preparing kiwifruit juice or puree to get the full goodness out of them. Here to start off, lets have a glass of freshly blended "Kiwi, Lime and Mint Cooler" to refresh your body after a hectic day at work. And by adding mint leaves it also act as a fresh and aromatic flavor to the drink with a cool aftertaste.

(serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 ZESPRI Gold Kiwifruit, cut into halves
2 ZESPRI Green Kiwifruit, cut into halves
1 Teaspoon of Honey
15ml, Juice of Half Lime
1/4 Cup Mint Leaves
1/2 Cup Ice Cubes, optional
150ml Chilled Sprinkling Water/Sprite/Wine

Method:-

1. Blend kiwifruit with honey, lime juice, mint leaves and ice cubes till combined. (I prefer mine without ice so usually i will used chilled sprinkling water/sprite)

2. Divide into cups and top with chilled sparking water and serve.

AVOCADO WITH GOLD KIWIFRUIT SALSA

For starter lets have some crunch to go with the cooler. Does this "Avocado with Gold Kiwifruit Salsa serve on Corn Chips" sound good to you? It is a refreshing dish with hint of sweet, sour and spicy taste due to the adding of lime juice and chopped chilli. This definitely serves well as a party food or tapas to go with cocktail or beer.

Recipe adapted and modify from ZESPRI, Singapore website HERE.
(serves: 2-3 | Preparation: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Ripe ZESPRI Gold Kiwifruit, cubes
1 Ripe Avocado, cubes
1/2 Tablespoon Runny Honey
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 Red Chilli, seed removed and chopped
1 Tablespoon Shredded Basil/Mint Leaves

Method:-

1. Mix honey, lime juice, chilies and herbs in a bowl.

2. Stir in kiwifruit and avocado cubes and marinate for about 15 - 30 minutes.

3. Upon serving, spoon mixture on corn chips and serve it as starter or pairing with wine and beer too.

You can also serve this salsa on its own by the side of the main course or mix it together with some shredded chicken and salad greens and serve as a quick salad too. No matter which is your preference style I am sure this appetizing salsa will make your meal taste great.

PAN-FRY SALMON WITH GREEN KIWIFRUIT

Salmon has earned its research reputation as a health-supportive food based on its amount of omega-3 fatty acid content. Here we are using two nutritious ingredients to form a main course which is so easy to prepare and yet so healthy for the whole family.

Recipe adapted and modify from ZESPRI, Kiwifruit Recipes booklet
(serves: 2 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 6 - 8 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 - 3 ZESPRI Green Kiwifruit
1 Small Chilli, seeded and diced
1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup/Honey
450g Salmon Fillet, halves
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Servings of your desire Salad Greens

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Honey
2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Method:-

1. Place salmon in a deep bowl together with chili, vinegar and honey. Marinate for at least 15 - 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel and slice the ZESPRI Green Kiwifruit in wedges.

3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and saute the drained salmon for 3 minutes or until just cooked (according to your own preference).

4. To assemble, pile the salad greens in individual serving plates, top with kiwifruit and salmon.

5. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and drizzle over the salad. Garnish with extra black peeper if desired.

Dont back off from this dish if you are worry about the "smell" of the salmon fish as the marinade from the chopped chilli and apple cider vinegar actually has mask it quite well to flavour this dish. And furthermore to ease your cooking chore, you can even place the salmon on a grease disposal foil tray and bake in the toaster oven for about 8 minutes(turning once) depending on your preference for cooking the salmon.

Coming Up Next

KIWIFRUIT AND LIME CUPCAKES

Lastly I hope you would enjoy the above 3 Kiwifruit Recipes which I have shared with you. And to finished up our kiwifruit feast with some yummy dessert, I have also prepared some "Kiwifruit and Lime Cupcakes" too. If you are keen to find out more about the above-mentioned recipe do stay around for the next upcoming post on Baking with Kiwifruit.

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Salmon Confit Recipe

Looking for a new way of preparing salmon?

I (and several other Estonian foodbloggers) have discovered a delightful recipe from the 7th issue of the always beautiful and inspirational Finnish food magazine, Glorian Ruoka & Viini (Glorias Food and Wine). Whereas confit, the old French cooking and preserving method, usually describes food (traditionally goose, duck or pork) that has been salted and then slowly cooked in its own fat, then heres its a fillet of salmon that has been cured in a sea salt mixture and then slowly cooked in olive oil. The resulting dish is dark opaque pink, extremely moist and delicious both hot or cold. In the magazine, the salmon was served cold on a bed of lentil salad. We enjoyed it both hot and cold, simply with some good home-made mayo.

Salmon Confit
(Aeglaselt küpsetatud lõhefilee)
Serves 4



500 g salmon filet

Salt cure:
2 Tbsp flaky sea salt (I used Maldon)
1 tsp caster sugar
0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the confit:
2 organic lemons, thinly sliced
250-300 ml olive oil

Mix sea salt, sugar and pepper and spread over the fish fillet. Cover with clingfilm and leave to season in a fridge or cool place for up to 3 hours.
Wipe off the salt mixture, and place the cleaned fish fillet into a small oven dish, where it fits snugly (the better the fit, the less olive oil you need).
Layer lemon slices over the fish, then drizzle enough olive oil on top, just to cover the fish.
Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the fish fillet.
Cook in a pre-heated 75 C / 167 F oven for about 40 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 38 C / 100 F.
Remove the fish from the oven, cool until its reached the room temperature. Serve at once or cool completely in the fridge.

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Easy Canapés Salmon Appetizers with Lemon Pepper

We spent a long weekend in London in the beginning of November, mixing work with some pleasure. The latter part included spending two full days with the always lovely Johanna and her family in Kingston. Johanna is the Queen of Canapeś, and I used the opportunity to browse through her library of canapé and fingerfood and appetisers cookbooks, looking for simple and delicious ideas I could manage myself. Were likely to host a number of festive buffets over the next few weeks, so I could do with an extra idea or two.

Heres one super-simple canapé idea that I served to a bunch of my girlfriends last Sunday. You need good-quality smoked salmon for this, as the salmon is served almost au naturel. I spotted this in Canapeś (sold as Hors dOeuvres in the US). You need small cocktail sticks for this appetizer.

Smoked Salmon Canapés with Lemon Pepper
(Suitsulõhesuupisted "sidrunipipraga")
Serves a dozen

100 g smoked salmon*
half a lemon, preferably organic
freshly ground black pepper

If necessary, cut salmon slices into thin, long strips (about an inch wide). Weave each slice onto a cocktail stick, as seen on the photo above. Place on a serving tray.
Wash and dry the lemon thoroughly, then grate generously some lemon peel/lemon zest over the salmon slices.
Finally, season with black pepper.
Serve at once or cover with clingfilm and keep in the freezer until needed. Let the appetizers come back to the room temperature before serving, as the flavour of the fish is better when not cold.

* I used "Saare Hõbe" cold smoked salmon strips from Ösel Fish.

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