Quick Chicken & Fish Marinade

Happy 4th of July!

With the temperatures soaring and the summer holidays just around the corner, I've been grilling a ton. It's a healthy, easy, clean way to cook. I also love the whole process—standing outside, smelling my food cooking, pulling it off the grill and having a whole meal ready to go.

More than anything else, I love grilling fish. I've shared my homemade marinade receipt with my FaceBook friends on many occasions. It finally occurred to me that I should post it here.

I made it with salmon (as pictured above). It's great for chicken and fish. I throw the meat in a dish and cover it with organic raw apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids or gluten-free tamari (a type of soy sauce). That's just the beginning. Then I add Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning (but any sort of BBQ rub will work), fresh thyme, and fresh grated ginger.

It's kind of an everything but the kitchen sink deal.

Got other fresh herbs? Throw them on there. Got other spices you want to try out? Add them in. Don't have apple cider vinegar? Try white wine or even lemon juice. Want to go vegan? It's great on tofu too.

After I marinade the meat for about half an hour or longer, I throw it on the grill. I often make grilled vegetables to go along with the protein for a complete meal.

Quick Chicken & Fish Marinade
Makes about 2 portions
Gluten free; dairy free
Prep thyme: about 5 minutes

Marinade Ingredients
2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Bragg's Amino Acids or Tamari (soy sauce)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning or other BBQ Rub

Marinade Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and Bragg's or tamari. Pour over the meat until well coated in the sauce

2. Next season the fish with the seasoning, thyme and ginger. Let marinade for about thirty minutes to an hour, occasionally spooning the marinade over the top.

3. Fire up the grill and cook to perfection!

Pan-Seared Salmon with Mustard Shallot Sauce

Pan-Seared Salmon with Mustard Shallot Sauce

There simply aren't enough hours in the day.

I'm sure that I'm not alone in thinking that. And I know that I am blessed--my days are filled with so many fabulous things. I shouldn't complain.

Today, brings week 2 of my mentoring program, the Young Storytellers Foundation. It's a fabulous program where we go into low income schools and work with kids over the course of a few weeks to write short screenplays. Then, at the end of the program, we have a "Big Show" where real actors come to our school and perform the kids' work. Last year, Jeremy Piven did my school's show, and from what I hear, it was epic. Hopefully, he'll be back again this year.

Today, I get my mentee assignment! They're a fabulous bunch of kids--bright-eyed, easily excitable, eager to learn. It gives me so much hope for the future.

My only typical regret is that I wish I had more uninterrupted hours for writing. I'm sure every writer feels this way. I'm knee-deep into my new book (young adult, science fiction--quite a departure from my first novel, which is currently on submission to publishers via my fab agent). And it's finally starting to come to life in my head and on the page. The characters are beginning to become real.

The solution is to get up much, much earlier, I think. Now, I have never been a morning person. Not even close. I don't wake up, whistling and waving hello to hummingbirds. The Adorable Monster does (well, more like he barks at dogs that walk by our house). And it's not like I get up that late.

But very early. Painfully early. Before the sun has risen. Before the fog has lifted. Before most sane people rise from their beds.

That's what it's going to take.

Now if only I could start going to bed earlier. Sigh.

Time for food! This is a great recipe that I made this week for Pan-Seared Salmon with Mustard Shallot Sauce. It's quick and easy to make, healthy, and looks far more impressive, as if you've slaved over the stove for hours. The salmon and the sauce are cooked in the same pan, making clean up a breeze.

The sauce is a simple reduction made from shallots, mustard, and white whine. That's it. But it's oh so tasty--tangy and spicy and rich. 

I served it over wilted spinach, but it would go great with any sauteed greens or other vegetable of your choice.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Mustard Shallot Sauce
Serves 2 people
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Dairy and gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets (4 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the grapeseed oil over high heat. Meanwhile, season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Add the salmon and reduce heat to medium. Cook, turning once, until the outside is crispy and nicely seared and the inside is cooked to desired doneness (I prefer my salmon a little bit medium rare).
3. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Pour off all but one tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the shallots, and saute for two minutes, until beginning to soften.
5. Add the white wine and mustard, stirring to deglaze the pan. Simmer for a few minutes, until reduced in half. Taste and check seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. 
6. To serve, place a piece of salmon on a plate and spoon the sauce over the top. Finish with a little chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• salmon and shallots from the West Hollywood Farmers Market 
• whole grain mustard from Whole Foods
• white wine and grapeseed oil from Trader Joe's

Simple Suppers: Chopped Salmon Salad

Divas, I've just returned from San Francisco, where I had fabulous meals at my Top Chef Bro's Pizzeria Picco and the brand spanking new Zero Zero. It was a veritable pizza, pasta, and ice cream orgy.

So now I'm in my post-trip detox mode, making clean, simple food. I thought that I'd share a recipe inspired by my friend, Mike. It's a chopped salmon salad that's a cinch to throw together. The key ingredient is canned, unsalted, boneless, skinless wild caught salmon. Now, most of us are more familiar with canned tuna, but it can be high in mercury, making canned salmon a much better option. Not only does it have all the health benefits of fresh wild caught salmon, but it costs a fraction of the price and keeps for eons in your cupboard (I always have it on hand).

The salad is kind of like a chopped Nicoise Salad, made with blanched potatoes, green beans, fennel, bell peppers, and hard-boiled eggs, all tossed in a simple vinaigrette. This is a complete, protein-packed, satisfying meal that can be whipped up in under half an hour. It's great for either lunch or dinner.

Chopped Salmon Salad
Serves 4-6 people
Prep time: 10 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients
2 cans of skinless, boneless wild caught salmon
2 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed and chopped
2 cups fingerling potatoes, blanched and chopped
2 cups green beans, blanched and chopped
1/2 cup fennel bulb, blanched and chopped
1 cup bell pepper, seeded and chopped

vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon apple cider or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon fennel tops, chopped
salt and pepper

Directions
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the salmon of water and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and vegetables and toss with the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients
canned wild caught salmon, organic apple cider vinegar, and whole grain mustard from Trader Joe's

organic fennel, organic red bell pepper, fingerling potatoes, organic Blue Lake green beans, and organic eggs from Hollywood Farmers Market

Grilled Salmon With Homemade Teriyaki Sauce And Grilled Scallions

With temperatures heating up all over the country, who wants to heat up their kitchen making dinner?  Enter the grill.  I love using mine, not only because my house lacks air conditioning, but also because it's a delicious and healthy way to cook a variety of foods from fish to bison to vegetables.

Having just come off an eating out bonanza in Japan, I've been dying for some clean, healthy home-cooked meals.  So while suffering from extreme jet lag, I snapped up some lovely wild king salmon steaks at Whole Foods and carted them home along with some scallions, broccoli and russet potatoes. 

Usually I buy based on quality of ingredients with only a loose idea of how I'll prepare the food and then I wait for inspiration to strike.  Well, it did last night, and I decided to grill the fish and glaze it with a homemade teriyaki sauce (a sweet soy sauce).  I also grilled up some scallions and served the fish along with steamed broccoli and baked potatoes topped with lemon juice and pimenton.

This was the perfect welcome home dinner - easy, healthy and delicious.  Even better, I have some leftover salmon that I'll eat for lunch over an arugula, tomato and cucumber salad.  Now if only I could get over this jet lag and get some sleep...

Grilled Salmon With Homemade Teriyaki Sauce And Grilled Scallions
Serves 2 people
Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 salmon steaks
bunch of scallions
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

terikyaki sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoon sesame seeds
pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat the grill.

Meanwhile, to make the teriayki sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients.  Set aside. The teriyaki sauce may be made up to two days in advance and refrigerated. 

Brush the salmon and scallions with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Once the grill is hot, place the salmon steaks and scallions on the grill.  Cook the fish over high heat for a few minutes, then flip and move to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking.  Brush with the teriyaki sauce to glaze the fish. Remove the fish from heat once it's cooked through and beginning to flake.  Likewise, remove the scallions once they are tender.

To serve, place the salmon steaks on plates and top with a few grilled scallions.  Drizzle with a little teriyaki sauce.  Enjoy!

Source For Ingredients
wild king salmon steaks, organic scallions, raw honey, organic soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, organic lemon, organic olive oil and organic garlic from Whole Foods

Wine Pairing
Pinot noir and salmon are a classic pairing, so with this meal, Kuzak popped a bottle of Anthill Farms 2008 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.  This is their lower priced offering, but it didn't taste like it!  We loved this bottle from one of our favorite producers.  It was bursting with cherry flavor, spice and structures. It's an exceptionally food friendly wine that complimented our meal without overtaking it.

Simple Suppers: Salmon Salad Sandwiches With Microgreens

You're probably thinking, "Diva, what do you mean Simple Suppers?  Aren't sandwiches for lunch?"

While it's true that we normally associate sandwiches with lunch,  they make a great healthy, quick dinner, too.  I love serving little open-faced sandwiches with soup (click here for soup recipe ideas).  It's one of my favorite things to make for a simple supper.

Today, I'm writing up the recipe for one of the staples in my household - salmon salad!  Now, most people are familiar with tuna fish salad, which I also love, but tuna fish, even canned tuna fish, can be high in mercury.  So it's best not to eat it more than once a month.  Instead, I stock my pantry with canned wild Alaskan salmon (you'll find it in the grocery store right next to the tuna fish).  Not only does it have all of the wonderful health benefits of fresh wild salmon (healthy fats, omega-3's), but it costs a fraction of the price.  And it tastes amazing!

I make these superbly healthy open-faced sandwiches with Ezekial bread, a sprouted grain, flourless bread that's high in protein and nutrients, and top them with organic mircrogreens, but arugula would be great, too.  So these are a complete meal, hitting protein, vegetables and whole grains, kind of like one stop shopping.  And for an extra twist?  Toss some dried cranberries into the salmon salad - it's delicious!

Salmon Salad Sandwiches
Serves 4 people
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
1 can wild Alaskan salmon, drained
1 tablespoon mayonaise
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon capers
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper

for sandwiches
4 pieces of Ezekial bread or other whole grain bread, toasted
2 cups microgreens or arugula

Directions
In a mixing bowl, add the salmon, breaking it up with a fork.  Then add the remaining ingredients and mix together.  Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (salt, pepper, lemon juice).

To make the sandwiches, scoop a big portion of salmon salad onto a piece of bread.  Top with the greens.  Add a little sea salt, fresh pepper and a drizzle of olive oil on top of the sandwiches if desired.  Enjoy!

Source For Ingredients
wild Alaskan salmon, whole grain mustard, Ezekial bread, organic mayonnaise, organic microgreens from Trader Joe's

organic celery, organic bell pepper, organic shallot, organic lemons and organic dill from Hollywood Farmers Market

Simple Suppers: Grilled Salmon Steaks with Dill and Whole Grain Mustard

Whew, what a whirlwind week!

Between my two new columns, the blog AND trying to finish my novel, I've been going nonstop, but it's all in the service of putting out the best articles and recipes for you, my lovely divas.  I believe that this is the year for all of us to make our dreams come true, whether that's something as simple as eating healthier, or as big as launching a new career, or as daredevilish as learning to skydive, this is the year!

Say it with me one more time.  "This is the year!"

If you haven't had a chance yet, check out my new Flicks and Food with the Domestic Diva column and recipe on GeekWeek, a Hollywood news and entertainment website.  I'm creating recipes inspired by my favorite films for them, and this week, it's "Unforgiven" Spicy Pork Chili (click here for the direct link).  It's a to die for recipe, for a to die for movie, one you won't want to miss out on!  So click the direct link and check it out.

Now let's get down and dirty with a new Simple Supper for your viewing pleasure.  Today I'm writing up my recipe for Grilled Salmon Steaks with Dill and Whole Grain Mustard.

I love the flavor that grilling brings out in fish, especially salmon, smoky, seared deliciousness that's hard to achieve with any other cooking method.  You're probably used to buying fillet cuts of salmon, but I LOVE the steaks, which are actually whole cross sections of the fish with the skin on.  They hold up great to grilling because of the bone structure and aren't prone to falling apart when flipped.  I recommend leaving the skin on because it gets all crackly and crispy (and tastes amazing!). 

Now that we've squared away our cooking method, we all know that great grilling necessitates a great marinade (hello Bobby Flay, I'm looking at you).  In the case of this recipe, I threw together a marinade with whole grain mustard, the sexy star of the mustard world, and dill, one of my favorite herbs (either dried or fresh will work).  These flavors are a classic pairing with salmon, quick to throw together, and the resulting dish is amazing for your health and positively scrumptious!  Pair the fish with some whole grain rice and a vegetable, and you're all set for a complete meal.

Note:  If you don't have access to a grill in winter, or have an indoor grill in your kitchen, you can broil the salmon.  A broiler actually functions like an upside down grill (click here to read my article on broilers).

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Dill and Whole Grain Mustard
Serves 2 people
Cooking time: 30 minutes (including marinade)

Ingredients
2 salmon steaks
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 2 wedges for garnishing
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions
To make the marinade, place the lemon juice, mustard, garlic and dill in a nonreactive bowl.  Whisk together first, then slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Then, add the salmon steaks and allow to marinade for at least 20 minutes (this will also allow them to come up to room temperature for grilling).

Meanwhile, heat your grill.  Once you've finished marinading the fish and allowing it to come up to room temperature, place the salmon steaks on the grill and cook covered for 5 to 7 minutes.  If any pieces are cooking too fast, move them to a cooler part of the grill. Flip the fish, and continue cooking covered for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the fish has cooked through.  Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

To plate, place whole grain rice or vegetables of your choice in the bottom of a plate and top with a piece of grilled salmon. Garnish with lemon wedges and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper.  Enjoy!

Wine Pairing
For this dish, toss the whole you have to pair white wine with fish out the window.  If you ask me, Pinot Noir is the go to wine for salmon.  There's something about the pungent, silky, buttery texture of the fish that just calls out for this varietal. In the case of this dish, due to the tangy marinade, I'd suggest pairing a New World Pinot Noir, which will be bigger and fruitier, rather than a Burgundy-style, which tend to be subtler and more earthy. 

The Rivers Marie 2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is drinking spectacularly right now (we had a bottle this week).  Recently, I've also loved the Anthill Farms 2007 Comptche Ridge Pinot Noir and the Pisoni Estate 2007 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir.  Any of these wines would be a brilliant choice!  Click on the names of the wines to read my previous articles on them.

Source for Ingredients
salmon steaks, whole grain mustard, organic lemons, organic garlic and organic olive oil from Whole Foods

North Shore Part 2: Domestic Diva's Pan Roasted Salmon with Mango Salsa

I'm coming to you live from the North Shore of Oahu once again! Even though a hurricane was barreling down on us (don't worry parents - it's already downgraded to a tropical storm), we've had fantastic weather, plenty of beach time, snorkeling and even some sea turtle sitings. And those damn mosquito bites - even Kuzak has succumbed - but it's a small price to pay for paradise!


This morning I woke up bright and early to meet my friend Alison, her progeny, Pierce and her mother-n-law at the Haleiwa Farmers Market, rumored to be one of the best markets in these parts. Haleiwa (pronounced Ha-lei-eeeva as my local friend taught me) is the historic town next to where we're staying, full of small shops, shaved ice stands and shrimp trucks. The farmers market was great, featuring local purveyors of everything from organic honey, to eggs and chicken, to heirloom tomatoes and lots of produce.


Our goal was to select fresh, local produce to cook into a feast tonight for dinner. We made out like bandits, scooping up gorgeous eggplant, collard greens, football-like avocados, basil, heirloom tomatoes and much more! So stay tuned to find out what we make for dinner, but in the meantime, I'll share with you a dinner I cooked up the other night for Kuzak. The house where we're staying has a beautiful mango tree brimming with fresh fruit, so I decided to make use of the local bounty. I pan-seared some sashimi quality salmon and served it with a mango salsa, stuffed full of serrano pepper, garlic, spring onion and plenty of citrus. The result was fantastic!

Note: For a balanced meal, I combined this dish with sauteed spinach and garlicky brown rice.


Domestic Diva's Pan Roasted Salmon with Mango Salsa

2 salmon fillets (I use 4 oz)
1 mango, fruit cut into small cubes
1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp good olive oil
2 tbsp grapeseed oil or canola oil
2 lemons, juiced
salt and pepper

Directions:

To make the mango salsa, place the lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the mango, pepper, garlic and onion. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. If needed, add a little more lemon juice to balance the taste depending on the sweetness of the mango.

To make the salmon, heat the grapeseed oil in a pan over medium high heat until almost smoking. Add the fish, cooking for a few minutes on each side until desired doneness (I leave mine a little pink in the middle).

To serve, plate the salmon and top with a generous heap of mango salsa. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

mangoes from the tree by our rental cottage in Waialua

serrano pepper, spring onion and sashimi quality salmon from Malama Market Haleiwa

Music on Tap:

Air - Moon Safari
Bob Marley - Natty Dread
Angus & Julia Stone - A Book Like This