Tips & Tricks | Meal Inspiration (or How I Build a Meal from my STOCKED Kitchen
Published February 22, 2023
This is an example of how I put together a quick week-night meal.
Sometimes it starts with the main (or protein) and sometimes, like this example, it starts with a side.
Published February 22, 2023
This is an example of how I put together a quick week-night meal.
Sometimes it starts with the main (or protein) and sometimes, like this example, it starts with a side.
Salmon with Golden Milk Sauce, Peanut Broccoli Slaw & Pan-Fried Potatoes
The Original Inspiration - Broccoli Slaw
We had dinner at my sister’s a few nights ago. She made roasted broccoli, but only used the florets. There were 3 large stems leftover, which I took home to use for a slaw. I remembered that I had leftover peanut sauce in the fridge, which I though would make a good dressing.
The sauce was much spicier than I remembered (or maybe it got hotter sitting in the fridge.) So, I mixed it with some mayonnaise to calm the heat and thin it out a bit. I grated the broccoli stems and a carrot in a food processor; mixed with the peanut / mayo sauce and voila’ – Broccoli Slaw!
The Protein
I defrosted 2 pieces of salmon. But how to season them? I thought about something Asian, specifically Chinese, to go with the peanut sauce, but my husband ate leftover Chicken Stir fry for lunch, so I wanted to go in another direction. Still Asian, but what about a more Indian-y variation?
I defrosted a container of coconut milk, that was leftover when I used only part of a container some time ago. I mixed about half with curry powder and marinated the fish in it.
The Sauce
I still had about a cup of coconut milk left, so it occurred to me that I could make a sauce. I mixed up a quick roux (1 TBSP soft butter + 1 TBSP flour) to thicken it.
Another Side
The meal needed another side. I thought about using an acorn squash, but decided on a potato. I wanted to keep it simple. I scrubbed the potato, cut it into thick slices, and boiled them in salted water until soft, but still firm enough to hold together as slices.
Getting it Done
About 15 minutes before mealtime, I started cooking everything at the same time.
We had dinner at my sister’s a few nights ago. She made roasted broccoli, but only used the florets. There were 3 large stems leftover, which I took home to use for a slaw. I remembered that I had leftover peanut sauce in the fridge, which I though would make a good dressing.
The sauce was much spicier than I remembered (or maybe it got hotter sitting in the fridge.) So, I mixed it with some mayonnaise to calm the heat and thin it out a bit. I grated the broccoli stems and a carrot in a food processor; mixed with the peanut / mayo sauce and voila’ – Broccoli Slaw!
The Protein
I defrosted 2 pieces of salmon. But how to season them? I thought about something Asian, specifically Chinese, to go with the peanut sauce, but my husband ate leftover Chicken Stir fry for lunch, so I wanted to go in another direction. Still Asian, but what about a more Indian-y variation?
I defrosted a container of coconut milk, that was leftover when I used only part of a container some time ago. I mixed about half with curry powder and marinated the fish in it.
The Sauce
I still had about a cup of coconut milk left, so it occurred to me that I could make a sauce. I mixed up a quick roux (1 TBSP soft butter + 1 TBSP flour) to thicken it.
Another Side
The meal needed another side. I thought about using an acorn squash, but decided on a potato. I wanted to keep it simple. I scrubbed the potato, cut it into thick slices, and boiled them in salted water until soft, but still firm enough to hold together as slices.
Getting it Done
About 15 minutes before mealtime, I started cooking everything at the same time.
- I heated up the coconut milk in a small sauce pan, started the salmon (skin side up) in a small skillet, and the potato slices in a larger skillet in some melted butter.
- When small bubbles appeared in the milk, I turned down the heat, whisked some of the hot milk into the roux, then added the roux back into the pot, whisking the whole time. I seasoned with salt and pepper, but a quick taste told me it need something more. I added some leftover Golden Milk and a little more curry powder, whisked until smooth and turned way down to keep warm.
- Then I turned the fish and the potatoes over. Fish finished first, so I moved it to a smaller burner with a very low flame to stay warm and crisped up the potatoes on both sides.