Slammin' Salmon, Rice Pilaf & Moscow Mule

First off tonight, we are having drinks! Since I'm fresh off a bachelorette weekend in New Orleans, I've gotten used to having a cocktail with dinner (and breakfast, and lunch, and well... all the time). Here is a contemporary classic which I thoroughly enjoy.

Moscow Mule
Vodka
Ginger beer
Lime juice

Light, refreshing, and potent, the Moscow Mule is my kind of drink.

For dinner, I wanted to try a new salmon dish, and stumbled upon this Slammin' Salmon at Allrecipes.com. Also from Allrecipes, Sarah's Rice Pilaf is a dish I recently made for my book club, the Lush Scholars. It was a big hit, gobbled all up even after doubling the recipe. I was eager to taste it again tonight, and thought it would pair nicely with the salmon.


Sarah's Rice Pilaf (4 servings)

Orzo and onion simmering in butter

2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. orzo pasta
1/2 c. diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
2 c. chicken broth

1. Melt butter in skillet over med-low heat. Stir in orzo and cook until golden grow. Stir in onion; cook until it becomes translucent. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Mix in rice and chicken broth. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low, then cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes.

Slammin' Salmon (4 servings)
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt

Final product

1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
t tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. chopped green onions
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 c. peanut oil
8 (4 oz.) skinless, boneless salmon fillets

1. Combine all ingredients besides the salmon to make a marinade.
2. Pour marinade into a resealable bag, add salmon, and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.
3. Prepare grill, oven, or broiler.
4. Drain off excess marinade, and grill for about 4 minutes each side, or equivalent in oven or broiler.

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Is there anything more pleasing than the smell of cooking butter? Butter really does make everything better. Though simple on its surface, this rice pilaf recipe delivers a great balance of comforting flavors. It is great as a simple complement to a more complex main course. Basically, it's Rice-A-Roni, but way better.

Now.... the salmon... is out of this world. Granted, I am a salmon-lover to begin with, but this Asian-tasting marinade took it to a new level. I  marinated my salmon for about 2 hours, but could see this dish improving with more marinating. I also cooked mine in the broiler, but I'm sure this would be fantastic on the grill. I recommend setting a little marinade aside to drizzle over your salmon once it's done.

Thank you for reading.
-Little Chef TX