Salmon with Mango Sauce

Bernard & Jennie (with "Chief") c. 1961

Grandma loved seafood. Any kind of seafood. Fish, shellfish, crab, you name it.  She came from the Midwest, where fish choices were limited. So when she and my Grandpa moved to the Pacific Northwest they were quite naive about the rich supply available to them. That is, until their neighbors Bernard and Jennie showed them. Remember my post several weeks ago about Bernard and Jennie? (I used to call him "Bern-derd"...Hey! I was only about 4!) He was a retired Bird Colonel and she was the consummate cook who was so proud of her Scandinavian heritage and hauled Grandma to many of her Daughters of Norway events. They introduced my grandparents not only to seafood cuisine, but also the fine art of shellfish digging--clams, razor clams, geoducks (pronounced "gooey ducks"). They could make a trip to the beach a real adventure! They enjoyed such vibrant and exciting lives and Grandma and Grandpa shared so many happy memories with them. I think every time Grandma enjoyed seafood, she thought of Bernard and Jennie.

Of all the seafood choices, Grandma enjoyed salmon most of all and she enjoyed preparing it in some unique and wonderful way. Many local restaurants have mastered the fine art of salmon preparation and if Grandma enjoyed a great salmon dish somewhere, you would often find her trying to replicate it at home. She was pretty darn good at it too! This is one of those recipes. I processed the mango but I don't think Grandma did because her sauce had the consistency of a salsa. If you don't like it that way, then by all means process it to a smooth consistency.

Salmon with Mango Sauce

4 filet salmon steaks (baked or grilled)

Sauce:

1-2 ripe mangoes, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp apricot preserves

1/4 cup tropical nectar (like mango) or juice blend

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and puree in food processor (or if you prefer a "salsier" consistency, then coarsely dice the mango, process all the other ingredients, then combine everything). Pour into saucepan and heat slowly until bubbly and thick. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over baked or grilled salmon steaks.

PS ~ If you're at all interested in that delicious looking pasta salad in the background, it's Pasta Aioli--with lots of garlic, Parmesan cheese, and even sun dried tomatoes--and it is superb! Get it here (thank you Natural Health Magazine!)

Layered Spaghetti Casserole

This Layered Spaghetti Casserole is good on so many levels! Here's why:

1. It's a great use for leftovers of spaghetti sauce (like Grandma's Famous Spaghetti Sauce).

2. It's great for meal planning at least once a month, which is so important for working parents trying to live within their means but still provide meaningful meals.

3. It can be cooked with or without meat...aka cheaper and healthier.

4. It can be prepared in advance and frozen.

5. It's so easy Grandpa could put it together and feel mighty proud of himself. 

6. It's absolutely delicious and even your picky eaters will love it.

It's all about meal strategy, planning and coordination. Sounds very scientific, doesn't it? Really it's not rocket science. Just good common sense.

This casserole is delicious with a salad of greens and some great bread or rolls or better yet, how about those Parmesan Breadsticks?

Layered Spaghetti Casserole

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb natural, lean ground beef, optional
2 cups good spaghetti sauce (like Grandma's)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small can mushrooms
Italian seasoning
Parsley
¾ pound Spaghetti noodles
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 375F.  Begin heating the water to cook spaghetti.

Grease a deep baking dish and sprinkle 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese on the bottom. 

Meanwhile, cook onion in olive oil until translucent then add in minced garlic and mushrooms.  Add in ground beef, if desired, and cook until no longer pink, then drain off any grease. Stir in sauce and simmer.   Add spaghetti noodles to boiling water and cook until almost done (don't over boil because the spaghetti will cook further in the oven). Drain off all water then begin layering as follows:

½ of spaghetti noodles on top of Parmesan cheese already in casserole dish.
½ of the sauce mixture over the spaghetti noodles (don't mix in)
Sprinkle on Italian seasoning and parsley
1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese
 
Other ½ of spaghetti  noodles
Other ½ of sauce mixture
Sprinkle more Italian seasoning and parsley

Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on the top and cook 25 minutes in 375F oven or until cheese on top is melted.

Grandma's Famous Spaghetti Sauce

Meal planning isn't always easy, particularly for moms working outside the home (as well as in) and especially during the holidays with so many other things going on. 

Grandma considered herself very fortunate to have a vocation she loved. She loved people, had a servant's heart, and was gifted with patience and kindness.  Perfect character qualities for nursing, which was her calling.  But even doing something she loved, it was still hard work. She was on her feet nearly all day and when she got home she probably would have preferred relaxing instead of cooking. 

That's where planning came in. Grandma would create a menu plan for the week ahead and try to "coordinate" the recipes so leftovers could be used in another meal. We've already done that with the Herb Roasted Chicken & Vegetables and the leftovers from that were used the following day in Chicken Pot Pies with Flaky Crust. You get the idea. 

Planning is half the battle. Actually, it IS the battle, but much easier to win when you're rested, relaxed, and putting it all together on your own terms. Not stressed after a hard day's work.

So here's another favorite--Grandma's Famous (at least in our family) Spaghetti Sauce. Homemade is best, more flavorful, and not difficult to make. She always added a little sugar to offset the acidity of the tomatoes and Bay leaf for seasoning (be sure to remove it before serving though).  Try this sauce with Grandma's Basic Meatballs. Delicious!

A large batch of this sauce yields leftovers that can be used in another meal or frozen.



Grandma's Famous Spaghetti Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 small can mushrooms, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp parsley
Italian Seasoning
Pepper
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)


Heat oil in Dutch oven or saucepan and sauté onion, mushrooms, pepper, celery and garlic. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, paste, sugar and parsley. Season to taste and add bay leaf. Simmer for an hour, remove bay leaf, and serve over noodles or use in your favorite pasta dish.

NOTE: Can be prepared in advance and frozen easily.

Amazing Turkey Gravy

Grandma's gravy was unsurpassed.  It was never lumpy or fatty and it was even more delicious the day after. 

Getting the gravy perfect is a relatively simple process using heat, a whisk, and flour. The trick is to get the flour mixture or "roux" as smooth as possible (hence no lumps) and get as much of the fat out of the pan juices as possible. This can be tricky since the turkey Grandma used to make was similar to Martha's...doused hourly with a butter and white wine mixture. The butter would always wreak havoc with the fat content, but there are all sorts of fat separators and other tricks to remedy this. Namely pouring the pan juices in a big Pyrex bowl or measuring cup, putting it in the fridge until the fat comes to the surface, and skimming it off with a spoon. This usually did the trick and made the gravy flawless! Bet it will work for you too! 

Amazing Turkey Gravy

Pan juices (with fat removed)
1 cup dry white wine
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups turkey giblet stock, including reserved cooked neck and giblets

Pour pan juices into heat safe container and put in fridge to quickly separate the fat. While this is chilling, pour white wine into pan and deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Pour one cup of liquid from simmered giblets plus reserved pan juices (with fat removed) into saucepan with the flour and whisk until smooth over medium high heat about 3 minutes. Slowly add wine mixture and whisk continuously until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.