Curried Shrimp Salad

Serve this spicy curried shrimp salad with crackers, in a bread bun or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a deliciously spicy appetizer or cool dinner.

Despite the fact that I am in cool Los Angeles, it’s still August so that means we are midway through my self-imposed Salad Month. I hope those of you in warmer climes are enjoying the recipes and the rest of you are pinning them for later. I head back to Dubai on Wednesday, where it’s still scorching hot, so I anticipate that salads for dinner will no doubt be favorites for some weeks to come.

I hope you've also enjoyed following along on Instagram as I journeyed by car from the east coast to the west coast of the United States with my daughters. We took in some fabulous sights, from Niagara Falls and the St. Louis Arch to the natural arches near Moab, UT and the Grand Canyon and so much more.

A couple of months back, it was my honor to be invited to a wedding shower in Dubai, given by a good friend. Naturally, I asked what I could bring. She gave me free rein so this is one of the dishes I made. Curried shrimp salad is special enough for a party but easy enough to serve the family for simple summer dinner as well.

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g cleaned and shelled shrimp
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced, salted, drained
1 cup or 215g mayonnaise
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
hot sauce, optional
2 spring onions, white and part of green for salad – some greens chopped for garnish

To serve: crackers, toasted bread or split bread rolls to make sandwiches or lettuce leaves for wraps

Method
Cook the shrimp by dropping them into boiling water for just a few minutes. Drain them and rinse with cold water. Leave in a colander to drain.

Chop the roots off of your spring onions and discard. Cut the whites into thin circles, along with most of the green parts. Chop the rest of the green parts and set aside for garnish.

Cut your cucumber into quarters lengthwise then use a sharp knife to remove the seedy core. Discard or feed to your furry helper. (My Boxer loves them!) Cut the cucumber into very thin slices and lay them on a folded paper towels to absorb the excess moisture.

In a small bowl, combine the curry powder, ground cumin and the larger pile of chopped green onions with the mayonnaise.

If you are serving this curried shrimp salad as an appetizer at a party, set aside one whole shrimp for garnish then chop the remaining shrimp. First of all, it looks pretty but I also like to give folks a heads up that a dish contains something that is a known potential allergen by showing it on top.

Taste the mayo dressing. Some store-bought curry powders contain more pepper than others. If you like things spicier, add some hot sauce to taste and stir well.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped shrimp with the curried mayo and the cucumber until thoroughly mixed.

Serve the curried shrimp salad with crackers as an appetizer, small lettuce leaves for rolls, or use it to make sandwiches with fresh sliced bread or rolls.

Enjoy!

Here are a few more salads you are sure to enjoy! 

• Arugula, Parma Ham and Fresh Mozzarella Salad with Sun-dried Tomato Dressing 
• Quinoa Salad with Cucumber, Onion and Oranges 
• Spicy Asian Lobster Noodle Salad 
• Homemade Tabouli 
• Cantaloupe, Salami and Feta Salad 

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Crunchy Green Bean, Tomato, Chicken and Pearl Couscous Salad

Just cooked crunchy green beans and ripe sweet cherry tomatoes perk up this lovely salad made with pearl couscous, augmented with chicken, and dressed with raspberry vinegar and whole grain mustard.

Once again, I’m sharing a recipe perfect for my self-imposed Salad Month. This Crunchy Green Bean, Tomato, Chicken and Pearl Couscous Salad is another of our favorites when it’s hot outside. It’s light yet, because of the pearl couscous and chicken, it’s filling enough to be a meal on its own. Or, if you want, omit the chicken from the salad and serve it as a side dish.

If you are not familiar with pearl couscous, also known as mograbia, it’s made from a moistened bulgur wheat paste which is rolled into small balls. The balls are coated with finely ground hard white wheat flour and dried. Those who still make pearl couscous in the traditional manner hand roll the balls and dry them in the sun. I bought mine in a bag at my local grocery store.

My younger daughter (and the Boxer boy) will eat green beans completely raw. I prefer mine blanched for salads but you do you. If you like them uncooked, skip the first step of this recipe. Either way, this is another instance where the ingredients are simple, but the finished dish is more than the sum of its parts. The bonus is that, if you make enough to last until the next day, this salad tastes just as good, possibly even better.

Crunchy Green Bean, Tomato, Chicken and Pearl Couscous Salad

Ingredients – serves 2 for a main meal
For the salad:
7 oz or 200g fine green beans, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 cup pearl couscous
1 small onion, sliced
Green onion tops, chopped
Sea salt
Black pepper
7 oz or 200g cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
Leftover roast or rotisserie chicken – two breasts or an equivalent amount deboned and cut in bite-sized pieces

For the dressing:
1/8 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
Pinch sea salt
A few grinds of fresh black pepper

Method
Bring a pot of water to the boil and blanch the green beans for 2 1/2-3 minutes. Drain and refresh them in some ice water so they stop cooking. Drain well.

Cook the couscous as you would pasta in salted water, boiling till the little balls are al dente, that is, soft but still with a little firmness. (Follow your package instructions for the best results.) Drain and rinse and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Toss the warm pearl couscous in a large salad bowl with the sliced onion and chopped green onion tops. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.

Shake the dressing ingredients together in a clean jar until well combined and pour over the couscous. Stir well.

Add in the crunchy green beans, halved cherry tomatoes and the chicken. Toss well. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary.

Enjoy!

Do you keep cool in summer by eating salads too? Here are a few you are sure to enjoy!

• Halloumi Freekeh Peach Salad 
• Spicy Cucumber Chickpea Salad 
• Chili Peach Vinaigrette 
• Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad 
• Black-eyed Pea Salad 
• Red Camargue and Wild Rice Salad with Seared Tuna 

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Spicy Cucumber Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas are fabulous for absorbing seasonings when warm, which adds such flavor to dishes like this spicy cucumber chickpea salad.

It’s day 6 of my self-imposed Salad Month – a celebration of cold dishes for the heat of August, at least in the northern hemisphere. No one wants lean over a hot stove or oven when it’s sweltering outside so I'm bringing you fresh cool salad recipes all month long.

As for me, I’m on day 7 of a cross-country trip from the east coast to the west coast of the United States. My younger daughter and I started out in Massachusetts on July 30th and made our way to upstate New York (with a last minute side trip to Niagara Falls) and Ohio (with an afternoon at the State Fair),  through a small piece of Pennsylvania and on to Kansas, then Colorado (where we picked up my elder daughter) and finally, Utah. As you read this, we’ll be driving south from Moab towards the Grand Canyon. Still ahead: Las Vegas!

It’s been a heck of a trip so far. As I’ve mentioned before, my Instagram feed is always eclectic but you can check out some highlights of our trip so far there.

Spicy Cucumber Chickpea Salad

Often the simplest set of ingredients make the best recipes. That is certainly true of this salad. Unlike most of my summer salads, this does require turning the stove on but not for long, just enough to soften the garlic, onion and jalapeño for seasoning the chickpeas. It’s great with pan-fried fish or anything grilled. Best of all, it’s fabulous as leftovers so you can double the recipe and take some for lunch the next day.

Ingredients - to serve 4 as a side
1/2 small onion, sliced finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 (depending on how spicy you like things) fresh jalapeño, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 can (14oz or 400g) chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
1/2 teaspoon flakey sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2-3 small cucumbers (about oz or 300g)

Method
Sauté the vegetables in one tablespoon of the olive oil, over a low flame, until softened.

Add the chickpeas and heat until warmed through.

Sprinkle on the salt and pepper.  Add the vinegar and turn the heat up slightly. When the vinegar just begins to bubble, turn the fire off and add the rest of the olive oil.

Leave in the saucepan till cooled.

Meanwhile, cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again. Trim the soft seedy middles and discard. (Or feed to your kitchen helper. My pooch loves them.)

Cut the cucumbers into smaller pieces and put them in a bowl. Once the chickpeas are cool, pour the mixture over the cucumbers.

Stir to combine. Taste for salt, adding a bit more, if needed.

As I mentioned above, this spicy cucumber chickpea salad is great with fish or grilled meats. Or it can make a tasty lunch, just on its own. 

Enjoy!

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Halloumi Freekeh Peach Salad #FoodieExtravaganza

This halloumi freekeh peach salad features pan-fried salty cheese, nutty freekeh and sweet peaches along with baby arugula and spicy cashews for a delightfully fresh and filling meal. Drizzle it with chili peach vinaigrette or your favorite dressing.

My self-imposed Salad Month starts in earnest with this beautiful salad that is perfect for a full meal for two or a starter for four. It’s what we call “fancy salad” at our house, which means it has greens, fruit, cheese and nuts. These vary by what we have on hand or feel like eating but fancy salad should contain those four essential ingredients.

But since this month's Foodie Extravaganza ingredient is peaches, that is the fruit I chose. If you love summer peaches, you are going to love this salad and this edition of Foodie Extravaganza. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom to see the other lovely peach recipes we have for you today.

In this case, the freekeh, another of the so-called ancient grains, adds a little more bulk, making this a light but filling salad, perfect for lunch or dinner just on its own. The day I put it together, my husband was away from home on a business trip, so I served it up and then added the chili peach vinaigrette to my portion. I ate the rest the next day and it was still fabulous.

If you’ve never cooked freekeh, check out this info and easy instructions on BBC Good Food. I cooked a whole cup, which gave me more than enough for this salad, as well as leftovers to add to another salad, another day. It’s lovely and nutty tasting, and rather reminds me of bulgur wheat.

Halloumi Freekeh Peach Salad

Ingredients – for 2 dinner salads or 4 starter salads
7 oz or 200g halloumi cheese
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
4 1/2 oz or 130g baby arugula or rocket
1 cup or 160g cooked cracked freekeh, well drained and cooled (More information here. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/freekeh)
3-4 small peaches (Mine were tiny! More like apricot size.) or 1-2 larger peaches
1/4 cup or 40g spicy cashews or your favorite nut
8-10 mint leaves, sliced thinly
Chili Peach Vinaigrette or your favorite sweet, tart and spicy dressing.

Method
Cut the halloumi into slices about 1/4 in or 1/2cm thick. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Pan-fry the halloumi just a minute or two on each side until both are golden.

Set aside. Pit and slice your peaches into wedges.

Assemble the salad starting with the arugula and top with the freekeh. Add in the golden halloumi broken roughly into bite-sized pieces, the sliced peaches and the cashews.

Stack the mint leaves one on top the other and slice thinly. Sprinkle over the salad.

Tip: This salad is great as leftovers if you haven’t added the dressing so I suggest that if you think you might not eat it all the day you make it, dress each serving, rather than dressing and tossing the entire salad.

Drizzle with chili peach vinaigrette or your favorite dressing.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to this month's Foodie Extravaganza host, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out all of our peach recipes!

• Halloumi Freekeh Peach Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Honey Peach Ice Cream by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Mini Peaches and Cream French Toast Casserole by Cookaholic Wife
• Peach and Orange Smoothie by Sneha's Recipe
• Peach BBQ Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peach Crumble Bars by Palatable Pastime
• Peach Panna Cotta by Caroline's Cooking
• Peach Sorbet by Hardly A Goddess
• Peach Tomato Salad with Herb Vinaigrette by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays or shares recipes with the same ingredient or theme every month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook group Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

If you're a reader looking for delicious recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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Country Applesauce Pecan Muffins #MuffinMonday

Made with thick homemade applesauce, these country applesauce pecan muffins are rich with the flavors of brown sugar and cinnamon. They are a great breakfast muffin or afternoon snack.

Weekend before last, ahead of a routine test on Monday, my husband was instructed to start on a soft food diet. We headed to our big hypermarket for a shopping trip, picking up clear soups and other tasty morsels he could eat. “How about applesauce?” he said. “Sure,’ I replied. I turned back towards the fresh produce, as he turned toward the cans and jars. We both stopped.

“We are not going to buy applesauce!” I exclaimed. “You know how easy it is to make applesauce!” Plus, I pointed out, we were having pork chops for dinner – his last solid meal for a couple of days - so we’d need applesauce for those as well.

Sure, it takes a while to peel and core the apples (and toss them in a little fresh lemon juice), but you know exactly what you get when you are done. Pure applesauce, with a hint of lemon. If you choose your apples wisely, you don’t need to add sugar.

How to make applesauce:
Put the juice of one small lemon in a large mixing bowl. Peel, core and chop 3 Granny Smith apples and four Red Delicious, tossing the chunks in the lemon juice to stop them turning brown.

Place the lot in a heavy saucepan with 1/4 cup or 60ml water. Keep the fire on medium low and cover the pot with a tightfitting lid. Check it often, stirring the apples when you do. Cook until the apples are very soft and can be mashed easily with the back of a spoon. Taste the applesauce and add a little sugar, if necessary. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Country Applesauce Pecan Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup or 125g pecans
2/3 cup or 132g brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup or 80ml canola oil, plus a little extra for greasing muffin pan
1 large egg
1 rounded cup or 250g applesauce (see instructions above or use store-bought sauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180C°. Toast the pecans on a dry baking pan as the oven preheats. Watch them closely and shake the pan occasionally so the pecans don’t scorch.  This won’t take long. Remove from the oven and chop coarsely.

Grease 12 standard muffin cups with a little canola or line the pan with paper liners.

Divide the chopped pecans, setting aside a generous handful to sprinkle on the muffins before baking.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, the larger pile of chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another smaller mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk the oil, egg, applesauce and vanilla extract together.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Top with the reserved chopped pecans.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to Karen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories for hosting this edition of Muffin Monday while I am on the road from the east coast to the west with my daughter. We are in New York state right now and are headed to Cleveland, Ohio this morning. As I mentioned in my last post, my Instagram feed is always kind of a weird mix of images, but for the next eight days, it's going to be filled with sights from our cross country trip. Do follow along!

Meanwhile, make sure to check out all the other goodies my Muffin Monday friends are sharing today!

• Banana Cookie Butter Oatmeal Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Blueberry-Peach Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Cherry Surprise Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Corned Beef Stuffed Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Country Applesauce Pecan Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Sour Cream Muffins with Mixed Berries from Karen's Kitchen Stories

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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Chili Peach Vinaigrette

Don’t let the pale peach color of this lovely chili peach vinaigrette fool you. The flavor is tart, sweet and spicy, in my opinion, the perfect combination. Use it to dress your favorite salad or as a marinade for chicken or pork.

This spicy recipe kicks off the start of a big, bold adventure. As you read this, my younger daughter and I are on Day 1 of a cross-country trip from Massachusetts to California. We left the home of dear friends in Hingham, MA today, and are on the high road to upstate New York. If all goes to plan, we’ll hit the west coast on Tuesday, August 8th.

Since it’s the height of hot summer in the northern, I decided to do something different on this blog for August. I’ll be sharing some of our favorite fresh salads and dressings, beginning with this chili peach vinaigrette.

(Of course, since it’s not actually August yet, I’ll still have a Muffin Monday post for you tomorrow.)

Our accommodations are an eclectic mix of Airbnb homes, interstate motels and even one lodge in the Grand Canyon National Park. No doubt we’ll be craving salads the whole way. My Instagram feed is always a strange place to be, but follow along to travel with us from sea to shining sea.

Chili Peach Vinaigrette

Ingredients – Yields 1 cup or 240ml
6 oz or 170g ripe, firm peaches, washed, pitted and chopped (1 large peach or 3-4 small peaches)
1/2-1 small red chili pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml natural apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup or 30ml canola or other light oil
1 tablespoon honey, or more, if needed
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (like Coleman's)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Method
Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or in an appropriate vessel with a hand blender until smooth.

Taste and add more honey, if necessary. If you are lucky your peach will be sweet enough and the extra honey will not be needed.

Store in a clean jar in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Love salads and unusual dressings? Check out some of my favorites.

• Spicy Asian Noodle Salad with Lobster 
• Tuscan Bean Salad
• Summertime Fresh Corn Salad
• Passion Fruit Vinaigrette

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Chili Cheese Dog Baked Potatoes

Ban the bun and pass the potatoes! These chili cheese dog baked potatoes will be a favorite at your next family dinner or barbecue.

After making a good pot of hearty spicy beef chili to serve over a chili cheese omelet a few weeks ago, I was looking for ways to make the leftovers into different meals. One night we had chili cheese dogs. Not being much of a bread person, I ate the first one in a hot dog bun and then had a second wienie straight on the plate with just the chili and toppings.

The next day, with leftover chili still to eat, I considered my options. A bowl of chili with tortilla chips? Another chili cheese dog? And then it hit me. Chili Cheese Dog Baked Potatoes! No buns, just lovely baked Russet potatoes with their toasted skins cut open and fluffy insides filled with all the good stuff a chili cheese dog would have. Genius, no?

I may never eat a chili dog in a bun again.

Chili Cheese Dog Baked Potatoes

Ingredients - for 2 chili cheese dog baked potatoes
2 large Russet potatoes
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup or 240ml chili of your choice - or make my hearty spicy beef chili
2 good quality wieners
4 oz or 113g sharp cheddar, grated

Optional toppings:
Chopped onions
Minced fresh jalapeños
Mustard

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Scrub your potatoes clean and dry them thoroughly. Poke them several times with the tines of a fork. Rub the potatoes with the oil and place them on a baking pan. Or, if you have metal shish kabob skewers, you can put one through each potato and put them directly on the oven rack.

Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes or until they are cooked through.

Panfry or grill the wieners until they are golden on the outside and hot on the inside. Warm the chili as well.

Once the potatoes are done, cut them open lengthwise and use a towel or oven mitts to push them open from the ends, to fluff up the insides. Add a wiener to each potato.

Top each with half of the chili and then the cheese.  Garnish with additional ingredients, if desired.

Enjoy!

This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing creative hot dog recipes and I am hosting! Please check out the fabulous recipe links below.

Many thanks our event manager, Cricket of Cricket's Confections and my co-host Mary Ellen from Recipes, Food and Cooking who will be handling the Twitter chat this evening.

Cheesy Dogs

• Cheesy Pretzel Dogs by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Jalapeño Popper Hot Dogs by Life Tastes Good

Meaty Dogs

• Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs with Fruit Salsa by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Honey BBQ Hot Dogs by Home Sweet Homestead
• Hot Dog & Hamburger Cowboy Beans by Soulfully Made

Regional Dogs

• All American Hot Dog by The Freshman Cook
• Banh Mi Hot Dog by Cricket’s Confections
• Buffalo Hot Dogs by The Crumby Kitchen
• Copy Cat Detroit Coney Dogs by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Matcha Ochazuke Hot Dog Rice by NinjaBaker.com
• Memphis Hot Dog by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Philly Mushroom Swiss Dog (Low Carb) by My Life Cookbook
• Sauerkraut Stuffed Dogs by Gourmet Everyday
• South of the Border Hot Dogs by My Blissful Mess

Tex Mex Dogs

• Chili Cheese Dog Baked Potatoes by Food Lust People Love
• Burrito Dogs by Our Good Life
• Hot Dog with Chili Sauce by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Taco Hot Dog is Nacho Regular Dog by Sunday Supper Movement
• Hot Dog Breakfast Tacos by Pies and Plots

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Salmon Soba Noodle Buddha Bowls with Ginger Sesame Dressing #FishFridayFoodies

Pan-fried salmon soba noodle Buddha bowls with ginger sesame dressing are easy, tasty and healthy too. They can be made ahead of time and chilled, if you like cold salmon like we do, or assembled when you are ready to eat with warm salmon on top.  Either way, you are going to love the flavors of this dish!

Years ago my father was living in Southeast Asia. Every time I went to visit him, I flew on the Japanese national carrier, JAL. Their menu never seemed to vary, at least in Economy. You had the choice of a Western meal, invariably a small hockey puck-sized filet mignon steak, overcooked, grey and flavorless. Or the Japanese meal, a small bowl of delicately flavored miso soup with slivers of seaweed and cold soba noodles with a delightfully salty savory dipping sauce. There were other parts to the meal to accompany the noodles, but those were the highlight for me. A revelation of tender chewiness unlike any noodle I had met before. And their dipping sauce was heaven. I guess you know which meal I would choose.

Ever since, I’ve been a fan of soba noodles. And, frankly, Japanese food in general. When was the last time you’ve ever heard that airplane food was a positive convincer for a whole country’s cuisine? I owe JAL a debt of gratitude.

You might think the star of this recipe is the salmon, sitting there on center stage on top of the Buddha bowl. And it is lovely, especially seasoned with the shichimi togarashi. But I’ve got to tell you that what makes this dish special is the homemade ginger sesame dressing. It’s so easy to make – and it keeps well in the refrigerator. It’s also what adds the most flavor to this cold soba noodle salad.

You’ll have ginger sesame dressing leftovers with this recipe so try it on a fresh baby spinach salad with oranges and maybe some toasted almonds. Another of our favorites.

Salmon Soba Noodle Buddha Bowls with Ginger Sesame Dressing

Ingredients
For the ginger sesame dressing:
1/2 cup or 120ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup or 60ml apple cider vinegar
2 in or 5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I like Kikkoman’s.)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon tahini paste
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

For 2 salmon soba noodle bowls:
2 salmon fillets, skin on (about 4 3/4 oz or 135g each)
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Shichimi togarashi – Read more about it here.
7 oz or 200g soba (buckwheat) noodles
7 oz or 200g snow peas (mangetout)
1 medium carrot, grated
3-4 small crunchy radishes, sliced
1/2 cup or 120ml ginger sesame dressing, plus a couple of tablespoons
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Small bunch green onions, chopped

Method
First, make the ginger sesame dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or in an appropriate vessel with a hand blender. Process until smooth and emulsified.

Refrigerate the dressing as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. It will keep well in the refrigerator for at least two weeks.

Season the salmon fillets by sprinkling salt, black pepper and shichimi togarashi on both sides. Cook them skin side down in a hot pan just until you see the color lighten inside the skin. Remove the salmon from the pan and place on a plate skin side up. Use a thin blade to gently remove the skin and put it back in the pan.

Cook till crispy. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.

Season the skinless side with the salt, pepper and shichimi togarashi. Return the salmon fillets to the hot pan and cook to your desired doneness. I know some people like salmon a bit rare inside, but we like ours cooked through. (Unless we are eating sushi or sashimi, in which case, we love it complete raw. It’s all or nothing with us.)

Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once it comes to a boil, add in the soba noodles a few at a time and give them a bit of a stir so they don’t stick together.

Bring water back up to a boil and then immediate reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for about 6-7 minutes for thin noodles, 7-8 minutes for thicker ones, or according to the package instructions.

In the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add in the snow peas.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add some ice cubes.

Drain the noodles and snow peas in a colander and rinse with cool water, washing them till the water runs clear.

Soba noodles are quite starchy and washing them is essential so do not skip this step. Now put them in the ice water until completely chilled. Drain well in a colander until dry.

Pick the snow peas out of the chilled soba noodles and set aside.

Pour the dressing over the noodles and toss them gently to coat. Add the sesame seeds and toss again to distribute them well. You can cover and refrigerate the noodles now and assemble your salmon soba noodle bowls later, if need be.

To assemble the noodle bowls, start with the dressed noodles, then top with the snow peas, grated carrots and sliced radishes. Add in the salmon. Drizzle on a little more of the dressing and sprinkle the bowl with the green onions. Don’t forget to add the crispy salmon skin! This is our favorite part anytime we cook salmon.

Enjoy!

This month my Fish Friday Foodie group is sharing Buddha bowls for your dining pleasure. Fresh and healthy Buddha bowls are apparently all the rage right now, with their starches or grains, protein and fresh vegetables. Many thanks to our host Sue from Palatable Pastime for pushing me to make my very first Buddha bowl! Check out the other seafood Buddha bowls right here.

An InLinkz Link-up

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