Ginger Soy Poached Salmon

It's been quite some time since I've last posted! Being Mommy to a rambunctious toddler and another little lady on the way has caused me to spend most of my down time attached to my bed. Recently my husband traveled to the UK on business, so I took the opportunity to make salmon, pretty much his least favorite food. I CRAVE the stuff, and, thank goodness, it's on the good list for pregnancy! This was a totally eyeballed recipe (keep this in mind when you're making the broth!) that was so tasty I wish I'd made double. Make sure to keep the cooking liquid; it makes for an amazing fried rice the next day. Also, use whatever veggies you have on hand~ I can think of a million different veggie combinations that would be delicious.
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 cups of prepared sticky rice (follow the directions on the packaging)
2 Atlantic salmon fillets
1/2 red pasilla (or bell) pepper, julienned
2 green onions, sliced on the bias
a handful of baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp. minced ginger (use a spoon to peel your ginger; you won't waste a bit of flesh!)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3-4 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. vegetable oil plus 1 tsp. sesame oil
pepper
red pepper flake to taste

Assembly:
Saute garlic and ginger in the sesame oil, then add the soy, vinegar, brown sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Add the salmon and cover. Cook about 6-8 minutes or until salmon is flaky and cooked through. While the salmon is cooking, saute the vegetables in the vegetable oil until translucent but still crunchy. Remove salmon to a bed of steamed sticky rice, top with the vegetables and pour some of the broth over the bowl. Reserve remaining broth and rice for fried rice tomorrow!

Mmmmm...salmon dill spread/dip!

Last year we were visiting my husband's grandparents, and his grandma made a fabulous smoked salmon dip. Pregnant at the time, I was limited my smoked meats and seafoods (better to err on the side of caution!), so I spared the family the shock of watching me eat the entire bowl with a spoon...Believe me, it was so good I was tempted! The minute I had my daughter, I bought a big package of smoked salmon and made my own take on grandma's wonderful dip. Mine is more of a spread, but it can be modified into a dip by blending in a bit of sour cream. This spread is great on bagels or with chips or crackers (I even ate some with carrots the other day). One of the great things about this spread is that you can eliminate any ingredient you don't like...don't care for red onions? Don't use them!

Ingredients:
3 pieces of nova smoked salmon, diced
2 tbsp. red onion, minced
1 brick Philly cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt, pepper to taste
1/8 cup sour cream (optional)

Assembly:

Stir together all ingredients and serve. As with the aioli, refrigerating for a few hours does wonders for the flavor of this spread/dip.