Tag Archives: Copper River Salmon

September 20, 2012 · 8:14 AM

OKMH – The September Edition

OKMH – One Kitchen, Many Hearts

That’s what we call our little group of blogging buddies and the goody boxes we send every other month. Who are these ladies? Let me show you.

OKMH Bloggers – Mads, Kirsten & Megan; Bottom: Me, Allison & Kat


Top Left: Madelyn (Mads) of La Petite Pancake
Top Center: Kirsten of Comfortably Domestic
Top Right: Megan of Country Cleaver
Bottom Center: Allison of Decadent Philistines
Bottom Right: Kat of Tenaciously Yours

That’s our official OKMH photo collage, but it’s this informal photo that really makes me giggle. Kirsten is responsible for this treasure:

The ‘unofficial’ group photo – this is how we picture us.
Megan waving to someone on the beach cracks me up every single time.

I don’t remember how we all met, but we’ve been as thick as thieves for a few years now, and I love them more every day. We may be from every corner of the U.S., but we are one kitchen with many hearts.

This month I received a box of love from Megan, the effervescent chef behind Country Cleaver. She’s amazing. She lives in Seattle. She’s a newlywed who loves her big hunk o’ burning love Ben, her sweet yellow lab Huck, enjoys long walks on the beach, craft brewing, bread baking, salmon, and pumpkin spice Hershey’s kisses (she hoards them). If there was such an award, she would surely be named “Blogger I’d Most Like to Drink A Beer With” or even “Blogger Whose Kitchen Pantry I’d Most Like to Secretly Live In”. Or both.

Here’s what Megan sent:


For the record, we love Halloween in this house. So she nailed it. Jonah Bear & Lilly Bug are going to love this. Spiders and witches and pumpkins – oh my!

Speaking of the grandkids, Jonah is going to lose it when he sees these:

He’ll be six in December and he L-O-V-E-S all things gummy. The fact that these are kind of creepy will only enhance their attraction. Well played, Megan.

Lilly Bug, who turned three this month, will love this rubber ducky (as do I). Who needs sparkly vampires with this little cutie around? #TeamJacob

When it comes to sharing, the only person in my immediate family that loves coffee like I do is my daughter. It goes without saying that she and I will be savoring these together. Look, honey! Maple Pecan & Caramel Pumpkin!

Did you know that our Megan is an ambassador for Copper River Salmon? Yup. She just got back from a spectacular weekend in Cordova, Alaska where she saw first hand what it takes to process salmon. And because she knows I share her love of this gorgeous fish, she included this tin of salmon rub. Move over, brisket. There’s a new gill in town. (Sorry. Bad joke. Okay, I’m not sorry.)

Megan also sent two gorgeous green ceramic chili bowls so we could celebrate fall Texas-style. Unfortunately, the postal service beat the crap out of that box and both bowls were shattered. Completely demolished. But that’s bound to happen when you ship stuff as far as we do, and I SO appreciate the gesture and the love behind it. The Complete Package tried his best to glue them back together, but they were beyond repair. I started to include a photo of his “Frankenbowls” but I didn’t want to break Megan’s heart. It wasn’t pretty. Funny, perhaps, with his big gaping seams oozing with hot glue, but not pretty.

UPDATE: After much urging from The Complete Package, I’ve decided to add a photo collage of the broken chili bowls. Not because I want Megan to feel bad that they didn’t make it intact, but because of the hilarity that ensued when TCP tried to step in and save the day. Determined to “make this right”, he grabbed my hot glue gun and spent a good half hour trying to put my chili bowls back together again, Humpty Dumpty style. Reality was more in line with Megan’s Halloween theme, and so (with that in mind)… I give you the Frankenbowls.

Know what takes your mind off broken bowls? I mentioned it before, and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw them. Megan sent a bag of her beloved Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. A vision of Ben prying them out of her hands to put them into the box flashed for a split second, but then I thought, “No, that’s Megan. Always a giver.” She sent an entire bag. It couldn’t have been more significant if it had been a kidney. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but Megan really, really loves these pumpkin spice kisses. Like for realz, yo.

And as soon as they spend some time in the fridge firming back up, Ima dig in. And I’m going to think of her each time I enjoy one. Because (and I know she’ll gasp when she reads this) I have never… ever… had one. Ever. And that will make these even sweeter.

Oh, before I go all pumpkin kiss bliss on you – go to Mads’ website and see what I sent her. You can get there by clicking HERE. You can also click on the all blog links at the top of this post to see what everyone got in their OKMH boxes. It’s always fun to see what the girls are sending and receiving.

Now go. I’ve got candy to eat and I’m not much of a sharer around chocolate. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.

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August 1, 2012 · 4:30 AM

Greek Salmon Wraps for the Bride

This is Megan. Isn’t she gorgeous? She’s always laughing or smiling. I love that about her. And this month, she has plenty to smile about. Our homegirl and fellow blogger Megan of Wanna Be A Country Cleaver is getting married.

I confess, I ‘something borrowed’ this photo from Megan’s blog. It was taken during a bridal shower thrown by her best friend, Beka. If you click on the photo, it will take you to Megan’s post about her shower. It’s a lovely photo of a lovely bride-to-be.

And she’s not just marrying any old guy. She’s gettin’ hitched to a sweet hunk-o-burning-love named Ben. They make such a cute couple and we’re so happy for them. I know you’re dying to see them together. To view Megan’s blog post with engagement photos, click HERE. To celebrate their big day, Megan’s blogging friends are throwing her a virtual bridal shower and I am thrilled particpate.

While considering what to make, I pondered what Megan might like. She’s so laid back and fun, I know she’d enjoy anything and everything. But the one thing that kept coming to mind was salmon. Girlfriend has a serious salmon addiction. It’s why she was chosen to be a part of a small but very prestigious group of food bloggers selected to serve as ambassadors for Copper River Salmon. I still remember the day she posted a story about opening day of the Copper River salmon season. Y’all, they flew that salmon into Seattle on a jet. And there was a red carpet! Folks in Seattle take salmon season very seriously.

What to make, then? Well, something salmon. Obviously. And since we needed another entree, I decided to create a Greek Salmon Wrap in Megan’s honor.

A sandwich so pretty it should have a bow on it.

I think she’ll be happy with my choice. Here’s how it all came together.

Greek Salmon Wraps – simple ingredients, tremendous flavor

For two large wraps you’ll need:
Salmon, 6-8 ozs. – in this case, applewood-smoked Alaskan sockeye salmon
Greek yogurt dressing (see below)
Naan, pita or the flatbread of your choice, 2 pieces
Kalamata olives (pitted), fresh baby dill & capers
Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber & purple onion, very thinly sliced
Kosher salt & course-ground black pepper, a pinch of each

For the Greek Yogurt Dressing:
1/2 cup thick Greek yogurt or kefir, plain
zest & juice of one small lemon
1 teaspoon of Greek Seasoning (like Cavender’s or Konriko)

To make, measure all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine. You can make this in advance for the best flavor; I mixed mine up the night before.

To start, lay one piece of flatbread on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper (which will make these a lot easier to roll later).

Start with a good schmear of the yogurt dressing.

Next, add a layer of smoked salmon. Don’t be stingy.

Add a sprinkling of shaved purple onion.

And then a smattering of olives, capers & baby dill; so gorgeous!

Then be a neat freak & perfectly line up your cucumber slices.

Follow that with a layer of tomatoes and a light dusting of salt & pepper.

Top with a layer of spring greens & a little more yogurt dressing.

Now here’s where the parchment comes in handy. Starting at one end, use the paper to help roll the sandwich into a tight wrap, tucking each side in as you go – just like wrapping a burrito. Once wrapped, use a piece of baker’s twine to tie it up. I tied a bow on each end so I could slice the wrap in half. This will make 4 small sandwiches or 2 large ones – your choice.

Wrapped tight & ready to eat. What do you think, Megan?

Helpful Hints:
1. Thin, soft flatbread works best because it rolls up easier.
2. A mandolin, if you have one, makes perfectly thin slices; I use an OXO.
3. Any salmon you love will work, including leftover baked or grilled salmon.
4. Don’t like salmon? Substitute grilled chicken, steak or even hummus.
5. These are portable & perfect for picnics; keep chilled until ready to eat.
6. Speaking of picnics, grab a crisp white wine for your pic-a-nic basket.

As I mentioned before, our Megan has a salmon fetish. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Click on any of the links below to check out her gorgeous collection of salmon recipes. Be forewarned – your mouth WILL water.

Copper River Salmon Burgers & Healthified Coleslaw
Grilled Salmon with Beurre Blanc
Salmon Ceviche
Salmonkopita
Oven Fried Salmon Wontons
“Whole Lotta Herbs” Glazed Salmon

And now, here are the links to our virtual bridal shower bloggers. Please drop by and see what they’re making!

Appetizers:
Heather of Farmgirl Gourmet – Deviled Eggs 3 Ways
Gina of Running to the Kitchen – Edamame Prosciutto Crostini
Kirsten of Comfortably Domestic – Carmelized Onion & Goat Cheese Puffs
Tina of My Life As A Mrs. – Easy Bacon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups
Rachel of Baked By Rachel – Sausage & Red Pepper Stuffed Mushrooms
Allison of Decadent Philistines – Retro Cheese Cookies

Drinks:
Laurie of Simply Scratch – Blueberry Lemonade Spritzers
Cassie of Bake Your Day – Lemon-Berry Granita with Balsamic & Basil

Entrees:
Michelle of A Recipe Junkie – Fresh Melon & Crispy Proscuitto Salad
Jeanne of Inside NanaBread’s Head – Greek Salmon Wraps (Hey, that’s me!)

Desserts:
Kathryn of London Bakes – Eton Mess Shooters
Julie of Table For Two – Miniature Cherry Pies
Lauren of Lauren’s Latest – Summer Strawberry Jello Pie
KimBee of Cravings Of A Lunatic – Red Velvet Ice Cream Cupcakes
Kat of Tenaciously Yours – Good For You Bars
Mads of Le Petite Pancake – Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

Congratulations, Megan and Ben! We’re beyond excited for you. And as The Complete Package and I celebrate our 30th anniversary this September, we remind you to always laugh together, never go to bed angry, try not to say anything you can’t take back, and always, always think of yourselves as a team because together you really can conquer anything. We wish you much love on your special day and many, many years of joy. We love you, Megan!

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