Day 5:

Salmon and stir fry

Boy, do I LOVE salmon!!  Sometimes, like tonight, when I'm in a rush for something to make fast, I can take out salmon from the freezer and thaw it quickly in lukewarm water while chopping veggies for dinner.  Salmon can be cooked a myriad of ways, but my oldie, but goodie, way is to pan fry. 

Before Paleo, I used to pan fry in extra virgin olive oil.  Now,  after reading that cooking olive oil may destroy some of the vital nutrients that make olive oil so good for us, I don't fry with that, but use it in my salad dressings and eat it unheated for maximum health benefits.  So, I fry with my expeller-pressed coconut oil.  This stuff from Tropical Traditions is outstanding, and NO, I don't get money for telling you about their product, I just love it.  I greatly dislike (I'm trying NOT to use the word "hate") the taste or smell of coconuts, so when I happened upon a Civilized Caveman's Cooking Creations giveaway in which George says how great expeller-pressed coconut oil is and how it doesn't smell or taste like coconut... well, I HAD to buy some.  AND... he's right!  It has absolutely no taste and fries things very well.  My new favorite thing in the kitchen. 

Anyhow... I pan-fried salmon with just a squirt of Worcestershire Sauce and salted organic butter and made an awesome stir fry.  I bought these beautiful mushrooms from the Japanese farmer's market the other day and they were begging to be used!  Well, between those, a chopped white onion, some kabocha (Japanese pumpkin.. literally looks like our pumpkin, but green skinned with orange flesh), garlic and broccoli all ftirsried in coconut oil then topped off with salted organic butter.  YUM!!

So here's dinner:

Ingredients:
2 Salmon fillets, medium sized
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos
1 bunch broccoli, chopped into smaller florets (save the stems for other meal!!)
1/2 medium white onion, sliced
4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
mushrooms of your choice, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 kabocha, chopped into squares after peeling off skin and discarding seeds
2 Tbsp butter

In medium frying pan, melt coconut oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Place salmon in pan and cook on skin side first for 2 minutes pouring the W.Sauce on the meat side.  Flip and cook 2 more minutes.  Flip one more time, lower heat and place a small patty of butter on each fillet, cover and cook another 2 to 3 minutes making sure salmon is cooked through the center. 

Meanwhile... melt coconut oil in wok or other frying pan and saute onions and bacon pieces for 2 minutes.  Add squash and garlic, and cover for 2-3 more minutes, then uncover and add broccoli and mushrooms.  Cover again, but stir every 10 to 20 seconds and cook until mushrooms release their juices.  Check to make sure squash is thoroughly cooked, but not mushy, and add butter.  Stir thoroughly as butter melts and remove from heat. 


ENJOY!!