SALMON AND SWEET POTATO

I cook salmon and sweet potato often, though not necessarily at the same meal. Over this past week I tried out two new recipes which I will definitely make again. I usually buy fresh salmon or steelhead trout which tastes quite similar to salmon. I cook both of them in the same fashion. My old stand-by recipe for salmon is to spread dijon mustard over the fillet followed by drizzling maple syrup and then either bake it in the oven or grill it on the barbecue. I tried this new marinade for salmon and it is as follows:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

juice of one lemon

1/2 tsp of grated ginger

2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp dried basil leaves

1 tbsp finely chopped shallots

2 to 3 pound salmon fillet

In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients except the salmon. Pour over the salmon and let it marinate while the oven is preheated (350 degrees) or the barbecue heats up. It should marinate for at least 20 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the fillet, it should take about 20 minutes to cook.

I like sweet potato and use it in a variety of ways including making fries, in soup, in stews or mashed. I came across a recipe for sweet potatoes latkes or what is also called pancakes and made it tonight. I served the latkes with applesauce and that combination was really good. Some people might also want to use sour cream as a topping. The first batch I made in the teflon coated electric frying pan was without any oil or Pam and the latkes didn't brown nicely nor stay together as well. I added some canola oil when I started to cook the second batch and they were more crispier and didn't fall apart.

SWEET POTATO LATKES

INGREDIENTS

2 small sweet potatoes or 1 large, peeled and shredded

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon brown sugar or splenda

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. If the shredded sweet potatoes are very moist, place them in a colander and squeeze the potatoes to release as much liquid as possible. Let the potatoes sit to release more liquid, then squeeze again.

2. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, eggs, brown sugar, flour, cloves or nutmeg and cinnamon; mix well.

3. Heat oil in large heavy skillet.

4. Form mixture into pancake size cakes, and fry in hot oil. Flip cakes after 2 to 3 minutes (when bottom is browned) and brown other side. Serve with applesauce or sour cream.