5 in 5 For Every Season: Grilled Salmon with Moroccan Spices & Cucumber

My new cookbook, 5 in 5 For Every Season, is just a week away (have you pre-ordered and requested a bookplate yet?) and I just can't wait for you to get your hands on it...so I'm going to share another recipe with you here.

It’s amazing what you can find on supermarket shelves these days. Back when I was a young cook, you couldn’t even fin radicchio! Now you can find everything from panko to ras el hanout, an earthy, peppery North African spice blend. Stocking your pantry with these staples means that everyday recipes—like the grilled salmon here—will always taste new and exciting.

Grilled Salmon with Moroccan Spices and Cucumber
Serves 4

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ras el hanout spice blend
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon
4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups thinly sliced cucumber
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

1.     Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

2.     In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon salt and the ras el hanout. Season the salmon on both sides with this spice mixture. Drizzle the salmon with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and put on the grill. Cook until nicely charred and the fish releases from the grill, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes (For more well-done fish, cook covered)

3.     Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the cucumber, onion, and mint and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.

4.     Put the salmon on plates, top with the cucumber salad, and serve.

Grilled Chicken Tenders Buffalo Style

Wanted to give you a sneak peek of my new cookbook, 5 and 5 For Every Season, on sale in September, so here's my recipe for Grilled Chicken Tenders Buffalo Style.

I know: What does Buffalo-style chicken have to do with summer? Well, for me it’s the season that I get to spend the most time with my awesome nephews, who seem to have a bottomless appetite for spicy chicken tenders! The good news is that “grown kids” also happen to love these tasty treats, so go ahead and make a double or even triple batch. 

Grilled Chicken Tenders “Buffalo Style” 
serves 4

2 pounds chicken tenderloins
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup hot sauce, plus more for drizzling
2 cups thinly sliced celery, cut on the bias
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

1.      Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

2.     Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss to combine the chicken and hot sauce. Put the chicken on the grill, close the lid (or cover, if using a grill pan), and cook until nicely charred and the chicken releases from the grill, about 3 minutes. Flip the chicken, baste with the remaining hot sauce, cover, and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes.

3.     Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the celery, blue cheese, and olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper and gently toss to combine.

4.     Put the chicken on plates, spoon the celery salad on top, add more hot sauce if desired, and serve.

5 in 5 for Every Season

I had such a blast writing 5 in 5 that I decided to write a follow up cookbook, 5 in 5 for Every Season. Recipes in this book follow the same rules, 5 fresh ingredients + 5 minutes, for quick dinners, sides, holiday dishes and more. It's currently available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound and hits stands on September 29th. Be sure to check back here for my book tour schedule.

Salmon with Rosemary and Garlic

The first thing I do each Spring is get outside and fire up my grill. One of my favorite, and one of the easiest, grilling methods is en papillote, or in packets, as I like to say. I have a whole chapter filled with packet-method recipes in my cookbook 5 in 5, so today I share with you my recipe for Salmon with Rosemary and Garlic. Enjoy!

Thanks to its big flavor, salmon is one of the few types of fish that can stand up to rosemary, a pretty assertive herb that's typically paired with meat. Along those lines, this dish also can handle a good amount of heat, so I tend to go heavy with the red pepper flakes. Feel free to tone it down to accommodate your heat tolerance.

Salmon with Rosemary and Garlic
Serves 4

4 (6-ounce) skinless SALMON FILLETS
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs FRESH ROSEMARY
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (or sliced red chile, if you have it)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 GARLIC cloves, minced
2 cups DRY WHITE WINE
1 cup torn FRESH BASIL leaves

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

2. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and black pepper. Lay out 4 large pieces of aluminum foil. In the center of each piece, put 1 piece of salmon, 1 sprig rosemary, ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Evenly distribute the garlic among the piles and season with salt and black pepper. Bring up all 4 corners of the foil to begin to form a pouch. Before sealing, add ½ cup white wine to each packet. Tightly seal the packets.

3. Put the packets on the grill and close the lid (or cover, if using a grill pan). Cook until hot throughout, about 4 minutes. Remove from the grill, open, and top each with ¼ cup basil. Serve immediately.