Category: Alaska

Baked King Crab Artichoke Dip

Alaskan king crab is a versatile seafood. So delicious served with melted butter, in a crab cake, cold dip, or one of my favorites is a baked dip. Baked crab dip is an easy to make decadent appetizer that is irresitable to stop eating.

Ingredients

1 C King Crab shredded(about 1 to 1 1/2 large legs)¹

1 C mayonaise

1 C artichoke hearts chopped

1 C Parmesan grated cheese

3/4 C sliced onions

Directions

Heat oven to 400ºF

Combine all ingredients in small bowl.

Pour combined ingredients into small ovenproof casserole dish.

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Place in oven and bake 15-20 minutes.

Remove and serve hot with sliced baguette.

Notes

1. I use Alaskan red king crab legs. They have a firm rich but sweet meat.

Firecracker Ovenbaked Salmon(Sockeye)

Alaskan Sockeye or red salmon in an Asian marinade that greets the tastebuds with spice and heat.

Ingredients

Salmon filet 12 ounces

Serves 4

4 T soy sauce

3 T crusher red pepper flakes¹

1 t ground ginger

3 garlic cloves minced

3 green onions chopped

1 T brown sugar

1 t hot sauce²

2 T balsamic vinegar

3 T sesame oil

1/3 C peaniut oil

Directions

Heat oven to 410° F  Cover medium size baking pan in aluminum foil.

Placed salmon in gallon Ziploc™ bag.

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl.

Pour over the fish and marinate 4 hours skin side up in refrigerator.

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Remove salmon from bag and place in prepared foil covered pan including the marinade.³

Bake 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

Serve with rice and a green salad.

Foot notes:

1. Reduce pepper flakes to 2T if less heat is desired

2. Delete hot sauce if less heat is desired.

3. Maybe baked without the marinade.

Salmon Bacon Lettuce Tomato Sandwich

A delicious bacon lettuce tomato sandwich with salmon that is a summer time treat in Alaska. If we cannot find Kaylee’s Alaskan® salmon bacon in Anchorage; we will drive to Soldotna or convice our friends going to Homer to buy us a couple of packages of this yummy treat. If you are a visitor this is a must try treat. It can be ordered online but the shipping charges are pretty over the top.

Ingredients

12 slices Kylee’s Alaskan® salmon bacon

 

4 Torta sliced and toasted

1 large heirloom tomato sliced

8 Little Gem lettuce or Romaine leaves washed and dried

1/2 C mayonaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Spray large skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium high. Add salmon bacon slices and cook each side for one to one and a half minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Apply liberal amount of mayonaise to top and bottom of toasted torta. Add a couple Little Gem leaves to each sandwich and top with tomato. Season tomato with salt and pepper. Add three slices of salmon bacon and top with torta. Slice and serve. Delcious with a cup of Pacific® creamy tomato soup.

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Notes

Kylee’s-Alaskan® salmon bacon is a seasonal treat. It can be purchased at Tustumena Smokehouse in Soldotna or via their web site http://www.tustumenasmokehouse.com

Occasionally I found Kylee’s Alaskan® salmon bacon  at New Sagaya grocery store in Midtown Anchorage, Alaska

 

 

 

 

Favorite Bagel with Sockeye Salmon Lox

Ingredients

2 Boiled bagels or 4 slices hearty whole grain seeded bread

6-8 slices Sockeye salmon lox

3/4 C cream cheese

1/3 C capers

2 T red onion thin sliced

Tomato slices(optional)*

Directions

Yields 4 bagels

Cut bagel in half and toast bagel or bread. Generously apply cream cheese to each half. Add onions, lox, capers. Tomato slices if desired.

Notes:

*I usually only use heirloom or fresh from the garden tomato slices when available.

Most bagels are simply bread dough in the shape of a bagel and baked. A true bagel is boiled than baked. If I cannot get a boiled type bagel, I will use a whole grain or artisan bread.

Sockeye salmon or red salmon is an Alaskan salmon. It is salt brined and can be smoked ususally with alder wood. It is a wild caught salmon and not farm raised. Costco is carrying lox. It is either Sockeye(red) or Coho(silver) or Pacific salmon. If I don’t make my own lox; I buy lox from Alaska Sausage and Seafood Company, Anchorage, Alaska.

Cream cheese favorite is Gina Maries. It is cultured milk, cream, and salt, nothing else. Costco sells Sierra Nevada organic cream cheese in a double roll package that is also milk, cream, and sea salt. They are more crumbly than other cream cheeses. They are drier and a little more acidic in taste.

I will add my bagel recipe this week. It is a potato bagel recipe. They are not always pretty but taste great with good mouth texture.

Alaska Cod Burger with Spicy Slaw

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A spicy cumin-infused cole slaw served with Alaska beer-battered cod filets on a pretzel bun. The dressing add southwestern flair to a classic buttermilk dressing. 

Ingredients

5 C  red cabbage

3/4 t sea salt

1/2 C carrot ribbons

1/2 large shallot diced

1/3 C cultured buttermilk (2% milk fat)

1 1/2 T mayonnaise

1 1/2 T sour cream

1/2 t Dijon mustard

1 1/2 t ground cumin

1 t Sriricha (or other hot pepper sauce, preferably one with garlic)

1/4 t cayennne

1 T sugar

2 T lemon champagne vinegar

Salt and pepper

4 cod filets

4 pretzel buns

1/2 C rough chopped dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions

Serves 4- 6

Using mandolin with thin slicer blade, slice cabbage. Hand slice remaining cabbage. (Careful not to cut your hands.)

Place sliced cabbage in colander and toss with sea salt. Place colander on top of bowl to catch extracted water. Let cabbage sit for 1 to 4 hours. Discard excess water in bowl.  Cabbage will have softened and crunchy texture.

Rinse the slaw in cold water and drain Pat dry on layer of paper towels or clean cloth.

Add shallots and carrot grated ribs to cabbage. Add dressing with chopped peanuts and gently toss.

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Serve.

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Notes 

Red cabbage is a sweeter variety for cole slaw.

Purging the excess water from the cabbage is an extra step, but you get a slaw that is not swimming in dressing or watery. The other option is slice the cabbage dress and eat immediately, but the cabbage does not absorb as much flavor.

Southwestern dressings are good with tacos, grilled chicken, and fish or chicken filets.

Use remaining dressing and slaw to dress  filets and buns for big flavor boost. Or as a side dip.

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska Bison Bolognese with Pappardelle*

Our friends shared their bison with us. We adjusted the tradional Bolognese sauce and pasta and it was delicious with bison.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground bison

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

1 T  bacon grease

1 carrot diced

1 celery stalk diced

1/2 large onion diced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 C dry white wine

1C milk

1 C Swanson’s beef stock

1 T Cento® tomato paste

14.5 ounces crushed plum tomatoes 

2 T chopped parsley

1 t oregano

1 t thyme

6 T Worcestershire sauce 

1 T poultry seasoning

1/2 C Parmesan- Reggiano

Pappardelle pasta*

Directions

Melt butter, bacon grease, and olive oil in large Dutch oven. Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until golden over medium high heat about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic stir for about 30 seconds. Add bison and cook until dark brown and separate until crumbly. Add wine to deglaze and bring mixture to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by 3/4. Season the meat mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Add beef stock, milk, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste then bring to boil. Cover and simmer over very low heat for two hours. Check occasionally for sauce sticking to bottom of pan. If sauce is sticking lower heat and add water.Add parsley, oregano, thyme, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, poultry seasoning, and Parmesan. Simmer over very low heat uncovered for about 15-20 minutes to meld seasonings. Add last tablespoon of butter and pour over the papperdelle and toss.

Serve with a crusty bread. 

Note:

*Substitutions for papperdelle pasta are tagliatelle or fettucine. 

Alaska Smoked Salmon Dip

Ingredients

1 cup of smoked salmon* skin removed and chunked

8 ounces cream cheese softened

6  ounces of sour cream

2 T mayonaise

1 t lemon juice

2 T shallots  fine chop

1 T capers

1/2 t Tabasco®

Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonaise, lemon juice, and Tabasco®. Add salmon, shallots, and capers  and mix until combined.  Season and serve with baguettes or rosemary crackers.

* I like Sockeye smoked traditional or peppered.