Grain Brain

Salmon Roasted in Butter and Almonds
Serves 4

Salmon, butter, and almonds — what could be better? If you can, do garnish with the cracked pepper. It offers just a hint of heat to balance the fatty fish and the buttery sauce.

1 (1 1/2-pound) skin-on salmon fillet
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Cracked black pepper, for optional garnish

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Place the butter and almonds in a small baking pan in the preheated oven.
When the butter has melted, add the salmon, flesh-side down. Roast for
5 minutes; then, turn and continue to roast until the salmon is barely beginning to flake, about 3 minutes more. (You can test by sticking the point of a small, sharp knife into the flesh to see if it flakes or easily comes apart.)
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the salmon to a serving platter. Stir the lemon juice and chives into the “sauce” in the pan and immediately pour over the salmon. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper, if desired, and serve.
Nutritional Analysis per Serving: calories 602, carbohydrates 5 g, fiber 3 g, protein 42 g, fat 46 g, sodium 377 mg, sugar 1 g


Vegetable Chips
Serves about 12, depending on vegetable variety and size

Homemade veggie chips are far better for you than commercial potato chips but just as satisfying. Along with salt, you can season them with black pepper, cayenne, ground herbs, and/or spices. You can use one or all of the following vegetables to make chips — it’s up to you to create your own variety.

1 large beet, peeled
1 celery root, peeled
1 rutabaga, peeled
1 lotus or taro root, peeled
1 pound sunchokes, well scrubbed
1 jicama, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled
Coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or avocado oil, for deep-frying
Salt

Using a Japanese vegetable slicer or a mandoline, slice the vegetables as thinly as possible. Dry the slices well with paper towels, as any remaining moisture will prevent the vegetables from browning quickly. Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan (or more for a deep-fat fryer, if you have one) over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on a candy thermometer. Fry the vegetable slices a few at a time so that they don’t stick together. Fry until lightly colored and crisp, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon (or the deep-fryer basket), transfer the chips to a double layer of paper towels to drain. Season with salt to taste and serve, or cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving (24 chips): calories 60, carbohydrates 7 g, fiber 2 g, protein 1 g, fat 4 g, sodium 74 mg, sugar 2 g


Chicken with Lemon and Olives
Serves 4

Although I use a quartered chicken, you can cook an assortment of bone‑in chicken pieces, Cornish hens, or pork chops in this style. The sauce that results during baking is sweet, sour, and salty — a perfect accent to the mild chicken. Do note that the lemons become quite tender and mellow as they cook, so they should be eaten along with the meat. Thin- skinned organic lemons can be substituted if Meyers are unavailable.

1 (3 ½ - pound) chicken, quartered
1/3 cup extra- virgin olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
2 Meyer lemons, quartered 1
cup kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the chicken in a large baking dish and pour in the olive oil and wine. Nestle the
lemons around the chicken. Then, sprinkle the olives, mint, thyme, and sage over all.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, noting that the olives will add some saltiness to the mix.
Cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Roast for 30 minutes; then, lower the temperature to 350°F and continue to roast until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Spoon the lemons and olives around the chicken and pour the pan sauce into a gravy boat.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Nutritional Analysis per Serving: calories 661, carbohydrates 3 g, fiber 1 g, protein

52 g, fat 47 g, sodium 629 mg, sugar 0 g


Chocolate Almond Cake
Serves 12

This is far from an everyday treat, but it is an excellent cake to make when entertaining. A small scoop of mascarpone cheese on each wedge is “the icing on the cake.”

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for buttering the pan
6 ounces bittersweet (at least 70% cacao) chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups blanched raw almonds
8 tablespoons stevia powder
3 tablespoons almond meal
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan and then line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
Bring a few inches of water to a boil in the bottom half of a double boiler set over high heat. Combine the chocolate and butter in the top half of the double boiler and set it on the bottom half. Heat, stirring frequently, until melted and completely blended, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Place the almonds and 2 tablespoons of the stevia in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until it resembles coarse sand. Do not overprocess or the nuts will turn to butter. Scrape the almond mixture into the chocolate and add the almond meal, stirring to blend well.
Place the eggs in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the balloon whip. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons stevia and beat on high until light yellow and tripled in volume, about 7 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and carefully fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs until there is no evidence of egg.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes; then, sprinkle the chopped almonds over the top. Continue to bake until the cake is set in the center, about 15 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 45 minutes. Then, run a knife around the edge to ensure that the cake will easily come away from the sides. Remove the outside ring. Transfer the cake to a cake plate and set aside to cool completely before cutting into small wedges and serving.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving (1 slice): calories 310, carbohydrates 13 g, fiber 4 g, protein 9 g, fat 27 g, sodium 36 mg, sugar 6 g


Cauliflower “Hummus”
Makes about 4 cups

Here’s our old friend cauliflower working its magic again. Its sweet, mellow flavor is just the right complement for the rich tahini. If you can find Meyer lemons, their juice is a bit less acidic than regular lemons and adds a hint of sweetness to the mix. Raw or cooked vegetables cut into sticks or rounds are great for dipping. This “hummus” can also be thinned with a bit of chicken stock (page 33) to make a sauce for grilled vegetables or even a chicken breast or fish fillet.

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and broken into small florets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon, preferably a Meyer lemon
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place the cauliflower in a medium mixing bowl and add the olive oil, tossing to coat well. Transfer the oiled cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Roast, turning occasionally, until lightly colored and tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the garlic, lemon juice, orange zest, tahini, cumin, and Tabasco to taste and process to a smooth, thick puree. Add the salt and process to incorporate. Scrape into a nonreactive container and serve immediately.
Leftovers may be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; bring back to room temperature before serving.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving (2 tablespoons): calories 37, carbohydrates 2 g, fiber 1 g, protein 1 g, fat 3 g, sodium 82 mg, sugar 0 g

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