Meal No. 4177: Salmon Croquettes

Dateline: Wed 12 Aug. A fine foursome sat down to dinner a couple of Wednesdays ago, on a mid-week movie night, with the main feature being salmon croquettes (i.e., cakes, patties, or burgers: call ‘em what you will.) A chili-garlic-lime aioli is always the right choice for dipping bites into, and I also spiced and roasted whole green beans. I sure didn’t grow up eating dishes like this but boy howdy have I come to like ‘em a lot.

It would have seemed like a missed opportunity not to have dessert, so I’d grabbed blackberries and raspberries on a recent grocery run and had a multi-berry version of Gerry’s cobbler in the oven while we ate our dinner. It really came out awfully sweet this time, and I wouldn’t have minded the filling setting up a little better. But I absolutely ate every bit and crumb and sent my bowl to the sink well-scraped of all its residual goodness.

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Adapted from “Salmon Burgers,” from Denise Austin, Shrink Your Female Fat Zones, Rodale Books (2003), p. 396.

"Chili-Lime Aïoli," from David Wald of Princeton, NJ, May 2009.

Adapted from "Gerry's Blackberry Cobbler," by Baritone Bob. In allrecipes, Summer 2024, p. 43. Also found online at AllRecipes.com. [Updated 14 January 2022]

Meal No. 4176: Roasted Salmon on Caesar-Topped Greens

Dateline: Mon 10 Aug. As is often my prologued lament once I finally get around to having salmon: it had been too long. But after my annual physical out in Mocksville, I found good-looking fillets on a special at the Tanglewood Harris Teeter, brought home a 3-pounder, and spiced and roasted it. Another fresh batch of creamy Caesar dressing went on that spring-and-spinach mix to give the supper bowls a bounteous evening repast. You might still hear the rebounding echo of my satisfied lip-smacking.

Meal No. 4131: Pan-Seared Tuna Steaks with Ginger-Soy Glaze

Dateline: Tue 16 June. Somehow it's been over three years since I made tuna here, and that was what was featured Tuesday a week ago. A slight special at the Harris Teeter made the tuna steaks marginally more attractive, but I'd been looking out for them nonetheless. On that night, I spiced and pan-seared them to a tasty medium-rare while also cooking down an Asian-inspired ginger-soy glaze to go over top. I also tried out black ("Forbidden") rice as a novelty and was well-pleased with the result. A small side salad with Thousand Island dressing finished out the plate.

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Adapted from "Sesame-Seared Tuna with Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette." In Cuisine at Home, Issue 48 (December 2004), p. 22-23.

"How to Cook Black Rice (aka Forbidden Rice)," from Chris Scheuer of The Café Sucre Farine. [Updated 22 May 2024]

Thousand Island Dressing adapted from "Beef & Cheddar Melts Sauce," a Roediger House creation.

Meal No. 4130: Roasted Spiced Salmon Caesar Salads

Dateline: Mon 15 June. Perhaps to regular readers it is obvious by now that I have accumulated a sizable backlog of blog post entries. Hence, the June addition of introductory "Datelines" so that it is easier to tell where in time I am placing an unnecessary chronicle of something. Anyway: Monday a week ago, the salmon looked good and was even priced on a special, so I also grabbed some more salad and brought back out the tasty creamy Caesar dressing from the evening before. It made for a gracious plenty and was a fine start to the week.

Meal No. 4105: Caesar-Dressed Spring Mix with Roasted Salmon

Sunday evening was the start of the latest visit from the marvelous Shenandoah Valley superintendents I worked with and then also befriended over the last quarter century. Donna and Ebbie have brought joy, delight, and tasty goodies with them on their journeys down to Winston-Salem these last few years, and I'm so very grateful to have them in my life. Their arrival meal was a reasonable hit, methinks: roasted spiced salmon atop spring mix along with creamy Caesar dressing. Dinnertime was the beginning of our non-stop talk and chat session, but we did pause to enjoy some red velvet-cream cheese swirl ice cream after supper!

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.

Meal No. 4072: Salmon Croquettes with Chili-Garlic-Lime Aïoli

Having roasted a fillet of salmon last Saturday night, it was already part of my supper schemes to reserve the leftover portion for the Monday night offering of salmon croquettes. A newer recipe in the sustenance stable, relatively speaking, it's a welcome feature when it appears, with an air of specialness that belies the ease with which it can all be prepared. Longtime friends from New Jersey were the providers of a marvelous chili-garlic-lime aïoli recipe that I definitely prefer to the croquettes' suggested sauce (from its source). There was also a casserole side dish of Brussels sprouts gratin, with tender shallots and just the right mix of cream and Gruyère and the satisfying small crunch of a bit of panko atop. It was a reasonable repast.

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Adapted from "Salmon Burgers," from Denise Austin, Shrink Your Female Fat Zones, Rodale Books (2003), p. 396.

"Chili-Lime Aïoli," from David Wald of Princeton, NJ, May 2009.

"Brussels Sprouts Gratin," by Alison Roman. From Cooking on newyorktimes.com.

Meal No. 4071: Salmon Caesar Salad

Last Monday night was ideal to have roasted spiced salmon again, this time atop a spring mix that was itself well-dressed with homemade creamy Caesar dressing. It was a hearty slab of seafood still steaming hot from the oven, and I was more than happy to make it disappear.

Meal No. 4070: Roasted Spiced Salmon

Last Saturday was an overdue return to my much-loved roasted spiced salmon, which this time was joined by herbed and garlicked asparagus spears. I also had some spring mix with homemade creamy Caesar dressing. Since I'd bought a whole salmon fillet, I was excited to have enough left over so that it could be used for salmon croquettes a couple of days later.

Meal No. 4036: Roasted Salmon on Caesar'd Power Greens

February 3rd was supposed to be a work day in Virginia, and while I’d told that school division we were unlikely to be able to proceed after all the snow days, it was a belated cancellation. And it cost me a night's charge in the hotel. But was I glad for extra time at home? Of course, and I celebrated with salmon Caesars for three of us at dinner. Served atop power greens, with some roasted sunflower seeds, and adorned with homemade creamy Caesar dressing, the salmon was tender and tasty, roasted to a perfect temp and adorned with its spice coating.

That Tuesday was almost pleasant, with better sunshine than predicted and temps approaching the mid-40s. I was back at it on the parking area, trying to clear away more of the dual winter storms' ice and snow pack.

The ice sheet from the January 25th sleet storm was still present but much more manageable. Don't misunderstand: easier, but still labor intensive. Each piece, slab, portion, chunk, or sliver: I was chipping away with a flatblade shovel or scooping with the well-worn snow shovel and walking the debris to the various piles either along the driveway or down on the street.

[Editor's Note: We managed to get another light snow covering overnight and through the morning on Thursday of last week, which diminished some of my progress on the parking lot, at least until the temps moderated.]

It's certainly no small compensation when the sun shines warmly and the precious pooch Sumner is willing to hang out with me when I take a break on the pavement.

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.

Meal No. 4003: Salmon Croquettes with Chili-Lime Aïoli

After cooking up a whole salmon fillet for dinner the previous Sunday evening, I was ready to put the leftovers to work on a subsequent dinner in the form of salmon croquettes. That happened back on Tuesday, December 16: terrific pan-seared salmon patties, well-crusted; roasted broccoli florets; and a luscious garlic-chili-lime aïoli that brought it all together. For the three of us at the dinner table, it rose to the modest declaration of being a damned fine supper.

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Adapted from "Salmon Burgers," from Denise Austin, Shrink Your Female Fat Zones, Rodale Books (2003), p. 396.

"Chili-Lime Aïoli," from David Wald of Princeton, NJ, May 2009.

Meal No. 4001: Roasted Spiced Salmon Salads

It’s going to be a joyful Sunday evening if dear friend and fellow UNC alum Kelly is swinging by for a spot of grub and hanging out. Of course, he caught me minding my morning weigh-ins during this frantic in-between of holidays: the gaudy culinary indulgence of Thanksgiving, and the sweets and treats of Christmas—and that meant it was a tempered menu. Roasted spiced salmon was the key feature, and we used it to top fancied-up salads that were adorned with spiced sugared pecans, grape tomatoes, blue cheese or goat cheese, and a long-loved special sweet-and-sour vinaigrette. We did still manage a dessert—more about that in tomorrow’s blog post.

And here’s a brief word to offer credit where it’s due: those salad stylings are inspired by memories of one I’d regularly enjoy at the local special celebration restaurant, Ryan’s Steaks and Seafood. I first went there in 1987 or 1988, and it's been the place for marking good times with friends and loved ones, including the night I closed on and took possession of this fine old Roediger House!

Meal No. 3995: Salmon Salad with Ginger Dressing

The recent version of Japanese coleslaw I made left me with excess ginger dressing, and it seemed perfect for making a salad with leftover roasted salmon. That was the lighter fare on a dreary chilly Monday night, while we got our early taste of winter weather with a complicated morass of rain, sleet, and then a full afternoon of non-sticking non-accumulating snow.

Meal No. 3994: Barbecue Blackened Shrimp, Bacon, and Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Pizza

When I made that delicious blackened shrimp bowl on December’s first Thursday, a handful of those tempting sea delights were left over...perfect for helping top and fortify a Sunday night puff pastry bistro pizza. Also on board for that culinary ride: bacon, blue cheese, white cheddar, mozzarella, and a base of homemade barbecue sauce. The hearty combination of complementary flavors was well enough aligned that I completely forgot that I’d planned to toss on some diced red onion.

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Assistance and Reminders from: "Easy Puff Pastry Pizza," from Stella Drivas of Hungry Happens. [Published 05 February 2025]

Meal No. 3993: Roasted Spiced Salmon & Broccoli

On the eve of the annual Winston-Salem Christmas Parade, while all around the house buzzed the activity of route staging, well-adorned horses with elegant riders, a variety of floats and vehicles, a sizable presence of law enforcement, and lots and lots of well-bundled spectators and happy energetic children, I roasted spiced salmon fillet and added in a reasonable portion of broccoli florets for my dinner. The comfortable cocoon of the Roediger House was a warm spot of quiet and calm in the midst of this happy holiday excitement.

Meal No. 3992: Blackened Shrimp Bowls

On a recent work trip to Brunswick, Georgia, I was delighted to get to enjoy a dinner out with a fine collection of administrators from that school district. We met at Fiddlers on St. Simons Island, lucky to be able to snag a table for six at a wildly popular restaurant where reservations are not taken. At the recommendation of my meal mates, I tried their excellent Fiddlers shrimp bowl, and that was the inspiration for my dinner on Thursday of last week.

This was an extensive indulged prep, and I loved the process and was in heaven with the result. Those blackened shrimp were awesome once I scooped them out of the cast iron skillet, before drizzling on some sweet and tangy soy glaze and garnishing with streaks of fresh-made yum yum sauce. I also made a kewpie mayonnaise from scratch as the base for the dressing of a Japanese coleslaw that also proved glorious. And it was terribly rewarding to return to coconut rice as an accompaniment, upping my game with a revised approach that brought forth a perfect finish. I loved this meal.

I'm also wondering if this was the first time Scarlett had smelled raw shrimp...she was certainly on instant curiosity alert.

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Adapted from "Blackened Shrimp Bowls," by Bailey Rhaitgan of SailorBailey.com. [Updated 13 October 2025]

"Sweet and Tangy Soy Glaze," from Jamie of DriveMeHungry.com. [Published 14 March 2019 / Updated 28 September 2020]

"Yum Yum Sauce," from Kimberly Killebrew of The Daring Gourmet. [Published 02 April 2025]

"Japanese Coleslaw," by Dan Coombs of The Curry Guy. [Published 24 August 2023]

"Japanese Mayonnaise (Kewpie Mayo)," by Namiko Hirasawa Chen of Just One Cookbook. [Published 01 April 2025]

Coconut Rice Based on:

• "Easy Coconut Rice (YouTube)" by Sarah Leung of Woks of Life. Printed Recipe available from WoksofLife.com. [Updated 16 April 2025]
• "Coconut Rice," from Andy Ricker of Pok Pok. Published in Bon Appétit, January 2012.

Meal No. 3977: Roasted Spiced Salmon on Caesar-Dressed Greens

After a three-week stretch of mostly being on the road, I was so glad to get settled back into homelife as last week wrapped up. The salmon at my Thruway Harris Teeter was looking thick and gorgeous again, and it was a no-brainer to snag a couple of portions to bring home for Friday night's supper. Fresh salad greens and a reserve of Caesar dressing, plus the usual shake or so of roasted sunflower seeds, all combined into a ballin' bowl of goodness.

Also: I'm trying to make sense of spotting a bluebird couple at very nearly the middle of November. I snagged just a quick photo from my coffee-drinking spot in the early hours of that day; all you can see are their silhouettes, really. It was not even 10 years ago that I even saw a bluebird here, so let's just say this was unexpected and unprecedented on this downtown quarter acre!

Meal No. 3961: Roasted Salmon on Salad

After a week on the road to a conference in St. Louis, it was great to return home and to find myself again in the kitchen. But it was also a busy enough day taking care of postponed tasks that a supper of limited and uninvolved prep was needed. That's how I came to roast spiced salmon to go atop some fresh leafy greens, all adorned with creamy Caesar dressing I had on hand, and glorified as is necessary with a few good shakes of roasted sunflower seeds.

We were back to stunning weather even though it was past the middle of October, and after the meal it seems Sumner had no interest in being anywhere except for outside.

Alas, there is a sad note to append here: Scarlett got ahold of one of the young rabbits from the fluffle that's apparently created a warren in the lost back slope of overgrown shrubbery and ornamental grass. She is not yet as skilled as Sumner and so the job was an incomplete one; the colony's census has decreased by one and I'm unhappy about it. Still, this is in fact nature and instinct at work, isn't it?

Meal No. 3958: Roasted Salmon and Broccoli

Friday a week ago was a chilly autumn day, not enough sunshine, strong breezes, and I was not ready to adjust to that kind of chill after having enjoyed all the good weeks of late summer and early fall. The only major event of the day was the 30,000-mile servicing on the still-new-to-me Toyota Camry, and returning home with it took me first by the cleaners to pick up my dress shirts, and then I was almost at the Trader Joe's. Why not roasted spiced salmon to go with all those broccoli crowns waiting in the fridge? 'Twas a fine supper with much-loved features, before I settled in to finish a book that I did not love.

Meal No. 3952: Salmon Caesar Salad

I'd spent another week on the road, putting about 2,000 miles on the Camry, and once I was back home again last Saturday, it was a joy to sit down at suppertime to roasted spiced salmon fillet atop Caesar-dressed salad greens. The fresh-made dressing is based on a most dependable recipe, although I have a heavy hand where the garlic is concerned. Does it taste good? Heck yeah...and that taste endures right on through till morning.

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.

Meal No. 3910: Salmon Croquettes with Chili-Lime-Garlic Aïoli

I'd gotten a whole salmon fillet on a Costco shopping trip, knowing its destiny resided in two delicious meals to come. One of those was the feature of yesterday's blog post: a creamy Caesar-dressed pile of spring mix topped with spiced roasted salmon. Then, last Wednesday, all the rest of that cooked salmon was turned into tasty salmon croquettes, along with roasted spiced broccoli florets. What really makes this dish, though, is the amazing chili-lime-garlic aïoli, from a recipe shared by dear friends in New Jersey, that has enhanced meals for a decade and a half around here. For the three of us in our customary Wednesday night meal together, we left the table happy and content.

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Adapted from "Salmon Burgers," from Denise Austin, Shrink Your Female Fat Zones, Rodale Books (2003), p. 396.

"Chili-Lime Aïoli," from David Wald of Princeton, NJ, May 2009.