This recipe was inspired by some exquisite oyster mushrooms I found at my local Co-op. They are grown locally and organically by a farm about 40 minutes from my house. Bulich's mushroom farm grows a bunch of very cool mushrooms that are not your run of the mill white button. Mushrooms are incredibly healthy and nutritious, Asian cultures have used them for centuries to cure what ails you. These particular oyster mushrooms were in a large bunch, they had a velvety soft texture and they were a purplish gray color that was so unusual and beautiful.
The ears were tiered in size, going from the size of my palm all the way down to a tiny pin head. Just gorgeous! I also bought some creminis and shiitakes from the same farm that were equally as fresh and beautiful. Because they come from 40 mins away the mushrooms are always firm and intensely flavored. I just love cooking with them and creating new recipes themed around them. Tonight I roasted them in the oven with garlic, thyme, sage and olive oil. This resulted in what we like to call "mushroom chips." They were perfectly browned, crispy and about the best mushroom you could ever hope to eat. They paired so nicely with the creamy salmon and nutty couscous.
Salmon, wonderful, wonderful salmon. But like everything else, salmon should be purchased from a trusted source. Farm raised salmon are usually raised in such horrible conditions that they are full of all kinds of toxic substances that you do not want your family ingesting. I suggest that you always opt for the wild caught salmon, you will notice right away that it is deep red in color compared to the farmed, pink version. Salmon is such a wonderful fish because not only is it fatty and unctuous which makes it taste like you are eating "fish steak," but it is choc full of omega-3 fatty acids that most Americans lack in their current diets. We absolutely love salmon in our house, my two year old eats it and calls it bacon, ha!
This recipe serves 2 but can easily be doubled to serve 4.
Ingredients
Salmon
1 Large wild salmon filet or 2 small, you want about 3 oz per person.
Olive oil, for cooking.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
Mushrooms
4 Cups wild mushrooms, I used oyster, shiitake and cremini, chopped. Mine were no spray, locally grown.
1/4 Cup olive oil
2 Organic cloves garlic, minced or grated.
4 Springs fresh, organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.
1 tsp Organic, dried thyme
1 tsp Organic, dried sage
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
Couscous
1 Cup whole wheat couscous
1 1/2 Cups mushroom broth, you can use any broth here.
1 Organic clove garlic, minced or grated.
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 Organic scallions, whites only, chopped.
1 Sprig fresh, organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.
1/3 Cup organic canned tomatoes, I use Muir Glen.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1/3 Cup parmesan cheese, grated.
Olive oil, for drizzling at the end.
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a large sheet pan place chopped mushrooms, drizzle with the olive oil (it seems like a lot but mushrooms need it), herbs, garlic, salt & pepper. Mix well with your hands, coating all mushrooms evenly and roast in preheated oven for 15 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
While mushrooms are roasting cook the couscous. In a sauce pan drizzle in olive oil and cook garlic and scallions on medium heat, do not let brown. Add in broth, thyme, tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add in couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand while you cook the salmon.
Drizzle olive oil onto salmon filet, both sides and salt and pepper. In a grill pan on medium high heat, grill the salmon, skin side first. About 4 minutes each side, for medium well, I like my salmon slightly red in the middle.
Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in parmesan cheese.
Serve couscous with salmon and mushrooms over top. We like to drizzle ours with siracha, we are naughty like that!
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