WDW - Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon

If you're like me during the busy holiday season, you're looking for fast & easy ways to get a healthy dinner on the table.   Here's one that fits that bill that also happens to be incredibly delicious. 

We try to eat salmon at least once a week, so I am always looking for new & interesting ways to serve it.  And, since I'm a big Asian flavors fan, this one is right up my alley.  I found it on Pinterest and it's a keeper!

First of all, please use wild salmon.  Farmed salmon is full of toxins and is actually detrimental to your health.  To learn more read here.  I find that the best buy on it is at Costco (and it's Alaskan, which is preferable), but I have also been happy with Trader Joe's frozen wild salmon as well.  If you have been eating farmed salmon, the taste of wild will take some getting used to, but it is so much better for you.

I like this recipe because it's do-ahead, so I can get it ready early in the day.  You do need to marinate your salmon for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine), so do plan a little ahead.   I find it also saves time to make the marinade and the glaze at the same time, since they have like ingredients.  The glaze can just sit at room temperature until you need it.  

I like to serve this with either brown rice or quinoa to sop up all the lovely sauce.  A green vegetable like green beans or broccoli also goes very well with this.  

Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon

serves 2-4

1 1/2 pounds wild salmon

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

4 green onions, sliced

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, & brown sugar and whisk well until combined.  Place the salmon in a ziplock bag, and pour the marinade on top.  Seal the bag and then refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes (or longer).

Preheat the broiler in your oven. (Or preheat your grill, etc if you prefer to use something else.)

Remove salmon with kitchen tongs and place directly on the wire rack. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper, then place directly under the broiler. Cook for 4-6 minutes, depending on the salmon’s thickness, until opaque and easily flakable with a fork. 

Remove and serve immediately, with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, green onions and the glaze below.

Sesame Ginger Honey Glaze

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over cooked salmon.

Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

Of course, I love to give out my homemade soap and candles as gifts, but I realize those projects are a bit more labor intensive and not for everyone :-) . Here are some really easy ideas for homemade gifts that will be sure to please.

This lip balm recipe is so easy!  Since I'm a soap maker/lotion maker, I already had all the ingredients on hand.  I bought empty lip balm tubes from Amazon (don't pay more than $.50 each), but these would look darling in little round metal tins.  I didn't have the vanilla oil the recipe called for, so I just used spearmint & lavender essential oils.  I got a free label download from Brambleberry, which I printed on full sheet sticker paper and cut out.  I think this may be the best lip balm I've ever used, and I'm rather particular.  I love that it's all natural, too.



I've posted this in the past, but this lotion recipe is my favorite!  It's very easy to make, and is one of the best products I've ever put on my skin.  I recycle cute food jars (or use wide mouth 8 oz mason jars) and use the free label download from A Sonoma Garden.  This year I made orange/lavender, clove/lime, tangerine, and grapefruit ones for gifts.  (P.S.  Goo Gone is the BEST at getting old labels off jars. First soak your jar in warm, soapy water, and then spray on the product, wait a minute or two, and then easily scrub off with a scotch brite pad).



This year, I tried my hand at homemade vanilla.  And, WHY is it that I've never done this before?  All you need is vodka (or brandy or rum), vanilla beans, and about 5 minutes. This is the pretty much the best thing ever!  I bought 2 large (1.75 l) bottles of vodka for about $15 each at Target (the cheapest kind is fine), and ordered organic Madagascar (bourbon) vanilla beans at a great price from this great seller on ebay.   DON'T buy your vanilla beans retail - they are usually $1-3 each! You can use any bottles you wish, I didn't really have anything useful on hand so I purchased some Amber Boston bottles (8 oz) for about $1 each.  I was able to make eight 8-oz bottles of vanilla using one of the large vodka bottles, and I just put vanilla beans in the other one for an endless personal stash.  :-)  I used the proportion of 3 vanilla beans, split and cut into thirds, per 8 oz. of vodka.  As long as the beans stay submerged in the liquid, the vanilla is good, so cut them small so they stay close to the bottom of your bottle.  You can also refill the bottles again and again, using the same vanilla beans. Keep in mind, the vanilla does take about 12 weeks to brew. I chose these handy labels so I could write in the use date.  The 8 oz. bottles I made came out to about $4 apiece - compared to a good quality store bought vanilla that is a steal!

  
This giant bottle of brewing vanilla is the jewel of my pantry! :-)

 And, as for my latest venture - well, that one is still in process. I'm learning the art of brewing Kombucha Tea.  Since I am hooked on the stuff and refuse to pay retail, I must learn  :-)  Stay tuned on the blog for my adventures in that.  :-) 

Other easy, homemade food gift ideas that I like include:

-cinnamon rolls prepare ready to bake in a disposable pan (include icing in a baggie)

-granola (for years, I've used this recipe from Alton Brown, but I sub in coconut oil. I often add pumpkin pie spice to the recipe as well)

-candied spiced almonds  these rock in salads or just eaten out of hand

-the best zucchini bread ever I like to make these mini; they freeze great

-jars of spice mix mix your own barbecue seasoning, salad dressing herb mix, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon sugar, vanilla sugar, etc. 

-a jar of freshly made nut butter  almond, peanut, cashew, or a mix (great if you have a vitamix or good food processor)

 

 

Soap & Candle Sale Today!

UPDATE 12/4:  The sale is now officially over.  Thanks to everyone for their orders!   :-)

Today is the day! Welcome to my soap & candle sale! 

 If you missed my post last week about this sale, please check it out before proceeding to order.

 **SOAP**

I am offering 4 different types of soap: 

All-vegetable oil 
Shea butter

Goat milk 

Goat milk oatmeal 

ALL VEGETABLE OIL SOAPS - $3.00 each 

Made with coconut, organic palm, and olive oils. 

This clean, invigorating bar contains both tea tree and peppermint essential oils. Tea tree oil naturally has antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Peppermint will wake your shower up! A great all-over body soap, tea tree is also an especially great facial bar as the tea tree oil helps control blemishes without being overly drying for the skin.
Quantity: sold out

Always a favorite! Calendula petals (from the Marigold plant) contain antioxidants and carotenoids, and can be soothing to dry or irritated skin. This bar is bursting with citrus! Scented with white grapefruit, lemon, sweet orange, and tangerine essential oils. 

Quantity:sold out

Returning to the lineup, this sweet and spicy bar is reminiscent of the tea we have come to love. Made with brewed & ground Chai tea, then enhanced with cinnamon, clove, and a touch of anise essential oils. 

 Quantity: sold out

If you love lavender, you’ll love this soap with the sweet hint of lime. French green clay colors this soap and absorbs impurities from the skin. 
 Quantity: sold out

SHEA BUTTER SOAPS - $3.50 each 

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, with the addition of shea butter for extra richness. Shea butter moisturizes without clogging pores and contains skin benefiting vitamins A and E. You can really feel the difference when you use a shea butter soap. All the shea soaps are uncolored and smooth.

Lavender & Lemongrass 

Quantity: sold out

  Rosemary & Mint

Quantity: sold out

Citrus & Basil
Quantity: sold out

 GOAT MILK SOAPS - $3.00 each 

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, but the addition of goat’s milk provides rich emollients and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin. It contains capric-capryllic triglycerides, which are effective in moisturizing skin, and goat milk soap's gentle natural ingredients are beneficial to people with skin sensitivities or eczema. 

As pure as it gets, this soap is uncolored and scented with invigorating spearmint and lavender essential oils.

Quantity: sold out

 

This hand soap is specially formulated with coffee grounds to remove odors like garlic and onion from your hands. Keep by your kitchen sink! Bright & refreshing orange and tangerine essential oils will delight your senses as you clean. 
 Quantity: sold out

GOAT MILK OATMEAL SOAPS - $3.00 each 

All the moisture of goat milk soap, oatmeal soap also provides numerous additional benefits. It is great for both oily and dry skin types. Dry skin benefits by having its ph balanced by the oatmeal, while oily skin benefits by the absorbent nature of oats. Plus, there is a healthy fat in oatmeal that keeps skin moist. And the polysaccharides in oatmeal protect the skin after it is washed. Oatmeal soap also contains polyphenols, which benefits acne prone skin and exfoliates the surface cells; it is particularly effective for cystic acne. Oatmeal soaps lather great and provide light exfoliation.

This soap will remind you of an oatmeal cookie. Contains the warm, sweet aromas of cinnamon and clove. 
Quantity: sold out

Refreshing lemon, earthy rosemary, basil, and lavender essential oils, plus French green clay makes this a great complexion soap. 
 Quantity: sold out

Can’t decide?   

Try a sample pack!   
I will surprise you with 8 different soaps in half bar sizes.


 

 Quantity: sold out

**CANDLES**  

 

Candles make great Christmas gifts (and make the most welcome holiday hostess gifts!). Be sure to treat yourself to some, too, for the season! Candles can be shipped – see below for details.

 I use a high quality 100% soy wax blend and lead-free wicks, for a slow, clean burn.

14 oz jars - burn time 80+ hours   $12

I am currently offering the following festive holiday scents.  Quantities available are listed below each (and I'll try to update them as the sale goes).
 

all candles sold out

  

SALE DETAILS

This will most likely be my last sale for awhile. In light of my son’s May wedding, I anticipate being a bit busy and I have decided not to have a spring sale.  So... you may want to stock up!

DELIVERY/SHIPPING: If you are close by, we can make arrangements to get you your goods. If not, I am happy to ship to anywhere in the U.S. 

Soap: I can ship up to 4 bars of soap for $5.35 using the USPS small flat rate priority box; larger orders will most likely fit in the medium flat rate box for $11.35. 

Candles: I can ship up to 6 candles in the USPS medium flat rate priority box for $11.35 (and if you buy soap, it can most likely ride for free with the candles). 

PAYMENT: I accept & prefer PayPal (use harasick@ca.rr.com), cash, or personal checks (cash & checks accepted only in person). 

**To place your order, contact me at harasick@ca.rr.com**
(I will be updating remaining quantities as they sell.)