Recently I was looking for something to do with a couple of oranges. These oranges had been sitting on the counter waiting for someone to eat them, and they were approaching the end of their useful lives. I didn't want them to go in the trash so I searched for recipes. I weeded out all those that used the orange in pieces, since obviously nobody was interested in actually eating them, then I stumbled across a marinade recipe that sounded promising. I put my own spin on it and this is what we ended up with:
Orange Salmon
4 salmon filets
juice of 2 oranges (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place the salmon filets in a quart size zipper bag.
Mix the next six ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil, then pour the marinade into the bag with the salmon. Make sure the bag is tightly sealed, then massage the bag so that all surfaces of the salmon are coated. Do this carefully so that you don't break up your filets. Put the bag in the fridge, and let the flavors meld for at least two hours. (You could put this in the freezer at this point to prepare at a later date.)
Now, I do these in the oven so that I can spoon the pan liquids over my rice, but you could pan-fry or grill the filets. If you choose to bake them, put them in a pan large enough to lay them out in a single layer and bake at 375 degrees F for 10-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filets.
This recipe works equally well using regular orange juice if you don't have oranges sitting around. Oh, and the herbs are measured dry. If you choose to use fresh, chop them finely and don't use quite as much since the flavor of fresh herbs is much stronger.
Serve these babies up hot with Basmati rice and asparagus or a salad. Yum!
And for those who shy away from rice that actually has to be cooked, here's how I make perfect Basmati every time:
You will need a two-quart saucepan with lid, butter, rice, salt and water. And a timer - this is important. Place the pan on the stove over high heat. Put one tablespoon of butter into the pan. When the butter has melted, pour one cup of rice into the pan. Add salt (a generous sprinkle) and stir. When the rice starts to toast (don't let it brown), pour in 2 cups hot water. Stir the rice and wait for the water to come to a boil - this should happen pretty quickly. When the water boils, put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to low. Allow to cook for ten minutes (remember that timer?) WITHOUT lifting the lid. When the timer goes off, stir the rice. It will be a bit wet. Place the lid back on the pan, but allow it to vent. Continue to cook the rice for another 2-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it reaches the proper consistency. The grains should be moist, but dry enough that they don't stick together.
Enjoy!
