For

The Secret Recipe Club

Today’s recipe for Easy Balsamic, Honey & Chilli Salmon is one that I discovered on my assigned blog for August, for the Secret Recipe Club. I’ve been a member of the Secret Recipe Club now for nearly five years, and I have never missed a month since I joined……I love the chance every month to move away from what I am creating and cooking, looking at what other people have posted on their sites, as well as discovering new regional recipes from across the world and making new on-line friends too.

So, what is the Secret Recipe Club? Well, it’s is a way to find and share new blogs. Each month, one member is assigned to another member from their group secretly (hence the name). That person selects a recipe (or more) to make and photograph for a blog post. Everyone in the group posts on the same Monday and then gets to see who had their blog and what recipe(s) they chose. It’s a fun experience and a great way to get new followers as well as meet new people too.

This month, for August and Group A, I was assigned BC Mom’s Kitchen; Anna is the cook and writer behind the blog, and her vast collection of home-cooked and healthy recipes made it hard for me to choose what to make! I have bookmarked several recipes to make in the future, and these are the ones that really caught my eye and imagination: Slow Cooker Pepperoncini Beef; Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole; Apple Dumplings and her delicious sounding  Caramel Rolls. But, as I have two fillets of Scottish Wild Salmon in the freezer, it was her recipe for Easy Balsamic Salmon that I decided to make in the end.

We eat a lot of salmon in our house, and I am always looking for new ways to serve it, so this was a dream recipe for me. The salmon is pan-fried before being served with a hot Balsamic, honey and chilli glaze poured over it, and as we are both trying to cut back on calories, I served my Easy Balsamic, Honey & Chilli Salmon as part of a carb-free meal with lots of Tenderstem on the side. The light luncheon dish also looked extremely appetising when served on some of my Penzance plates, from The Caravan Trail range of flatware over at Churchill china.

The Caravan Trail – Penzance from Churchill China

Anna really enjoys cooking, and is always trying and modifying new recipes. Most of the recipes on her site are ones that she’s changed – either to suit her own personal tastes or to use the ingredients she may have on hand.  She says there “There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal!”, and I have to agree with her on that score. She has a very diverse collection of recipes to choose from, in all areas, such as Bread, Breakfast, Drinks, Salads, Snacks, Soups, Sweets and Main Meals. And, I like her choice of the best cookbook ever, Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals, as it’s a book I also have and I often refer to it for wholesome family meals.

I’ve shared Anna’s recipe for Easy Balsamic Salmon below and I’m sure it can be cooked with trout and other types of fish. Have a great week, and see you here soon with more traveller’s tales and new recipes, Karen 

Easy Balsamic, Honey & Chilli Salmon

(From BCMom’s Kitchen and Eating Bird Food)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 wild caught salmon fillets (about 100g to 125g each)
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper. Add the salmon to the frying pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes each side, or until golden brown.
2. Whilst the salmon is cooking, whisk together honey, vinegar and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add the vinegar mixture to the frying pan and simmer until the fish is fork-tender and the liquid has reduced and has thickened, about 5 minutes. (For a thicker, reduced sauce, simmer for 5 to 10 additional minutes. Just make sure you don’t over cook the salmon)

Image: Eating Bird Food