salmon with hollandaise sauce & smashed potatoes on zucchini spaghetti with salad

I’ve just had my Mum staying for a few days  – visiting for Grandparents Day and end of term events at school.  Salmon is one of her favourite meals (and mine), so for our family dinner I thought I’d fancy it up a bit serving it on a bed of zucchini spaghetti  & topping it with hollandaise sauce.  We had a side of smashed potatoes and a simple garden salad.  So fresh and healthy and, as we tell the kids, salmon is great ‘brain food’.  Enjoy!

Salmon – my husband BBQ’d the salmon but you could also pan-fry, bake or steam.

Hollandaise Sauce (this is based on the Masterchef recipe found here)

• 125g Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• extra lemon juice, to taste
• salt and  pepper, to taste

Method

1. Process yolk and juice in a food processor (I used my Bamix stick blender) until well combined.
2. With the motor running, slowly pour in 1-2 tablespoons of butter at a time, processing for 30 seconds between additions.
3. Season the hollandaise sauce with extra lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste.

Hints: Hollandaise Sauce can be kept for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated in a sealed jar. Rewarm in the microwave on Medium Low stirring every 30 seconds, do not overheat or the mixture will split.

Smashed potatoes

• 1 kg brushed potatoes peeled and roughly quartered
• few Tbsp oil (I use macadamia)
• sea salt

1. Peel and chop the potatoes roughly into quarters (depending on the size of the potato)
2. Put into saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to simmer on the stove and cook until the potatoes are just soft.
3. Strain and spread out on a large baking tray.  Let them cool for a few minutes.
4. ‘Smash’ or squash the potatoes with either a fork or the back of a spoon.
5. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
6. Roast in oven at 200C for about 30 mins until brown and crispy turning or tossing part way through the cooking.

Zucchini Spaghetti – see previous post (I didn’t use bacon or silverbeet in this one though – just the zucchini)

Salad

• English Spinach leaves
• Sunflower sprouts
• 1/2 punnet halved cherry tomatoes
• 1-2 Julienned carrots
• 1 Julienned beetroot
• 2-3 Tbsp persian feta

Toss all the ingredients and top with a dressing of your choice.  Mine last night was olive oil (from the persian feta pot), lemon juice, garlic (1 clove grated), mango caramelised balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.