“My beautiful wife made the best dinner for me tonight. Salmon wrapped in a banana leaf with coconut jasmine rice. Wow. so good I cant get over it.” -Jason Kelly (facebook post Oct 22, 2013)
THAT is what my husband posted after this dinner in the video… WOW might wanta grab this recipe (Hahaa). Due credit where it’s due, I got inspired by two things: We grow massive Banana Trees outside our house & Tyler Florence (of the FOOD Network had posted a salmon, banana leaf recipe). They say that you will become your parents and though I am a lot like my dad, I got one thing from my mother. I get a recipe and then I… CHANGE IT. It’s not out of disrespect. I have had several people watch my videos and say they made something but changed or exchanged an ingredient. THAT is what cooking is about. We should be able to work with what is in season or avaliable to you, and what your individual taste are.
ATTENTION: before I forget, we are now reaching around 20,000 a mo. & 5,000 “unique visitors” each mo… So inexpensive ads are now being offered. If you want one click the button on the front page… and thank YOU all for making this more than I ever thought it would be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXHXwSLFnzE
Buying unusual items in a grocery store will bring out the fear and puzzed faces of many a young highschooler making their first paychecks behind the checkout. Sure enough, the young gal grab up the ginger root turning and twisting it as though, the ingredients must be written on there somewhere… “it’s ginger root” I explained. She gave me a kind smile of relief as though I had just given her the answer to a test questio she was sweating over. Then she said, “what do you make with it?”. THAT is a great question and besides this recipe here in this video here is another recipe for you, Altton Brown (FOOD Network star) and his homemade Ginger Ale. I will tell you i have made this before but did not add yeast. Hm? Now “i” too want to try making it again.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ginger-ale-recipe/index.html
and here is another one of my recipes where Ginger is a star, “My Ginger Egg Rolls”
http://kimberlyscookhouse.com/?p=39
Now to the recipe we made in the Video. NO… you do NOT have to have Banana Leaves, they merely help in giving them a “smoke” and great presentation. You could do this recipe in doors and bake/broil the salmon and the flavors stand on their own.
DUE CREDIT: This is the Tyler Florence recipe (that i changed)
http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/29678
and here’s how I did it… wouldn’t change a thing after Jason’s sweet comment above!
SALMON PACKAGED IN BANANA LEAVES:
(Make the dipping sauce first… so flavors can marry)
1 cp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 cp of Olive Oil
chop up one “knob” of fresh Ginger Root
1/3 (or so) cups of both Mint & Cilantro (Remember it’s SO easy to grow these!)
juice of (2) Limes
1-2 Tblsp Brown Sugar
(Start your Rice)
Jasmine Rice… according to directions for 4
Salt
(right at the point of being done) ADD (1) can of Coconut Milk (I did organic and full fat YUM)
Now… Let’s wrap the packages!
take a CLEANED banana leaf (or portion of one)
top with dipping sauce, a lime wedge or wheel, and fresh cilantro and mint
fold into a package and tie off
(the ties may get lost by the flames, but they hold it in flace long enough)
Cook on Med Grill for 30 minutes
Watch the video above to see the process and how to plate.
Never thought of adding coconut milk to Jasmine rice. My husband loves jasmine rice. I will have to try that.
Well, let me know what you think Beth