Turn ordinary meals into sophisticated fare

Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal

Roast salmon with thyme: Mix leftover salmon with minced celery and mayonnaise for a fabulous salad. Gannett News Service Herbal tips Dried herbs, provided they're not too old, usually are stronger than fresh; one teaspoon dried generally equals one tablespoon fresh. Keep dried herbs no longer than three months; frequently prune your spice shelf. Fresh basil turns black in the refrigerator. Stand the stems in a glass of water, cover leaves loosely with plastic bag and keep at room temperature. To prevent blackening during processing and cooking, lightly coat leaves with oil before chopping. Discard overly large, rough or woody stems; tender stems provide flavor. Thyme leaves can be stripped from the stem by holding the stem in one hand and running your fingers from the tip down its length. Or tie several stems together with cotton string and add during cooking, to be removed before serving. Or if the stems are tender, chop them along with the leaves. Although basil and mint are often associated with Mediterranean cooking, they also are used in Southeast Asian cooking; explore these cuisines for different ideas. To release flavor in dried herbs, crush in a mortar and pestle or roll between your hands.

Thyme-roasted salmon only takes about 20 minutes in an oven.

Thyme-roasted Salmon

• 1 1/2 pound salmon fillet
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put the salmon in a shallow roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Rub the oil over the salmon. Put the salmon skin-side down. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper. Roughly chop enough fresh thyme to make about three tablespoons (as you chop, pull off rough stem pieces that don't seem to be cooperating). Rub the thyme over the top of the salmon, and if you have time, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or all day.

Heat oven to 400 degrees or heat the grill. Cook salmon uncovered in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes (a long, thin fillet will take less time than a thick, short chunk). Slide a thin spatula between salmon meat and skin to lift the fillet off the skin (this should be really easy).

To serve, scrape off excess thyme.

Serves four.

Mustard-glazed Pork with Tarragon

• 1 tablespoon Dijon or grainy European-style mustard
• 3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar, wine vinegar or vinegar of choice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped tarragon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

Light your grill (one side of gas, or stack coals on one side for charcoal grill), or heat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat mustard, vinegar, honey, tarragon and olive oil together and set aside. Salt and pepper the pork tenderloins and set them over the hottest part of the grill (or brown them in a skillet heated with a thin layer of oil in it). Brown well on all sides, turning the tenderloins as needed.

Move to the cooler part of the grill and brush with mustard mixture. Cook 10 minutes more (or roast in oven for 10 to 15 minutes), brushing often with mustard glaze. Internal temperature of the meat should read 150 degrees. Let the meat sit 10 minutes before carving.

Serves four with leftovers.

Cucumber Mango Salad with Mint and Chives

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/4 cup chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 2 large or 3 small mangoes

In a salad bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, mint, chives, salt and cayenne pepper.

Peel cucumber and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to dig out and remove the seeds. Dice about one-fourth or one-half inch square (more or less). Add to the bowl.

To seed the mango, place it on its end with the narrow side facing you. Slice vertically about one-half inch to the right of the stem. Do the same on the left side. The seed should be in the middle. Score the flesh of the two "boats" of mango to make one-half or three-fourths inch squares. Push the skin up to make the flesh pop out, and cut the squares off the skin, into the bowl. Toss the ingredients to coat with dressing. This salad is especially good with the grilled salmon recipe, above.

Serves four to six.

Chicken makes a perfect backdrop for fresh herbs. The recipe comes from the excellent "La Cucina di Lidia," by Lidia Bastianich (Random House, $20).

Seared Chicken Breast with Shiitake Mushrooms

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diagonally sliced into thirds, and lightly pounded
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• For the shiitake sauce:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon brandy
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley, preferably Italian

To marinate chicken, combine it with olive oil, rosemary, sage, garlic and salt and pepper in a shallow, nonreactive vessel such as an ovenproof roasting pan. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

In a large nonreactive (stainless, enameled cast iron, nonstick, etc.) pan, heat the olive oil, and lightly brown the garlic. In two batches, add the shiitake caps and salt and pepper. Saute until golden brown on both sides, about four minutes per batch. Return all the mushrooms to the pan and cook about two minutes, until softened throughout. Stir in the brandy, butter and parsley and cook one minute longer.

Coat a large skillet with oil from the marinade and set over moderately high heat. When very hot, sear the chicken on both sides, about two to three minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through.

Arrange the chicken on individual serving plates and top with mushrooms.

Serves six.

Although they are baked in the oven, these potatoes were invented to cook on the cool side of a grill. Stack the briquettes on one side for grilling meat. Put these potatoes on early, cover the grill, and let them bake awhile before you cook the meat.

Easy Herbed Potatoes

• 6 medium-sized potatoes
• 1 onion (or 1 cup frozen, chopped onions)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

Wash and cut the potatoes into one-half to three-fourths inch cubes (roughly). Chop onions similarly. Put in a roasting pan just big enough to hold the vegetables in a thin layer. Drizzle with olive oil, then add salt, pepper and oregano. Stir to combine.

Cover the potato dish with foil, and place in a 400-degree oven or on the cool side of a hot grill (if using the grill, slit an opening in the foil, then cover the grill). Bake for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.