Salmon and Mushroom Quesadillas

Can I give you another example why I am a bad Asian? Okay. I can't cook Asian food. I tried and failed time over time. From sweet soy sauce chicken to sweet and sour pork ribs, I never fail to fuck up. Hell, I can't even steam a damn fish. I even tried Chinese-takeout-style beef and broccoli. I mean, how can anyone fuck up some fake Chinese food right? Well, I never cease to amaze myself, for good or bad.

Anyway, today I have some leftover Chinese style salmon, and let me tell you, Chinese people don't care about fishy smells. You open that tupperware full of salmon leftovers and the smell of fish just explodes in your face and overwhelms you close to death. Obviously, putting it into the microwave is just going to amplify the situation and stink up the whole room, and I am not going to deal with that.

So I came up with this idea to add a ton of lime juice and mushrooms to the salmon to make quesadillas. Yes, it's an odd choice of meat for quesadillas. And yes, the amount of cheese I used between those two pieces of tortillas was criminal. But it turned out delicious and notably NOT fishy. So let's consider it a success!

Salmon and Mushroom Quesadillas 

Makes 6 pieces (that's 1 serving for me)

1/2 lb salmon, or 1 container of canned salmon

Handful of mixed mushrooms (I used oyster mushrooms)

2 whole wheat tortillas

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or provolone cheese

Salsa:

2 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

Handful of fresh cilantro, stems and leaves finely chopped

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp vinegar or lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Pinch of red pepper flakes 

1. Heat pan on medium. Saute mushrooms and add salmon in the final stage to warm up the salmon. Set aside. 

2. Drain any excess liquid or oil. Place one piece of tortilla on the pan until light brown on one side. Flip the tortilla over. 

3. Add half of the cheese over the whole piece of tortilla. Then, add half of the mushroom and salmon mixture. 

4. Use a spatula to lift one side of the tortilla and flip it over to the other side. The tortilla should be slightly browned. Press to make sure all the ingredients are sitting tight together. 

5. Remove from pan, cut into smaller pieces and serve immediately.

For salsa, simply mix all the ingredients together. 

Couscous with Tilapia and Oyster Mushrooms

I am a bad Asian. I don't like white rice. It makes me feel bloated and gross. I also haven't had a rice cooker in the past 7 years... don't throw rocks at me!

Don't get me wrong, I love love love carbs. In terms of everyday cooking (especially for lunch), my favorite grains are couscous and quinoa. Couscous is very easy to cook and has more vitamins and protein compared to white rice, making it a more "well-rounded" grain.  It is also very versatile- you can pretty much mix in any ingredients you want. Quinoa is even better. It has tons of amino acids that provide protein for vegetarians or those who simply don't have time to prepare meat for lunch. The protein and fiber in quinoa keeps you full for a long time, while all the minerals help reduce the frequency migraines.

So that leads to lunch for today- couscous salad with tilapia and oyster mushrooms. The key to this recipe is lemon or lime juice (you don't want your couscous to be fishy!), and any herbs you want. Mushrooms is also good for reheating because they have a high moisture content, keeping the couscous nice and fluffy the next day.

Coucous with tilapia and oyster mushrooms

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients
1 cup couscous
1 cup boiling water
1 piece of tilapia fillet, seasoned with salt
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
Handful of oyster mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lime
Bunch of cilantro, chopped (including stem)
Cheese of your choice
Cayenne pepper, optional
Olive oil or spicy sesame oil

1. Heat pan on medium, melt butter. Pan fry tilapia until golden brown on both sides.
2. In the meantime, boil water and chop the tomatoes, cilantro and mushrooms (I usually just cut off the bottom part of the stem).
3. Mix chopped cilantro stems with dry couscous in a bowl. Add boiling water and cover with a plate or lid. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Saute mushrooms with garlic until soft and slightly golden.
5. Uncover couscous. Fluff with fork and add fish, mushrooms, chopped cilantro leaves, cherry tomatoes, lime juice, and cheese.
6. Add salt, pepper and (optional) spicy sesame oil to taste. Serve warm.