Project Angel Heart

4190 Garfield St., #5

Denver, CO  80216

Phone: 303-830-0202

Fax: 303-830-1840

Project Angel Heart

P.O. Box 7597

Colorado Springs, CO  80933

Phone: (800) 381-5612

Fax: (800) 731-5622

Client photographs donated by Charles Ledford:

www.stretchphotography.com

Randy's Kitchen

Randy Barbour was a long-time volunteer, board member and friend of Project Angel Heart.  He passed away in 2000 after a long battle with cancer.  Randy's leadership, hard work and commitment to our mission were a motivating influence to everyone at Project Angel Heart.  Randy's efforts were last directed at the future of Project Angel Heart, helping to ensure that it could expand to serve others with a new, larger facility.  Randy was to have lead the campaign to acquire that facility.  He saw it as his greatest piece of unfinished business.

In recognition of his work on behalf of Project Angel Heart and our clients, we named this kitchen "Randy's Kitchen."  Though Randy was never able to see the facility, he was quite moved when he learned of this tribute in his last few days.  Project Angel Heart is here, growing to meet the need, because of Randy Barbour.

Seared Salmon with Caramelized Yellow Beet Sauce and Swiss Chard

Jon Emanuel, Executive Chef

Project Angel Heart

www.projectangelheart.org

Serves 4

This recipe is designed as a true representation of a dish we might prepare at Project Angel Heart for our clients.  We often receive fresh Colorado produce from local growers as donations, the beets and chard in the recipe below being just two examples.  The sauce is designed to be hearty and freezer-stable, as most of our meals are cooked, chilled, packed, frozen for delivery and reheated by the people we serve.

Beets:

4 medium fresh Colorado yellow beets, trimmed, peeled and diced

2 T pure olive oil

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Mashed Potato:

2 Colorado spuds, peeled and diced

8 cloves roasted garlic

2 T butter

¹ C 2% milk

Kosher salt and ground white pepper to taste

Sauce:

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 C, 2% milk

Pinch nutmeg

Half of the cooked beets from above

1 T fresh, chopped mint

Chard:

2 bunch fresh Colorado Swiss chard leaves, trimmed of rigid stems and washed well

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

1 tsp. lemon peel

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salmon:

4 ea. Skinless salmon fillets, 4 oz. (preferably King, Sockeye, Silver or Atlantic ), seasoned with kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1 T pure olive oil

1 large leek, trimmed of green leaves, washed and cut julienne

Canola oil for frying

Prepare the beets:  Toss the diced beets in the oil, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 350 degree oven until lightly browned and crisp, approximately 35 minutes. 

Prepare the potatoes:  Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold water.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender, approximately 12 minutes.  Drain the potaoes and allow to steam dry for a few minutes.  Place in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Mash until smooth.

Prepare the sauce:  Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a small skillet.  Add the flour and whisk to combine.  Lower the heat to low and stir the butter-flour mixture for three minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Heat milk and nutmeg over medium heat in a saucepan until simmering.  Add the flour butter mixture and whisk briskly until combined.  Continue to stir as the sauce returns to a simmer.  Lower heat to avoid boiling and stir until the sauce is thickened and the flour taste is cooked out, approximately 5 minutes.  Add half the cooked beets (drained of oil).  Place the sauce into a blender (or use a hand blender in the pot), and blend until smooth and pale yellow/orange in color.  Season with salt, white pepper and mint. 

Prepare the chard:  In a steamer pot, bring an inch of water to a boil.  Place the chard in the steamer and close the lid tightly.  Steam until tender and flexible, about 5 minutes.  Place the chard in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon peel and lemon juice.

Prepare the salmon: Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a deep-sided saucepan until hot.  Add the leeks and fry until lightly browned and crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet until hot.  Add the fish skinned side up and sear until pleasantly browned, about 2 minutes.  Flip and sear the other side the same way.  Remove from pan and prepare for plating. 

To present:  Place a well-shaped dollop of the potatoes in the center of a serving plate.  Wrap the chard around the potatoes to form a tight circle around the potatoes.  Place and balance the salmon skinned side down on top of the potatoes and chard.  Spoon the sauce onto the plate around the chard.  Sprinkle the remaining beets into the sauce.  Top the fish with a ãhaystackä of leeks.  Enjoy.