Isa's Birthday Dinner....I smell Cedar! (Cedar Plank Salmon that is!)

A couple of weeks ago my dad and Isa came to visit...we had an awesome time!. It was around the time for Isa's birthday so I decided to throw a dinner party to celebrate. If you know me you know I take any opportunity I have to throw a "party" (and if you are Alejandro you probably laugh every time I say the word "party"). You would also know how much I enjoy cooking and making people feel welcome and special. So that was my goal for that night!

First stop that morning was get some flowers to dress up the room. I opted for some hydrangeas because I love the height and beautiful colors. Then it was off to the grocery store to get some salmon...and some cedar planks!. I wanted to attempt making a cedar plank salmon, inspired by one we had while we were in Yosemite, CA. Let me tell you...it was delicious!!!. I am not good at following recipes so I basically made it up as I went along. I will attempt to make up a recipe, but add your own touch! that's the most important thing in the kitchen, have fun and be creative!.

The dinner was a success, the chocolate pecan pie (store bought!) was delicious...and most importantly, the birthday girl had a great time :)

Before you start, make sure you have a grilling helper...Chepe is always ready and he enjoys all the wonderful smells ;)



Grilled Cedar Plank Apple Mustard Salmon

1 Cedar Plank (they sell them at my local grocery store!)
Wild Salmon (I never buy farmed..it's not good for you!).
1 tablespoon Mustard (I used Spicy Brown)
2-3 Organic Green Apples, thinly Sliced
Garlic (about 4 tooth)
Olive Oil (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 Lemon
Sliced Green Onions
Salt/Pepper
Honey

• 2-3 hours before you are ready to eat, soak the cedar plank in water. Be careful because the cedar can stain white sinks (we found this out in CA!). Make sure the plank is not floating, place a heavy object to make sure it stays submerged under water. Leave it there until you are ready to grill!
  
  
• Using a hand blender (or regular blender) blend together 1 Apple, mustard, Juice from lemon, garlic, Olive Oil, a bit of honey and salt/pepper to taste. Once smooth, add the diced onions and spread on top of salmon. Let it marinade in the fridge.
  
  
• Thinly slice the remaining of the apples (enough to cover the entire fish) and dice the green onions. Save them for when you are ready (I pre-sliced the apples and saved them in the fridge on a water bowl to keep from browning).
  
• Heat your grill to about 375F. Once hot, place the cedar plank directly on the grill and close it. After 5 minutes, turn the plank and place the salmon on the hot side. This is when I added the sliced apples and green onions to the top (that way they didn't fall out when placing the fish on the plank!). Just make lines with the apples to cover the fish. Close the grill.
  
  


• The salmon should be ready after about 25 minutes...it will depend on thickness though!. We had to check it and put it back in a couple of times. Be careful to not overcook it and know that it will continue to cook a little bit even when it is off the grill (just from the hot plank).
  
  
• Have a water spray bottle handy just in case. My plank didn't catch fire but I did read in the back of the packaging this was a possibility!.

I served this with rice and veggie kabobs...It was really good! Great presentation, amazing smell and healthy too! ...sit and enjoy!

Isa, I hope you enjoyed your birthday!!! We loved having you here!!!. Thank you for the pictures too! We're taking reservations for next year ;)