SESAME SALMON ROULADES

My daughter Melissa loves this dish.  Salmon is so good for us and I try to come up with delightful ways to prepare it.  This recipe has an Asian taste and is simple to make.  Next time I make them, I'll add a picture.

Sesame Salmon Roulades

4 six ounce salmon fillets, all skin and fat removed
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup of black sesame seeds (black sesame seeds are by far the most attractive, usually found in Asian grocery store or possibly natural food store, white sesame seeds will do if the black cannot be found)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon seasoned rice-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cucumbers sliced very thin lengthwise (optional)*

Heat a grill or grill pan until hot.  Using a sharp knife, slice the fillet open horizontally, leaving one end intack (similar to butterfling).  Season with salt and pepper.  Tightly roll the fillet, secure with a wooden toothpick.  Repeat with remaining fillets.  Place a roulade in the seeds and thoroughly coat bottom, drizzle the sesame coated side with olive oil, repeat on other end.  Mix vinegar and soy sauce and set aside.  Fold the edges of heavy foil to form a pan.  Place on grill.  Arrange roulades on foil and grill until opaque, about 4 minutes.  Turn over, grill until done, about 4 minutes.

Serve on bed of cucumber strips and use the sauce for dipping or drizzle on top of roulades.
* I use a wide blade peeler, I have found mine at Williams Sonoma.

CRAB CASSEROLE

My good friend, of over 40 years, Sue Gorski, sent this recipe and we tried it last night.  It is truly wonderful.  Sue lives in Yorktown, Virginia and I'm sure the crab from that area is far better than we get in Arkansas, but it is still worth the effort.


CRAB CASSEROLE

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds of fresh crabmeat (I'm sure most 'fresh' crab in this area has been frozen, get the best you can)
1 cup salad dressing*
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (I used plain Dijon)
Dash of celery seeds
Dash of Tabasco sauce
_______________

1 cup bread crumbs*
Butter
Pepper


Mix salad dressing with next 5 ingredients, gently toss with crab meat.
Grease a 12" square casserole pan, pour mixture into pan.
Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and dot with small pieces of butter and sprinkle with pepper.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
___________________
*I have always preferred mayonnaise to Mircale Whip.  I will check with Sue and see if there is a reason you couldn't subsitute mayonnaise.  I ask Sue about mayonnaise and she said she preferred Mircale Whip, but it would most likely work with mayonnaise.
*Sue used dried bread crumbs, you could also toast fresh bread crumbs in a skillet with butter. 
___________________
Options for serving:  this is great as a lunch or supper, we had it for dinner with salad and fingerling potatoes.  It could be served as an appetizer with crackers or in a pastery shell as a tart, omit the bread crumbs in this case.