Baked Salmon with Basil Mayonnaise & Tomatoes

It must be October!  I have my first cold of the season.  It's actually more than just a cold...it feels like someone twisted my neck and upper back and then threw something at my head before sticking it down my throat.

How's that for a description?  Hope it's a good enough explanation for not writing a new blog post these past few days.  I'm hoping to get some rest today, aside from my plan to make the soup that cures everything.  And I'll continue to drink gallons of hot tea.  Flush it out, I say ;)

But enough about me.  Let's move on to the delicious stuff.  I made this dish back in August, when tomatoes were still in their heyday...but since they're baked, you could make this anytime and still yield a good result.  We really loved this and plan on making it again soon.


Baked Salmon with Basil Mayonnaise & Tomatoes
from Life's Ambrosia

2 salmon filets
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
tomato slices
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
10 basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.  Place salmon on sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic.  Place tomatoes on top of salmon and drizzle with oil.  Bake for about 10 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.  Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove salmon from oven.  Tent foil on top of fish and leave covered for 10 minutes.  Remove fish carefully from pan and plate.  Dollop mayonnaise on top of tomatoes and serve.

Pan Fried Lime Salmon with Zucchini

Zucchini season is among us once again.  And I love it.  Anything that is so simple to prepare yet tastes so delicious is aces in my book.

Which reminds me...I need to raid my uncle's garden...

This dish was an amazing 10 minute creation that I could probably eat twice a week.  Frank loved it too.  It would also taste great with lemon, but I used lime since that's what I had.  And really, does it get any healthier than this?

Pan Fried Lime Salmon with Zucchini

1 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds

extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

2 salmon filets

1 lime

Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and garlic, followed by zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove zucchini and set aside.

In same pan, place salmon in leftover oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 4 minutes on one side and flip.  Add more salt and pepper, then squeeze lime juice over it.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve on top of zucchini.

Linked to:  Tastetastic Thursday
                   Seafood Blog Hop

Salmon with Lemon Compound Butter

Our recipe swap theme this time around was a repeat of the Secret Recipe Club style swap we did a few months ago.  It was a such a big hit that we chose it again!  It's always fun to go shopping on someone's blog and picking a favorite :)

My blog assignment was Jenna's Cooking Journey, which had some great recipes to choose from.  Being that we're in the middle of Lent, I'm more on the hunt for different seafood dishes than usual.  When I saw this one, I knew it was a keeper.  Not only did it look delicious, it was REALLY easy and made in minutes.

Yum.

I cut back on the amount of butter from the original recipe but left all of the seasonings and flavors as they were (well, except I added more garlic, of course).  It was more than we needed and still tasted great.

Give this a shot tonight if you're observing Lent...or any weeknight that you want an easy and satisfying (and healthy!) meal.  We loved it!

Salmon with Lemon Compound Butter
slightly adapted from Jenna's Cooking Journey

1/2 stick butter, at room temperature
2 lemons, zested
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon thyme
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
kosher salt
3 salmon filets
extra virgin olive oil

Combine butter, lemon zest, dill, thyme and garlic in a small bowl and mix.  Season with salt to taste.  If using right away, keep out at room temperature, otherwise refrigerate and bring to room temp before using.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium.  Season salmon with salt and add oil to both sides.  Brush and oil grill and place salmon skin side down.  Cook for about 3 minutes, turn 90 degrees, and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Turn salmon over and cook another 3-4 minutes.  Plate and top with butter.

Roasted Salmon, Potatoes, Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes

I have a confession to make.  I've been struggling lately with juggling work, my daughter and everyday life - and my dinner prep.  I try...I really, REALLY try to make a menu plan every week.  And then I never stick to it.

I need a meal plan intervention!  Any volunteers?

All I have to say is, it's a good thing I have this blog...it's definitely keeping me motivated to stay on track and keep cooking delicious stuff.  Like this one.  Delicious, and easy, and one pan, and healthy...what else do you need?

A great meal for tomorrow's Lent observers!

Roasted Salmon, Potatoes, Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes
3 salmon filets
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
12 small potatoes, cut in half
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a baking dish, add potatoes and drizzle with oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 15 minutes.  Add asparagus and cook for another 15 minutes.

Season salmon with salt and pepper and add to pan with tomatoes.  Drizzle vinegar over all ingredients, return to oven and cook for 10-12 minutes.  Serve right out of the pan!

Dill-icious

Once again, I lucked out on another great recipe from our latest swap!  The theme was seafood, and I was fortunate enough to get a nice salmon recipe.  Frank's been loving salmon (he even cooks it for himself when I'm not home) so it's always good to have easy options in our collection.

I made a few changes to this recipe, submitted by Coleen from Does NOT Cook Well With Others.  One was the use of fresh dill instead of dried.  It makes a big difference!  I upped the other spice amounts, too...of course, you can use whatever amounts you're comfortable with.

I also squeezed lemon on the salmon prior to cooking it.  I thought it would be a good replacement for the butter, plus, the only place I saw lemon in the recipe was in the sauce (which I didn't make).  So, in order to make to make it lemon-dill salmon, I had to add it in :)

This dish was quick, easy and tasted great...nice and fresh and light.  I served it with broccoli and my garlic roasted potatoes.  This would work well on the grill, too.  Too bad it's been raining here ALL WEEK!! :(

Thanks for the recipe, Coleen!

Lemon-Dill Salmon
adapted from Does NOT Cook Well With Others

3 salmon filets
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped dill
juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.

Place salmon skin side down on the foil.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and dill, then squeeze lemon on top.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

A pleasant surprise

I know chain restaurants excite a lot of people, but I'm not one of them.  There are a few that we'll occasionally eat at, but the majority of them don't usually see us in their establishments.  I live in an area where there are so many great restaurants to choose from (thankfully!), as well as kid friendly, so there's no need to go where we feel the food is sub par.

So, why would I even bother trying a recipe from a restaurant I don't like in the first place?  Well, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare salmon, and since I had all the ingredients on hand, I figured I'd try it out.  Homemade is always better anyway, right?

I'm glad I tried it!  You should, too.

By the way, I ended up cooking these in a grill pan because it was POURING outside and grilling wasn't happening.  We were very happy with the result, so if you can't grill for any reason, don't be afraid to cook this inside.

Honey Pepper Glazed Salmon
slightly adapted from Food. com (Applebee's copycat recipe)


3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 salmon filets, skin removed
pineapple chunks and chopped scallions, for topping


For the sauce - combine all ingredients (aside from salmon) in a medium saucepan and stir and cook over medium-low heat.  Once it starts to boil, simmer for 15 minutes or until syrupy.  Do not overcook.


Rub each filet with a little oil, followed by salt and pepper.  Place on grill (medium heat) and cook for 4-7 minutes on each side.  The same instructions apply to a broiler or pan.  Top with pineapple and scallions before serving.

Make it a Good Friday

For those observing, this is it - the last meatless Friday of Lent.  If you're looking for a quick, easy and delicious way to send it off, this dish is for you.

I'm a big fan of blackened anything.  Blackened chicken, blackened shrimp, blackened fish...I'm all over it.  The combination of spices is always a nice blend, not too overpowering but packed with flavor.  A nice glass of wine or an ice cold beer always washes it down well.  

I served this with baked kale chips and roasted tomatoes with garlic (recipe coming soon!).  Make this tonight - you'll be glad you did!

And here's a little peek at the fun Bella and I had dying Easter eggs.  It was her first time doing it - she had a blast!  She can't wait for the Easter Bunny to come steal them out of the fridge and hide them :)

PLUNK!

Attention: to all Moms of 2 year olds who haven't attempted this project yet - 6 is just the right amount of eggs.  Anymore and I would have lost Bella, FAST. 

Blackened Salmon

slightly adapted from Food Network

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

10 sprigs fresh thyme, removed from stems

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 pieces salmon (approximately 6 oz. each), skin on

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 lemons, zested and juiced

Mix the first 4 spices together in a small bowl.  Put the mixture on a plate and coat the flesh side of each piece  of salmon.

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat, then add oil.  Let the oil smoke heavily, shut heat off, and add salmon flesh side down.  Turn the heat back on and cook for about 3 minutes.  Flip salmon over and cook until skin is crispy, about 7 minutes.

Plate, sprinkle with lemon zest and juice and serve immediately.

Linked to: Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Risotto - stirring = HEAVEN.

Simply put, we LOVED this.  The taste was amazing.  Cooking it was a cinch.  Win-win for everyone.

Don't get me wrong, I love making risotto the old fashioned way, but this was just too easy to pass up.  Risotto should be something you can enjoy on a weeknight, as a last minute plan, or be able to attempt without fear or anxiety.  Try this version if any of those apply to you.

I made some changes from the original recipe which worked out really well.  Instead of using canned salmon, I used filets.  I had both on hand but thought the taste and textures from filets would be better.  I freaked out a bit because I was afraid the dish would really "miss" the dill (didn't have any), but it didn't.  Still, it would be a nice substitute for the parsley if you prefer.

I'm drooling just thinking about this dish!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Exchange sponsored by Le Creuset.


Salmon Risotto with Lemon
adapted from MediterrAsian Cooking

3 salmon filets (about 4 oz each)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet.  Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove and once it's cooled, skin and break salmon up into bite size pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, parsley and lemon zest and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the rice and cook for about a minute, stirring well so that all the rice is coated with oil.  Pour in the wine and stock, then add parsley, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 15 minutes.  Add the peas and salmon on top and cook, covered, for another few minutes.  Stir in the remaining tablespoon of oil, lemon juice and cheese.  Serve immediately.

Serves 3.

Linked to: What's On Your Plate?

A lighter start

I'm always looking for new appetizer ideas...especially those that are bite size and on the healthy side.  They always add a little extra special quality to parties and dinners, and bring something different to the table (literally!), rather than the usual bar food-like apps you see often.


These little treats were delicious.  I absolutely love the Kirkland brand canned salmon (Mom makes great salmon salad with it) so I decided to use that instead of tuna.  This recipe makes a decent amount of "stuffing", by the way...so grab lots of tomatoes!


I halved the tomatoes lengthwise instead of following the directions on the recipe.  I found them easier to stuff that way, plus they also stood on their own instead of toppling over.

This was a tasty, lighter app that was perfect before a heavier meal...and super easy to make.  Try them out!


Salmon Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
adapted from Food .com


40 cherry tomatoes (like I said, you could even use more!)
7 1/2 ounces salmon
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons onions, grated
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon half and half, to moisten 

Cut tomatoes in half, lengthwise.  Remove pulp, and invert on paper towel to drain.  Combine all other ingredients to form a creamy consistency.

Stuff tomatoes using a small spoon, garnish with parsley, and chill before serving.