Asian Grilled Salmon

No witty story behind this one.  I had salmon and needed to use it up before it followed in the footsteps of a few of my in-the-freezer-so-long-you-can't-pass-it-off-as-good proteins lately.  Once I first got a deep freeze, I sort of lost track of expiration dates and had a few "Um, what's with the chicken?" meals.  So, I wanted to make sure that didn't happen again. 
 

The recipe is super simple and delicious.  I used a grill pan instead of grilling it outdoors, but I'm sure it would be just as good in a skillet, too.

My salmon didn't have a skin, which didn't present with a problem on the grill pan.  I also didn't let it rest, like the recipe suggests (I didn't even see that part until writing this blog entry), so if you want it hot, go right ahead and serve that sucker up.

Asian Grilled Salmon
Serves 6

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

 Oil the grill or spray the grill pan with cooking spray and then heat the grill/grill pan (or skillet) on medium-high.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Broiled Salmon with Citrus Glaze

Sometimes with cooking, as with life, less is more.  This recipe is so basic, yet so flavorful you could serve it up to company.  Just make sure you have extra since it will go fast.  Abe loved every single bite and kept saying "Mmmmm.... this is good!" the whole time.

I served it with mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus.

I got the recipe from Foodnetwork.com.

Broiled Salmon with Citrus Glaze
Serves 4

1 side, skin-on salmon, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, pin bones removed
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Position a rack in the oven 3 inches from the broiler. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the salmon on the pan.

Place the sugar, zest, salt, and pepper into a food processor and process for 1 minute or until well combined. Evenly spread the mixture onto the salmon and allow to sit for 45 minutes, at room temperature.


Turn the oven on to the high broiler setting for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, place the salmon into the oven and broil for 6 to 8 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish reaches an internal temperature of 131 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the salmon from the oven and allow to rest, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Fish Tacos

Photo courtesy of Food Network

It's Friday during Lent, so could only mean one thing..... that I realized this fact pretty late in the day and was left scrambling in the freezer to see what kind of fish I had on hand.  Turns out I had 2 sad little tilapia loins left (note to self: get some more from Costco before next Friday sneaks up on you...).  Not enough for a proper meal for my two guys, but certainly enough for a proper fish taco.  Phew.

I've made the crew fish tacos before, but wanted to switch it up a bit.  I found this recipe from Food Network and adapted it to what I had.  I didn't get the fish part, but I loved the salsa and plan on making that again.  I ate it on a baked potato and it was delicious.  Abe really liked it too and both Abe and Jimi said the fish was really flavorful.  I served the tacos with the salsa, shredded lettuce, sliced onions and sour cream.  I might try the shredded cabbage next time, too.  I didn't have the serrano pepper for the salsa, so I omitted it; I will use it next time, as it will add a lot of heat and flavor.  I also didn't have a chipotle hot sauce, so I used Asian chili hot sauce (the one with the rooster on it) and sprinkled a bit of dried chipotle in it.  I'm guessing you can just use regular hot sauce if you wanted.

Fish Tacos
Serves 4

Tacos:

1 pound white flaky fish (I used tilapia, but mahi mahi or cod works too)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoons ancho or Mexican chili powder
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 flour tortillas

Garnish:

Shredded white cabbage
Hot sauce
Sour cream
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green onion
Chopped cilantro leaves
Pureed Tomato Salsa, recipe follows

Preheat grill pan (or regular pan with a touch of oil) over medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, chili powder, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.



Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill pan.. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.


Place the tortillas on the grill pan and grill for 20 seconds. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

Pureed Tomato Salsa: 

 

2 tablespoon canola oil
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped(or 1 can of chopped tomatoes)
1 serrano chile, sliced (I didn't have this and omitted it)
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce 
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano or regular oregano 
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, serrano and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture with a hand-held immersion blender (or place in regular blender) until smooth and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Add the hot sauce, oregano, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil

So, along with about a couple of million other Americans, we're trying to start this year off in a healthier way.  Shoot, after all of the desserts and huge meals we crammed into just a 2 week period, we'd better slow it the heck down.

Here's a healthy and tasty way to cook up that frozen tilapia that you got on sale the last time you promised you'd eat more fish.  You know you did that, just admit it. 

I got this recipe from foodnetwork.com, and surprisingly, it's probably one of the few butter-free Paula Dean recipes.  For those who don't know PD, she's well-known for her large amounts of butter used in almost everything.  The recipe does call for olive oil, but olive oil is more heart-healthy.  If you feel it's too much oil, just cut the amount. 

If you don't have fresh herbs, you can sub dried.  I did and it came out great.  

Enjoy!

Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil
Serves 4

Nonstick cooking spray
2 (8-ounce) tilapia fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Spray a shallow 1-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.Sprinkle the fish evenly with salt and pepper.

Arrange the tilapia in a baking dish and sprinkle evenly with basil, oregano, onion powder and garlic. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices evenly over the fish, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Bake until fish flakes easily with fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over fish and serve immediately.

Crunchy Oven Fried Tilapia

Crispy and flavorful fish is always great, but often times it has to be fried in order to get that result. Great for the taste buds, but not so good for the waistline (or arteries). 

While this recipe isn't exactly fried fish, it is a tasty and healthy alternative.  Abe and Adam loved it.  Adam even had fun helping me make it.  Well, he mainly watched me make it, while stealing bits of the cornmeal/bread crumb mixture (kids eat the weirdest things).  But it would be an easy meal for older kids to make.  The drizzle of olive oil crisps up the fish.  If you want to avoid the calories, you can spray them with a non-stick cooking spray or even just bake them as is.

I adapted this recipe from one I found on Allrecipes.com.

I served it with roasted maple glazed acorn squash and brown rice.

Enjoy!

Crunchy Oven Fried Tilapia
Serves 4

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper
2 egg white
4 tilapia fillets or loins
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Olive oil
  
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift or stir flour, salt, and pepper together in a shallow dish, and set aside. In a bowl, beat egg whites until white and frothy. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs with cornmeal and spices.

To bread the fillets, dip first into flour, shaking off any excess, then into egg whites, then into bread crumb mixture. 

Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lay fillets flat in the dish, tucking under any thinner ends or edges for more even cooking. Drizzle olive oil on top of fillets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a folk.

Spiced-Rubbed Roasted Salmon with Lemon Garlic Spinach

I had about 10 minutes to find a way to make one piece of salmon for Abe's dinner and use up a bag of spinach that was going bad.  Voila!  Healthy, easy and very tasty.  I looked like a rock star to the husband and little does he know it was a last minute scramble!


I know the recipe calls for one big piece of salmon, but it could easily be used with fillets.  

I paired it with asparagus risotto from Trader Joe's. 

I got the recipe from Cookinglight.com (along with photo).

Enjoy!

Spice-Rubbed Roasted Salmon with Lemon Garlic Spinach
Serves 4

1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/2  teaspoon  ground coriander
1/4  teaspoon  paprika
1/8  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1  (2 1/4-pound) skinless salmon fillet
2  cups  thinly sliced onion
Cooking spray

Spinach:
1  teaspoon  olive oil
2  garlic cloves, minced
2  (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach
1  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare salmon, combine first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over fish. Place onion in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place fish on top of onion; bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

To prepare spinach, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add half of spinach; cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add remaining spinach; cook 4 minutes or until wilted, stirring frequently. Sprinkle spinach mixture with rind and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in juice; remove from heat.

Place salmon on a plate. Arrange onions and spinach evenly around salmon

Seared Mahi Mahi with Zesty Basil Butter

A simple and easy way to serve up mahi mahi.  Not much else to say about the recipe, just that's it's great in its simplicity.  Well, Adam gobbled his up, so if a toddler likes it, it's pretty safe that most kids will.

I got this recipe from Foodnetwork.com.

I served it with boiled salted potatoes and sauteed zucchini.

Enjoy!

Seared Mahi Mahi with Zesty Basil Butter
Serves 4


3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi mahi fillets

Zesty Basil Butter:

Combine the butter, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until the butter melts. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the fish for 3 minutes; then turn and cook until just opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the fillets to individual plates.

Spoon the warm basil butter over the fish and serve.

Tilapia with Mustard Cream Sauce

A quick and easy way to make tilapia.   You can substitute spinach or tomatoes for the mushrooms.  Any white fish (or even chicken!) can substitute the tilapia.

I got this from CookingLight.com (pic is from there too since I forgot to take a picture before Abe dug in).

I served it with white rice and buttered spaghetti squash.

Enjoy!


Tilapia with Mustard Cream Sauce
Serves 4

4  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/4  teaspoon  salt
Cooking spray
3/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
6  ounce  portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
2  tablespoons  whipping cream
2  tablespoons  Dijon mustard

Sprinkle fish with thyme, pepper, and salt. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish; cook 1 minute on each side. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, uncovered, 1 minute or until mushrooms are tender. Remove fish from pan; keep warm.

Add cream and mustard to pan; stir with a whisk until well combined. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce over fish.

Beer Battered Fish

Today was the first day of Lent and to bring it in with a bang, I made Abe beer battered fish.  I'm not big on frying foods, but he's been asking for this for a while.  So I gave it a go.   And with much success!

I would suggest using either peanut oil or vegetable oil for this recipe, as olive oil doesn't get hot enough to fry without smoking terribly.  Plus, I think you need the clean taste that the lighter oils give you.

The recipe calls for using a dutch oven, but if you're like me and can't quite swallow paying $100+ for one (I can dream though), a large frying pan works just as well.  And if you have a Fry Daddy, you're even more golden.

Serve this recipe with french fries or oven fries, with lemon wedges and tarter sauce.

I got this recipe from FoodNetwork.com.

Beer Battered Fish
Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people)

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, skinned with bones removed, and fish cut diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips (5 to 6-inches long)

In a large bowl, pour in 1 bottle of beer. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into the bowl, whisking in gently until just combined, stir in House Seasoning. Pat fish dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper and coat the fish in the beer batter. Dredge the pieces of fish in 1/2 cup of remaining flour and slide into oil as coated. Fry fish, turning over frequently, until deep golden and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Fry remaining fish in batches, returning oil to 375 degrees F between batches.

Enjoy!

Balsamic-Glazed Tuna

We're trying to get more fish into our diet.... ok, Abe's diet since I'm a vegetarian.  I'm not used to cooking fish, but found this recipe so easy to make.  And Abe LOVED it.  Can't beat that combo. Not to mention it's so healthy.

If you don't have a grill pan, a skillet on medium high heat will work well.  Just make sure that the pan is screaming hot and that you don't over cook the fish; it should be pink in the middle.

I got this from CookingLight.com.  I served it with herb rice and garlic spinach.

Balsamic-Glazed Tuna
Serves 4

1 1/4  teaspoons  coarsely ground black pepper
1/4  teaspoon  salt
4  (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
4  teaspoons  dark brown sugar
1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
1/2  teaspoon  cornstarch
1/4  cup  diagonally sliced green onions

Place a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle pepper and salt over fish. Place fish in grill pan; cook 3 minutes on each side until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat.
Combine broth, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon glaze over fish; top with green onions.

Tuna Steaks with Soy-Mustard Vinaigrette

Abe really loved this one.  So easy and delicious! 

Make sure you don't over cook the tuna.  It should be pink in the middle.  I used a grill pan on the stove, which worked very well and gave nice grill marks.  You can use a non-stick pan, too.

I served it with roasted potato wedges.


I got this from my Heart Healthy Cookbook.

Tuna Steaks with Soy-Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 4

1/4 cup fat-free, no salt added chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tuna steaks, each about 5 oz. and 1 inch thick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups baby spinach leaves or other baby greens
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green onion

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, orange juice, mustard and ginger.  Set aside.

2.  In another small bowl, combine the oils.  Brush over the tuna steaks and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the tuna and sear, turning once, until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, about 3 minutes on each side or longer for more well done tuna.  Transfer the tuna to a platter, cover and keep warm.


3.  Add the spinach to the hot pan and cook, stirring constantly, just until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Divide among warmed individual plates and place a tuna steak on top of each portion.  Keep warm.


4.  Add the vinaigrette mixture to the hot pan and cook until it comes to a boil.  Pour over the tuna steaks and garnish with the chives.  Serve immediately.



Calories: 214
Protein: 36g
Cholesterol:  64 mg
Total Fat: 6 g

Cod with Fennel and Onions

This tasty and simple fish dish calls for cod, but any firm white fish will do.  It's a good recipe for when you want a fish recipe that is something a little different, but not too different.

The fennel seems like an odd addition, but it adds a really fresh taste.  The potatoes add a hardiness that fish dishes often lack.

I had to adjust the original recipe because I don't have oven-safe pans.  I also had to add a little bit of time to get flaky fish and tender potatoes, so keep that in mind when you cook it.

I got this recipe from Foodnetwork.com.

Cod with Fennel and Onions

• 1 large build fennel, trimmed of tough tops -- reserving 2 tablespoons of the fronds
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 large or 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds cod, cut into 4 portions, 6 to 8 ounces each
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
• Crusty bread, to pass at table

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Cut tops off the fennel bulb. Reserve a few tablespoons of fronds (lacy dill-like greens) and chop. Quarter the bulb, then cut into each quarter on an angle to remove the core. Thinly slice the fennel.

3.  Add extra-virgin olive oil, fennel and onion to the pan and saute them, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add wine and reduce by half. Add potatoes to the pan in thin layers, completely covering the fennel and onions, working all the way to the edges of the pan. Pour the stock evenly over the pan. Season fish with salt and pepper. Arrange the fish on the potatoes. Bring the liquids to a bubble. Cover the pan and transfer to oven. Bake fish 15 minutes, until opaque, then uncover and bake for 2 or 3 minutes more.

If you don't have an oven-safe pan, simply transfer the fish and veggies to a casserole dish, making sure the fish is on top.  Please check for doneness at the end of the time and add more time, if needed.

4. Transfer fish and vegetables to shallow bowls or dinner plates and garnish with parsley and fronds. Spoon juices down over the food. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Enjoy!

Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze

I made this for Abe's dinner tonight and he declared it the best fish I had ever made.  I'll take that compliment!

So easy and healthy.  Each serving only has 287 calories and 14 grams of fat.  It has a whopping 31 grams of protein!

It only has 4 ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make.  Perfect for a busy weekday, but good enough to serve to dinner guests.

The recipe calls for broiling it in an ovenproof skillet, but if you don't  have one, just sear in skillet and then transfer the fish to an oven-safe dish to broil.  Fish will have browned a bit on top when it's done.

I got this from Cooking Light.  Serve with roasted potato wedges and green peas.

Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze
Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag.  Add fish to bag; seal.  Refrigerate 10 minutes, turning bag once.

3. Remove fish from bag, reserving marinade.  Place marinade in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave at high for 1 minute.

4. Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes.  Turn fish over.  Brush marinade evenly over fish. Cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork for desired degree of doneness. 

Enjoy!

Asian Salmon

This fish dish is easy and tasty.   Nothing else needs to be said!

I got it from Allrecipes.com.

Asian Salmon
Serves 4

1 pound salmon filets, with skin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion
1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 cups water

1. Make several shallow slashes in the skinless side of the salmon filets. Place filets skin-side down in a glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, pepper, onion and sesame oil. Pour the liquid over the salmon, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. 

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan combine the rice, water and dill weed. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium low heat until rice is tender and water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. 

3. Remove cover from salmon, and bake in the marinating dish for about 30 minutes, or until fish can be flaked with a fork. Serve salmon over the rice, and pour sauce over.