Savory Salmon & Roasted Green Beans

Our grocery store has had the best wild sockeye salmon recently and we've been eating this dinner once a week. My father-in-law gave us a jar of Urban Accents Fisherman's Wharf seafood seasoning, and we use it on both the salmon and the green beans. 

This is my favorite meal to cook on swimming lesson nights because we get home pretty much right at dinner time so I don't have much time to cook. To make it as easy as possible, I buy the bags of pre-washed green beans that already have the ends removed. It takes me less than 5 minutes to prep everything and then 20 minutes later, it's ready to come out of the oven. We've been loving putting fresh squeezed lemon juice on both the salmon and the green beans - the perfect complement to both! 

Savory Salmon & Roasted Green Beans

Savory Salmon

Makes ~2 servings

Ingredients

3/4 pound wild sockeye salmon, with skin
Fisherman's Wharf seafood seasoning (or other favorite seasoning blend), to taste
Fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place fish on foil, skin side down.

3. Season fish with seafood seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

4. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and serve.

Roasted Green Beans

Ingredients

16 ounce bag pre-washed green beans (with ends removed)
Fisherman's Wharf seafood seasoning, to taste
Olive oil, for drizzling

Fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place green beans in baking dish. Season with seafood seasoning and drizzle with olive oil. Stir to evenly coat beans. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and serve.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Wild salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin D, and protein. Green beans are a great source of vitamin A, C and K, as well as fiber. 

White Fish Bruschetta

One of our favorite Italian restaurants, Mambo Italiano, makes an amazing white fish bruschetta, so I decided to try to recreate it at home last night. I have to admit, I think I succeeded! The flavor was great, and it was a pretty simple weeknight meal.  Anyone else try the fresh green beans out there lately?  They have been so good, and they paired nicely with this whitefish.

White Fish Bruschetta

(This is a photo of my husband's dinner. When he works late, I make him a pre-portioned plate that he can quickly heat up :)

Makes ~3 servings

Ingredients

12oz wild white fish, with skin

1/2 tsp salt, divided (optional)

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line baking sheet with foil and place fish on foil, skin side down. Season fish with 1/4 tsp salt (optional), 1/4 tsp pepper, and garlic powder. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. While fish is baking, combine tomatoes, onion, 1/4 tsp salt (optional), 1/4 tsp pepper, basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil in a small mixing bowl.  Spread mixture on top of fish and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? White fish is low in fat and high in protein.  It is also a rich source of B vitamins and the minerals selenium and iodine. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene and vitamin C. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese.

Tomato Basil Salmon

We eat salmon at least once a week in our house and I usually just lightly season it with some salt, pepper and ginger and toss it in the oven. It is really good made this way (and really quick and easy), but we had some basil and tomatoes remaining in the backyard, so tried something different tonight. This is equally quick and easy and was delicious. It would probably also be great with some balsamic vinegar drizzled on top. I'll be making this one again for sure! (And a bonus: when it was baking in the oven, my 4 year old son, Charlie, asked "what is that delicious smell??" You can't beat that!).

Tomato Basil Salmon

Ingredients

2 6-ounce wild salmon filets
Salt (optional) and pepper, for seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
4 fresh tomato slices
2 tsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Place salmon filets on foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down. Season filets with salt, pepper and dried basil. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.

What are the nutritional benefits of wild salmon? Wild salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin D, and protein.

Baked Lemon-Herb Salmon & Herbed Quinoa

When my husband ate this last night, he said "this is the best salmon I have ever tasted; this is company-good!" and when he is willing to feed something to other people, it is definitely good.  What is even better is that it is incredibly easy to make.  If you are a quinoa-lover, as I am, then this herbed quinoa is a great side to go with the salmon, as they both have an olive oil, lemon juice and parsley base and so pair together well.  Plus, it is nice to use up the parsley in more than one dish since you get so much in a bunch. I feel so wasteful when I toss out an old half-used bunch of parsley or cilantro.  This quinoa can also be made ahead of time. I made it a few hours before dinner and just tossed it in the fridge.

Baked Lemon-Herb Salmon & Herbed Quinoa

Baked Lemon- Herb Salmon

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

2 wild salmon filets (4-6oz each)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, whisk together all ingredients (except salmon).

2. Place salmon filets, skin side down, on center of a large piece of foil. Place in glass baking dish.  Pour mixture over salmon filets and enclose the filets to make a pouch with the foil. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until cook through.

(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

Herbed Quinoa

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup organic chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups organic quinoa, uncooked

 Dressing:1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh organic parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh organic thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium sized sauce pan, combine chicken stock, lemon juice and quinoa. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 14 minutes, covered, until liquid is absorbed.

2. To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour over quinoa and stir until evenly combined. Serve warm or cold.

(Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentii's Herbed Quinoa recipe on food network.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Wild salmon gives nice dose of omega-3s and protein. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Lemon juice is high in vitamin C. Parsley is rich in vitamins C, K and A. Quinoa is a whole grain and is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a great source if fiber, iron, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin and manganese. 

Salmon Burgers

I have been wanting to try making salmon burgers for a while, and I finally found a recipe that looked good - and they were amazing! This is a Paula Deen recipe, which surprised me because it is a pretty healthy recipe. I liked how  she used raw salmon fillets that you chop, rather than canned salmon.  I think it makes a huge difference in the flavor and texture.  The prep work in terms of removing the skin from the salmon and chopping them along with the bell peppers and garlic takes a little bit of time. If you do all the chopping ahead of time (I did it a few hours ahead when I had 20 minutes), then all you have to do is toss the ingredients together at dinner time.  The garlic sesame mayonnaise is key with these burgers! I used light mayo, and since I only used  a teaspoon or two per burger, it really didn't add much fat or calories, but did add great flavor that complimented the salmon. A little lettuce, tomato and avocado, along with a whole wheat bun, topped these burgers off well.  I am excited to try these burgers out in the summer time on the grill!

Salmon Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

1/4 cup organic red bell pepper, diced small
1/4 cup organic orange bell pepper, diced small
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound wild salmon fillets, skinned and finely chopped
1 large organic free range egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp organic tamari (or soy sauce is fine too)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. In medium mixing bowl combine peppers, panko bread crumbs, garlic, and salmon.

2. In small mixing bowl, combine egg, miring, lemon juice, and salt; add to salmon mixture and toss gently to combine evenly.  Form into 4 patties.

3. Heat grill pan, with top, over medium-high heat until hot.  Reduce heat to medium and place patties on pan and place top on burgers. Grill for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

4. Serve on whole wheat buns with garlic sesame mayonnaise (recipe below).

Garlic Sesame Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp organic miring (or say sauce is fine too)
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir until evenly combined.

(Burger and mayonnaise recipes adapted from Paula Deen's recipes on foodnetwork.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Wild salmon gives nice dose of omega-3s and protein. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and lycopene. Choosing whole wheat buns, as opposed to white buns, provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron because they are less refined.

Broiled Salmon & Spinach Salad with Mango Chutney

Anyone who went to, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio likely knows what I am talking about when I say that the Smashed Salmon Salad at Kona Bistro is one of the most amazing things you could ever eat.  I suddenly had a craving for this favorite of mine and so decided to try to make my own variation of it. I made a homemade mango chutney for this salad because, for one thing, I have never had an easy time finding a jarred mango chutney, and secondly, many chutney recipes have a ton of added sugar in them. I came across a recipe of Alton Brown's which had far less sugar in it as compared to other recipes, so used his recipe to work from.  This chutney is delicious, but is definitely a little spicy due to the red curry that I used. If you like the curry flavor but don't want the hotness, you could use a yellow curry instead. Alton Brown's recipe called for golden raisins, but I decided to leave those out.  I made the chutney a couple days ahead of time over the weekend, so putting this meal together was pretty simple when it came time to make it. The recipe makes a pretty large amount of chutney, so I froze the leftover in 2 small containers for future use.

Make sure to get the perfect bite with a combination of mango chutney, salmon, potatoes and spinach when you eat this - it is to die for!

Broiled Salmon & Spinach Salad with Mango Chutney

Serves 3

Ingredients

3 wild salmon fillets (~4oz each)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 pound organic red potatoes
2 cups organic chicken stock
Salt, pepper & garlic powder, to taste
5 oz fresh organic baby spinach leaves

Mango chutney:
2 pounds frozen chopped mango
1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups red onion, diced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
4 oz pineapple juice
2 oz cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Directions

To make the mango chutney:

1. In a large pot, heat canola oil over medium heat and add red pepper flakes; lightly toast flakes for 1-2 minutes. Add onions and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add ginger and bell pepper and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add mango and cook for 1 minute.

2. In separate bowl, combine pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, and curry powder. Add mixture to pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and white pepper. Add nuts and transfer to metal mixing bowl over an ice water bath.

The make salad:

1. Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks, leaving skin on.  Place in small pan with 2 cups chicken stock (or enough to just cover the potatoes). Bring to a boil. Continue to boil until potatoes are tender (do not break apart when pierced by fork), or for about 12 minutes. Drain chicken stock from potatoes with a collander over a bowl to collect the stock. Place potatoes back in pan and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add a small amount of cooking stock and mash with a potato masher. Add more stock to achieve desired consistency.

2. Preheat oven to broil setting. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place salmon fillets skin-side down.  Place brown sugar and ground ginger in a small bowl and stir to evenly combine. Evenly pack down brown sugar mixture on top of salmon fillets. 

 Broil until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes. Use spatula to remove fillets from skin (should just slide right off).

2. To assemble salad, place 2 large handfuls of spinach leaves on serving plate. Top with 3/4 cup mashed potatoes. Flatten mound of potatoes a bit so that salmon may lay flat on them. Place salmon fillet on top of potatoes and top salmon with mango chutney.

(Chutney recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this salad? Wild salmon gives nice dose of omega-3s and protein. Spinach is packed with fiber,  vitamins K, A, C, B2, B6 and folate, and the minerals iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium. Leaving the skin on the potatoes adds a good amount of fiber as well. Mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins C and A. Macadamia nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats.

Broiled Whitefish with Roasted Asparagus

The Lake Superior whitefish at our store looked really good this week, so I picked some up to make for dinner last night. We didn't do anything fancy to it - just seasoned it with same paprika, salt and pepper and served it with fresh lemon. It was such a nice, light dinner.  It went very well with the roasted asparagus and wild rice that we made to go with it.

As I usually do, I made the rice in the morning to save some time, and just reheated it while we made the rest of the dinner. Pre-making the rice allowed us to have our meal ready in just over half an hour in the evening!  My husband, Ted, was home yesterday so we cooked dinner together while enjoying a nice glass of wine - I pretty nice Monday evening if you ask me!

Broiled Whitefish with Roasted Asparagus

Broiled Whitefish

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Lake Superior whitefish, with skin
Paprika, salt (optional) and black pepper, for seasoning
Fresh lemon wedges

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

2. Place fish, skin side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Season with salt (optional), pepper and paprika.  Bake for 10 minutes, then increase temperature to broil, and broil for 5-7 minutes.

3. Cut fish into 4-ounce servings.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt, for seasoning (optional)
Fresh lemon wedges

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Snap off woody ends of asparagus.  Place in baking pan and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toss until evenly coated. Roast in oven for 25 minutes.

3. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over asparagus before serving, or serve with lemon wedges.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? White fish is very low in fat and high in protein.  It is also a rich source of B vitamins and the minerals selenium and iodine. Asparagus is high in vitamin K and is also a great source of vitamin A, folate and iron. Wild rice is a great source of protein and antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, C and E.

Ginger-Glazed Salmon with Parsley & Lime Couscous

This is one of our favorite salmon recipes. It is actually Ted's recipe, so hopefully I have done it justice!  I think I made it almost as well as he does.  This is an incredibly easy and quick dinner, so another great option for a week night.  We asked to have our fish skinned when we bought it, which saved me some time when I went to cook it.  But if you like to keep the skin on your fish, that is fine as well.

Couscous is a pretty quick side to make, and the parsley and lime juice give it a little more flavor and interest. To tie the meal together with a green vegetable, I just steamed some fresh organic broccoli. Good steamed broccoli is so flavorful, it doesn't need anything added to it! Steaming the broccoli in a vegetable basket above boiling water in a covered pot is a great way to cook broccoli, so as not to lose nutrients to cooking water.

Ginger-Glazed Salmon with Parsley & Lime Couscous

Serves 4

Ginger-Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

1 pound wild salmon, skinned
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Fresh lime slices
Parsley for garnishing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut salmon into four 4oz pieces and place on foil-lined baking sheet.

3. Mix together brown sugar and ginger until evenly combined.  Spread evenly on each piece of salmon. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and squeeze fresh lime juice on salmon, or serve with lime wedges.


Parsley & Lime Couscous

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup couscous
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup organic parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime


Directions

1. Bring vegetable stock to a boil in sauce pan. Stir in couscous and olive oil; remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

2. Mix in chopped parsley and lime juice.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Salmon gives nice dose of omega-3s and protein. Couscous is a good source of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and the mineral selenium. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium.

Seared Tilapia with Tomato Vinaigrette & Gazpacho Salsa

This was a really refreshing and light dinner. The tomato vinaigrette was amazing and would be a great dressing for a mixed green salad as well. The one thing I would do differently next time would be to roast the tilapia in the oven instead of cooking it in a pan because it fell apart a bit. A thicker fish, like halibut or cod, would probably hold together better on a pan. But it was still delicious and was complemented very well by the salsa and vinaigrette. Tilapia is one of my favorite types of fish to cook because it is fairy inexpensive, low in fat and a great source of protein - one 4oz tilapia fillet provides 28g of protein!

Seared Tilapia with Tomato Vinaigrette & Gazpacho Salsa

Seared Tilapia

Ingredients

4 (6oz each) tilapia fillets
Olive oil to coat pan
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring tilapia to room temperature. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat large pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, coat evenly with olive oil. Once oil is hot, lay fish in pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until fish is golden but not sticking to the pan.

Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions

In small food processor (or a blender), puree tomato until smooth. Add sherry vinegar. With machine running, drizzle in olive oil slowly. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Gazpacho Salsa & Arranging Meal

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced
2 organic bell peppers (I used 1 red, 1 yellow)
1/2 small sweet onion, diced

3 Tbsp parsley, chopped (for garnishing)

Directions

Toss salsa ingredients together and place one quarter of mixture on each plate. Place tilapia fillet on top and drizzle with vinaigrette. Garnish with parsley. Serve with additional vinaigrette on the side, if desired.

(Recipes adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Tilapia is a low-fat fish and is packed with protein and B-vitamins. Tomatoes provide lots of vitamin C and lycopene. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C.  Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Cucumbers are a great source of vitamin K and also provide some B vitamins and vitamin C. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. 

Roasted Salmon with Basil & Mango Salsa

This salmon was so easy to make and was delicious! There was very little prep work for it aside from combining the ingredients for the salsa. I removed the skin from our salmon filets, but if you prefer to leave it on, that is perfectly fine as well. 

I had some cous cous in the cabinet, so I cooked some of that (with chicken stock instead of water, for some extra flavor) and diced up an onion and some garlic to sautee in some olive oil. I added the cooked cous cous to the cooked onion and garlic and then chopped up some parsley to add at the end. It was a great side dish with the salmon!

Roasted Salmon with Basil & Mango Salsa

Ingredients

2 wild salmon filets 

1 1/2 cups diced organic mango

1 cup organic tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 Tbsp organic basil, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and black pepper for seasoning to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Brush salmon filets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper

3. Grease baking dish with olive oil and place salmon filets in dish

4. Combine remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper

5. Pour mango mixture over salmon and place filets in oven. Roast until salmon is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy!

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Salmon gives nice dose of omega-3s and protein. Mangos are packed with vitamin C and are also a good source of vitamin A. Tomatoes also provide a large amount of vitamin C as well as lycopene. Basil is rich in vitamin K - just 2 tsp provide 60% of the daily value!

Broiled Salmon

Tonight's dinner was wild salmon with a ginger and lime marinade (ok so the marinade was an organic bottled marinade). Our whole dinner was made from food we had laying around in the cabinet, fridge and freezer: salmon from the freezer, a partial bottle of marinade (which is also a salad dressing), organic zucchini, onion and garlic that were nearing the end of their useful life, and the remainder of a bag of organic wild rice.

I think what made this meal most exciting for me was my two-year-old's response to it. I have been consistently preparing and offering him salmon since he was about 9 months old and he has always refused or spit it out immediately. But tonight he ate a bite of this salmon and asked for more! And then ate 4 more bites of it. So it has the Charlie stamp of approval, everyone!

Here is how I made it:

Broiled Salmon

Ingredients

2 4oz frozen wild salmon filets, thawed
2 Tbsp ginger lime marinade
Olive oil for greasing baking pan
Fresh parsley and lime slices for garnish and finishing flavor

Directions

1. Place thawed filets in a container with marinade (you can use any vinaigrette salad dressing or other marinade as an alternative)
2. Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour
3. Remove salmon from refrigerator and preheat oven to broil
4. Coat baking pan with olive oil 
5. Broil salmon for 4 minutes per side (8 minutes total - may vary per oven so keep an eye on it after a couple of minutes)
6. Remove salmon from oven and garnish with parsley and lime slices

For the zucchini, I first chopped 1/4 of a yellow onion and 2 cloves of garlic and sauteed them in 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until the onions started to become translucent. Then added sliced zucchini and sauteed until tender, about 3-4 minutes. 

For the rice, I would suggest using some stock (either chicken stock or vegetable stock) to cook for a nicer flavor. I used organic chicken stock tonight because we had some open in the fridge.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal?  Well, the salmon gives nice dose of omega-3s; the zucchini provides some vitamins A, C and folate; the wild rice contains vitamins A, C and E.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!