Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

Ok I don't know where the picture went for this one. All I can say is that if you like balsamic vinegar and salmon, this was very tasty and so easy to make. I had mine with garlic naan (Whole Foods sells this already made) on the side. Yummm.


Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
Adapted from this recipe

1 salmon fillet
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp white wine
1/2 tsp honey
2 3/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook garlic, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, about 3 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.
3. Arrange salmon fillet on the baking sheet and brush with the balsamic glaze.
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Brush fillet with remaining glaze and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Yield: 1 serving

Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Basil

Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Basil
Adapted from Everyday Italian

1 salmon fillet, skin on
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt and black pepper
1 tsp minced fresh basil
2 lemon slices
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp white wine
1 tsp capers

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Brush the top and bottom of the salmon fillet with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil. Place the salmon piece in a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal. Top the salmon with 2 lemon slices, lemon juice, white wine, and capers. Wrap salmon tightly in foil packet.
3. Bake the salmon for 15 minutes. It should be a little rare inside. Serve with steamed broccolini.

Serves 1

Mustard-Roasted Salmon and Carrots

A recipe from last week that was very yummy:



Mustard-Roasted Salmon and Carrots
Salmon:
1 8 oz salmon fillet, skin on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp low fat mayo
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 anchovy fillet, minced
1/2 Tbsp minced onions
1/2 tsp drained capers

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the fish skin side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Combine the mayo, mustard, minced anchovy fillet, onions, and capers in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce over the fish, making sure it is completely covered.
4. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 F then put under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve as is or with extra sauce on top.

Carrots:
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
2 carrots, peeled
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Cut the carrots diagonally into 1/4-inch slices. Place the carrots, scant 1/4 cup water, salt, and pepper in a large saute pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 8 minutes or until the carrots are just cooked through. Add the butter and saute for another minute until the water evaporates and the carrots are coated with butter.
2. Off the heat, toss with the parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 1

Asian Salmon

School is beginning to stress me out. It's my last semester and I'm taking 15 hours and writing an honors thesis. Ugh. All I really want to do is read the books I want to read (right now I'm reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie) and cook and eat all day. Instead, today I will study for for my Biochemistry test, start writing my thesis, and read for my English class... after I cook and eat :)



Asian Salmon
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

2 salmon fillets
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp good olive oil
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Whisk together the Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, sugar, and ginger powder in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Make a foil packet for the salmon (discard the marinade) and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
3. Transfer the fish to a flat plate and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 2; I served it with sauteed asparagus


While I was waiting for the salmon to bake, I decided to play with my camera and the fairy lights I strung around my bed last night. The results:

Salmon Fish Sticks

Yesterday I returned to Austin; my last semester of college starts tomorrow. Today I went to the grocery store because, well, I have a food blog. I've never seen so many people at a grocery store at one time. I waited in line for at least 15 minutes just to check out. And let's not get into how long it took me to find the kind of lettuce I wanted. So. Many. People.



The funny thing is, tonight I cooked what I already had in my refrigerator. I was a little skeptical when I saw Giada making this on Food Network but decided to give it a try. I thought the fish sticks would be soggy and wouldn't be able to be held but in fact, they were crisp and perfect. Here's to the Omega-3!

Salmon Fish Sticks
Adapted from Everyday Italian

Fishsticks:
1 4-6 oz salmon fillet, deskinned
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white
4 Tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp Gouda, grated
Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Pat the salmon fillet dry with a paper towel. Cut the fillet into 4 pieces lengthwise.
2. Place the flour in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the egg white in another bowl and beat until frothy. Combine the breadcrumbs and cheese in a third bowl.
3. Coat the fish pieces in flour, dip in the egg white, and roll in bread crumbs, gently pressing the mixture into the fish. Place the salmon pieces on a well-oiled baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Dipping Sauce:
1 Tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil

1. Mix all ingredients in a small dipping bowl and serve alongside the fish sticks.

Serves 1

Salmon and Broccoli Rabe

I'm excited to introduce to you the first ingredient of the monthly installment entitled "Foods I've Never Cooked Before." Yes, that is the name I chose for this project. I actually chose it just now. January's food is....(drumroll please)

broccoli rabe

Broccoli rabe is also known as Rapini or Italian broccoli. I'm sure many people have cooked broccoli rabe before and I've seen it around for several years but had no idea what to do with it. I researched a bit and found there are two camps when it comes to cooking broccoli rabe: those who boil and those who saute. Those who boil claim that boiling removes most of the bitterness associated with this vegetable. I decided to make the best of both worlds and boil and saute. Maybe next time I will try one or the other and decide which I like better. But for today, compromise it is. Also, some only eat the leafy greens while others eat leaves and stems. I didn't want to waste so I trimmed the very end of the stem but cooked the broccoli rabe with both leaves and stems.



Salmon and Broccoli Rabe

Salmon:
4 salmon (or steelhead) filets, deboned and skin on
lemon pepper seasoning, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine soy sauce, honey, maple syrup, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle salmon filets with lemon pepper seasoning and black pepper. Lay filets, skin down, in a shallow glass baking dish and pour marinade over. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F. Create a foil packet for each salmon filet. Place one filet in each packet. Place packets side-by-side in a clean, shallow baking dish and bake for 12-15 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork and is still pink in the center. Be careful not to overbake.
3. Remove salmon from packet and place on the bed of broccoli rabe. Serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Rabe:
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place broccoli rabe in pot and cook until slightly tender but not mushy, 3-5 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and saute for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Serves 4