In an effort to be “healthier” or at least tell ourselves that, I’ve added more fish to our diet. Salmon is one of the ones I truly enjoy, so here’s a simple recipe that I found worked really well. It ended up being moist, tasty, and full of flavor!
Also, asparagus goes really well with salmon. I use a simple recipe for them that I’ll be posting soon.
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Baked Salmon
Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil big enough to encase salmon. Lightly coat the foil with baking spay.
Arrange 2-3 sprigs of the rosemary down the middle.
Cut one lemon into thin slices and arrange half the slices down the middle with the rosemary.
Place the salmon on top - skin side down if you opted for skin on.
Drizzle the salmon with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Rub to coat, then scatter the garlic over the top.
Lay the remaining rosemary and lemon slices on top of the salmon.
Juice the second lemon, then pour the juice over the top.
Fold the sides of the aluminum foil up and over the top of the salmon until it is completely enclosed. Make sure there is room for air circulation inside the packet.
Bake the salmon for 15-20 minutes, until the salmon is almost completely cooked through at the thickest part. (Cooking times vary depending on the thickness of the salmon.)
Remove the salmon from the oven and carefully open the foil so that the top of the fish is completely uncovered.
Change the oven setting to broil, then return the fish to the oven and broil for 3 minutes. (Watch closely so garlic doesn't burn.)
To serve, cut the salmon into portions. Portion amounts vary depending on how big your salmon is - you can also do this with pre-portioned filets.
I absolutely LOVE this dish. If it didn’t take so long to make, with constant supervision, I’d make it much more often. But when you have the time, it is SO worth the effort.
I tend to use baby Bella mushrooms, but you can honestly use most types of mushrooms. I’ve made it with plain white buttons and it tasted fine. While the recipe calls for 1/3 cup of parmesan, I use less because I’m not a fan. Doesn’t effect the taste that much – promise. 🙂
Enjoy!
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Mushroom Risotto
Instructions
In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 20-30 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I cook a lot of tilapia. It’s the one fish I really enjoy that doesn’t taste ‘fishy’. I found this particular recipe on Pinterest, tried it, and modified it because a) I don’t like frying food*, b) the sauce did not thicken well, and c) I have a better recipe to coat the fish. 🙂
So below is my modified recipe. The fish will taste just as good with or without the sauce, by the way.
*Fried food is good, don’t get me wrong. But it isn’t generally healthy for you and why deal with all the oil splatter to clean up later? As stated elsewhere, I’m lazy.
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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia w/Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
Instructions
Sauce: heat oil in small skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes or so.
Reduce heat to low and add cream and fresh basil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Thicken by mixing cornstarch with a bit of water to make a slurry. Add this to the sauce and stir thoroughly.
Fish: Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking pan with Pam or equivalent.
In shallow dish, combine melted butter, garlic powder, and lemon juice. In another shallow dish, combine panko and parmesan.
Dip each filet in butter mixutre and then roll well in panko mixutre. Place filets in a single layer onto baking pan.
Press any remaining panko mixture onto the tops of the filets.
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I love zucchini, which is saying a lot since I don’t like many veggies. Something that my taste buds have changed their mind about over the years. This is why I recommend trying things you may not have like the taste of previously. I do it about every 7-10 years.
Anyway, I like finding new ways to cook it. This is one that looked interesting and it involved cheese, so why not? Adding cheese to most things makes it tastier. However, I can tell you that this particular recipe needs tweaking. I added more cheese, because cheese, but if you prefer less, cut down the amount of cheddar by half.
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Zuchini Au Gratin
Instructions
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Slice zucchini - about 1/4 inch
Blanch zucchini - see notes below.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
Add milk, paprika, garlic powder, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and add egg.
Pat dry the zucchini one more time. Lay zucchini out in dish.
Pour cheese mixture over zucchini.
Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and fontina over the top.
Crumble up crackers and sprinkle on top.
Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take foil off and broil for 5 minutes to brown top.
Recipe Notes
To blanch: Set up an ice bath in a bowl big enough for your colander to fit into. Boil enough water that will cover all your zucchini. Once water is boiling, toss in zucchini for one minute. Drain into colander and plunge into an ice bath to stop them from cooking more. Lay out zucchini on paper towels and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
