Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon

Happy New Year, everyone!

I must say, it’s been a while since anything coming out of the kitchen was blog-worthy.  Probably cranked out some decent stuff in the last month or two if you ask my husband, but nothing I could rant or rave about.

Until last night… which I presume makes a good start for 2014.  Since everyone (including us) goes for a healthy start to the New Year, here’s a really easy and really healthy salmon recipe to start the year off right.

The best thing about this was not only did I have all the ingredients on hand, but it used some of our most prized flavors, and they really shined through.  The honey, ginger, and garlic married perfectly together to balance with the salmon and provided a great, but not too overbearing, flavor with a splash of acid from the lemon juice to cut the sharpness.

I served this over a whole-wheat couscous with peas and mushrooms – which soaked up some extra glaze and added a nice balance of protein, carb, and vegetable.  A good win to kick of the New Year indeed.

Wishing for only good things in 2014…

Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon

Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon

What You Need:

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp warm water
• ¾ tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

How You Do It:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine honey, lemon juice, water, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended.
3. Pour honey mixture into a small baking pan; arrange fish in pan, skinned side up, and let stand 20 minutes.
4. Turn fish over, baste with marinate, and bake at 375° for 15 minutes.

Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

I’m always looking for different ways to cook fish.  We are big fish fans and I’m always afraid we’ll get bored with the same preparations over and over.  So when I saw this in a pile of recipes I had pulled from old magazines, I thought I’d give it a try. 

Now here’s a salmon recipe with an added bonus – leftover honey Dijon vinaigrette to use with salad or veggies later in the week!  A quick whisk of oil, mustard, honey, and vinegar makes a good amount of dressing and for this salmon you only use a couple tablespoons. 

I had never thought of baking the salmon right on top of onions before, but it really worked well.  The onions came out so tender and sweet and gave the salmon an extra hint of flavor.  Mixed with some steamed green beans and a little drizzle of the vinaigrette and this dish packs a sweet and subtle flavor not to be missed. 

Quick, easy, and light, this salmon recipe is a good base to try lots of different flavors.  And best of all – when all was said and done – my recipe looked just like the one in the magazine photo, so I was pretty damn excited!

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

 

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans

What You Need:

• 2 tsp honey
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 c olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 2 6-oz pieces salmon
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed

How You Do It:

1. Whisk together honey, mustard, vinegar, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. In a deep baking dish, toss onion with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and bake at 425* for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon vinaigrette into panko. Coat fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper; top with breadcrumb mixture and add to baking dish. Bake until fish is cooked to your liking, about 12-15 minutes.
4. While the salmon cooks, steam green beans to desired tenderness.
5. Remove salmon from baking dish and set aside. Drain green beans and toss with onion and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. 

Honey Dijon Salmon with Green Beans recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

Parmesan Dijon Mahi-Mahi

Our first batch of family house guests have left and we’re gearing up for the second round next week, but I found a little time to hop in the kitchen and whip up a quick and super-flavorful mahi-mahi recipe last night.

Super quick, super easy, and super flavorful, this mahi-mahi dish literally took 2 minutes to prepare and 15 in the oven.  Last weekend during my standing pre-synagogue Target run, I found the perfect lunch box salad container.  And inside, a free sample of French’s new Dijon mustard with Chardonnay. 

Wasting no time, I found a quick mustard sauce for fish and got to it.  Mustard (and the exact amount needed for two pieces of fish!), white wine vinegar, black pepper, and a little parmesan whisked together into a thick paste I covered the fish with and into the oven it went.  15 minutes later, a perfectly flaky piece of mustard-paste laden fish.  The hubs thought the mustard was a little overpowering, but I thought it was perfect – strange, as I don’t love mustard as much.  Nonetheless, a quick and easy fish recipe for the books.

Parmesan Dijon Mahi-Mahi

 

Parmesan Dijon Mahi-Mahi

What You Need:

• 2 mahi-mahi filets
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard with Chardonnay
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp grated parmesan

How You Do It:

1. Combine Dijon, vinegar, pepper, and cheese in small bowl.
2. Brush on top of fish.
3. Bake 400* 15 minutes.

Seared Salmon with Tzatziki

If tonight's recipe could be described in one word, I would choose: refreshing.

There really isn't much to the recipe itself - the salmon was simply seasoned with pepper and a tiny pinch of salt, and seared on the the stovetop.  The main flavor of the dish comes from the homemade tzatziki - a cucumber-meets-herbs-meets-Greek-yogurt sauce.

That's all folks.  That's the dish.  But something about the refreshing cucumber paired with the fresh herbs and the creamy yogurt really makes a simple but oh-so-flavorful topping.  I served this with some whole wheat pitas, but a salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette would have been the perfect touch.

Seared Salmon with Tzatziki

Seared Salmon with Tzatziki

What You Need for the Tzatziki:

• 1 6-oz container plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 diced seedless (English) cucumber
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 1 tsp fresh mint, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste  

What You Need for the Salmon:

• 2 6-oz salmon filets
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How You Do It:

Seared Salmon with Tzatziki recipe adapted from An Edible Mosaic.

Salmon & Spinach Bundles

Last night I made my all-time favorite salmon recipe.  I know, I make a lot of salmon – we love it and it’s good for you. But this one, this one tops them off (in my book, of course).

Flaky salmon, steamed inside a crescent crust, topped with creamy cheese, and wilted spinach… O. M. G.  And while it looks like such a heavy meal, this really is quite light. 

Your whole meal, protein – dairy – greens – carbs, all in one little package.  You really can’t go wrong.  I mean, really can't go wrong...

It was just what I needed after two excruciatingly long days at the office.

Salmon & Spinach Bundles

Salmon & Spinach Bundles

What You Need:

• 1 roll reduced-fat crescent rolls
• 2 6-oz pieces salmon
• 2 tbsp spreadable cheese (I used Boursin Garlic & Fine Herb)
• ½ c baby spinach leaves

How You Do It:

1. Roll out the crescent rolls and break into two large rectangles, pressing the seams together.
2. Place salmon in the middle of each rectangle.
3. Spread cheese on top of salmon.
4. Top with spinach leaves.
5. Fold up sides of crescent around salmon/spinach to make a package and place on baking sheet.
6. Bake at 400* for 20-25 minutes. 

Salmon & Spinach Bundles recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Honey and Pecan Glazed Salmon

Well folks, it's good to be back.  Super Storm Sandy knocked us off the grid for a solid week, with power out for a complete seven days.  I am happy to report no real damage to our house or our family's houses.  We lost some trees in our backyard and the power was out for longer than we really enjoyed, but we had no damage.  We continually remind ourselves it could have been a lot worse.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who suffered and are suffering.

Now then... tonight I finally got back in the kitchen!  (Thank you to my mother-in-law who had power one day earlier than us and had us for dinner last night.)  Both the husband and I made separate grocery runs today to start and restock our now-freshly-emptied-and-deep-cleaned refrigerator, so we had goods to cook up something delicious.  Not only that, but it's time to get back into the heathy kick.  One week of boiling pasta on the stovetop in the dark and snacking on pantry items means back to the gym and back to the diets.

And to the hubs's request, fish was on the menu tonight.  This easy salmon recipe takes minutes to prepare, takes no time to bake, and has a slightly sweet, but not over-powering flavor.  The pecans give a little crunch and the fish comes out perfectly flaky.  A winner for my first night back in the kitchen.

Honey and Pecan Glazed Salmon

Honey and Pecan Glazed Salmon

What You Need:

• 2 salmon filets
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp chopped pecans

How You Do It:

1. In a Ziploc bag, combine honey, soy sauce, and pecans.  Mix to combine.
2. Add salmon and let marinate while your oven preheats to 425*.
3. Once the oven is ready, place salmon on baking dish and top with pecans and glaze.
4. Bake at 425* for 15 minutes.

Honey and Pecan Glazed Salmon recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce

Tonight the husband reports this was one of the best tilapia recipes I've made thus far... and I must say, it was pretty good.  Good, quick, and healthy.  Just up our alley.  

You'll see in the photo, the original recipe calls for brine-packed green peppercorns.  I followed the recipe on this one (which is what you see in the photo), but both of us ended up trying one and then pushing them to the side.  While they may have given the sauce a light pepper flavor, they were far too strong for our liking when eaten whole.  Next time I'll just add some fresh cracked pepper to the sauce.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce

What You Need:

• 3 oz chicken broth
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp butter, divided
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tilapia fillets
• 1/4 c flour

How You Do It:

1. Combine lemon juice and chicken broth. 
2. Melt 1 tsp butter and oil in large skillet.  
3. While the butter melts, pat dry and coat the tilapia fillets in flour, shaking off excess.
4. Add tilapia to pan and saute 3 minutes each side.  Once flaky, remove from pan.
5. Add broth mixture to pan and scrape up the brown bits.  Bring to a boil and let reduce, about 2 minutes.
6. Add in remaining 2 tsp butter and whisk to combine.
7. Top tilapia with sauce.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Pan Sauce adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

Every so often, my mother-in-law trudges into the City to see her doctor.  This always presents itself with something special for us - tuna steaks!  Far too expensive to buy at our local grocery store, Zabar's has quality tuna at a good price.  Well, it used to be a good price.  The M-o-L reports back the prices drastically went up, so this might be it for us.  Good thing she walked out of the store with four!  Two for tonight, two for the freezer.

Now usually I would marinate these suckers in some soy-citrus mixture, but we had all intentions of grilling these puppies... until Mother Nature decided it was going to rain this Labor Day weekend.  (Thanks to the hubs, who grilled in the rain last night for our BBQ!)  Instead of making the poor guy grill in the rain two nights in a row, I opted for the stovetop.

A sweet mango salsa underneath, a little black pepper on the tuna and we were good to go!

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa

What You Need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded, and small diced
• 1/3 c orange juice
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 2 tsp fresh mint, minced
• 2 tuna steaks

To Make the Mango Salsa:

1. Sauté the olive oil, onions, and ginger in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Add the mangos, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.
4. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes, until orange juice is reduced, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from the heat and add the mint.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

To Make the Tuna Steaks:

1. Heat two tablespoons oil in large skillet.  
2. Coat both sides of tuna with freshly ground pepper.  
3. Sear tuna, 3 minutes each side.

Place one tuna steak on top of mango salsa to serve.

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa adapted from Ina Garten.

Honey Lime Tilapia

Tonight's fish recipe taught me a new technique.  Marinating the fish overnight, lightly dredging in some seasoned flour, and pan searing.  5 minutes the night before and 10 minutes when we got home from the gym and voila!  Next time I might mix up the citrus and seasonings...

Honey Lime Tilapia

Honey Lime Tilapia

What You Need:

• 2 tilapia filets
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 c flour
• salt and pepper

How You Do It:

1. The night before, put tilapia filets into ziplock bag.  Add lime juice and zest, oil, honey, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.  Mix around to coat and put in refrigerator up to 24 hours.
2. Mix flour and salt and pepper in rimmed dish.
3. Lightly dredge fish in seasoned flour.
4. Heat pan with 1 tbsp oil.  Cook fish without moving 3-4 minutes each side.

Honey Lime Tilapia recipe adapted from One Lovely Life

Garlic-Dill Salmon

Both my husband and I are fish lovers (just ask my mother, when I was little she had a book custom made for me and inside it said the character was heading home for fish!), so I'm always looking for new ways to cook fish.

Tonight's recipe was super fast.  The recipe instructs to marinate the salmon for up to three hours; however, since I work full-time and don't love (read: don't let) when my husband uses my kitchen tools, I only had the time it took him to shower after our workout added to the time it took to preheat the oven to let the fish marinate.  Though it was not nearly the amount of time the original recipe called for, the 20-or-so minutes our salmon was in the refrigerator soaking up the marinate was certainly enough.

A keeper in my salmon repertoire for sure.

Garlic-Dill Salmon

What You Need:

• 2 salmon filets (6 oz each)
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 3 oz orange juice
• 1 tsp dried dill
• salt and pepper

How You Do It:

1. Before you preheat the oven, add all ingredients into plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 375*.
3. Place salmon and half marinate in baking dish.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes until salmon is done to your liking.

Garlic-Dill Salmon adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray