Salmon En Papillote

Salmon en Papillote is something that I've been meaning to make for a long time, but just haven't gotten around to. I definitely thought the hardest part about making this was trying to get the parchment paper to stay folded around the salmon! So, it was pretty easy. Perfect for a weeknight.

The result of this recipe was a super flavorful, very moist salmon fillet with a decidedly Mediterranean feel. Also, with the addition of fresh veggies and herbs, you have yourself quite a nice dinner all in one "Papillote."

Ingredients
Adapted from RecipeZaar

1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small carrot, julienned
1/2 lemon
1 tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
5 tablespoons white wine
1-2 (3 1/2 ounce) salmon fillets
light feta cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the onion, garlic, tomato, carrots and thyme in a bowl with the wine. Lightly squeeze lemon half over the onion mixture and mix together. Slice 2-3 thin pieces of lemon and set aside. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place in a bowl and pour over the marinade. Leave for 5 minutes.

Lay out 1 large sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray and put a piece of salmon in the center. Spoon over the marinade and cover the fish, top with lemon slices and fold the paper to make a packet. Place in a dish and bake for 15 minutes or until fish is opaque in the center and flakes easily. Open the pouch, sprinkle feta cheese over the fish and serve.

Coconut Encrusted Salmon with Blueberry Citrus Sauce

I came up with this meal after talking with my mom. She was telling me that the best salmon she ever had was at her favorite restaurant, and the chef had a "coconut salmon thing with this blueberry sauce" as a special. So from that, I decided to make my own version of it because, well, it just sounded good. And while my mom's not much of a foodie or a cook herself, she knows what she likes and has pretty good taste.

I'm very pleased to saw that this came out just wonderfully. It tasted tropical, fresh, healthy and just plain good. Even my husband who "doesn't like fish OR coconut" said that I could make this meal for him any time. This meal totally got me in the mood for summer, so now I'm anxiously waiting for the 8 feet of snow in my front yard to melt. This is just a great meal for this time of year...it will definitely make you feel like you're on an island somewhere, even when there's 8 feet of snow in your yard!
Ingredients

For the salmon:
1-2 skinless salmon filets
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
1-2 tbsp skim milk
1/3 cup plain panko bread crumbs
1/3 (or more) cup sweetened coconut flakes
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

For the Blueberry Citrus Sauce:
1 hand full of blueberries (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp granulated sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick olive oil spray. Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper and set aside. Set up a breading station: on one plate, add flour; in a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk; and on another plate add panko and coconut. Using your fingers, mix panko and coconut together until coconut is evenly distributed amongst panko.

Press salmon into flour until completely coated, then dip into egg mixture, then dredge in panko coconut mixture. Press panko mixture into salmon until well coated on all sides. Place filet(s) in prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top of the filet with any extra panko/coconut that didn't get used. Spray the top of the filet with non-stick olive oil spray and place in oven for about 20 minutes. Check the filet after about 10-15 minutes to make sure the coconut isn't burning. If it is, cover the baking dish loosely with foil.

While salmon is baking, make blueberry citrus sauce. In a small blender (I use the magic bullet blender), add blueberries, coconut, sugar and lime juice and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce after it's blended and add more lime juice or sugar to taste.

Serve the fish hot with blueberry citrus sauce.

Roasted Salmon with Garlic and Tomatoes

This is another salmon recipe I found that was easy to make and tasted great. I also loved that I got a main course and side dish out of one recipe which is great for the weeknight. I added goat cheese to this which really kicked up the flavor...but if you aren't a huge goat cheese fan it could easily be left out.

This was a light, healthy recipe that tasted like a salmon dish that you might get at a restaurant. It was so flavorful and was really a great way to prepare salmon.

Ingredients
Adapted from Real Simple

1-2 salmon fillets
1/2-3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2-4 springs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
Goat cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat a medium baking dish with non stick spray. Add salmon, skin side down, to baking dish. Spread cherry tomatoes around fillet(s) and sprinkle salmon and tomatoes with salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Sprinkle garlic and thyme over salmon. Drizzle everything with just a bit of olive oil.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Then pull salmon out of oven and sprinkle goat cheese to taste over salmon and tomatoes. Put back in oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until salmon is opaque throughout and goat cheese is very lightly browned.

Oven Poached Salmon with Lentils

I recently discovered how much I like lentils. Lentil soup, lentil sides. Lentils simply taste great and are good for you. So when I found this recipe I was excited...it combines two of my "new found" favorite health foods...salmon and lentils!

My husband and I both really enjoyed this. The salmon pairs perfectly with the lentils and makes for a hearty, healthy meal. I love oven poaching the salmon...it's so easy and results in a flavorful, tender fish. This entire recipe is also very easy to prepare which makes it great for a weeknight.

Ingredients
Lentils adapted from Simply...Gluten Free
Salmon adapted from Eating Well

1 cup green lentils, rinsed thoroughly
2 cups chicken stock (for lentils)
1 tbsp. chicken stock (for salmon)
5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 small shallot, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced in about ¼ inch dice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
2 – 8 ounce salmon fillets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Put lentils in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock and garlic gloves, season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the lentils are almost tender and the chicken stock has evaporated. Set aside when done.

While the lentils are cooking, place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the salmon with chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, and just a bit of fresh lemon juice. Cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

While salmon is baking and after the lentils are cooked, in a medium skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Then add the carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add the shallot and a pinch or two of salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes or until the shallots just start to brown

Fish the garlic cloves out of the lentils and mash with a fork. Add to the skillet with the carrots and shallot and mix well. Add the lentils and cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Add lemon juice and stir.

Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate, top with the cooked salmon and serve with some lemon wedges if desired.

Salmon with Lemon Ginger Sauce

I found this recipe at Mon Petit Peche Mignon when I was looking for a new salmon recipe to try. I think this recipe pushed me from an "I don't like salmon" kind of girl to an "I like salmon" girl. This was a great recipe. As per the comments on the blog, I cut the sauce recipe in half and even then I still had a ton of sauce! But the sauce was so good, I'm glad I had a lot. But I definitely suggest cutting the sauce in half if you are only making one or two filets. This recipe was fresh, light and healthful. I really enjoyed it and will certainly be making it again.
Ingredients
Source: Mon Petit Peche Mignon

Skin on salmon filets (however many you need; I just used one for myself)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
juice of one lemon
1 cup chicken stock
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger (I used 1 tsp. ground ginger as that was all I had on hand)
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce (I omitted)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp cold water
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper
handful of fresh cilantro or chive (I used thyme)
Directions
Prepare Salmon as you normally would. I preheat oven to 425°F, coat a baking dish with cooking spray and place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with a bit of low sodium chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, add onion and cook until onion starts to get translucent. Add lemon juice and continue cooking 1 minute over low heat. Pour in chicken stock, Tabasco, ginger, and season well. Bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with water in a small dish and then stir into sauce and cook for 1 minute over low heat. Add milk- if your milk is cold, spoon some of the hot sauce into it before adding to the pot so that it does not curdle. Bring to a quick boil, then remove from heat. Throw a handful of cilantro or other fresh herb into the pot and stir to distribute.

Correct the seasoning and spoon generously over salmon.

Oven Poached Salmon with a Creamy Dill Sauce

This was a recipe I decided to try because it just looked really flavorful for being healthy. Like I said before, I'm not a huge salmon fan but it really is a healthy fish so I want to try and incorporate it into my diet as much as I can.

This was really a great recipe. I was surprised at how much I liked it honestly. It couldn't be much easier to make and the result was a super flavorful fish fillet that didn't taste too "salmon-ey".

I chose to top the fish with a creamy dill sauce that worked out wonderfully and really complimented the flavors of the fish. I will definitely be making salmon this way again.
Ingredients
Source: Eating Well
Salmon
1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions, skin removed, if desired (I used one fillet, skin on)
2 tablespoons dry white wine (I used low sodium chicken stock)
Kosher Salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot, (1 medium)
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Dill Sauce
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise (I omitted)
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1 tbsp low fat sour cream (I added this)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, or parsley
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-inch glass pie pan or an 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with wine. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with shallots. Cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

Meanwhile, to make the dill sauce combine mayonnaise (if using), yogurt, sour cream, scallions, lemon juice, dill (or parsley) and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

When the salmon is ready, transfer to dinner plates. Spoon a little dill sauce over the salmon and serve with lemon wedges.

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

Remember Jimmy? Well after I made Jimmy so many apple pies this past autumn, he graciously gave me a whole (huge!) smoked salmon that his son caught in a local lake as "payment" for a belly full of pie.

I absolutely love smoked salmon which is weird because I'm not a huge salmon lover. But that flaky smoked fish is just so delectable...I usually just eat it straight out of the freezer bag. I was just more then grateful that Jimmy was nice enough to give me this fish...I've been munching on it ever since.

So when New Years Eve came around and we had our annual office party, I really wanted to make something that incorporated the smoked salmon so Jimmy and the rest of the fish-lovers that work with me would be able to enjoy it as much as I have over the past few months. After searching around online I found a few recipes for Smoked Salmon Pinwheels and sort of combined two recipes to make my own version.

These were just delicious. When I say they went like hotcakes I mean it. One batch was gone before I had time to slice up another. My co workers were totally impressed and just raved over them. These were a delicious little appetizer that are sure to wow your guests.

Ingredients
Adapted from: Betty Crocker & Taste of Home

1 8oz package reduced fat cream cheese
2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
aprox. 1 cup smoked salmon
1/2 cup fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
6 8" flour tortillas
Juice of half a lemon (don't get every bit of juice out of the lemon, just a slight squeeze will do)
1 tbsp (aprox. 3 springs) fresh dill weed, chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground peppper

Directions
Soften cream cheese in microwave on 30 second intervals until soft and easy to stir. Add sour cream, green onions, lemon juice, dill weed and salt and pepper to taste. Spread about 1/4 cup cream cheese mixture on each tortilla. Over the cream cheese, sprinkle on a generous layer of smoked salmon. Over that, spread spinach leaves. Roll tortilla tightly and, if necessary, use more cream cheese mixture to secure edges. Wrap tortilla "roll" in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours but no more then 24 hours. When ready to serve, cut tortilla into aprox. 1 inch pieces and serve on a tray, cut side up.

Baked Walleye with a lemon cream sauce

My husband doesn't like fish unless is breaded, fried and drenched in tarter sauce. So when he was out of town for work last night, my mom came over and brought some fresh Walleye. A friend of my dad's goes out and ice fishes almost every day and gives him many filets. In addition, he is an expert fish-cleaner so there are no bones at all! If you've never had walleye, you definitely should try it. It is SO mild...even more so then Tilapia in my opinion!

I didn't use a recipe to make this dish because I had an idea in mind of how I wanted to make it. It came out SO good. Even today my mom called and said how great dinner was last night. It's definitely an easy weeknight meal that looks like it takes a lot longer to make then it actually does! I served this fish with some pasta tossed with Extra Virgin Olive oil, minced garlic, Italian herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients
2 fresh filets of Walleye (or any other mild fish)
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used 1/2 plain and 1/2 italian seasoned)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup milk (I use skim)
1/2 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
aprox. 3-4 chives, sliced
juice of half of a lemon
aprox. 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse off fish and pat dry. Season filets with salt and pepper. On one plate, add flour. On another, add Panko bread crumbs. And in a small bowl, add egg. Dredge both filets in flour, then egg, then Panko. Press fish into bread crumbs to create a generous coating. Place both filets in a baking dish coated with non stick spray, and bake for aprox. 20 minutes or until fish is no longer pink and easily flakes with a fork.

While fish is cooking, make the sauce. In a small-medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. When butter is melted, add shallots and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the garlic and shallots are fragrant and tender. Then whisk in flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes, whisking continuously. Make sure the mixture does not get too brown, it should be a light golden color. Whisk in milk and continue to whisk every few minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. When the mixture comes up to a simmer, whisk in Parmesan, chives, nutmeg, salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste...I used 1/2 of a small lemon and I squeezed it very lightly. The mixture should gradually start to thicken. When it reaches your desired consistancy, drizzle over cooked fish.

Note- make sure you taste the sauce a lot at the end to get the seasoning right. If the sauce does not have enough salt, it is very "boring" tasting. You can easily tell when you have reached the perfect amount! This is really a delicious sauce when seasoned correctly!