Kid Friendly Salmon

It's been a little hard to work on my blog this week.  School has started here and I do a online public school with my daughter and that equals very little time for myself.

That being said, this is a great dinner if you're trying to get your kids to eat more fish like I am.  This makes the salmon sort of sweet and savory at the same time.  My husband isn't the biggest fish eater either and he really loved this recipe.

It's easy to throw together and cooks in no time.  No super strong flavors and no spice so it's very kid (and husband) friendly. Great to add to the weekly menu!

Kid Friendly Salmon
Recipe from Tomorrow Farm Fiber Arts

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb fresh salmon, cut into 4 pieces

Cooking Directions

1. Mix the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar and garlic together.
2. Place the salmon in a baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Grill or broil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side until fish is flaky.

Lemon Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

One of my favorite fishes is Salmon.  I love it.  I don't think I've ever had it and not liked it.  My husband however, not a huge fish fan.  When we first got married, I couldn't even cook it for myself because the smell was too much for him.  He got around to not minding that, which slowly led to trying a bite here and there just to test a new recipe.  Now, he's progressed to being able to eat it (and actually liking it) every couple of months or so.  Progress!

My recent lemon surplus led me to this recipe which we both enjoyed.  Lemon and salmon are a classic flavor.  The lemon flavor is noticeable but not overpowering.  The dill sauce sends this over the top.  Make sure to mince the garlic very small since it is raw in this sauce.  I happen to love garlic so that wasn't a problem for me. The combination of the dill sauce and the salmon was pretty great.

This is one of those 30-minute or less recipes, great for a busy weeknight.

Lemon Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Recipe from Cooking Classy

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 ounce salmon fillets
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Dill Sauce

• 1/3 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Whisk together. 
3. Place the salmon in an oven proof dish (9x13) and drizzle the lemon juice mixture over the top, rub it in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes. 
5. Bake for 12-16 minutes.  This will depend on the thickness of the salmon fillets. 
6. While the fish is baking, make the dill sauce. 
7. Combine all the ingredients in a small dish and whisk together until smooth. Can be refrigerated but if you do that, remove it from the refrigerator and let come up to room temperature for about 20 minutes. 
8. Serve along side or over the top of the fish.

Ina Garten's Salmon Cakes

One day a week my husband and I have been trying to eat fish.  I should also mention that 1 day a week we have also designated as "eat whatever you feel like" day.  We start out trying to be healthy and then lose momentum by lunch time.  By dinner it's all over for us and we usually run to the grocery store and get whatever looks good to us. But five days out of the week we're pretty healthy and that is far better than we were in 2012.

Fish is right at the top of everyone's healthy eating list this year, and salmon is one of my favorites.  My husband told me when we got married that he didn't like fish, so, for years I didn't try to get him to eat any.  In fact, I only ate salmon if he was out of town.  I felt like I was smuggling my salmon into the house and I was very careful that there was no salmon smell in the house when he returned. Over the years he's gotten a little healthier and decided one day to give it a try.  I have to say, he was pleasantly surprised. Salmon has a strong fish flavor, so, when we do have it I try to make sure it has a yummy sauce or coating to help give him some additional flavors.

These little salmon cakes came into play recently when I was looking for a new recipe.  Ina Garten had a recipe that looked perfect to me.  I incorporated a little bit of my husband's grandmothers recipe (by adding potatoes) and the finished product was delicious! 

I'm so glad I don't have to hide my salmon anymore.  It's much easier to share it then hide it. :)

Ina Garten's Salmon Cakes

Modified slightly from Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh salmon
• good olive oil
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup small diced onion (i used yellow)
• 1 1/2 cup small diced celery
• 2 small potatoes (like the size of a golf ball)
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce (I used Franks)
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp Dijion mustard
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a small oven proof dish lay the salmon skin side down. Brush with olive oil, add salt and paper and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
3. Remove from the oven and let cool, then refrigerate until chilled.
4. While the fish is cooking, in a large skillet add 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter. Add the diced celery, onion, potatoes, capers, parsley, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay seasoning and cook until the vegetables are soft.
5. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
6. Take the chilled salmon and flake it into a bowl, discarding the skin. Mix in the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard and egg.
7. Mix well.
8. Add in the cooked vegetables and seasonings and mix well.
9. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
10. In a large skillet add 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter.
11. Take the salmon mixture and shape into 10 2 1/2 to 3 ounce patties. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and remove to a plate.
12. Keep the plate warm in a 250 degree oven until all the patties are cooked. Serve hot.

Vegetable-Cod Soup

As part of our attempts to eat healthier from now on I have started making a bunch of different soups.  Soup  a great way to get in a bunch of vegetables that you might not otherwise get.  Kale is a new one for me. Well relatively new that is.  I've been using it in smoothies for a couple of months but I'd like to try it in some other forms too.  If anyone has any great recipes for kale please send them my way.

In addition to kale, we've been trying to eat fish at least once a week.  This soup was a hit because it incorporated a bunch of different veggies and cod too.  Use whatever vegetables you have in your freezer, pantry or refrigerator, it'll be great!

This recipe makes enough for about 4 oversized bowls (like the one's above).

The great thing about soup is you can flavor it up just how you like it.  If you like it spicy just add the hot sauce right on in.  If you don't like spice but sort of dig that slight vinegar taste that hot sauce adds just add in a tsp or two of vinegar.  Easy peasy.

Vegetable-Cod Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced or diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 container (32 ounces) vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 small bunch kale, stems removed and leaves roughly cut
• 1 pound cod fillets, cut into 1" cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• hot sauce, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot drizzle the oil and add the onions and carrots. Cook over medium to medium low heat until the carrots begin to soften (about 5 minutes).
2. Next add the frozen corn and green beans and cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the can of tomatoes and the broth. Add all of the dry spices and stir well.
4. Bring to a boil and then turn to simmer. Cook for about 20 - 30 minutes.
5. Add the kale and let wilt slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the fish cubes and cook for about 5 more minutes until the fish begins to flake easily.
7. Serve immediately with some hot sauce.

Seared Cod with Chive Butter Sauce

We've had a pretty uneventful week here so far, not much to report I'm sorry to say.  October is always one of our busiest month however so I'm just soaking up the free time I have right now. 

Is that true for everyone? Does your fall seem to be super busy? 

Gearing up for this busy time means my meal planning has sort of kicked in.  I hate not knowing what we're having for dinner and then just winging it but that seems to be the way we've been surviving lately.  Well, today is the day I plan out my meals for the next two weeks and I think I'll keep this Cod recipe in the rotation.  

First thing you need to do is get the fish to release some of it's moisture.  Season and then put through the assembly line of egg and panko bread crumbs - but only on one side. 

In a saucepan you will start to infuse some wine with onion, garlic and thyme.

Sear the breaded side of the fish before moving it to the oven.

While the fish is cooking your sauce should be coming along also.  Hopefully they are finished at the same time, but my sauce took a little longer then my fish did.

If you have any great fish recipes, please share. :)

Seared Cod

Recipe found at Food Network by Aaron McCargo Jr.

Ingredients

• 4 (6 oz) cod fillets
• Panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs for egg wash
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 Tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 sprig fresh thyme

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the fish fillets on a cookie sheet or a cooling rack so they can release some of their juices.
3. Use two shallow dishes, one for two beaten eggs and one for Panko bread crumbs. Salt and Pepper both sides of the fish and then brush the egg mixture over the belly side of the fish. One side only. Then place the egg brushed side into the Panko bread crumbs. Heat a large oven proof pan over high heat with the grapeseed oil. When the pan is very hot, add the fish Panko side down. Sear the fish, when all the fish is nicely seared transfer the pan to the hot oven to finish cooking (about 3-4 minutes).
4. Remove the fish from the oven and flip it over. Add the lemon juice, butter and thyme and baste the fish. Top with the chive butter sauce and serve.

Chive Butter Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups white wine (Chardonnay)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 shallot sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 Tbsp cold butter
• 3 Tbsp chives, chopped
• freshly cracked black pepper

Cooking Directions

1. In saucepan, add wine, sprigs of thyme, shallot and garlic. Set on back burner to allow the wine to reduce. Once the sauce is reduced to a syrup, strain and add the heavy cream, and lemon juice and bring to a slight simmer.
2. Whisk in cold butter and once melted add the fresh chives and season with black pepper.

Spanish Cod

I've been pretty busy lately; I was finishing up my last week at my job that I've been at for 5 years.  It was time for me to leave an spend some quality time with my little girl before she heads off to school next year.  So, I'm basically saying I'll have a lot more time to devote to cooking and baking.  Hopefully that benefits us all!

I have to tell ya, this is one of my favorite fish recipes so far.  I love how Mediterranean it is.  So many flavors that I love.  I read some of the reviews and some people replaced the marinated vegetables with artichoke hearts which also sounds delicious.  

In a constant search for low carb recipes this one fits the bill.  My husband really liked it; in fact he's just coming around to fish in general so I wasn't sure how he'd like all these flavors but he gobbled it up.  My daughter, not so much.  But she doesn't like anything so she doesn't count. 

This recipe is pretty simple.  You just sauté the onion in some oil and butter.  Then add garlic. Now start dumping in the rest of the ingredients (minus the fish) to make a sauce.

Add the fish - I cut mine smaller than the recipe asks for, I'm a rebel like that.

Cook for a short time, till the fish is flaky.

Eat.  Tis good. 

Spanish Cod

Found at allrecipes.com

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped green olives
• 1/4 cup deli marinated Italian vegetable salad, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 dash black pepper
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1 dash paprika
• 6 (4 ounce) fillets cod fillets

In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are slightly tender.  Add tomato sauce and cherry tomatoes and simmer.  Stir in the green olives and marinated vegetables and season with both peppers and the paprika. 

Add the fillets to the sauce and cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. 

Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Finally, a healthy recipe!  I knew I had it in me, somewhere...anyhoo, I love salmon and I just happened to have some at home that I needed to use so it was perfect timing finding this recipe.

What's great about this is that there isn't very much that you would need to run out and buy.  Maybe the lemons - but the rest I'll bet you have right within reach.

I loved this recipe.  It was easy, healthy, tasty, and believe me when I say I could use the Creamy Dill Sauce for sandwiches for the rest of my life!  I love this stuff!

Get a couple good sized pieces of salmon and lay it down on a lightly sprayed piece of tin foil. 

Sprinkle the salmon with Lemon Pepper and Onion Salt.

Place the onion circles and lemons on top...

Top with some pieces of butter.

Fold the tin foil around the salmon to make a tight little packet.  Put the packet on a rimmed sheet like a jelly roll pan.

While the salmon cooks; mix up the Dill Sauce.  Sour Cream, Mayo, Dill, Minced Onion, Horseradish, Lemon Juice, Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste.

Once the Salmon has cooked for 20 minutes inside the packet, open it up and put it under the broiler for another 8 - 10 minutes until the fish flakes.

Serve the fish with the dill sauce and enjoy. 

Did I mention how much I love the dill sauce?

I found the recipe here. The information below was taken directly from the Taste of Home website.

Ingredients
1 salmon fillet (about 2 pounds)
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
6 lemon slices
1/4 cup butter


DILL SAUCE:
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
3/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Pepper to taste

Directions

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with heavy-duty foil; grease lightly. Place salmon skin side down on foil. Sprinkle with lemon-pepper and onion salt. Top with onion and lemon. Dot with butter. Fold foil around salmon; seal tightly,

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Open foil. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 8-12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Combine the sauce ingredients until smooth. Serve with salmon.

Salmon Patties

I'll be playing catch up this week since last week I couldn't post anything.  These salmon cakes were easy and delicious and took no time at all to throw together.  If you're looking for a nice change, give this a try.

Start with a can of Salmon, drain and reserve the juice.

Dice a medium onion.

Melt some butter in a pan over medium to medium low heat.

Saute the onion in the melted butter until the onion turns translucent.

Add 1/3 Cup of bread crumbs to a medium sized bowl.

Pour the reserved Salmon juice into the bread crumbs.

Pour a slightly beaten egg into the bread crumb mixture.

Pour the canned salmon (flaked) into the bowl, along with the mustard, and parsley and mix thoroughly.

Melt the Crisco in the same pan you sauteed the onion in.

Form six patties out of the salmon mixture and dredge in the remaining bread crumbs, making sure to cover all sides.

Add the patties to the melted Crisco in a hot pan and cook on medium to medium low heat depending on how hot your burner gets and what type of pan you're using.  You want a nice golden crust on the outside but you also want the inside to be fully cooked.

I served this with some homemade tarter sauce.  I hope you'll give this one a try.  It's perfect after a hard day!

Here's what you'll need:

1 can (14.75 ounce) salmon - drained and flaked, reserve the juice.
2 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion - diced
2/3 cup bread crumbs (or cracker crumbs)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. dry parsley
3 Tbsp. Shortening

Drain on can of salmon, reserve the juice.  Flake the fish and set aside.
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the onion, cook until translucent.  In a separate bowl combine the onions with the reserved salmon liquid, 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, mustard and salmon.  Stir well and then shape the mixture into 6 patties.
In a separate bowl put the remaining bread crumbs and dredge the patties in it making sure to coat all sides.
Using the same pan you used to cook the onions, melt the shortening.  Place each pattie in the hot Crisco and cook until browned on both sides.