All-Purpose Chicken Seasoning

My family loves this on chicken. Especially roasted chicken thighs with crispy skin. This seasoning is also delicious sprinkled on baked fish.

All-Purpose Chicken Seasoning 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons pink Himalayan salt
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika powder
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions: 

• Mix together and store in an airtight container. Sprinkle liberally on chicken before grilling, baking, roasting, etc. 

Baked Sole Stuffed with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Dried Cranberries

My family loves sole, but the kids will only eat it baked plain with a few dashes of salt. So that's what I made for them for dinner tonight. But for hubby and myself, I wanted something a tad fancier. So I decided to stuff ours. With whatever I had in the fridge and pantry. Spinach. Goat Cheese. And dried cranberries. And I sprinkled pepitas on top just for fun. It was so good!

Note: I thawed about a heaping 1/2 cup frozen spinach to get the 1/4-ish cup after squeezing out the excess water. Just eyeball it and don't worry if you have a little more or little less.

Baked Sole Stuffed with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Dried Cranberries
Makes 2 rolls. Can be scaled up as necessary.


Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4-ish cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
• 2 large sole fillets
• 2 ounces soft goat cheese, at room temperature
• 2 heaping teaspoons dried cranberries
• salt and pepper
• cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon raw pepitas
• lemon wedges

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and stir for 15 - 20 seconds until fragrant, then add the spinach and toss to coat. Set aside for a few minutes to cool.
• While spinach is cooling, salt both sides of your fillets, and lay them out onto your prep area. 
• In a bowl, combine the cooled spinach together with the cheese, cranberries, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the spinach mixture between the two fillets, and roll the fish. 
• Place the rolled fillets seam-side-down onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until the fish is opaque and cooked through.
• While the fish is cooking, toast the pepitas for a minute or two in the toaster oven or in a small dry pan over the stove.
• When the fish is done, remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly-ground black pepper and the toasted pepitas.
• Serve with lemon wedges.

Dill Gazpacho with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Shrimp

It's been HOT all week so far.  Highs in the mid-80s.  I'm glad it's not snow, but I'd love it to cool down a little bit.  My ideal is high-60s to low-70s.  I think that's in the forecast for this weekend, so yay!

Last night I made a hot soup (Lentil and White Bean Soup with Arugula) for dinner and we were all sweating bullets.  DUH.  So tonight we're having cold soup.

I don't think dill is typical of gazpacho, is it?  All the gazpacho I've had to date have typically been with parsley or basil.  Or herbless.  But I love love love how dill complements seafood, so that's what I used here.

Dill Gazpacho with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Shrimp


Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 2 persian cucumbers, chopped and divided
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound grilled mahi mahi, cubed
• 1/2 pound grilled shrimp

 Garnish:

• diced avocado
• roasted and salted pepitas 
• chopped fresh dill 
• extra virgin olive oil
• Tabasco sauce

Directions:

• In a blender, pulse the crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, half the cucumbers, garlic, onion, dill, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper until almost smooth.  Or chunky.  Or however you like it.  I added about 1 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt, but how much you add will depend on how sweet/tart your tomatoes are, what type of salt you use, and your taste preference.
• Add in the other half of the chopped cucumbers and buzz for another split-second (the newly-added cukes should still be slightly chunky).
• Pour into a lidded container and refrigerate to chill for at least a couple of hours.
• When ready to serve, ladle cold soup into 4 bowls and add in some warm grilled mahi mahi and shrimp.  I like the warmth of the fish and shrimp in contrast with the cold soup, but you can certainly use cold fish and shrimp.  Top with diced avocado, pepitas, fresh dill and a drizzle of olive oil.  Add a dash of Tabasco if you're feeling frisky.

I like to use persian cucumbers because they're firmer than regular or hothouse cukes, and this gives the soup a little more texture.

I chose to add pepitas because I'm gluten-free.  Otherwise you could certainly add croutons.  :-)

Grilled Ginger Salmon Skewers with Pineapple Pico de Gallo

I originally was going to make salmon skewers spaced with pineapple slices, but at the last minute I decided to make a sort of pico de gallo topping instead.  A yummy sweet and tangy accompaniment to the fresh salmon skewers.

I used my Grilled Ginger Salmon Brochettes recipe for the fish.

Grilled Ginger Salmon Skewers with Pineapple Pico de Gallo


Pineapple Pico de Gallo Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh sweet pineapple, diced
• 1/2 cup sweet red and orange peppers, diced
• 1/4 cup shallots, diced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño, minced (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• juice of 1/2 lime (more as needed, depending on how sweet the pineapple is)
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

 Grilled Ginger Salmon Skewers Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh wild salmon fillet, skinned, boned and cubed
• 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Soak some wooden skewers in water for a few minutes.  This will help prevent them from burning on the grill.
• Place cubed salmon fillets in a mixing bowl.  Add rest of the ingredients and toss.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Skewer the salmon onto the soaked skewers. Place onto a hot grill and cook on high for a few minutes on each side until done.  Plate the skewers, top with some pineapple pico de gallo and serve immediately.

I like to serve the skewers on a bed of brown rice and beans.  Tonight I paired it all with a massaged kale salad.  Yum!

Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa and Fish

One of my favorite Vietnamese dishes of all time includes steamed white fish with glass noodles and black fungus (tastes better than it sounds, really) wrapped with lettuce and mint in rice paper.  So refreshing on a hot day.  I thought I'd mix it up a little, and here's what I came up with.

I used a nice sea bass fillet today, but you could use any firm fish (halibut, yellowtail, mahi mahi, etc.).  I also baked the fish today, but it's great grilled as well.

Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa and Fish


Ingredients:

• 1 pound sea bass fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/4 onion, chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet red peppers, chopped
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1.5 cups water
• lettuce leaves, washed and trimmed 
• avocado slices
• lemon wedges

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Rub fish with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 17 - 20 minutes until done and flaky.
• While fish is baking, melt coconut oil in a small pot and stir in onion, garlic, mushrooms and sweet pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until veggies are fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes.  Add the quinoa, water and salt to taste (I added approx. 1/2 teaspoon).  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
• Lay the lettuce leaves out on a plate.  Fill each leaf with some of the quinoa mixture, then top with some fish and avocado.  Spritz with lemon.  Enjoy!

Crispy Baked Chicken Strips

A staple in our house; I just can't believe I haven't posted this yet. (Or maybe I have and am missing something?) I love the parmesan-panko crust.

You can also use this recipe to make crispy baked fish sticks.  Just use slices of red snapper, tilapia, halibut, or even salmon instead of chicken.

Crispy Baked Chicken Strips

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1 pound chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breasts cut up into strips
• a few tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• water
• whole wheat panko
• shredded parmesan cheese
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
• Create a dredging station with 3 shallow bowls:  Put a few heaping tablespoons of whole wheat flour in the first bowl.  In the second bowl, whisk the eggs with a couple tablespoons of water.  In the third bowl, combine equal parts whole wheat panko and shredded parmesan (about 3/4 cup each), along with a few dashes of TSSS.
• One by one, dredge each chicken strip into the flour, shake off excess, dip into the egg, let excess drip off, then dredge in the panko/parmesan mixture.  Place in a single layer onto the sprayed baking sheet.
• Bake in pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes until crispy.  (You can flip the strips halfway through the cooking time, but I don't bother.)

Spinach Stuffed Salmon

Another quick fish idea.  Easy enough for a Thursday night, fancy enough for a dinner party.  Eat more fish!

Spinach Stuffed Salmon

Ingredients:

• 4 6-ounce wild salmon center-cut filets (about 1.5 pounds total)
• 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (it squeezes down to about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• olive oil in a mister
• lemon wedges

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut a hole, width-wise, into each salmon filet, leaving a 1/3-inch boarder around 3 sides, forming a pocket.  Set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together the thawed spinach with the parmesan, pine nuts and a couple shakes of TSSS.
• Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal parts and stuff into each of the prepared salmon filets.
• Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Place the stuffed salmon filets on the sheet, then spray the tops of each filet with more olive oil.  Sprinkle with TSSS.
• Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until cooked through.  Squirt with lemon wedges before serving.

Honey Dijon Salmon

Salmon is so quick and versatile.  I was late starting dinner today, so I threw this together in under 30 minutes.

Honey Dijon Salmon


Ingredients:

• 1.5 pound salmon filet, skin on
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• equal parts whole grain Dijon mustard and honey

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the salmon filet, skin side down, onto a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with TSSS.
• In a small bowl, mix together about 2 tablespoons each of mustard and honey.  Spread it on top of the salmon.
• Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through.

Fish with Eggplant Ragout

Today was clean-out-the-fridge day.  I found: 1 eggplant, 1 package of sliced button mushrooms, a small orange bell pepper from a friend's garden, and 1/2 an onion.  On the counter were 4 plum tomatoes, and in the pantry was half a jar of couscous.  I bought some red snapper fillets on my way home from picking up the munchkin from school.  Throw it all together and what do you get?  A skillet of yumminess.

Fish with Eggplant Ragout

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant, diced into 1/2" pieces
• salt
• olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced into 1/2" pieces
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 1 package (6 oz.) sliced button mushrooms
• 1/4 cup water
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• large dash of dried thyme
• large dash of dried oregano
• 1 pound fish fillets, cut into 4 pieces

Directions:

• Liberally salt the eggplant pieces and let sit in a colander for 10 minutes to drain.  Rinse thoroughly.
• In a large skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat and sauté the onions until translucent.
• Add the eggplant and everything else except the fish.  Season with TSSS to taste.  Sauté for about 10 minutes until veggies are soft.
• Move veggies to the edge of the pan and add another tablespoon of olive oil to the center.
• Season the fish fillets with TSSS.  Add the fish in a single layer to the center of the pan.  Cook for a few minutes on each side until done and flaky.  Spoon the veggie mixture over the fish, remove from heat and let sit for a minute.
• Serve over couscous or rice.

Fish Stew

A quick, simple and delicious fish stew.  I made more broth than what the original recipe called for because I love dipping a warm, crusty sourdough loaf into it.  I also omitted the tomato paste and added more tomatoes, and next time I think I'll add even more.  Yum.  Eat more fish!

Fish Stew
Taken from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• a few tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• a small handful of fresh parsley, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 8-oz. bottle of clam juice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup vegetable (or fish) broth
• 1.5 pounds of sea bass (or other white fish), cubed into 1-inch pieces
• a dash each of dry oregano, thyme and Tabasco
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt, to taste
• freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
• lemon wedges

Directions:

• In a large heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until soft and translucent.  
• Add parsley, tomato and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes until tomatoes begin to soften.
• Add clam juice, wine, vegetable broth and fish.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot.  Simmer 7-10 minutes until fish is cooked through.
• Add TSSS and pepper to taste.
• Ladle into bowls and spritz with lemon wedges.
• Serve with fresh, hot, crusty bread.

Grilled Lemon Pepper Fish

Lemon Pepper Chicken?  Sure.  Lemon Pepper Fish?  Why not.  I used my Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe on some fresh wild Sockeye salmon tonight and it was delish.  Try it, and eat more fish!

Grilled Lemon Pepper Fish

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1.5 pounds of fish (I used a fresh wild Sockeye salmon fillet, skin on)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 lemon (to taste)
• olive oil

Directions:

• Place fish, skin side down, on a plate or cutting board.  Liberally season with TSSS and pepper.
• Zest the lemon onto the fish.  Then cut the lemon and squeeze the juice onto the fish.
• Drizzle with olive oil.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
• Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat.
• Remove plastic wrap from fish and place skin side up on grill.  Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes.  Then flip the fish over to skin side down and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes until cooked through.  
• Remove fish from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Honey Soy Grilled Salmon

This was so delish.  I bet the salmon would still be good with just the glaze (without the herb stuffing).  I bet the glaze would be good on chicken too.  Mmm mmm good!

Honey Soy Grilled Salmon
Taken directly from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 4 6-oz. center cut wild salmon filets with skin on
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons honey (use agave nectar to be completely SBD-legal)
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Directions:

• Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat.
• In a small bowl, combine cilantro, scallions, olive oil, ginger, and TSSS to taste.  Set aside.
• On a cutting board, place the salmon filets skin-side down.  Using a sharp knife, cut a slit down the middle of each filet, lengthwise.
• Divide the herb mixture and stuff into the slit of each salmon filet.
• In a separate bowl mix the lime juice, honey and soy sauce.  Brush this glaze generously on top of each stuffed filet.
• Grill the stuffed filets, skin-side up, for 3-4 minutes.  Turn the fish over (skin-side down), brush with glaze again, and grill an additional 3-4 minutes until it is cooked through.
• Remove the skin (it will peel off very easily) and serve hot.

Split Pea Soup

I've always loved split pea soup.  And I mean LOVE.  But I'm not a big fan of "hammed" or "baconed" split pea soup.  I don't know why.  So I've always searched for pork-less split pea soup options.  This one is a definite keeper.  If you want to make it vegetarian, use water or vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

I omit the potato because it is not South Beach Diet friendly.  If you want, you can sub sweet potatoes.  But the soup doesn't really need it; it's nice and thick and creamy even without the tubers.  I also add all the split peas at once, instead of in two shifts because I don't really care for the firmer peas in the soup.

Today I decided to try something new with this favorite recipe.  I found some beautiful wild, fresh sea bass fillets at the grocery store, so I cubed about 2 pounds worth and added them to the soup.  Delish!  (I'm thinking it would be great with chopped lobster, too.)

Eat more fish!

Split Pea Soup
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• a few tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 2 cups dried green split peas
• 1 carton (4 cups) chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 pounds sea bass fillet, cubed (optional)
• additional TSSS & pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a large 5 quart stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic, oregano, TSSS and pepper for about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
• Add the carrots, split peas, chicken broth and water.  
• Bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring often.  Skim off the foam while cooking.
• Cover the pot and continue to cook for an additional 40 minutes, stirring often, until peas are soft.
• If you want to add the sea bass, do so 10 minutes before the soup is done.
• Add additional TSSS and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot.

Grilled Ginger Salmon Brochettes

I thought I'd already posted this recipe, but after looking through my archives, I see that I have not.

This week Henry's had fresh (not frozen!) wild (not farm-raised!) king salmon fillets on sale for $6.99/lb.  Six dollars and ninety-nine cents per pound!  That's an awesome deal!  So of course I had to snatch some up.

Grilled Ginger Salmon Brochettes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh wild salmon fillet, skinned, boned and cubed
• a couple tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Soak some wooden skewers in water for a few minutes.  This will help prevent them from burning on the grill.
• Place cubed salmon fillets in a mixing bowl.  Add rest of the ingredients and toss.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Skewer the salmon onto the soaked skewers.  I like to use double skewers so they're easier to flip on the grill without having the salmon rotate and spin on the axis.
• Place onto a hot grill and cook on high for a few minutes on each side.  Serve immediately.

Eat more fish!

Ahi Tuna Sandwich

Another way to prepare and eat fish. I love fish. :-)  The goat cheese gives this sandwich a lovely zing that goes really well with the tuna, but goat cheese is pretty mild, so you'll have to be rather generous with it.

In hindsight, I guess I should have seared the sides of the tuna just for photo presentation purposes.  If you look closely, though, you'll see I did get a nice brown crust on the top of the fish (and on the bottom, too, I promise), if not the sides.

Ahi Tuna Sandwich

Ingredients:

• Orowheat 100% whole wheat sandwich thins
• goat cheese
• olive oil
• fresh Ahi tuna fillets cut into patty-size pieces
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• baby spinach, washed and dried
• tomato slices

Directions:

• Spread goat cheese generously (generously!) over the bottom half of each sandwich thin.
• Place the sandwich thins in the toaster and toast until desired crispiness.  The goat cheese will soften but won't necessarily melt.
• Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat in a large pan.
• Lightly season both sides of fillets.  Place in pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side until fish is nicely seared on the outside and fully cooked on the inside.**
• Place fillet patties onto the cheesed sandwich halves.  Add spinach and tomato slices and top with the other halves of the toasted sandwich thins.

**Note: unless you are purchasing sushi-grade tuna, please cook your fish all the way through for safety reasons.  This includes all fish purchased at mainstream supermarkets.  If you like seared tuna, where the fish is raw/rare inside, you'll need to buy sushi-grade tuna at specialty stores.

Simple Snapper

I think I'd mentioned before that my favorite way to prepare light fish is just with a dash of seasoning and then pan fried on the stove. It's easy, it's quick, and it's tasty. And it adds more fish to my diet.

Simple Snapper

Ingredients:

• fresh red snapper fillets (or other flaky white fish such as tilapia)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt (or your favorite seasoning)
• PAM

Directions:

• Lightly sprinkle Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt over each side of fish fillets.  Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Pre-heat large pan on medium-high.  Spray with PAM.
• Cook fish (in a single-layer) for a couple minutes on each side until cooked through. If it doesn't have a nice light sear to it, turn up the heat a little bit.

That's it.  How quick and simple (and delicious) can it get?  :-)

Miso-Glazed Sea Bass

Fresh wild Corvina sea bass has currently been on sale at the local grocery store, so this is the 3rd week in a row we're eating it. I'm a seasonal/sale shopper. I just can't justify paying triple for something off-season, there are so many other food choices out there that it's unnecessary. If oranges aren't on sale in the summer, eat the watermelon that is. If the pork chops are full price this week, skip them and buy the sea bass that's seasonal and on sale. :-)

I made this tonight and it was oh-so-good and oh-so-easy. You can buy miso paste in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores, usually over by the tofu or other Asian items. They come in little tubs and keep for several months in the fridge. Just make sure (if you're on the South Beach Diet) to read the labels and buy the ones with no sugar added. I don't miss the sugar because I don't need my miso to be sweet, but if you like the sweetness, you could always add your own no-calorie sweetener. It's all about being aware and being in control of what you put into your body.


Miso-Glazed Sea Bass
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• PAM
• 1 1/2 pound sea bass fillet, skinned and de-boned, cut into portions
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 2 tablespoons miso (white or brown, it doesn't matter, it's just taste preference)
• juice of 1 small lime
• water
• freshly-ground black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat broiler.  Spray a baking sheet lightly with PAM.
• Season one side of the fillets with the TSSS.  Place seasoned-side down onto the sprayed baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, whisk together miso and lime juice.  Add water, a little bit at a time, until you get a thick drizzle (about the consistency of pancake batter).  Add freshly-ground black pepper.
• Spoon miso mixture over the tops of the fillets.
• Place the fish 6 - 8 inches under the broiler until it is cooked through, about 8 - 10 minutes.

This is delicious accompanied with roasted veggies (cooked in the same oven at the same time).

Broiled Fish Fillets with Dressing

Here's a super quick and easy way to prepare fish with just two ingredients.  I even do it in my toaster oven (in a 9"x9" glass baking dish), which is great in the summer when it's already hot enough without having to fire up the big oven.

Broiled Fish Fillets with Dressing

Ingredients:

• fish fillets, de-boned and de-skinned, cut into portions (wild Corvina sea bass in the above photo)
• your favorite bottled salad dressing (Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette in the above photo)

Directions:

• In a baking dish, pour enough dressing to coat the bottom of the dish.
• Place the fish fillets in a single layer in the dish.
• Pour more dressing over the fish to coat.  If necessary, use a spoon or pastry brush to make sure the fillets are well coated.  You don't need to pour so much dressing as to completely submerge the fish, just enough to coat it will do.
• Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. 
• Preheat broiler.
• Broil until the fish is cooked through and nicely browned on top.  (Approximately 8-10 minutes for 1 pound of sea bass, halibut or other white fish.  Approximately 10-12 minutes for 1 pound of salmon, tuna or other firmer fish.)
• Serve over a green salad or with rice and veggies.  YUM!

I like to make this with vinaigrette-type dressings, such as Italian, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Ginger Soy, etc., although a friend of mine broils salmon with ranch dressing and swears by it.  I'd be interested in hearing (or reading?) your feedback on what fish/dressing combination you used and what you thought about it.  Tonight's combo in the above photo is wild Corvina sea bass with Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.  Delish!

Parmesan Crusted Red Snapper

This recipe is so simple that it's an old old staple at our house.  It can be made with red snapper, tillapia, cod, sole or basically any tender white fish.  My original recipe doesn't call for any bread crumbs, but I was a little short on parmesan today, so I combined 1 part parmesan with 1 part bread crumbs to make enough coating.  Still very good, but I prefer the un-diluted parmesan crust because it gives a stronger flavor.

Parmesan Crusted Red Snapper
I don't remember where I got this idea from, I've been making it forever.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium red snapper fillets, skinned and de-boned
• Dijon mustard
• 1 cup-ish grated parmesan (or, in today's case, 1/2 cup parmesan and 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs)
• a few dashes of Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• PAM

Directions

• In a shallow bowl, combine parmesan (and optional bread crumbs) with some TS Seasoned Salt.  Set aside.
• Using your hands, coat both sides of each fillet with mustard.
• Dredge fillets in the parmesan mixture.  Make sure to thoroughly coat both sides of the fish.
• Spray a frying pan with PAM and cook fillets a few minutes on each side until crust is nicely browned and fish is cooked through.  It shouldn't take very long (3-5 minutes on each side) since these types of fish are very light and tender.

Eat more fish!  :-)

3/5/12 ETA:  Today instead of cooking it in a pan, I baked it in the oven for 15 minutes on 350 degrees F.  The cheese melted into the mustard and turned into yummy gooeyness.

Orange Sole

We love fish at our house. Even the little one eats it. She began eating fish before chicken (and she still doesn't care for beef). Probably because the fish is more tender and chewing it with few teeth wasn't such an issue.

I love cooking fish because it's quick and easy.  Normally for firmer fish like salmon and tuna, I'll just throw it on the grill.  And I pan fry more tender fish like sole or tilapia, with just a dash of yes, you guessed it, Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt.  I was looking for a way to kick it up a bit when I came across this recipe.  Luckily for me, Henry's is having a fabulous sale this week: fresh wild Dover sole fillets for $3.99/lb, and huge juicy Navel oranges for $0.15/lb.  Jackpot!

Orange Sole
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sole fillets
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• PAM
• Smart Balance
• a splash of balsamic vinegar
• 2 navel oranges, peeled and sliced
• a handful of grape tomatoes, halved
• thyme
• dill
• a handful of toasted pistachios, shelled

 Directions:

• Sprinkle fillets with the Seasoned Salt and pepper.  In a pan sprayed with PAM, cook the fish a couple minutes on each side until opaque and flaky.  Remove from pan and place on serving plate.
• Add a couple spoons of Smart Balance, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, the sectioned oranges, the halved cherry tomatoes, a dash of thyme and a dash of dill to the pan.  Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen the yummy brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Once the Smart Balance is all melted and the sauce is nice and bubbly, spoon it over the fish.  Sprinkle everything with the pistachios.
• Serve immediately.

This recipe also works great with tilapia, red snapper and halibut.  And I bet it would be great with scallops as well (mental note for later).