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.

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.

Grilled Salmon with Dijon Soy Marinade

Ina calls this Asian Grilled Salmon, but I don't recall Dijon mustard ever being an Asian ingredient.  Or olive oil for that matter.  So I re-named it to Grilled Salmon with Dijon Soy Marinade.  But whatever you want to call it, you'll have to agree it's delicious.

I cut back on the proportion of soy sauce because I found Ina's recipe to be a little too salty.  I also cut back a little on the amount of olive oil, because while it is a healthful ingredient, it's still a fat.  I only used a 1-pound sockeye filet (with skin on), so I reduced the marinade to 1/3 of the original recipe.  This was the perfect amount for two adults and a three-year-old-who-loves-fish.

Grilled Salmon with Dijon Soy Marinade
Taken from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh wild sockeye salmon filet, de-boned, skin on
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced

 Directions:

• Pre-heat grill on medium-high heat.
• Place salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut into 2 - 3 portions.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic.
• Drizzle marinade over salmon pieces and use a brush or spoon to evenly coat the fish.  NOTE: If you are planning on using the leftover marinade to top the salmon after grilling (optional), make sure you do not touch the dirty brush or spoon (with raw fish on it) to the marinade.
• Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Grill 5 minutes skin side up, then flip and grill for another 5 minutes skin side down.
• Remove skin before serving.  If you'd like, drizzle the leftover marinade over the fish before serving.

Eat more fish!

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.

Salmon with Lentils

I love lentils and am always looking for ways to prepare it. I was watching Barefoot Contessa the other day and this recipe made me salivate right on the couch. I love Ina. If only she'd invite me to one of her dinner parties. Or lunch, or breakfast, brunch, heck, even for a snack. I'm not picky.

The original recipe calls for a ton of onions. I don't like onions that much, so I cut way back on the amount. I also just did a quick pan sear of the salmon on the stove top instead of transferring it to the oven. Only because I was roasting beets in the oven at the same time and didn't have room to add the fish.

Everything was delicious.

Salmon with Lentils
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1/4 cup leeks, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 large stalks celery, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 6 individual portions of salmon fillets, pan-seared or broiled in the oven

Directions:

• Place lentils in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain.
• In a large saute pan, heat oil, then add shallots, leeks and thyme.  Cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook a couple more minutes.
• Add the drained lentils, celery, carrots, chicken broth, tomato paste, and TSSS.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes until lentils are soft and have absorbed the liquid.
• Add the vinegar and toss.
• Plate the lentils and top with the cooked salmon.  Serve hot.

Salmon with Balsamic Vinegar

Normally I'd make a balsamic vinegar reduction on the stove top first, and then glaze the salmon with it before baking.  However, with a toddler and a newborn in the house, I just didn't have the time to make the glaze (go figure), so I just drizzled everything directly onto the fillets.  If you have the time, combine the TSSS, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half, then pour over the salmon fillets before baking.  The flavor of the glaze is much more robust.

Eat more fish!

Salmon with Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• wild salmon fillets in individual portions, skinned and de-boned
• balsamic vinegar
• lemon juice
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, combine about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, juice of 1/2 lemon, and TSSS to taste.
• Coat both sides of the fillets with the seasoned mixture and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Drizzle with additional balsamic vinegar before serving if desired.