Honey-Mustard Salmon

Adapted from Cooking Light

Vegas in May = diet needs to start now. We generally cook and eat healthy, but this week we are really making it a point not go out to eat for dinner, so I stocked up at the store on Sunday! I was able to find fresh salmon which looked really good, so I gave this recipe a try. I love salmon with mustard and lemon -- so this caught my eye quickly! If you've ever had Trader Joe's marinated salmon, this actually tastes really similar. I definitely recommend!!! The only note I have is that the salmon steaks we bought were very thick, so broiling them did not cook them enough. I ended up having to bake them off for about 15 minutes as well -- and that was just to get them medium, so the cooking time may vary. If you do bake it, I put them in at 375 so they wouldn't cook too fast.

Ingredients:
2 tb dijon mustard
1 tb honey
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets (mine were a bit larger)

Directions:
Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches away from heat. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Arrange salmon fillets on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Brush salmon with honey-mustard sauce. Broil for approximately 8 minutes, rotating halfway in the middle of cooking.  NOTE: I topped the salmon with thin lemon slices for the last few minutes of cooking. Personally, I needed to bake these at 375 for an additional 10-15 minutes to get them to medium.

Pan Fried Trout with Tomato Basil Saute

Courtesy of Cooking Light

Rainbow trout is one of my favorite types of fish -- I know it's simple and basic, but when you can find it fresh, it's so yummy. This recipe looked light and healthy, so I thought I'd give it a go. It was fantastic! I could've easily eaten seconds -- and thirds. The pancetta really makes this a delicious dish. This would be great with a side of vegetables or rice. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces chopped pancetta (I used Boar's Head -- always a great choice)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 cup small basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided 
• 4 (6-ounce) trout fillets, divided
• 4 lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Heat pancetta in a medium skillet over low heat. Cook 4 minutes or just until pancetta begins to brown. Add cherry tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook for 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Remove from heat, and stir in basil leaves.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle fish evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt. Add 2 fillets to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fish from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining 2 fillets. Top fish with tomato mixture. Serve fish with lemon wedges.

Poached Halibut with Lemon-Herb Sauce

Halibut Courtesy of Cooking Light
Snap Peas Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Greetings! I hope everyone is off to a good 2014! What better way to kick it off than cooking healthy, light meals for dinner? Now that we have a wedding on the horizon, we're really trying to make an effort to be healthy -- at least during the week ;) I saw some fresh fish today and had to have it. This recipe had been on my mind, so I figured it would be a good chance to try it out! At first, it sounded kind of strange to me, to be honest, but it ended up delightful! Definitely give this a shot :) I had some of the sauce left over, so I'm going to save that and put it on some other things this week -- it would be great on scallops, or any other seafood! I served this with some sauteed snap peas. Enjoy!

Halibut Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 lemon sections, finely chopped 
• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 green onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 parsley sprig
• 1 cilantro sprig
• 4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets 

Snap Peas Ingredients:

• Package of snap peas 
• dash of salt and pepper
• dash of Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
• dash of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine first 8 ingredients.
2. Combine water and next 5 ingredients (through cilantro sprig) in a large skillet; bring to a low simmer (180° to 190°). Add fish; cook 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.
3. Heat 1 tb olive oil in a saute pan and add the peas. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cook on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like them.
4. Remove fish from pan with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce and peas.

 

Prosciutto Wrapped Cod

Adapted from the Rachael Ray Show (Serrano Wrapped Fish Recipe)

This recipe caught my eye on TV one day b/c I love fish, and I'm always looking for new ways to make it. I also love prosciutto -- who doesn't?! I didn't have serrano, which is why I swapped it out for prosciutto. I'm sure either would be good! I strayed from using her sides in the recipe b/c we were trying to be more healthy, but I'm going to post her recipe as she made it so that you can make it her way! Just note that my picture is my way.

Ingredients:

• 4 8-ounce portions thick cod or other sustainable white fish 
• Salt and pepper 
• Granulated onion
• Paprika or smoked paprika 
• Minced parsley and thyme 
• Lemon zest 
• 8 thin slices Serrano ham 
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 16 small white or gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), halved and chopped  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped 
• 2 Serrano pepper, finely chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste  
• 1/2 cup chicken stock 
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Lemon wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Season fish with salt, pepper, granulated onion, paprika, minced parsley, thyme and lemon zest. Wrap each piece in 2 slices of ham that are slightly overlapping to cover fish. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, in a cast-iron or other skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season potatoes with salt and pepper, and lightly brown for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Add onions, celery, pepper and garlic, and cook to soften, 10 minutes more. Add tomato paste, stir, then add stock to loosen pan bits. Toss with a handful of parsley.  Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and crisp the ham, 2 minutes on each side, then transfer to oven and cook through, 8-10 more. Douse with lemon juice and serve with hash alongside.

 

Orange Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Carrots

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I love pork chops, especially thick cut pork chops, with the bone-in. That's the only way to do it! They do take longer to cook, but they come out with much more taste and aren't as dry. Give it a whirl next time! This recipe was really tasty -- at first I thought the onions was a weird addition, but they ended up going nicely once they're soaked in sauce and cooked :) I served this with roasted brussel sprouts and carrots! Enjoy.

Pork Chop Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges) 
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon canola oil 
• 4 (6-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops (1 inch thick) 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

Veggie Ingredients:

• small package brussel sprouts (sliced in half)
• small package carrots 
• couple swirls of olive oil
• few dashes of Italian seasoning, salt & pepper
•  dash of balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. 
2. Toss the carrots and brussel sprouts with all ingredients and place in a lightly greased baking dish (on top of foil if you'd like). Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes. Stir halfway through.
3. While the veggies are baking, combine juice, marmalade, and mustard in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until syrupy.
4. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Turn pork; add rosemary and onion to pan. Pour juice mixture over pork; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140°. Place onion and rosemary on a platter. Return pan to medium-high heat; add lime juice. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is syrupy. Add pork to platter; drizzle with sauce. Serve with veggies on the side. 

 

Garides Saganaki (Shrimp Saganaki)

Courtesy of Closet Cooking 

If you've ever had this in a restaurant, well, a good restaurant, you'll want to learn to make it yourself! It's so delicious. I first had this at Zaytinya, which is one of our favorite restaurants in DC. They also do a broccoli saganaki which is delicious. In any event, definitely give this a shot. The original recipe categorizes this as an appetizer portion, but I doubled the recipe for dinner. I think next time I will add bay scallops as well just to add some variety! It would also be good over some pasta -- I could just keep on going. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup onion (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup tomato (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 splash ouzo (or mastic liqueur, optional) -- I left this out b/c I didn't have any on hand
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound shrimp
1 handful parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup feta (crumbled) -- mine had Mediterranean spices in it, even better!

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomato, oregano and ouzo and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the shrimp and simmer for 30 seconds per side.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley.
7. Transfer to a baking dish and top with the feta cheese.
8. Bake in a preheated 425F oven until the sauce is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Boneless BBQ Pork Ribs

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Nothing says winter like ribs -- well, I guess summer also counts because you can grill them. However, I don't have a grill, so I'm forced to cook them indoors :) I associate them with comfort food, and that's what we had last night! It had been quite some time since I cooked (sad). These were super easy and pretty tasty! These would also be yummy in the slow cooker, but I got started too late to do that, so I went the oven route. I served these with some sauteed broccoli, but you could do all kinds of sides (mashed potatoes would be delightful). For the sauce, you can use whatever your heart desires. I did half and half (half with Scott's Carolina BBQ sauce and half with Sticky Fingers Carolina Mustard BBQ sauce). I also used a special hickory rub that my wonderful Mom made me!

Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless pork ribs (you can adjust recipe depending on amt. of ribs)
approx. 4 tb dry rub (I prefer something smoky/hickory flavored)
approx. 1/2 cup your favorite bbq sauce (I used 2 different types and split them up)
1 tb vegetable oil

Directions:
Season the ribs by rubbing them with a bit of oil and then rubbing them with the dry rub. Refrigerate up to 12 hours (I only had time for 2 hours). Remove and let them come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Preheat oven to 250. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the ribs on the foil and cover with additional foil. Bake for about 90 minutes. Remove the foil and baste the ribs with the sauce, and turn them over. Bake for another 30 minutes and repeat. Bake another 30 minutes if necessary (depends on the size of the ribs). Remove the foil and place under broiler for the last 10 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve additional sauce on the side if desired.