Showing posts with label Salmon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salmon. Show all posts

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Citrus Baked Salmon with Pomegranate



I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season.  We celebrate Christmas and had family in town.  Now we are trying to justify our food choices and figure out a plan of action.  This dish is on the menu for the week.

If you know a thing or two about Oregon then you know that Oregonians love their salmon.  Our home sits on a bay.  When the weather is good you will find many fishermen up early trying to land a popular Chinook Salmon.

Driving around you will see these said fishermen piled into flat boats all fishing in the same place.  Seriously, you will see 8-10 boats all together with their lines out.  Sometimes you mights see 30 or 40 fishing boats in one spot.  It's a sight to see and during PEAK season--good luck finding parking to even get your boat in the water.

Personally I don't have that kind of desire to hunt fish with a community effort. If we go, I prefer sitting by a quiet creek with little to no foot traffic or boats by the dozen.

We have yet to catch our own salmon.  Cory bought the gear and has tried a few times with his brother from the shore but without a boat I hear it can be tough. Eventually we may have to get a boat.  Although with the amount of rain we might be building an ark soon.

For now I get our salmon like most people do.  At the store.  I try to buy the freshest pieces I can.  Again, this is not hard in my area because we live in a fishing community and I go to the boat and buy it from the mornings catch.  Yes, we are spoiled that way.

If you read my blog, then you know that we don't eat much meat.  We do eat fish on occasion.  Let me explain.  Our not eating meat has nothing to do with animal cruelty.  I am opposed to inhumane conditions of these factory farms that are horrible to their animals.  I don't buy from these places when we do eat meat.  I try to shop locally from sustainable LOCAL farmers and fishermen.  I know the people who are raising the little meat that we do eat.    For me, it is a protein issue.  My body does not like animal protein.  I am able to eat fish without any visible or noticeable issues.  

For this recipe I wanted to try and experiment with spices and herbs.  I went with a coconut and orange juice bath with slices of oranges and lemons.  I added whole anise and cinnamon sticks while the fish was baking.  I also seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, and onion salt.  Use any spices you want.  My thinking was to go with flavors that I thought went well together: orange and cinnamon.  These two flavors remind me of winter.  

It's winter.  It's cold.  We had salmon.  Simple stuff Maynard.



Citrus Baked Salmon with Pomegranate 

1 large filet of salmon, this piece measured about 15 inches long
2 oranges (1 for juice and 1 slices to bake with fish)
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 pomegranate, seeds only
2 whole anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 can of full fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt, pepper to taste
garlic powder
onion powder
fresh thyme, minced

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Oil a baking dish.  Lay filet in the bottom of baking dish.

2.  Add all of the ingredients (except the pomegranate seeds).  The fat from the coconut milk I scooped on top (see picture above) and poured the liquid in the bottom of the dish.  I seasoned the fish by sprinkling said spices across the top. I don't have a heavy hand and never measure this method. I use it for all of my fish dishes.  It works for us.

3.  Lay the slices of lemon and orange across the salmon.  I added the juice from one orange to the coconut milk--notice the orange color when baked--to add flavor and to extend the broth.

4.  Bake fish until flaky.  Salmon cooks fairly fast.  I usually check it after 15 minutes.  Each oven is different so keep that in mind.

5.  We serve the salmon in steaks over rice and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds for color and flavor.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Baked Salmon with Capers, Herbs, and Lemon


I eat salmon at least once a week.  I am guilty of making salmon just to enjoy the crispy skin. It is like a huge potato chip to me.  It totally grosses my husband out;  he won't even try it to see if he likes it or not.  I think he would enjoy the crispy and salty taste of the perfectly fried skin.

It does not taste fishy in my opinion.  I fry the fish with the skin side down in a pool of olive oil that is very hot.  My cast iron pan is perfect for this part of the recipe.  It does the job quickly.  I turn it over and get a nice sear and then transfer the salmon to a baking dish to finish cooking in the oven.

I don't always do this two-step process but for this dish I did.  I removed the crispy skin and devoured it before my daughter could get wind of what I was doing in the kitchen.  She loves the crispy salmon skin too.  (For the most part I always share with her.  It's what Moms do.) The oven allows the mayonnaise, lemon and herbs to coat the salmon filets.  I take one large piece of salmon and cut it into two or three pieces and then top them with my desired ingredients.

Capers are heavenly in my opinion.  They are briny and add just the right punch to this dish.  I use them in everything these days. I love finding new ingredients.  Capers are an ingredient I see posted in recipes all the time. I just never started buying them until recently.  Not to sound to repetitive, but I am so glad I did.

This recipe calls for mayonnaise.  There are several options you have here.  You can make your own mayonnaise from scratch or use store bought.  I have used both with great success.  We have also used Vegannaise.  

Enjoy this easy baked salmon dish.  


Baked Salmon with Capers, Herbs, and Lemon
Serves 4

1.5 pounds of fresh, wild caught salmon (1 large filet or 4 smaller portions)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup of mayonnaise or Vegannaise
1 lemon, juice only
1 lemon, sliced thinly
4 sprigs each of fresh thyme and fresh dill
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Jar of capers


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare baking dish with a light coating of cooking spray.

2.  In a heavy duty frying pan heat oil.  Add salmon with the skin down and fry.  This takes about 3 minutes for the skin to get nice and crispy and to pull away from the salmon.  Flip salmon and fry again for 3 minutes.

3.  Remove skin and set aside.  Add the whole filet of salmon or small salmon steaks to a baking dish.  Season fish with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.  Smear top with mayonnaise.  Sprinkle herbs, lemon slices and capers for the final touches. Cover with foil.

4.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Fish should be moist and flake with a fork.  Serve immediately. Store leftovers in refrigerator.


Written by Sherron Watson



Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Citrus, Dill and Salmon Kabobs




Several times each year I desire to enlighten my soul by resting my body and mind. Taking myself on an internal journey to find the beauty within by attending a few hours in a spa recommitting myself to fitness, health, relaxation and inner peace.

There is something magical that happens when you enter through the front doors of a spa. The calming music that is playing in the background gives you permission to leave your thoughts and worries at the doorstep.  Neutral colors, aromatherapy, and the trickling sounds of nature are all experiences that I look forward to when I enter the serene environment of a retreat.  A sanctuary to rejuvenate, revitalize and restore my mind and body.

A few years ago Cory and I decided that we would gift to each other a couples massage for our anniversary.  I found a spa close to our home that would allow us to use our lunch hour.  I wasn’t sure how this would work or if we would even enjoy the experience.  To our surprise the experience was amazing!  I would recommend this to all of my friends.

There are ways to bring this spa environment into our own homes when our lives get busy and too full to add one more event to our schedules.  Sometimes staying home is the only alternative. The question arises, how do we do this?

I believe we would all have different answers as to what would bring us to a calming state of mind.   In my own home I have invested in candles, essential oils, body scrubs, a beautiful robe, music that calms my spirit and a few spa inspired recipes.

Spa cuisine has a certain expectation for me.  We need bright, fresh and colorful dishes that remind us to stay on a healthy course.  I need to feed my spirit with a healthy philosophy.  This will ensure my journey to a calming inner glow is achieved.

My family and I are always striving to live with a healthy philosophy about our food choices.   The recipes today are a reflection of those choices.  Our everyday diets are filled with lots of fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, natural sweeteners and lean meats. 
Our mindfulness of what we put into our bodies allows us to stay active and nourished. 

Let me share with you a few ideas that can easily be followed when you are capturing the spirit of spa cuisine in your own home.

  1. Chose quality foods.  Pamper yourself with a few favorites.
  2. Avoid processed food.  Stay with fresh ingredients.
  3. Make spa water.  Add a few mint leaves and lemon slices to dazzle your water intake for the day.
  4. Use local ingredients when possible.
  5. Relax.  Close your eyes and clear your mind.  Enjoy your food!

Spa food is not about limiting what you eat but reintroducing modifications to how you eat.  Make choices that will feed your body, soul and mind.  It is not about being this way or that way but more about feeling complete and whole. 


I had left over pieces of salmon that were not suitable for skewering.  I went ahead and grilled them anyways.  I added the roasted dill and a wedge of lemon.  It was perfect!
  
Citrus, Dill and Salmon Kabobs

Makes 6-8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes


1 pound salmon filet, remove skin and cube
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
2 whole lemons, sliced thin
1 grapefruit, peeled and cubed
Fresh dill
Olive Oil

Skewers

1.  Soak skewers for 30 minutes in cold water.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place a baking rack inside a cookie sheet. 

3.  Season both sides of salmon (skin removed) with onion powder, salt and pepper. Prepare salmon, lemon and grapefruit according to ingredient list above.

4.  Add salmon, grapefruit chunks and lemon slices to skewers in any order.

5.  With a pastry brush, brush each skewer with olive oil.  Lay long stems of dill next to each skewer.  See picture.

6.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Try not to over bake.

7.  Crush baked dill over each skewer and serve.

Written by Sherron Watson

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Parchment Poached Salmon Pouches #SundaySupper



Parchment paper and I are very good friends.  We met a few years back and it was the best union.  I cook and it helps things to not stick to my cookie sheet AND it makes these darling parchment pouches.
I guess in a way it's our version of a TV dinner.  You fill half a side of parchment with what you would like and it all cooks at the same time...viola...dinner in 20 minutes.  Now if you are one of those that don't like your food to touch other foods, then prepare the different items in different pouches.  I do this when I make our meat and potato pouches.  I fill a separate pouch with carrots to steam.  Carrots add a very sweet flavor to food and I don't like my potatoes tasting like carrots.

I have very strong opinions about carrots, you may already know this from reading another post. Now in this pouch, I added a few carrots because it married well with the other veggies and I used them sparingly--more for color, I guess.

Our theme this week was Skinny Sunday Dinner. I have not shared any parchment pouch dinners on my blog and thought this would be an excellent fit for a skinny dinner. Lots of veggies, a great quality piece of salmon, fresh herbs, citrus, and extra virgin olive oil all steamed together in under 25 minutes.

I am going to share with you how I prepared my salmon pouch but you can add any veggies you would like, any herbs that you enjoy and any spices that rock your world.  Do you see how this works?  I will prove you with the basics of how to fold the paper, cook the fish and what I used but you have the ultimate control over what is put inside.  The only thing that will take longer to cook is the potatoes unless they are cut up very small.  Other than that...go crazy and create parchment pouches for your family.



I find that many recipes name their parchment pouches and include the term poach. To poach something is to immerse it into the water and gently cook delicate items like fish or an egg.  I think the salmon is probably closer to being steamed with the end result being your salmon and veggies are resting in a small amount of liquid: water, the juice from the salmon, and olive oil.  I went with the popular title and left it as Parchment Poached Salmon instead of calling it Parchment Steamed Salmon.

To add some garnish to my dish I used fresh thyme in the pouch and served the salmon with a few toasted almond slices and a combination of Sriracha Sauce and mayonnaise.


So let's get started with the recipe.  I have included a step by step pictorial of how I stacked my pouches as well as a step by step pictorial of how to fold the pouches.  You will also find a great list of recipes from our Sunday Supper group with the links to other fabulous skinny dishes at the very end. 

Recipe:  Parchment Poached Salmon Pouches
This will make 6 pouches.

1.5 pounds of salmon, cut into 2 inch wide pieces (I was able to get 6 pieces)
2 small zucchini's, cut at an angle into thin slices
2 small carrots, peeled and then using the peeler I sliced curls of carrots
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced thin
1 lemon, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup of spinach PER pouch
1 small red onion, sliced thin
fresh thyme sprigs (about 2 per pouch)
olive oil 
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I would have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  Cut you salmon into desired servings, find your olive oil and have the salt ready to season.

Tear a piece of parchment paper about 20 inches long for each pouch.  Stack your veggies, fruit and salmon on one side.

Drizzle olive oil over the top (the amount is up to you, some like more than others), season with salt and add the sprigs of thyme.

Using the pictures below,  fold your parchment paper in half; starting on one side, fold the paper over each other and continue around to the other side.  The parchment should not come undone.  Take the end and tightly fold it under the pouch.

Bake time should be 20 minutes.  Rest the pouches for 5 minutes.

Serve the pouches on a plate or remove contents to a plate.  I have included a picture above of the salmon and veggies served on a plate.

NOTE:  To open pouches, I use a pair of scissors and cut down the middle with a few cuts to the left and a few to the right, this allows people to finish tearing their pouches.  Remember there is steam in the pouch, be very careful to not burn your fingers with the first cut.

I started with spinach and sprinkled my onions across them.

I adde carrot curls and the blood red oranges next.

I laid my salmon (wish skin) on top of the oranges.

I topped each piece with lemon slices, olive oil, salt and sprigs of thyme.
This is how the salmon looked before I cooked it for 20 minutes.

This is how they looked when they were done.

To start the process, fold the parchment in half.
Take the left side and fold the first twist next to the salmon, and continue turning and twisting the paper around the contents.


You can see the twisting and turning, continue to do this around to the other side.
 
When you have made it to the other side, take the little tail and fold it under.  I cook 4 on a cookie sheet at a time.

I had some odd pieces left and added smoked paprika, olive oil, and thyme and baked them without any veggies for the same amount of time-20 minutes.

Just take a look at all these amazing Skinny recipes!  A huge thanks to Sunithi, of Sue’s Nutrition Buzz, for hosting us this week!
Sizzling Skinny Appetizers & Soups
 Healthy Skinny Mains & Sides
Guilt Free Skinny Desserts & Snacks
Wine Pairing Recommendations for Skinny Sunday Supper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing out special skinnified recipes! Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite healthy recipes with us!


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