Citrus Salmon En Papillote

Wanting to try something different with salmon, without getting to experimental so as not to throw off my beau (who has just recently acquired a taste for salmon), I was pleased to come across this method. I have been familiar with it for some time, but had yet to give it a try myself. Why didn’t I try this sooner?! It’s SO easy, quick and elegant! Versatile, too!

Time: 15 minutes              Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• 2 4 oz salmon fillets
• 2 slices navel orange
• 2 slices lime
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• splash lemon juice
• sea salt (I used Himalayan pink) and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• olive oil spray
• 1 small bunch thin asparagus, trimmed & halved.

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Cut two 12-inch pieces of parchment paper. Fold each in half and round out the corners with scissors. Unfold.
• Place asparagus pieces in center of trimmed paper. Spray with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Top with salmon fillet, and spray with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Top with chopped parsley & a squeeze of lemon juice. Top with sliced citrus.
• Fold each piece of parchment up and over the fillets. Holding both edges of the parchment together, roll the edge down making several folds as you go until the fish fillets are tightly sealed in their packets. Place packets on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• To serve, place packets onto serving plates and use scissors to cut an X in the center, being careful not to cut the food, or advise diners to very carefully unroll packets if not cut.

Pistachio Pesto Roasted Salmon

You’re just 2 ingredients away from a moist, flavorful, impressive main course!

Time: 15 minutes            Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• 2 4-6 oz. salmon fillets (I use skinless)
• 1 tbsp Pistachio Pesto

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Rinse salmon fillets and pat dry. Place on lined baking sheet or glass roasting pan. Evenly distribute 1 1/2 tsp pesto onto each fillet.
• Place in oven on middle rack. Roast for 10-12 minutes (may be more depending on the thickness of your fillet), until flesh flakes easily with a fork.
• Move to top rack of oven and broil on 425F for one minute, just until top reaches golden brown.

Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce with Salmon

Several weeks ago we went to a local restaurant that we’ve been to many times. They had a dish on special that sounded quite delicious but I was disappointed to find after ordering that it was bland and not very good at all. I was determined to take the ingredients and turn them into what I thought they should be. The results were delicious! This would also be great tossed with crab meat/tuna fish/shrimp.

Time: 25 minutes         Serves: 4

Ingredients

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• 8 oz. short cut pasta (I used rotini)

• Lemon Cream Sauce

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• 1 medium shallot, diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (depending on how tart your lemon is and your personal tastes)
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or additional stock)
• 1 cup half & half
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• cornstarch if needed for thickening (I used about 2 tsp)

• Salmon

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• 4 salmon fillets, 4-6 oz. each
• sea salt and pepper to taste (freshly ground if possible)
• olive oil spray

• Vegetables

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• 1 leek, well cleaned & trimmed – white and light green parts only – cut in half & sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium zucchini. diced (about 3 cups)
• 4 cups packed baby arugula
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt & pepper to taste

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Salt 2-3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta al dente.

• Lemon Cream Sauce

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• Heat butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot and saute, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to let garlic brown too much, turn heat down if needed. Add lemon juice, zest, chicken stock and wine and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until reduced by half, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in cream and cream cheese and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch if needed, whisking well to incorporate.

• Salmon

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• Place salmon fillets on lined baking sheet. Spray generously with olive oil (or brush on if you don’t have spray). Season to taste with salt & pepper. Place in oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

• Vegetables

  

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• Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and leeks and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add arugula, salt and pepper and toss just until wilted. Remove from heat.
• To serve, toss pasta and vegetables with sauce. Divide into portions. Serve each with salmon on top or along side. Enjoy!

Salt & Pepper Salmon

This is a very simple recipe. My beau is not a big fish and seafood fan, and we all know salmon can have a strong flavor. This preparation is delicious and the fishiness is not overpowering. You may use fillets with or without skin – see below.

Time: 15 minutes            Serves: 2

• 2 salmon fillets (about 6-8oz each)
• kosher salt
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tbsp+ olive oil
• if your Salmon still has skin, 1tbsp butter

How to make it

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• Skinless Fillets

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• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon with salt &pepper. Cook about 4-6 minutes, then turn and season again with salt & pepper. Cook another 4-6 minutes (or until reaches your desired level of doneness).

• Fillets w/Skin

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• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Season with salt & pepper. Rub 1/2 tablespoons butter on the skin side of each fillet. Add the salmon to the pan, skin-side down. To get super crispy skin, cook the salmon almost to completion, about 6 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until flesh side is nicely seared, 1 to 2 minutes.

Dill Crusted Salmon

This recipe was inspired by Food Network Chef Anne Burrell who was inspired by Chef Mario Batali. It’s quick, healthy and delicious. Where can you go wrong?

Time: 10 minutes        Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• 2 salmon fillets, about 6-8 oz each
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 2 heaping tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• olive oil

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 350F. Heat enough oil to coat pan on stove top over medium heat.
• Combine potato flakes and dill in a shallow dish. Season salmon with salt & pepper. Brush one side of salmon with egg. Press fillets egg side down into potato/dill mixture. Place fillets in pan, potato/dill side down. Cook for about 4 minutes, until well browned on that side. Transfer salmon, plain side down, to baking dish and bake for about 5 minutes or until desired doneness (flesh should be tender and easily flaked w/fork). Garnish with sprig of dill if desired.

Salmon With Cauliflower Mash, Pea Shoots And Almonds

When doing research on pea shoots for another recipe, I came across a gorgeous photo of a salmon dish but alas there was no recipe to go along with it! It must have been from a restaurant. I really wanted to duplicate it and this is what I came up with.

Time: 20 minutes            Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• Cauliflower Mash

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• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp milk
• sea salt & black pepper, freshly ground – to taste

• Salmon

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• 2 4-6oz. salmon fillets
• 1 tsp spice rub of your choice
• olive oil spray

• Pea Shoots

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• 1 cup pea shoots
• 1 tbsp Kenzoil: olive oil seasoned with fresh basil & garlic. (If you can’t find this product, just combine 1 tbsp olive oil with about 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil and two minced garlic cloves.)

• To Serve

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• 2 tbsp sliced almonds
• Kenzoil

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 425F.

• Cauliflower Mash

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• Steam cauliflower in basket until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer into a pot and mash with a potato masher. Put on low heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

• Salmon

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• Spray salmon fillets with olive oil spray. (If your salmon has skin, cook skin side down.) Rub about 1/2 tsp spice mix into each fillet. Top with more olive oil spray. Place on baking sheet lined with foil or glass baking dish. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until flakes with a fork. (If it has skin, carefully remove it, the fillet should lift easily away from skin.)

• Pea Shoots

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• Saute pea shoots in Kenzoil over low-medium,stirring, until just tender, about 2-3 minutes.

• To Serve

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• Divide cauliflower mash. Top with salmon, followed by pea shoots and almonds. Drizzle a bit of Kenzoil around the mash.

Roasted Salmon with Leeks & Fingerlings

A wonderful way to celebrate spring, this complete meal is based upon one from the Food Network Magazine. It is absolutely delicious!

Time: 10min prep, 1hr+ cook        Serves: 2

Ingredients

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• 2 6-8 oz salmon fillets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• sea salt
• 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tbsp chives, snipped or chopped
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 – 1 tbsp tarragon, chopped (to taste – it has a distinctive flavor that can be rather strong)
• splash lemon juice

How to make it

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• Preheat oven to 450F. Brush roasting pan with olive oil, add leeks and brush with olive oil. Season leeks with sea salt and roast until slightly golden, about 25 minutes. Remove & set aside.
• Turn oven down to 275F. In another roasting pan allow salmon to come to room temperature. Brush with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until firm, about 35 minutes.
• Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain & set aside.
• Combine softened butter, herbs, and lemon juice.
• Place salmon atop leeks, spread butter mixture across salmon and on potatoes. Roast for about 5 minutes. To plate, place leeks on plate and top with salmon with potatoes alongside.