Baked Salmon & Shrimp Alfredo

Really simple, really fun, really tasty!

It turns out you don't need pasta to enjoy some good Alfredo. :-)

Ingredients:

• 2  6 oz salmon filets
• 10 large shrimp - raw, cleaned, tail off
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 scallion - cut into 1/4" sections
• 1/3 cup of your favorite plain Alfredo sauce. I like Bertolli. :-)
• 2-3 grinds fresh black pepper

Preparation:

Pat filets dry and then coat with half the oil. Bake at 385 for 8-9 minutes depending on thickness.

Cut each shrimp into four equal sections. Heat a small skillet with half the olive oil. Add shrimp and scallions and sautee, stirring/tossing frequently over medium heat until shrimp is just done. Stir in Alfredo sauce and black pepper. 

Plate salmon and cover with shrimp Alfredo. Serve with your vegetable of choice. Here I did sauteed zucchini with a touch of leftover tomato sauce, but I think asparagus would be a better pairing.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Soy Sauce Salmon & Bean Sprout Stir Fry - Signature Collection

These two recipes are featured separately elsewhere on the blog, but the dishes really belong together and the pairing is so good that I've added them to my Signature Collection.

Part One:  Soy Sauce Salmon

Adapted from a recipe found on Cooking-Therapy.com

Ingredients:

• 12 oz salmon cut into 2 inch squares
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup avocado oil (or pure vegetable oil in a pinch)

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup white onion - minced
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 tsp agave syrup
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 4 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Season the salmon with salt and pepper.

Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bow so it’s ready to go .

Heat 1/4 cup oil over high heat in a skillet sized to fit the fish.

Add the salmon and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Remove salmon from the heat and set aside - covered

Add sauce mix to the pan and cook sauce for 1-2 minutes to reduce. 

When your reduction turns just slightly creamy, return the salmon to the pan and coat with sauce. 

Cover and let sit for a minute so fish heats through.

Part Two: Bean Sprout Stir Fry

It took some time to research the many stir fry recipes and flavor combinations, but in the end I came up with something I can call my very own that compliments the salmon quite well.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz mung bean sprouts
• 2 stalks green onion (scallion)
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper - minced
• 3 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 2-3 grinds from black pepper mill

Preparation:

Place bean sprouts in a colander and rinse/drain well. 

Chop the garlic, mince the red pepper and cut the scallions two ways. The white stem should bet cut to small disks, and the green tops can be cut at an angle so the look pretty.

Mix together sesame oil, light soy sauce, agave, salt & pepper and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, or as I like to use, a large non-stick Dutch oven. Saute the garlic and white from scallions over medium/low heat until fragrant. Do not let these items brown.

Next add the sprouts and red pepper. Turn to medium high and toss/cook for about a minute. Finally add the sauce and the green scallion cuts. Toss to heat through  and enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Salmon Piccata

 I'm pretty sure this recipe needs no introduction other than this photograph. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 12-24 ounces skinless salmon filets (skin on is fine, too)
• kosher salt and FreshJax Citrus Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Wondra flour
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Wondra flour - take from dredging dish and add if needed
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 tbsp rinsed and drained capers
• 2-4 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley as final garnish - optional
• Lemon wedges for the table for an extra zing - optional

Preparation:

Season both sides of salmon fillets evenly with salt and citrus pepper. Add 1/4 cup of flour to a shallow dish; dredge the salmon in the flour to evenly coat. Shake off excess.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large nonstick pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and swirl to mix with the butter.

Sear salmon for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Transfer salmon to a warm plate... tent with foil and set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tbsp butter in the same pan. Saute garlic for a further minute until fragrant. Add wine... bring to a boil scraping any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. 

Add 3/4 cup chicken stock to the pan along with the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Whisk 1 tbsp Wondra Flour together with the reserved 1/4 cup of stock. Pour the mixture into the pan, blending the liquids to create a sauce. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Stir capers into the sauce. Place the salmon filets back into the pan, gently spooning sauce to coat each piece of fish. 

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and extra pepper. (optional) Serve immediately with Lemon Parmesan Barley , a green vegetable of choice along with a glass of your favorite Pinot Grigio.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Sunflower Salmon & Lemony Cucumber Salad

During my exploration of mayonnaise and Panko as a base for a fish coating years ago my eye caught sunflower seeds at the grocer. I said to myself "Hey... why not?", and so this little gem was born. The final consistency lends itself to be more of a topper than an all around coating, in my opinion. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 sockeye salmon filets – about 6 oz each
• 2 tbsp plain Panko
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 2 tbsp roasted sunflower seeds
• olive oil as needed
• salt & pepper
• white wine vinegar
• lemon juice

Preparation:

The Fish:

Salt & pepper the sockeye filets. Mix together mayo, plain Panko, toasted sunflower seeds and a touch of olive oil to a thick but workable paste and coat the top of the fish. Bake at 350 degrees skin side down for about 12-13 minutes.

The Salad:

Slice the peeled cucumber to your liking on a mandolin… preferably very thin. Mix the oil, vinegar and lemon juice and add salt/pepper to taste. Have some fun with quantities, okay? Some people prefer more lemon... others lean more to the vinegar. Make this baby your own! :-) Toss with the cucumbers and serve chilled.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Salmon, White Bean & Dill Fishcakes

A big thank you goes to my friend Angela Phillips-Gow for finding this lovely recipe on Diabetes Australia. These dill fishcakes taste as good as they look. Delicate yet flavorsome, they are even more delicious when served with lemon juice-flavored yoghurt and finely chopped chives. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 500g (just over one pound) best market value skinless salmon
• 1 teaspoon tiny salted capers, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill or parsley, plus extra to serve
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 400g (one 15 oz can) tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup (175g) fine burghul (bulgur)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• Lemon wedges

Preparation:

Roughly cut the salmon into chunks, check for fine bones and put in a food processor with the capers, dill, mustard, butterbeans, salt and pepper, and pulse until just combined.

Shape the mixture into patties using about 1/3 cup of the mixture for each, and press into the burghul to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat.

Cook the fishcakes in batches, adding more oil as necessary, for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove and drain the fishcakes on paper towel.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Salmon Strips with an Asian Flair

 On a whim I did a thing that will definitely be explored further with full size filets.

Wild Alaskan Company had a special on Salmon Strips... how could I resist? LOL

Hoisin sauce, toasted sesame seeds, powdered ginger, kosher salt toss sautéed in a bit of butter and toasted sesame oil. YUM!

Mind you this is a lunch for one (6oz) so feel free to extrapolate for more strips or filets. 

Ingredients:

• 6 oz salmon strips (or a 6 oz filet sliced)
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• dash of kosher salt
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Preparation:

Toss fish with hoisin sauce, ginger, sesame seeds and salt.  

Heat oil and butter in a fryer over medium heat. Fry fish for 30 seconds per side at most.

Serve with what you have on hand... cubed pumpkin worked for me.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Salmon en Croute (Chef Gordon Ramsey)

One of my favorite shows, Master Chef Junior, featured this dish as a Copy Chef Ramsey Challenge. As I watched the kids, some of whom had never worked with pastry dough in an entree, I decided I would give it a try myself. As it turns out, it's not as difficult as I had always envisioned, and Chef Ramsey's recipe is definitely a keeper! Enjoy :-)

Update in my learning curve: The puffed pastry sports a GI in the midrange, but its GL is high. Still a great dish but the diabetics in the family should probably remove a good part of the pastry from their serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs skinned salmon filet
• 1 egg yolk - beaten for brushing
• sea salt and black pepper grinders
• 1/2 stick softened butter
• a generous handful of basil (lemon preferred) minced
• a small handful of fresh dill - minced
• zest from one lemon (a splash of lemon juice will work)
• 1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 sheet puff pastry (crescent roll dough works)
• plain flour - to dust

Preparation:

Trim the belly strip from your filet so you have a nice rectangle. Pat both sides dry

with paper towel. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper and slice in half.

Soften the butter and mix with basil, dill, lemon zest and salt & pepper.

Open the filet and spread herb butter on one side, mustard on the other.

Sandwich the two salmon filets together, in opposite directions so both ends are of an even thickness.

Dust your work surface with some flour and spread out dough sheet.

Roll it if needed so that it will wrap around the filet. 

Lay filet in center and trim dough as needed. Brush the pastry around the filet with egg.

Fold long sides first and press gently to seal top. Press in sides and carefully crease corner with back of knife to facilitate folding the ends. Trim off excess so you have a nice neat flap to fold and gently press in place to seal.

Carefully turn the whole thing over so that the seam is underneath and place on the prepared baking tray. Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Lightly score a herringbone or cross-hatch pattern using the back of a knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover loosely and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is a beautiful golden brown.

Slice into portions and serve with fresh steamed broccoli.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Baked Salmon & Chef Michael's Shrimp Sauce

Experimenting with salmon is always fun. My shrimp alfredo is a wonderful sauce, but it can be a tad heavy depending on the mood of the day. I saw Cream of Shrimp condensed soup at the grocer one day and thought... Hey... worth a shot! :-) Combined with fresh tomato and some sherry etc., this turned into yet another winner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon filets - skinless ~6 oz each
• 1 can cream of shrimp condensed soup
• 1 tomato – cut up
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• fresh basil - handful
• ~1/4 cup sherry – use to rinse can and add to soup
• 12 large raw shrimp – peeled, deveined, tail off and cut in thirds

Preparation:

Season the salmon filets with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake or air fry at 390 for 8-9 minutes.

Defrost shrimp and cut into thirds. Set aside.

Add tomato, basil and garlic to a blender and liquefy. Maybe add a splash of sherry so the stuff is just pourable. Empty Cream of  Shrimp into sauce pan and blend with the tomato mix. Warm this while stirring with a whisk and add just enough sherry to make it a gravy that sticks and isn't too runny. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Finally add the cut shrimp, simmer 1-2 minutes to cook the shrimp and serve over your favorite plain baked or steamed fish. We love this sauce with baked salmon, and it pairs really well with green beans or asparagus.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Baked Salmon with Homemade Teriyaki

Adapted from a recipe found on Diabetes Australia.

There are many ways to cook the salmon for this dish... baked, fried, steamed or poached... The method for the fish is not all that important in this recipe, because today we are making homemade teriyaki sauce so you don't have to worry about sugar overload found in the commercial brands. For today's version I'm frying/steaming two portions of Atlantic farm raised salmon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2  6 oz  salmon filets - skin off
• black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tbsp Wondra flour
• cooking spray

Teriyaki Sauce:

• 1/2 tbsp sake
• 1/2 tbsp mirin
• 1/2 tbsp sugar - optionally use your favorite sweetener equivalent
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Preparation:

Combine all of the sauce ingredients and mix well until sugar is dissolved. If sugar is not dissolving, microwave the sauce mixture for 30 seconds and stir until sugar dissolved.

Pepper both sides of the filets, coat with flour and fry covered, spine side up in a lightly sprayed skillet for 6-7 minutes over medium/medium low heat.

Add the sauce into the skillet and continue heat for about 6-7 minutes or until the sauce is boiling. Once sauce is boiling turn the salmon over to make sure all sides are coated with the sauce. By now the sauce should have thickened. It is ready to be served.

Mixed vegetables and a green salad pair well with this dish.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Tuscan Salmon

Sometimes it's okay to splurge. Some people will call it cheating, but I prefer to call this type of meal a well deserved treat. This Tuscan Salmon, originally inspired by a recipe found on eatwell101.com, does have things we usually avoid, like heavy cream, cheese and butter, but trust me when I tell you there will be no regrets! :-)

Just don't make it every week... and practice portion control! :-)

Ingredients:

• 3-4 6oz salmon fillets
• 2 teaspoons olive oil ( I use the olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable broth (white wine works well, too)
• 1 7.5oz jar sun-dried tomato in oil, drained and cut up to bites of your choosing
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon filets on both sides with salt and pepper, and sear in the hot pan, flesh-side down first, for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Once salmon filets are cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, melt the butter in the remaining cooking juices leftover. Add in the garlic and fry until fragrant (about one minute). Add onion and stir fry until translucent. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and fry for 1-2 minutes so they release their flavors. Finally, pour in the vegetable broth, and allow the sauce to reduce down slightly.

Reduce heat to low, add the heavy cream, and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season the cream sauce with salt and pepper to your taste. Add in the baby spinach and allow to wilt in the sauce, and add in the parmesan cheese. Allow cream sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through.

Add the grilled salmon filets back into the pan and spoon the sauce over each filet. Serve with a green vegetable and a barley of your choice.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!