Lemon Garlic Salmon

If you've never made salmon before, this is a good recipe to start with.  It is quick, but full of lots of flavor.  Minced garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper are sprinkled on top of salmon before it is sauteed in a skillet.  I've made this many times in the past couple of years, but kept forgetting to actually take a picture for the blog!  It was actually Mark who first introduced me to cooking salmon.  He used to load it up with lots of lemon pepper before cooking it, and over time I've modified his version to this version.  We're both big fans of garlic, so the addition of garlic was not a hard sell. :)

This time I served the salmon with roasted kale and mushrooms, but I often use whatever vegetables sound good on the side.  You can also serve this with rice/bulgar/quinoa/bread if you are in the mood for carbs as well.  Recently I've been trying to have the majority of my plate be vegetables plus some protein and not focusing on the carbs.

Once you try this salmon recipe, I bet it will quickly become part of your regular rotation for fast weeknight dinners!

Lemon Garlic Salmon

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 4-6 oz salmon fillets (I buy them frozen and skinless-- if yours are frozen then defrost before using in the recipe)
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon
• salt + pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2) Zest the lemon and then juice the lemon, saving the juice in a small bowl.  Set the lemon juice aside.  Coat both sides of each salmon fillet with garlic and lemon zest.  Then, sprinkle both sides of each salmon fillet with salt and pepper (I used about 1/2 teaspoon of each total).  Note: If your salmon has skin, coat only the skinless side with garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

3) Once your pan and olive oil are hot, add coated salmon fillets (Cook salmon in two batches if necessary).  Cook for about 2 minutes until the edges of the salmon start to look cooked.  Add lemon juice to the pan.  Flip each fillet and cook on the other side for about 3 more minutes until completely cooked.  The outsides of the fillets should be browned and the inside temperature should be 145F.  Note that the length of time necessary to cook the salmon will vary depending on how thick it is.

4) Serve immediately with roasted vegetables or a salad.

Pesto Salmon

I recently had some leftover kale pesto, and thought it would make a great topping for some salmon we had in the freezer.  I cooked up the salmon in a skillet, then topped with the pesto and tomatoes for a quick meal.   The homemade pesto provides lots of flavor (I use a lot of garlic!), and the salmon is very filling.  We had this with some toasted bread and were completely satisfied.  This is a great summer meal-- quick, no need to turn on the oven, and very refreshing.  Make yourself some pesto and then give this a try!

Pesto Salmon

Serves: 2 (double to serve 4)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ~10 ounce salmon fillet (mine was frozen and skinless)
• 2+ tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• salt + pepper
• 1/4 cup (or more) of homemade pesto
• 1 medium tomato, diced

DIRECTIONS:

1) Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper, and rub with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

2) Once olive oil is shimmering, add salmon.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook on both sides until internal temperature is at least 140F.  

3)  Turn off heat, top with a thick layer of pesto, cover, and cook another minute or two to warm the pesto.

4)  Divide salmon into 2 pieces and top each piece with diced tomato.  Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.  

(recipe inspired by Pinch of Yum)

Sesame Crusted Salmon with a Teriyaki Glaze

I'm always on the look out for more great salmon recipes, as I try to have salmon on the menu about two weeks a month.  Having lots of salmon recipes makes me way more likely to actually make salmon that often.  This is another Asian-style salmon.  Here, the salmon is coated in sesame seeds and then pan-fried in some coconut oil.  It is finished with a teriyaki glaze that complements the other flavors very nicely.  Like most salmon recipes, this comes together pretty quickly.  With some vegetables and bread on the side, you've got a great meal.  And lots of those good for you omega-3's!  In the picture above, I served the salmon with roasted collard greens with a bit of peanut sauce and sourdough bread.

Sesame Crusted Salmon with a Teriyaki Glaze

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons mirin
• 1/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 24 ounces salmon (ideally in 4 6-ounce fillets, but you can work with what you've got!  skin on or off)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sesame seeds
• 4 teaspoons coconut oil

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Make the glaze:  whisk together soy sauce, mirin, vegetable broth, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons cornstach and cold water.  Add cornstarch mixture to rest of the glaze and whisk together.

2)  In another small bowl, whisk together egg white and cornstarch until smooth.  Brush the mixture over the skinless sides of the salmon.  

3)  Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl.  Dip the skinless sides of each salmon fillet into the sesame seeds.  Press to coat completely.

4)  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, place the salmon in the skillet (if only one side of the salmon is coated, place this side down in the skillet).  Cook for about 3-5 minutes until the sesame seeds are golden brown.  Carefully turn salmon over and cook for another 3 minutes until browned on the second side and cooked through.  Remove salmon to a plate and loosely cover with foil.

5)  Pour off any oil that is still in the pan.  Rewhisk the glaze and add to the pan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat.  Simmer for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened.   Serve immediately with salmon fillets.

(recipe adapted from Annie's Eats)  

Asian Foil Salmon with Cauliflower Steaks

I have to start by saying that these cauliflower steaks are amazing.  This was the first time I had seen cauliflower prepared this way, and they were so good that Mark and I ate half of them straight from the pan.  So, whether or not you make this whole dish, make the cauliflower! They are easy to make and SO GOOD.

These cauliflower steaks are seasoned with soy sauce, ginger, sesame seeds, sriracha, and green onions.  YUM!  They are the perfect side to this salmon (or any asian-flavored dish!).  

The salmon is brushed with a soy/honey/lime/sriracha sauce and then topped with sliced sweet mini peppers, garlic, and green onions.  Each serving is prepped in a foil packet and baked.  Makes for a delicious and healthy meal with easy clean up.  By the way, sweet mini peppers are and awesome snack and so colorful!

I served this salmon over cooked bulgar (only 15 minutes to cook!).  But, you could also serve it over any other cooked grain.  This meal made me quite full, so if you are not super hungry you wouldn't even need a grain.  The cauliflower and salmon will fill you up (especially if you eat half a head of cauliflower like I did!).  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.  I can't wait to make this again!

Asian Foil Salmon with Cauliflower Steaks

serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

• cooked grain of choice (optional)

Asian Foil Salmon:

• 2 6-oz salmon filets
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/2 bunch green onions, sliced and divided (white and light green parts separated from dark green parts)
• 4 mini sweet peppers, sliced (or 1/2 large pepper)
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• olive oil spray
• salt/pepper

Cauliflower Steaks:

• 1 large head cauliflower, leaves pulled off and very end of stem trimmed (leave most of the stem there as shown in the pictures)
• olive oil spray
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (toasted if preferred)
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Heat oven to 400F.

For the Salmon:

2)  Tear off 2 large pieces of foil and place 1 salmon filet in the middle of each piece.  The foil should be big enough that you will be able to fold the salmon inside!

3)  Whisk soy sauce,  lime juice, honey, and sriracha in a small bowl.  Brush the salmon with the sauce (make sure to use all the sauce!).  Top each filet with white/light green green onions, garlic, and mini peppers.  Season with salt and black pepper.  Spray with olive oil spray.  

4)  Seal each foil packet and set aside until cauliflower is prepped.  Once cauliflower is ready, bake the salmon for 18 minutes in the preheated oven (place directly onto oven rack).  After 18 minutes, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before opening.

For the Cauliflower: 

5)  Cut the cauliflower lengthwise, including the stalk, into slices about 3/4 inch thick.  You will get about 3 nice "steaks" and the rest will be smaller pieces.  Place on a large baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray.  Roast in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned in places.  Put the salmon in the oven after the cauliflower has been in there 5-10 minutes.

6)  Whisk together the remaining cauliflower ingredients.  Spoon the sauce over the cauliflower once it is out of the oven (but still on the pan).  This will be slightly messy, but don't worry- it's delicious! 

7)  To Serve:  Serve the salmon over cooked grain of choice (if desired) with cauliflower on the side.  Pour any sauce/juices from packets over the salmon.  Sprinkle salmon with the rest of the green onions.  Enjoy!

(salmon recipe adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride and cauliflower recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Panko-Crusted Salmon

This is a great salmon recipe that is quick and easy to prepare.  The salmon is flavored with mustard and then coated with seasoned panko bread crumbs.  I use frozen salmon fillets for this and they work well.  The technique used for cooking this salmon is one that I have also used for chicken.  You cook the salmon coated in bread crumbs in the oven on a cooling rack so that the whole fillet is exposed to the air as it cooks.  This way, the bottom of the fillet doesn't steam and get soggy.  It works really well!

Salmon is one of the best natural sources of omega-3 fats.  This is a great recipe to help you to get your weekly dose of salmon!  I served it over bulgar seasoned with salt and pepper with a side of green beans.

Panko-Crusted Salmon

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 4 salmon fillets without skins (6 oz each)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 425F.  

2) In a small bowl, combine panko, lemon zest, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Add olive oil and mix until panko has been evenly coated.

3)  Put mustard in a small bowl with a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Mix until combined.  Brush one side of each salmon fillet with mustard.  Press panko onto each fillet.  

4)  Turn fillets over and repeat on the other side--- brush with mustard and press panko on so it adheres.

5)  Line a baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top.  Carefully lay panko-covered salmon on top of cooling racks.

6)  Place salmon in the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until panko is lightly browned and salmon is cooked.

7)  Serve with grain and vegetable of choice.

(recipe slightly adapted from Annie's Eats)