Maple-Dijon Salmon with Warm Israeli Couscous Salad (and some belated baby news)

As I'm sure you've figured out by my lack of posting for the last few weeks, we've had a new addition to our family. Entering the world a week past her due date, our new daughter, Maisy, was every bit worth the wait. She is the sweetest little baby, and we are completely in love. As well as a little tired. Adjusting to a newborn in the house has been the easy part- it's also having a three year that makes things a little trickier.

Like cooking dinner...especially when Sage isn't home. I haven't really figured out how to manage that one yet. You'll have to bear with my scarce posting for a while. Clearly I am not dedicated enough to have stockpiled recipes to post, nor do I have much time to be blogging anyhow.

This was a meal we cooked together that we really enjoyed. Originally the salad contained wheat berries, but I chose to use whole wheat Israeli couscous instead. I also added zucchini, eliminated the toasted pecans and played around a good bit with the ingredient quantities. I loved the maple-dijon glaze on the fish and how it paired with the couscous and veggies. I wasn't sure about the cranberries, but they definitely added something and I glad I included the zucchini. I've never had wheat berries before, so I would like to try this with them, but I thought the couscous version was great, not to mention way quicker. If you don't have to stop to feed a baby, while also showering attention on a big brother, this entire meal would be an absolute breeze to prepare.

Beckett meeting his baby sister for the first time

Maple-Dijon Salmon with Warm Israeli Couscous Saladadapted from Health, as seen on MyRecipes (via Erin's Food Files)
serves 3
for the salad:
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup whole wheat Israeli couscous
2 cups boiling water
2 medium carrots, in small dice
1 stalk celery, in small dice
1 medium zucchini, in small dice
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper2 tbsp red wine vinegar
for the salmon:
3 (4 oz.) pieces of wild-caught salmon, skin on
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Preheat oven to 450.In a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add couscous and toast for 1 minute. Add boiling water, cover pan and reduce to a low heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, drain excess water if needed and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Add carrots and celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cranberries, season with a couple pinches salt and a good bit of pepper and continue to cook for another minute or two, or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, stir in prepared couscous, vinegar and remaining tsp of oil. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Cover to keep warm.
While vegetables are cooking, stir together dijon and maple syrup. Mist a baking sheet with olive oil or brush with additional olive oil. Arrange salmon, skin side down on baking sheet and spread dijon-maple glaze over top. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until almost cooked through, then turn broiler on and broil until golden on top, about 2 minutes.
Serve salmon atop couscous salad.

Panko-Crusted Salmon

The first time we had this, it was a last minute decision. It was late and I needed to come up with something easy that wouldn't take long to prepare. I remembered this recipe I had bookmarked in my reader, and in hardly any time, we were sitting down for what looked to be a promising meal. After only the first bite, we knew it would have to made again, soon, so it could go on the blog. That was a month or two ago, and really, that was too long to wait. It was even better than I remembered.

I adapted the recipe to suit our family of three and also to compensate for the fact that the wild caught salmon fillets that are most easily accessible to us are around four ounces and not the six to eight ounces, as the recipe originally calls for. When we made it before, our salmon had the skin on, but this time it did not, so I will include the directions with, but if yours doesn't have it, just pick a bottom side.

If you enjoy salmon, I can't recommend enough that you give this a try. It's so simple to prepare that it is perfect for a weeknight meal, yet worthy of serving to guests. It may just be our new favorite way to eat salmon.

Panko-Crusted Salmon
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?, via Pink Parsley
serves 3

1/2 cup panko
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 1/4 tsp lemon zest
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
3 (4 oz) salmon fillets
1 tbsp dijon mustard, divided
lemon wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/4 tsp of salt, several grinds of pepper, and 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp of the olive oil. Mix until crumbs are evenly coated and set aside.

Place salmon fillet on cutting board (skin side down, if it has it). On the top of each fillet, spread 1 tsp of dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Press panko mixture thickly on top of each fillet.

Heat remaining tbsp of oil in an ovenproof skillet, such as a cast iron one, over medium-high heat. Once the oil is very hot, gently add the salmon fillets, skin-side down, and sear for 3 minutes, without turning.

Transfer pan to oven, and bake for about 4-5 minutes, or until salmon is nearly cooked through. Broil for an additional minute or two to brown the panko. Remove from the oven and loosely cover with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then serve with lemon wedges.

Angel Hair with Roasted Tomatoes, Tuna and Olives

A few months into our relationship, one night I made for Sage and I some kind of tuna noodle casserole for dinner. (In my defense, my cooking skills were very limited back then and my budget was tight.) He politely ate it, and then admitted he wasn't a fan of canned tuna when it was hot. I took that to note and never again put tuna from a can into any kind of cooked dish. Until now.

What would make me give it another go, some 9 years later? I came across a recipe where the tuna was tossed with hot pasta and other fresh, flavorful ingredients, instead of being baked, smothered in a sea of cream of something-or-other soup, and I just suspected it was worth trying. I did alter the recipe some, opting to roast grape tomatoes instead of using sun-dried, substituting regular black olives with kalamatas, angel hair for linguine and omitting the pine nuts.

The verdict? It was most certainly not the Tuna Noodle Casserole of early 2002. We both really enjoyed this quick and easy meal, loving how full of flavor it was. In this case, taking a chance payed off nicely.


Angel Hair with Roasted Tomatoes, Tuna and Olives
adapted from Southern Living, February 2010, serves 3

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
7.25 oz (1/2 of a box) of multi-grain angel hair, or other thin, long pasta
1 (5 oz.) can of chunk white tuna in water, drained, or 1 (6 oz) pouch of white tuna chunks
1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives, drained
1/2 cup crumbled fat-free or reduced-fat feta
3 tbsp thin sliced basil strips (chiffonade)

Preheat oven to 350. Toss tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch or two of salt and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 17 minutes shaking pan halfway through cook time. Add minced garlic, tossing well, and return to oven for 3 additional minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan.

Gently stir tuna, olives, roasted tomatoes with the pan juices, and remaining olive oil into pasta. Divide between serving plates and top with feta, basil and fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Ginger Soy Marinated Mahi Mahi

The sometimes limited selection of wild-caught fish available where I shop, combined with the fact I have a 2 year who LOVES seafood, means I've been trying some types of fish lately I thought I didn't care for. This mahi mahi, in a marinade of soy, ginger, honey and lime, proved wrong any previous misconceptions I might've had for this particular variety of fish. It was outstanding and will absolutely be made again in the near future.

I only tinkered slightly with the marinade ingredients, but I had an issue with the length of time to marinate, as originally written. It called for the fish to be marinated for at least 4 hours or overnight. Now (and please enlighten me if I am wrong here,) it's always been my understanding fish doesn't need to marinate very long, unlike say, beef. And I've always heard that when there is citrus in the marinade, you shouldn't do it for longer than about 30 minutes, as it will actually began to break down and cook the fish. I went with my very reduced amount of time to marinate, and it came out perfect, so full of flavor. With one of our family's favorite side dishes, roasted broccoli, and jasmine rice for Sage and Beckett, this was a dinner we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Ginger Soy Marinated Mahi Mahi
adapted from Food.com

1- 1 1/2 lbs. wild-caught Mahi Mahi filets
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
juice from half of a lime
3 tbsp Tamari (or regular soy sauce)
1 tbsp dry red wine
1/8 tsp cayenne (or more if you want it spicy)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients besides fish fillets in a resealable container large enough to hold fish. (You could also use a zip-lock baggie, but I am trying to be less wasteful.) Add fish and turn to coat well. Spoon some extra marinade over the top, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator. Marinate for 30 minutes.

On a grill preheated to medium-high, grill fillets for about 6-7 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily, making sure not to overcook.

Salmon Poached in Court Boullion and Braised Endive with Citrus

As a floral designer for the past 14 years (wow, that makes me sound really old...) Valentine's Day and the week leading up to it is a very hectic time for me. This year, with the holiday falling on a Sunday, it was a little different. The massive amount of deliveries, which usually are all on one crazy busy day, were stretched over several days.

My longest day of working wasn't even quite 14 hours. That might seem rather long, but as someone who has spent way too many pre Vday nights still poking flowers into arrangements at 1:00 in the morning, I was rather happy to be home before eleven. And the best part...I'm sitting at home in my jammies on Valentine's Day, writing about this dinner we had earlier in the week, instead out cranking of vases of roses and waiting on a long line of customers.

This week for Symon Sundays, Joanne, of Eats Well with Others, selected Salmon Poached in Court Bouillon and Braised Endive with Citrus, a meal that sounds fancy enough to be ordered while out at a really nice restaurant on Valentine's Day. But I'm sure that restaurant would do a much better job at presenting such a plate. Or at least remember to garnish it somehow, instead of just hurridly slapping it on a plate, as I did. (Something more like the lovely presentation done by Natashya, from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies.)

Oh well. At least it tasted good. We both enjoyed this, especially the fish. I've only recently began liking salmon, and I found myself scarfing this one down in a way that's very unlikely to help teach my little one table manners. Sage went so far as calling it phenomenal. The method of poaching in a liquid made of spices and aromatics is simple enough (although I still have to say I favor the ease of the delicious Broiled Salmon with Marmalade-Dijon Glaze we had recently.) This was a basic Court Boullion, and I would like to try some of the other flavor combinations Chef Symon gives.

It was the first time either of us had endives, and the verdict was: they were good. We didn't love them, but we didn't dislike them either. The endives are first browned, then brasied in a combination of fresh orange juice, honey, thyme and stock, which is later reduced to make a sauce. I found the sauce almost candylike in flavor (which must be an indication that I don't eat much candy) and a nice compliment to the natural bitterness of the endives.

Since I won't have another Valentine's Day off until 2016, I am just going to link you to Joanne, who has the recipes posted, so I can go spend this day with my two loves, my hubby and my little boy :)

Broiled Salmon with Marmalade-Dijon Glaze

A former seafood and fish lover, I've somehow lost my enthusiasm for it as of late. We used to eat a lot of fish at home, and I always ordered seafood of some type when we'd go out for dinner. In the past, the one fish I never really cared for is salmon. Oddly enough, that seems to be the one I really enjoy lately. I saw this yummy looking recipe on Lovestoeat's Weblog, and thought it would be something we'd like.

This was such an easy meal (Sage actually made it in less time than it took me to prep and saute the brussel sprouts we had it with.) But even better than it's speediness, it was so very good! I don't remember our little one ever really having an interest in fish, and he devoured his and kept asking for more. It would be awesome served over brown rice, but we've had a lot of rice and pasta lately, so I just served it with a hefty serving of the brussel sprouts, and it was quite a very filling meal. The only changes I made was using one big piece of fish instead of 4 individual 6 oz. servings, and subbing out some of the marmalade for fresh orange juice and zest from our tree in the backyard. Our piece of fish was pretty thick in the middle, so it took a little longer to broil. Next time, I'd probably cut it into serving sized pieces before broiling.

adapted slightly from Lovestoeat's Weblog, originally from Cooking Light
For the glaze:
2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup orange marmalade (or omit the juice and zest and increase to 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 lb. piece of salmon or 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Place fish on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Brush half of marmalade mixture over fish; broil 6 minutes. Brush fish with remaining marmalade mixture; broil for 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. (With our piece of fish, we broiled for about 5 extra minutes.)

Spinach Stuffed Salmon

I made the decision that we will no longer be eating farm raised fish in our household. At the grocery, there weren't many options for wild fish available so I went with salmon. I've only began eating it in the past year or so, and it needs to have some kind of sauce for me.

This recipe is something I put together using elements of lots of different salmon recipes I've come across. I wasn't sure if it would be a trainwreck of competing flavors, but it was absolutely delicious! With the cheese and butter it's not the healthiest meal I could've fixed, especially since the fish is naturally high in cholesterol, but its occasionally okay to indulge a little! We even splurged with a little white rice.

Serves two

1/2 lb. Wild Sockeye Salmon Filet

filling:

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp lemon pepper

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

topping

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp shredded parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut a slit in the piece of salmon about 2/3 through, being carefully not to cut all of the way through. Place fish in a glass baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

3. In a saute pan, heat oil. Add garlic, saute 1 minute, then add spinach, saute for another minute or two until spinach is wilted.

4. In a small bowl, combine spinach with goat cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings. Mix well and stuff inside of salmon.

5. In a seperate small bowl, blend butter, mustard and parmesan. Brush on top of fish.

6. Bake for about 14 minutes, or until fish flakes with a fork and spinach mixture is heated through.

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce & Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad

We had a few avocados that needed to be eaten, so I decided we should have something Mexican for dinner. On the wonderful food blog, A Year in the Kitchen, I found a recipe for a corn and avocado salad that sounded tasty.

I was trying to decide about what to pair the salad with and began thinking of the Mexican restaurant I used to hostess at. They had the best fish tacos, and no matter where I go, no one else's ever compare. They had grilled- not fried- fish, a creamy white sauce, and a fish taco must- shredded cabbage.

I came up with this recipe, and while its not the same, it was great, as was the salad. This light, delicious meal went great with an icy Corona Light. As a shortcut, I bought pre-shredded cabbage, and the entire meal came together quickly. We were out of propane, so we broiled the fish, but it would've been great on the grill, too.

Fish Taco with Cilantro Lime Sauce (makes 4 tacos)

2 Large Tilapia Filet

olive oil

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

sauce:

3 tbsp lite sour cream

2 tbsp lite mayo (I use the kind with olive oil)

1/4 fresh jalapeno, minced

1 tsp minced cilantro

Juice of half a lime

4 small flour tortillas

1/2 of an avocado, sliced

1/2 of a small tomato, diced

1 cup shredded cabbage

1. Place fish in glass baking dish. Brush both sides with oil.

2. Mix dry spices together and brush on top of fish.

3. Broil for about 7 minutes, flipping halfway though. Fish is done when no longer opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Transfer to a plate and cut into bite size pieces.

4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, blend sauce ingredients.

5. Fill each tortilla with fish, cabbage, avocado and tomato. Top with sauce.

Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad (from the blog A Year in the Kitchen)

1 c. frozen corn kernels, defrosted but cold*
1 avocado, diced (mine were small, so I used 1 and a half)
1/4 red onion, minced (I omitted, due to preference)
1 tbsp. minced cilantro
1/4 jalapeno, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

1. Add corn, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix well.
2. Gently fold in avocado, being careful not break it up too much. Keep chilled until serving.

*This recipe says to defrost corn and leave cold. The bag of corn I had said all over it MUST COOK FULLY. Since I am a scaredy cat when it comes to food, I cooked mine first, and let it fully chill before proceeding. This was probably a completely unneccesary step.