Tangy Parmesan Salmon and Roasted Root Veggies

This is one of the easiest, fastest ways I like to make salmon... or chicken! It's a little more rich and than a lot of the other salmon recipes Antoinette and I have posted on this blog, but it's delicious and served with a bunch of veggies, it's a great dinner - especially for a chilly evening, or a night that just needs some comfort food. 

As for the root veggies - oh my goodness. This is another thing that I came to love especially after I moved from southern California (land of the never ending farmer's market) to the Pacific North West. When tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, or other seasonings and roasted in a hot oven, root veggies get super sweet, soft and amazing in all ways. We heart the root veggies. 

Tangy Parmesan Salmon
Serves 2
Preheat oven to 400

2 salmon filets
1 tablespoon mustard - regular yellow mustard or Dijon
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons mayonaise
Salt and Pepper

In a small bowl mix together mustard, Parmesan cheese, mayo, zest and salt and pepper. Place salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread in a thick layer on salmon and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until the thickest part of the salmon is cooked to your liking. It may need a few more minutes. I like nice browned spots on the top of my salmon and usually flip the broiler onto low for about 2 minutes towards the end of the cooking. 

Roasted Root Veggies
Serves 2 a lot of veggies
Preheat oven to 400

1 bunch of beets - I used beautiful stripy chioggia beets
3 carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper - about a 1/4 teaspoon of each

Peel beets and carrots and chop into equal sized pieces. Toss the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 35-40 minutes.

That's it. We ate this with carrot and zucchini fritters. It was wonderful and perfect for a chilly night!

A few things about this recipe...
This topping is great on salmon or chicken! I tend to cook chicken in a shallow baking dish with this topping, rather than on a baking pan. I also bake the chicken at 375 for 25-30 minutes instead of the hotter, shorter time I bake the salmon. 

The root veggies are especially wonderful with some fresh rosemary! We like onions, bell peppers, all kinds of squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips, anything!

Things made this time last year...
Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

 

Cabbage Soup

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

Betty Crocker has a recipe for a lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon that looks amazing.  However, in the spirit of being the “no pressure cooker” I decided to change it up, make it easier, and make it my own.  That’s what being a no pressure cooker is all about, right???  Whenever possible, I try and find the easiest and quickest way to make a delicious dish…then…I share it with all of you.

I made a number of changes to this recipe.  One of the main changes was not using fresh white bread crumbs.  I used panko.  Panko provides a fantastic crunch that I feel balances well with the soft and delicate texture of the salmon.  Also, I didn't feel like putting white bread in a food processor.  Here, I season the salmon first and then I brush with a mixture of margarine and lemon juice.  This helps keep the salmon moist and also gives it part of the lemony flavor that goes so well with seafood.  The salmon receives another citrus punch because the crust mixture is made with lemon zest.  The flavors come together so well that you may not ever make salmon another way again!

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

*inspired by Betty Crocker

 

4 salmon fillets

1 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp pepper, divided

cooking spray

3 tbsp butter

juice from one lemon

¼ c panko breadcrumbs

¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1 tsp lemon zest (~1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Season both sides of salmon fillets with half of the salt and pepper.  Place seasoned fillets on a baking sheet lightly coated in cooking spray.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add lemon juice and stir to combine.  Brush the top of fillets with about half of the butter mixture.  Set butter mixture aside.

Note: I lightly patted the salmon with the butter/juice mixture so that I wouldn’t brush the seasoning off.  I recommend you do the same :)

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs, zest, and remaining salt and pepper.  Add remaining butter mixture and stir well so that breadcrumbs are evenly wetted.

Fact: Herbs de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs and often includes lavender.  The brand I used combined thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage, and lavender.  This mixture is known to be traced to South France and has a multitude of uses but pairs really well with grilled meat and seafood.

Press breadcrumb mixture over top of salmon fillets.  Bake uncovered for ~15 minutes.  Turn oven on broil and cook until breadcrumbs are golden in color.  Serve immediately.

I served this dish with roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli.  It made for a great weeknight meal that was balanced, healthy, and quick!  If you don’t have herbs de Provence at home, you can try tarragon, Italian seasoning, or oregano. 

Soy Glazed Baked Salmon

I'm a less than confident fish cooker. I fear accidentally serving sushi to my family. I don't always know what flavors really goes with what and I am afraid of the bones. There, I own all of it. But I'm getting better and I'm trying new things. Phew - that weight off my chest is freeing. Anyway, our Whole Foods had a sale and I'm excited about bargain food! I didn't know what I was going to do with these salmon filets, but I knew I needed them. Digging around the Internets I found this Martha Stewart recipe and decided to try it. We all really liked it and it will be in our regular rotation. 

Soy Glazed Salmon - Recipe from Martha Stewart
Preheat oven to 400
Serves 2


2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice from one lemon - about 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon white wine (or water)
2 salmon filets (ours were 6oz each)

In a small bowl mix together sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and wine. In a shallow baking dish arrange salmon filets so they fit without overlapping. Pour the marinade over the filets and then flip to coat all sides. If you're using filets with the skin on, bake skin side down.

Bake about 20 minutes, depending on how big your filets are. Baste twice while baking. 

We ate this with cucumber salad, mango slices and coconut rice.

Cucumber Salad
1 large English cucumber, or regular cucumber partially skinned
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

With a mandolin or with good knife skills, slice the cucumber very thinly. Mix together vinegar, sugar and oil and pour over the sliced cucumbers. Toss with sesame seeds. (English cucumbers have nice, tender skin and I do not peel them. Regular cucumbers have tougher skin and I peel strips off keeping about half the green skin on.)

This was a really easy weekday meal. The salmon was perfect - light, flavorful and a new option for us. 

Enjoy!

Pecan Crusted Salmon

Growing up I didn't eat fish, at all (well, I ate calamari, but only because I was tricked and bamboozled and couldn't back down after I scarfed a whole plate of fried delight.) A few years later, going out for sushi became really hip and I had to tackle my issues or compromise my cool. Obviously, I embraced the hip. THEN we moved to the Pacific Northwest. Land of drizzle, coffee and salmon. Again, I was faced with either losing out on every chef's special, or... OH WAIT, this stuff is delicious and I a fan! From plank cooked to a special combo of salmon stuffed with brie, crab and shrimp, I'm a fan. Here's a great recipe we found doing some googling a few days ago.

Pecan Crusted Salmon - from All Recipes Online
Serves 2
Preheat oven to 425

2 6oz salmon filets (we use wild caught - it's more expensive but worth the cost for health and environment benefits.) 
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
2 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons mustard - I used Dijon
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste 
Lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 425. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, butter and honey. Stir until ingredients are fully incorporated. In another small mix bread crumbs, pecans and parsley. 

Place salmon filets on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with butter, honey and mustard mixture. Cover the fish with the bread crumbs, pecans and parsley mixture. Press the nuts and bread crumbs lightly into the fish to fix them into place.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish is to the doneness you prefer. Serve with lemon and salt and pepper.

A few things about this recipe...

This was delicious and SO easy/fast/weeknight-friendly. 

Despite the ingredients, it is definitely NOT a honey-mustard flavor. It's light and sort of tangy-sweet, but not like a salad dressing.

I will change the pecan/bread crumb ratio next time and add more pecans and less bread crumbs.

I will add a bit of parmesan to the bread crumb combo the next time we make this. Why? Because parm is good. The End.

We served this with a combo of roasted potatoes and beets and a saute of swiss chard, onions and garlic. We were totally proud of our antioxidant-rich, colorful, superfood meal. Enjoy!

Lemon and Caper Salmon En Papillote

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  You know what it’s time for…resolutions.  After eating nothing but rich sweets made mouthwateringly delicious by sugar and butter, it’s definitely time to get into some healthier eating habits.  I don’t know about you, but I totally fell off the wagon towards the end of the year.  Who can resist all of that macaroni and cheese, cobblers, and pies???  I can’t.  But now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get back in gear.

This salmon will help you get there.  It’s very healthy.  Salmon is great for you!  It’s a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. I try and buy wild-caught instead of farm-raised because the salmon are allowed to swim freely and aren’t held in what I consider to be an underwater prison.  Wild-caught salmon also are lower in fat because they have more room to roam and are more active.  However, I do understand the cost constraint so make the best decision for you and your family.  I hope this recipe will aid in helping you to meet all of your resolutions for 2013!

Lemon and Caper Salmon En Papillote – slightly modified from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets

¼ c EVOO

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp coarse black pepper

1 ½ tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves

8 lemon slices

¼ c lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

½ c Marsala wine or white wine

4 tsp capers, roughly chopped

4 pieces of aluminum foil

Brush top and bottom of salmon fillets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.  Place each piece of seasoned salmon on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal. 

Top each filet with 1 tsp capers, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 2 tbsp wine.  Place 2 lemon slices on top.  Wrap up salmon tightly in the foil packets.

Tip: Make sure all of the edges of the foil are curved up before pouring the lemon juice and wine over the salmon to prevent it from leaking.

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place the foil packets on the hot grill and cook for 8-10 mins for a 1” thick filet. 

Giada recommends serving these in the packets.  This is definitely possible but I also think that this is great served over couscous or rice and pouring all of the yummy cooking liquid over the grain to allow it to soak up all of that lemony flavor.  Either way works!  I promise :)