Easy Grilled Salmon

Easy Weeknight Meal - Salmon

What you will need

1 lb of Salmon (gives you two hearty portions)
2-4 Tbsp of Trader Joe's SOYAKI marinade
(or make your own marinade with low sodium soy sauce, sesame seeds, splash of orange juice or pineapple juice, fresh grated ginger, garlic, dash of sesame oil)
Pepper to taste

Marinate fish for 30 minutes to 24 hours (more time=more flavor)

Grill until opaque, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and additional marinade, if desired.


Side Dish

Brown Rice stir fry

Microwave Birds Eye brand brown rice for 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, stir fry some minced red pepper, yellow pepper, 1/2 cup frozen green beans, 1 clove garlic, and 2 Tbsp of onion in canola oil. When the green beans are done, add the cooked brown rice and stir.  Add 2 Tbsp of low sodium soy sauce.  Serve while piping hot.

Learning to Cook for Better Health

Good morning,

When we learn to cook our own food we have control over what goes into our meals.  We can indulge a little and still know we are making better choices for our overall health. 

Here are a few ideas on what to include and limit in our diets -
Some Fat Burning Foods:
Asparagus, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, apples, banana's, raw carrots, oranges, jalapenos, cayenne chilies, habaneros, fish, chicken, salmon, turkey, tuna, oats, whole grain cereal, lean beef, sardines, green tea

Foods that interfere with Fat Burning:
Sugar (high fructose corn syrup), processed foods, hydrogenated fat

Great, Whole Foods:
Millet, quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice, oats
Vegetables
Fruit
Chicken
Lean Steak
Olive Oil
Breads from sprouted grains

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

20 Minute Chicken Saltimbocca
 
4 4oz chicken cutlets
1/8 tsp of Salt (or to taste)
12 fresh sage leaves
2 oz very thinly sliced prosciutto cut into 8 thin strips
4 tsps extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fat free, lower sodium chicken broth 
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
 
Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place. 
 
Heat skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to pan. Swirl to coat evenly. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. 
 
Combine broth and lemon juice. Stir. Add to pan with 1 Tsp of oil. Bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Spoon over chicken. 

Serve over angel hair pasta or creamy polenta

White Wine and Sparkling Wine

Some Food & Wine Pairing Suggestions:

Vouvray (French dry, medium-bodied, white wine from the Loire Valley in France)

Paired with:

Almonds (Marcona Almonds are delicious)
Appetizers
Goat cheese on toast
Fruit and fruit desserts (yummy, I would like some strawberries)
Lobster
Steamed mussels
Quiche
Seafood salad
Baked scallops
Shrimp
Souffles
Sushi
Trout, especially baked and/or with cream sauce
Veal, especially with cream Sauce

I served Vouvray with appetizers on Thanksgiving.  It paired nicely with a store bought crab dip and multi-seed crackers. 



CAVA (Spanish, medium bodied Sparkling Wine from Catalonia)

Paired with:

BBQ
Cheese
Chinese food, especially dim sum
Desserts
Eggs
Fresh figs
Pasta with seafood sauce
Fried food, especially appetizers
Japanese food;
  Sashimi, Sushi
Salmon
Soup
Tapas (appetizers)

If you enjoy bubbly I urge you to try Cava.  Cava's are usually reasonably priced - seven to ten dollars will get you a decent bottle - so you don't have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy it.  I've had Cava with gouda cheese, brie, and mild cheddar.  It also goes well with Seafood - shrimp, scallops, lobster and Sushi.  Also pairs nicely with prosciutto wrapped food and fried crab appetizers.

Easy Seared Scallops

Easy Weeknight Meal:  Seared Scallops

 

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2. 16 sea scallops, trimmed
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook over high heat, turning once, until cooked through, 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Optional Sauce

Slice 1 shallot and 1 clove of garlic thinly and sautee slowly with some unsalted butter, until fragrant.  Add 1 teaspon of dijon mustard, some dried parsley, and white wine. Reduce sauce. Top scallops with sauce and finish with a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Tilapia with Mojo (Lime Garlic Parsley Sauce)

Tilapia with Mojo Sauce

You probably have seen this recipe if you have been following my blog.  I am re-posting it today for those that missed it the first time. 

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil, divided
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4  cup  water
• juice from a fresh lime
• ground cumin (optional)
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• fresh or dried parsley 

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 4  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets or other mild white fish

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute 2 minutes. Stir in water, lime juice, small pinch of cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat; set aside.

Season fish with a a little salt and pepper.  Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add fillets; cook 4-6 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from heat. Spoon lime-garlic mixture evenly over fillets. Sprinkle parsley over fish and some red pepper flakes (if desired).

Serve with your favorite sides!

Quick tip - the freezer section of your supermarket sells Birds Eye brand frozen brown and white rice.  Just a few minutes in the microwave and you will have a tasty side dish. 

Caprese Skewers

Fresh Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil make a traditional Italian salad, which becomes a wonderful appetizer here.  While assembling the skewers, keep a damp paper towel by your side to wipe your fingers after assembling each one; this will keep each skewer clean as you go.

3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 24 (1/4 to 1/2 inch) cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried basil or 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves, julienned
    crushed red pepper flakes
    salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 grape tomatoes, cut in half crosswise

Toss mozzarella with oil, basil, and a pinch or two of pepper flakes in a medium bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes and stir gently to coat. Assemble skewers - alternate between 2 tomato halves and mozzarella cubes.

Serve at room temperature.

Basil and Olive Oil Dressing

Put 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive, a handful of fresh-cut basil, and one or two cloves of fresh garlic in a blender; blend well.  Use as a dressing lightly drizzled over poached or broiled fish or over seared scallops.

Red Wine Poached Pears

Ingredients:

6 firm Bartlett pears
3 cups hearty red wine
1 cup fresh orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
2 tbsps of fresh lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon honey
Plain yogurt or fresh whipped cream, as garnish.

In a large saucepan, combine the wine, orange juice and zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and honey, and bring to a boil.


Add the pears to the liquid and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  Cool the pears in the wine mixture to room temperature.


Serve with a spoonful of yogurt or whipped cream.

Chicken Breasts with Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Chicken Breasts with Fresh Mozzarella

4 boneless chicken breasts, 6 ounces each, skinless
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)
Fresh basil leaves
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the garlic.  Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on both sides and almost cooked through, turning as necessary, about 6 to 10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add the wine to the pan, scraping to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and simmer briefly to reduce the sauce by half.  Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

Top each chicken breast with 3 basil leaves, 2 slices of mozzarella and 2 tbsp of fire roasted tomatoes (Hunts brand sells canned, diced, Fire Roasted tomatoes). 

Cover the pan and remove it from the heat.  Set it aside for a few minutes until the mozzarella softens and begins to melt.  Sprinkle the chicken with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the chicken on heated plates, topped with the sauce. 

Dinner is Served!