Lime Grilled Salmon

I was really turned off by salmon for a bit...but this recipe was a regular dish my step-mom would make while we were in high school - and it made me change my mind.  It's a mix of sweet and savory with just enough crunch.  It also of course looks gorgeous on the plate - pink, green and red.  Super easy, super tasty and pretty darned healthy too.  If you still aren't convinced, sub boneless skinless chicken breasts.
From my kitchen to yours...

Lime Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1# Salmon
• 1/4 C veg oil
• 1/4 C lime juice
• 1T soy sauce
• 1T water
• 2 t honey
• 2 t sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 t fresh ginger, grated
• 4 C shredded red leaf lettuce
• 1/2 C sprouts
• 1/2 C green onions, chopped
• 6 radishes, sliced
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• 1 T toasted sesame seeds
• Lime slices

Directions:

• Make marinade: In a large ziplock bag, mix the oils, water, soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger
• Add the salmon to the marinade- marinate for 6 hours
• Remove salmon from bag and grill to your liking
• Reserve and warm marinade
• On the plates, place a generous serving of chopped red leaf lettuce, sliced radishes, chopped green onions and sprouts
• Place grilled salmon on top of the lettuce mixture
• Top the salmon with toasted sesame seeds, green chiles and the warmed marinade
• Garnish with lime slices

Maple Roasted Salmon

 Salmon is becoming a weekly meal in our house. Probably for many reasons, but the top few are: the kids love it, it’s readily available, priced affordably, pretty dang good for you and Dru will eat it!

 

I am loving the simple, clean recipe of just putting the salmon filet in foil, adding lemon, garlic, leeks, dill, onion, parsley and pepper – wrapping it up and grilling for 10 min. It’s perfectly poached and always good. But I decided to expand into the land of sweet and savory. This is equally as simple but delivers such a different punch. Really, really good!

From my kitchen to yours…

Maple Roasted Salmon
 Ingredients:

• 4 - 6 oz. salmon fillets
• ¾ t natural course sea salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar, (or use the new Splenda brown sugar blend)
• 1 T cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup maple syrup (I use sugar free)
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T chopped fresh dill
• 2 T olive oil, divided

 

 Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
•  Combine sea salt, brown sugar and black pepper and mix thoroughly. Rub salmon with mixture making sure to use all of it. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Combine maple syrup, mustard and dill in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
•  Coat bottom of a baking pan with 1 T oil and place salmon in pan. Drizzle with remaining oil. Bake for 12 minutes or until desired temperature.
•  Remove from making pan and drizzle salmon with syrup mixture.
• Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Fills You Up, Not Out

 

I received this recipe in February and just finally had the opportunity to make it - YUM.  It was easy, tasty and  chickpeas offer this well-seasoned stew a nutritious boost. Thank you to Cheryl for sharing it and Shape magazine for printing it! Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 5-7 cloves garlic, diced (or minced garlic)
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2-2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2-2 tsp. paprika
• 1/8-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (use more if you like HEAT)
• 6-7 small tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2-2 c. cooked chickpeas or 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
• 2-4 c. vegetable or chicken broth
• 1-2 bunches fresh spinach
• A handful of gluten-free penne
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

•  Heat the oil in a pot and add the onion. Cook for about 3 minutes and then add the garlic and continue to cook for about 3-5 more minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
• Add it to the onion and garlic and stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes to allow the flavor of the spices to come out.
• Add the chickpeas and tomatoes to the mixture and stir to combine all of the ingredients well. Add enough water or stock (vegetable or chicken will work) to cover the chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 35-40 minutes, adjusting spices as desired.
• You may have to add more water or vegetable stock if too much steams off.
• When you are happy with the taste of the soup, add the spinach and pasta and cover again.
• Cook until the noodles are done and serve alone or with some gluten-free flatbread.

 

Coconut and Lemon Curd Cake

I saw this on Paula Deen a few weeks ago and had to make it!  It not only looked gorgeous, but also tasted amazing.  You for sure must love coconut and lemon to enjoy this tasty dessert.
 
Coconut and Lemon Curd Cake
Ingredients

For the cake:

• Butter, for pans
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box yellow cake mix

For the frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 (11-ounce) jar lemon curd
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

 Directions

•  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake pans.
• Prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a heatproof bowl on the top of a double boiler, being sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, add the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and water.
• Beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat, on high speed, for 7 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, heat the lemon curd gently over medium-low heat or microwave it for 20 seconds on medium power, just to soften. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Cut each cake layer in half horizontally.
• Frost each layer with a layer of curd, frosting and coconut.
• Top it with another layer of cake and frosting, and repeat with all the layers.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake and cover with the coconut. Store wrapped in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• When ready to serve, remove the cake from the refrigerator and slice. The cake will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

 

 

 

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Here is a super simple side dish to add to your everyday, summer menus!

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

•  2 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus (about 30 large)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 
• 2 lemons cut in wedges, for serving

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• If the stalks of the asparagus are thick, peel the bottom 1/2 of each.
• Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
• Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute.
• Serve with lemon wedges.

Tangy, Spicy Chilled Shrimp

Tangy, Spicy Chilled Shrimp

Always so easy and awesome to serve a platter of big, fresh, chilled prawns with spicy cocktail sauce. Simple to serve and normally a crowd favorite. However, if you’re looking to put a twist on your chilled shrimp appetizer, give this marinade a try.

From my kitchen to yours...

 

Ingredients:

• 1# cooked, peeled and clean shrimp
• ¼ C light sesame oil
• 1t dark sesame oil
• ¼ C fresh lime juice
• 3 green onions
• 1T minced, fresh ginger
• ½ t dry mustard
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, diced

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in gallon Ziploc bag
• Add shrimp to Ziploc bag
• Chill for at least an hour or overnight
• Serve in a chilled, pewter bowl with toothpicks on the side!
• For garnish, consider sliced limes and roughly chopped cilantro