Herb Roasted Tilapia w/Fresh Tomato Sauce-

If you saw my fresh roasted tomato sauce post the other day, you may have been wondering what other delicious items you could infuse w/your new sauce. My suggestion would be serving under some herb roasted tilapia. Light, quick and easy. Perfect mouthful of summer, even when it's raining outside and the grill is on hiatus--

Herb Roasted Tilapia w/Fresh Tomato Sauce

serves 2

For the sauce:

1/4 large onion, finely minced*

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Splash olive oil

1 cup fresh roasted tomato sauce

3 tbsp fresh chopped herbs, divided

I used:
Small handful basil leaves, 1 long thyme sprig, a few sprigs savory and 5 small mint leaves

Salt & pepper to taste

For the fish:

2 large tilapia filets

1/2 lemon

2 tspns butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

The 1 leftover tbsp of chopped herbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add tomato sauce, simmer 15 minutes. Add 2 tbsp herbs, reserving 1 tbsp for the fish. Simmer for a while longer-- 15 to 45 minutes to let the flavors mingle appropriately.

Meanwhile, 15 minutes prior to eating, place fish on roasting pan. Squeeze lemon over top both filets, place bits of butter over each fish, sprinkle w/1 tbsp of herbs, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes (if frozen) until they flake easily with a fork.

For each serving, place 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a shallow (pasta) bowl. Place fish on top of sauce. Or you can do fish on bottom and sauce on top. Whatever you like! I also like to serve with a side of parmesan couscous and something green like roasted asparagus or a salad.

*I usually chop a whole onion and freeze what I don't use for a recipe. That way I have chopped onions in a pinch!

Firecracker Salmon

Found a new salmon recipe we're crazy about- Firecracker Salmon, courtesy of Whole Foods. It's a lot sweeter than our normal Asian Grilled Salmon. But, delicious all the same!
Firecracker Grilled Alaskan Salmon
Serves 4

A blend of sweet and spicy, try this salmon next time you light up the grill. Since it has some sugar in the marinade, make sure to oil your grill well or wrap each fillet loosely in heavy foil and place directly on grill to avoid sticking.

4 Alaskan salmon fillets, 4–6 ounces each
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 salt (if desired)

Place salmon fillets in a glass dish(I use a zip top bag). Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over salmon. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator 4–6 hours.

Remove salmon from marinade and place on a well-oiled grill 5 inches from coals. Grill for 8–10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part. Turn halfway through cooking. (You may also wrap and seal with foil to form a packet). Cook covered, 20–25 minutes on medium-hot grill or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutrition Info
Per Serving (170g-wt.): 260 calories (120 from fat), 14g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 29g protein, 4g total carbohydrate (0g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 80mg cholesterol, 800mg sodium

A few notes on Fox Point.......

.......Penzey's to the rescue again!

I'd recently acquired a big ass bag of frozen Tilapia that left me in search of recipes for it. As much as I eat this fish in restaurants, I thought there would be a plethora of great recipes to choose from in 'Recipeland.' Alas, there is not.

Never fear! Fellow bloggers and Penzey's came to my aid. I decided to try roasting the fish as one normally would with lemon, a little butter, S&P and then amp it up w/a hearty sprinkle from my new cache of Fox Point. I roasted everything off at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes. (or until fish flakes).

For those wondering what's in this miracle sprinkle, it's garlic, onion & chive. And, wow! Whatta punch!

We served our flavourful fish with a side of parm orzo and steamed asparagus. The perfect meal if you ask me. Although, ask me again when I make fish tacos. :)

Phyllo Wrapped Salmon w/Herbed Goat Cheese

Had something similar in a restaurant recently(Verbena) and wanted to give it a whirl on my own. This is what I do when I have random things in my refrigerator that need to be used up-- like phyllo left over from Christmas! :)

A friend of mine brought me a "present" this past weekend-- some mouth-watering, locally made goat cheese with chives & garlic.

So, between the leftover phyllo and goat cheese gift, a lightbulb went on and I started salivating.

And please believe me when I say, this definitely lived up to the hype in my head!

Phyllo Wrapped Salmon w/Herbed Goat Cheese-

Serves 2

2 center cut salmon filets
4 tbsp herbed goat cheese
12 sheets phyllo
1/2 stick melted butter
Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper

Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees.

Lay first sheet of phyllo down on a piece of parchment (to help contain the mess) and brush w/melted butter. Repeat until you have 6 sheets layered on top of each other.

Season salmon and place at an angle, pretty far into the phyllo so that the edges will close over the fish easily. Top with approx. 2 tbsp herbed goat cheese. Bring corner up and sides of buttered phyllo in, carefully fold fish/cheese over, keeping sides of phyllo in. Trim off any excess phyllo once done folding. Brush top with more melted butter.

Repeat process for next salmon filet. Let both filets set up in the refrigerator for approx. 10-15 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Asian Grilled Salmon

It's a gorgeous day here and I'm ready to grill! This also means a turn to healthier eats. Which is a welcome reprieve after stuffing ourselves silly in Vegas! This is also a crowd pleaser for BBQ's or hosted dinners (provided your guests like fish). This is tied for first place as far as our favorite recipe for Salmon. (I should add that DH hates salmon, but knows he should eat it for the Omega 3's. He doesn't even gripe when eating this dish!) Asian Grilled Salmon
Copyright, 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All Rights Reserved

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
(Most of the time, I use 2 filets and halve the marinade for the 2 of us)

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce(I use Tamari, low sodium)
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking. While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces.

Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in.

Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits. Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Salmon Croquettes

These take me back to my childhood. Of course, my mom's recipe was a little different and contained Saltines. Which are still a good choice of filler. But, once you've tried Panko-- it's hard to go back! Normally I like a fresh salmon filet, but when the cupboard is bare and you don't want to run to the store, this is a nice "backup" recipe. :)

What I love the most about these is that my husband, who hates salmon, can't get enough! These go great w/some whole grain parmesan couscous (recipe in blog) and a nice green veggie or salad.

B's Salmon Croquettes (or "Patties" if you're southern ;) )
Serves 2 hungry people

1 14.5 oz can of sockeye/wild salmon or equivalent fresh poached salmon (again sockeye rec'ed)
1 egg
1/2 cup(ish) of panko
A few chopped green onion
Squeeze of lemon (tspn or two)
A few shakes of Texas Pete
Extra panko to bread salmon with

Mix all ingredients except extra panko. Form into cakes. Press into loose panko on all sides of each cake. Let cakes set up for at least 1/2 an hour in the fridge (insures they stay in one piece). Fry off in non-stick skillet w/pam over medium heat (so they heat through and the panko coating does not get too brown).

Enjoy!

Salmon en Papillote with Dill-Yogurt Sauce

Tonite's dinner was an exercise in restraint and discipline. After the week and specifically the day I've had today, all I wanted was a big fat Dijourno frozen pepperoni pizza with a side of Cheetos. You girls know where I'm at, right? ;)

But, alas, I had already taken out Salmon to thaw, so I forged ahead with our healthy meal. Plus, I figured if we ate like this tonite, it gives us a few more "free calories" for the Garlic Fest this weekend.

So, here we go, one more Salmon recipe for you:

Salmon en Papillote with Dill-Yogurt Sauce
Use a dry white wine if you don't have vermouth on hand. (which I did)
Serve with a salad. (which I did as well as wild/brown rice)

Yogurt sauce:
1/2 cup grated seeded peeled cucumber
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Remaining ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup thinly sliced leek (about 1 small)
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry vermouth
Chopped fresh dill (optional)

To prepare yogurt sauce, place grated cucumber on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Combine cucumber, yogurt, and next 3 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Cut 4 (15 x 24-inch) pieces of parchment paper.
Fold in half crosswise.
Draw a large heart half on each piece, with the fold of the paper being the center of the heart. Cut out the heart, and open.
Place about 1/2 cup fennel near fold of each piece of parchment.
Top each serving with 2 tablespoons leek and 1/2 teaspoon oil.
Sprinkle salmon evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Place 1 fillet on each serving.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon vermouth over each serving.
Starting at the top of the heart, fold edges of parchment, sealing edges with narrow folds.
Twist the end tip to secure tightly.
Place packets on a baking sheet.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes.
Place on plates; cut open.
Garnish with chopped fresh dill, if desired.
Serve immediately with yogurt sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 packet and about 1/3 cup yogurt sauce)CALORIES 358 (41% from fat); FAT 16.2g (sat 3.9g,mono 7.5g,poly 3.4g); PROTEIN 39.7g; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 144mg; SODIUM 675mg; FIBER 2.2g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.9g Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Steamed Trout/Flounder w/Chive-Tarragon Butter

I don't know about you, but in anticipation of pigging out at the holidays, we're trying to take it light right about now. And this is a great recipe to help us on the lighter side of things.

Steamed Trout with Chive-Tarragon Butter

Substitute fresh thyme or rosemary for the tarragon, if you wish.

(I used Flounder in place of the Trout)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter (I use Smart Balance)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 (8-ounce) dressed whole trout fillets

4 lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine. Set aside.

Cut 4 (15 x 24-inch) pieces of parchment paper. Fold in half crosswise. Draw a large heart half on each piece, with the fold of the paper being the center of the heart. Cut out the heart, and open. Place 1 fillet near the fold of each piece of parchment. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over each fillet. Brush butter mixture evenly over fillets; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Starting at the top of the heart, fold edges of parchment, sealing edges with narrow folds.

Twist the end tip to secure tightly. Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Place on plates; cut open. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 packet)CALORIES 358 (34% from fat); FAT 13.6g (sat 7g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 58.4g; CHOLESTEROL 143mg; CALCIUM 34mg; SODIUM 436mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 4.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.9g Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Best.Salmon.Recipe.EVER.

Got this off of the nest a looooooong time ago. I'd love to give someone credit, but alas I do not remember who posted this. BUT! It has quickly risen to favor in our home as far as salmon preparation goes. Had it for dinner tonite and fell in love with it alllll over again. (also served Giadia's sweet potato fries w/basil salt and garlic mayo and steamed asparagus)

Salmon with White-Wine Mustard Sauce

1/4 tspn salt
1/8 tspn black pepper
4 (6 oz) salmon filets (abt. 1" thick)
1 tbsp butter (we use smart balance)
3 tbsp minced shallot
2 tbsp dry white wine
3/4 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tspn cornstarch
4 tspns minced fresh tarragon

Season fish with salt and pepper.
Melt 1 1/2 tspn butter in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat.
Add fish and cook 7 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily w/fork.
Remove from skillet, keep warm.

Melt 1 1/2 tspns of remaining butter in skillet over medium heat.
Add shallots and saute for 1 minute.
Add wine, cook for 30 seconds.
Combine 1/8 tspn salt, broth, mustard and cornstarch w/a whisk.
Add to skillet, bring to boil.
Reduce heat, simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup (approx 1 minute).
Spoon sauce over fish and sprinkle w/tarragon.

(I add tarragon w/broth etc. so the full herb flavor is released)
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A tip about herbs like tarragon:

When I buy fresh herbs, I chop them up, put them in a baggie, roll it up (to get the air out, then seal it) and stow them in the freezer for approx 3 months. I do this with almost every herb except basil, which will turn brown and gross. I've been told you can freeze basil w/a little water in ice cube trays. That's too much work for me :) I'll just go steal a little off of my neighbor's out of control basil bush if I need some! LOL! (yes, her plant is so big, it's a BUSH!)