Salmon with Orange and Fennel Salad

During the holidays my friends at Melissa's Produce sent me their new cookbook, "50 Best Plants on the Planet" The Most Nutrient-Dense Fruits and Vegetables, in 150 Delicious Recipes.  Brightly colored pages fill the book with produce ranging from A - Arugula to W - Watermelon each with photos and fresh recipes to try.

The photos, so stunning and life-like, make you salivate just viewing them.  With 150 recipes, deciding which one to try first was difficult.  My family loves salmon, and after receiving a box of Melissa's Ojai Pixie Tangerines I opted for the Salmon with Orange and Fennel Salad.

Simple to prepare, with a light, refreshing vinaigrette, tossed with the crisp fennel salad to top a perfectly roasted salmon - this dish was a winner!   

I wish I could show you every page of this extraordinary cookbook but instead, if you're of fan of fresh fruit and vegetables, I highly recommend purchasing one of your own.  Eating a rainbow of foods on your plate each day is key to a healthy and long life.  "50 Best Plants on the Planet" by Cathy Thomas, Angie Cao and Cherl Forberg, is sure to deliver just that.

To get the recipe for this heart healthy, refreshing dish, please read below........

Salmon with Orange and Fennel Salad

serves 4

Ingredients:

Four 4-ounce skinless salmon fillets
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
2 large *oranges, 1 zested and juiced; 1 cut into supremes**
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, cut in 1/2 from top to bottom, thinly sliced
2 medium bulbs fresh fennel, untrimmed 

***Canola oil or vegetable oil for brushing grill pan or grill (see #1 directions)

1 cup baby arugula

Directions:

1. Place salmon fillets in a single layer on a large plate.  Season with salt, pepper, and the fennel seeds.  If using a grill, preheat to medium-high heat and clean the grate. (I roasted my salmon instead, due to cold weather, in a 500F degree preheated oven for 10 minutes.  If done this way, leave skin on, place on heavy-duty foil lined pan.  No oil is needed.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the zest, orange juice, and mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Whisk in oil in a thin stream.  Add onion and toss.  Set aside.
3. Trim off dark green stalks and feathery fronds from fennel bulbs.  Roughly chop fronds and set aside for garnish.  Quarter bulbs lengthwise; cut out and discard cores.  Cut the quarters into very thin crosswise slices with a mandoline or sharp knife.  Add fennel slices, chopped fronds, and orange sections to vinaigrette.  Gently toss.
4. If using a grill pan, heat it on medium-high heat.  Brush grill grate or pan with oil.  Add salmon, seasoned-side down.  Grill about 5 minutes per side, or until just barely cooked through.  Grilling times vary depending on the thickness of the fillets and heat of the grill.(I roasted my salmon instead of grilling - see #1 above)
5. Place salmon on four dinner plates.  Add the arugula to fennel mixture and toss; spoon the salad over salmon and serve.

Notes:

* I used Ojai Pixie Tangerines in place of oranges. Not only are they delicious, juicy and sweet but they're easy to separate - perfect for this dish. 

** Supremes - To cut citrus fruit into supremes (peeled segments): Cut the top and bottom off through the white pith to reveal the flesh.  Place fruit cuttside down on a work surface.  Following the contour of the fruit, cut off the peel and pith in strips with a sharp knife, starting at the top and cutting down.  Working over a bowl (to collect juice), use a small sharp knife to cut parallel to each section's membrane, cutting toward the center.  Repeat until all the sections are removed.  Squeeze the "skeleton" membranes over the bowl to remove any remaining juice.  

*** I didn't use any canola oil since I roasted my salmon in the oven.  When roasting or grilling if you leave the skin on it's not necessary, in my opinion, to use oil.  When removing salmon from the oven or grill, simply take your spatula and gently slide it above the skin and under the salmon - lifting salmon up and placing onto your plate.  This method is quite simple and avoids the fish sticking to the grate or pan.  That said, I do not flip my salmon using this method.  If you prefer flipping your salmon then follow step #4 above.    

Enjoy!!!

Grilled Salmon Burgers & More for Father's Day!

Father's Day is Sunday and many of you will have family over to BBQ for the occasion.  However, it's also bathing suit season and even though you might like to indulge in the burgers and ribs, you're really trying your best to watch the fat intake.  So what can you do when the menu is burgers and chicken, or ribs and chicken and you want fish?  Salmon Burgers to the rescue!

In addition to the other fare you're serving why not add something healthy like Salmon Burgers along with Sweet Potato Fries, chilled Watermelon, Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad and of course dessert - Chocolate Cups filled with Ice Cream Sundae?  OK so the dessert has a few more calories but YOU could use fat free yogurt in them.

I love these burgers and if you're a fan of salmon you will as well.  They're moist, delicious and so simple to prepare.   A one pound skinless fillet of salmon will make 4 nice size patties to pop on the grill or if preferred on the stove top or oven.  Check out this recipe and I think you'll agree these Salmon Burgers need to find a place on your Father's Day menu.

Salmon Burgers with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
serves 4

Ingredients:

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt (I used 0% but use whatever you like)
• 1/2-1 tsp. of Sriracha Sauce
• 1/4 tsp. Sesame Oil

Blend ingredients together.  Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

If prefer a milder sauce blend the Greek yogurt with 1/4 of the cucumber and a sprig of fresh dill.  Blend in processor or blender, chill until ready to serve.

Salmon Burger:

• 1 pound salmon fillet, skinned, cut in half
• 2 shallots, peeled and quartered
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (use whatever type you have on hand.  I used fat free)
• 1/2 cup Panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)

Toppings:

• 4 Whole Grain Hamburger buns
• 4 crisp lettuce leaves
• sliced tomatoes
• ribbon sliced English cucumber (with mandoline, cut cucumber in 1/2 and ribbon slice)
• Yogurt Sauce

Directions:

•  In a food processor, combine all  ingredients and pulse until well combined, leave slightly chunky like hamburger meat.
•  Form into 4 equal patties. (Spray patties with non-stick spray to avoid sticking to grill.)   

    

•  Preheat the barbecue for medium-high heat grilling. Cook the burgers 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until just cooked through the center and golden brown. Alternately, in a large saute or grill pan add 2 Tbsp. of canola oil and turn to medium heat. Place the burgers in the pan and saute for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until just cooked through the center. 
• Put a lettuce leaf and 2 slices of tomato on the bottom bun, place the burger on top, adding 2 ribboned, sliced cucumbers then top with yogurt sauce.  Place bun on top and serve.  YUM!!!

Sweet Potato Fries:

• Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
• Peel and slice 3 Sweet Potatoes.  Cut into wedges or using a mandoline cut into matchsticks.
• Line a sheet pan with heavy duty foil and spray with non-stick spray. 
• Lay sweet potato slices on pan and place in oven for approximately 20-30 minutes or until cooked how you like.  (My husband likes them crispy).

Here's another healthy burger you might like to try.

Happy Father's Day!  Have a great weekend!

BBQ Salmon with Pineapple

Before coming out to Colorado I stopped in at my local grocery store, Schnucks, to pick up a few things.  While there they have a stand called "Schnucks Cooks" where they share a recipe that they've created and offer samples to all the shoppers.

On that particular day they had Sweet and Sour Meatballs.  I love meatballs and although I try not to indulge too often in meat, I am always eager to see what new recipes they've come up with.  Well the meatballs were delicious, in fact, I wish I could have had another but, didn't want to sound like a hog, especially since they are offering samples to everyone.

So the other night I decided to make salmon for dinner.  My daughter suggested I BBQ the salmon just like she and my husband had out to dinner a few weeks before.  Of course, whenever I can, I'll BBQ fish just so I don't have any residual odors left in my house.  There's nothing worse than walking into a house that stinks like fish.  Wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, I remembered the Sweet and Sour Meatballs at Schnucks and thought that the combination of sauces they used would be great for salmon.

I went to the store to get my ingredients and indeed it was superb!  It's simply an equal blend of BBQ sauce and Apricot Preserves that you combine together and spread over the salmon.  I mean how easy is that?

If you wanted to change it up I think an Orange Marmalade would also be delicious or even Raspberry Preserves.  If you wanted to add even more flavor, although it's not necessary, add some butter and heat all three ingredients up in a saucepan and spoon over the salmon and grill, pouring some additional sauce over the salmon once cooked.

In addition, my daughter asked if I'd grill the pineapple that I had purchased which gets it nice and caramelized.  Following her wishes I ended up with a beautiful and healthy plate of food to serve to everyone.

There's nothing like a well balanced meal.  When the meal is over you're completely nourished and don't find yourself running to the refrigerator or cupboard to find something else to fill your belly.

Here's my recipe.  I hope you like it.  It couldn't be more simple and luscious, and pretty enough to serve to guests.

BBQ Salmon with Pineapple
serves 4

Ingredients:

4 (8 oz.) pieces of Salmon filets
1/3 cup BBQ Sauce (whatever you like or have on hand)
1/3 cup Apricot Preserves
1 fresh Pineapple, sliced into strips, core removed

Directions:

• Fire up the grill or turn on the gas grill to preheat. 
• Blend the bbq sauce and preserves together, combining well.
• Slice the top and bottom off the pineapple.  Carefully slice the skin off, slicing down from top to bottom.  Go around until all skin is removed.  Cut pineapple in half vertically, then slice each of those pieces in 1/2 and remove the core.  Continue to slice each section into 3 strips for a total of 12 strips. You can also slice the pineapple in rounds.  Here's a pictorial demonstration.
• Place the pineapple strips on the grill
• Add the Salmon with the skin on (no need to flip the salmon and with the skin on it's easy to remove it from the grates), skin side down.
• Slather the sauce over each piece of salmon, close the lid on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes on medium heat.
• After about 4 minutes open the grill and turn over each strip of pineapple.  Continue to grill until the salmon is cooked, for about 8 minutes total.
• With a metal spatula, place the edge between the bottom of the meat of the salmon and the top of the skin.  Gently glide your spatula under the salmon releasing it from the skin, remove it placing it onto a platter.
• Remove pineapple slices

To plate:

• Lay 3 strips of pineapple onto the plate
• set salmon on top of pineapple and pour additional sauce over the fish

Simple, healthy, delicious and beautiful!

Enjoy!