Curry Salmon

When I found this recipe I thought it looked a bit familiar to the previously posted Chicken Tandoori recipe.  I would never have thought to marinate fish in yogurt but why not?

If you remove the skin from the salmon, the fish will absorb more of the flavor, your choice.  Once again, I used Greek yogurt to give this dish more tang and I also used regular curry but those of you who like it hotter should try Madras curry, which is made with more cayenne pepper.   We enjoyed this dish with a side of my mostest favoritest Spring-Green Saag.

By the way, if you suspect that I may have a Greek yogurt addiction, you are correct.  I have tried a few different kinds but my heart belongs to Fage Total (full fat version).  I found out that any yogurt that has 'pectin' as an ingredient means they added artificial thickeners to it so eeewww.

Honestly, Greek yogurt is just regular plain ordinary yogurt that has been strained so that it has less liquid in it, which concentrates the proteins.  To me, it tastes like sour cream, but then, I love sour cream....

Curry Salmon
makes 4 servings

2/3 cup plain or Greek yogurt, full fat

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or 2 teaspoons fresh grated)

salt and pepper

4 salmon fillets, about 4 ounces each/1 inch thick


Mix the yogurt and seasonings in a large Ziploc bag, add the fish and coat well, squeezing out all the air and sealing tightly.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or even overnight. Remove the bag from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking to take the chill off.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil (you'll be glad later) and scrape the excess marinade from the salmon.  Roast about 10-12 minutes, until the fillets are cooked in the center.

This dish is best served right away.  Unlike revenge, which is a dish best served cold...

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

photo courtesy of Rachael Ray

Five ingredients and 15 minutes to make this dish.  Thanks to my Facebook ladies for sharing this Rachael Ray recipe.

Don’t be shy!   Feel free to give this some BAM! (aha, mixing my Food Network stars) by tossing in some pepper or cayenne or whatever floats your boat (get it? fishing puns)….

I always read the comments section of an online recipe to get ideas that others have tried and I always learn something.  Remember where you heard that and later you'll thank me!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

makes 4 servings 

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley or Italian seasoning

4  tilapia fillets, thawed (about 1 pound total)

Extra virgin olive oil

1  lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture, press gently to help the cheese cling to the fish.

Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes.   If you like it a tad more brown and crispy, put it under the broiler for a few minutes to finish it off.

Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

Chi-Asian Salmon

Let's continue with an entree we can make this week to go with our 'Ideas with Chia'...

Normally Bubba doesn't care for salmon so I've been racking my brain to find something so deliciously Asian that he can't help but like it.  I also took the liberty of removing the skin from his piece of salmon and turned out that was most of the problem right there, just couldn't appreciate a nice crispy piece of salmon skin.  So, if someone at your table is complaining, try removing the skin and see if that helps them (it's a texture thing).

This was just a great quick and easy dinner and while the salmon was marinating I roasted some broccoli to go with it.  I almost thought about making Tamari Broccoli but even I managed to realize that was a bit overboard.  Balance, balance, balance people!

Oh, and coconut sugar is my new favorite thing BECAUSE it's pretty much the brown sugar substitute of the P10 party!  So I gotta say you do want to use coconut sugar instead of just any sweetener 'cause you wanna get that awesome brown sugar/tamari thing going on.

Or, you could serve this nummy piece of fish over a bed of cool crisp greens and add a sliced avocado.  Shoot, now I gotta go make this again so I can try that....

Chi-Asian Salmon

4 pieces of salmon, about 6 oz each (or one large fillet if you prefer)

3 tablespoons coconut sugar

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chia seeds

In a small bowl mix the sugar, tamari and rice vinegar.

Pour the mixture into a ziplock bag and place the salmon in the bag. Marinate the salmon for 20 minutes.   (this would be a good time to start some veggies roasting in the oven).

Turn the oven on to the broil setting. Cover a baking sheet with foil and put the salmon skin side down on the foil.

For the smaller pieces, broil for about 8 minutes;

for the large whole filet, broil for about 15 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked and flakes easily on a fork.

Sprinkle the salmon with chia seeds and serve.

Chi-Asian Salmon

Normally Bubba doesn't care for salmon so I've been racking my brain to find something so deliciously Asian that he can't help but like it.  I also took the liberty of removing the skin from his piece of salmon and turned out that was most of the problem right there, just couldn't appreciate a nice crispy piece of salmon skin.  So, if someone at your table is complaining, try removing the skin and see if that helps them (it's a texture thing).

This was just a great quick and easy dinner and while the salmon was marinating I roasted some broccoli to go with it.  I almost thought about making Tamari Broccoli but even I managed to realize that was a bit overboard.  Balance, balance, balance people!

Oh, and coconut sugar is my new favorite thing BECAUSE it's pretty much the brown sugar substitute of the P10 party!  So I gotta say you do want to use coconut sugar instead of just any sweetener 'cause you wanna get that awesome brown sugar/tamari thing going on.

Or, you could serve this nummy piece of fish over a bed of cool crisp greens and add a sliced avocado.  Shoot, now I gotta go make this again so I can try that....

Chi-Asian Salmon

4 pieces of salmon, about 6 oz each (or one large fillet if you prefer)

3 tablespoons coconut sugar

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chia seeds

In a small bowl mix the sugar, tamari and rice vinegar.

Pour the mixture into a ziplock bag and place the salmon in the bag. Marinate the salmon for 20 minutes.   (this would be a good time to start some veggies roasting in the oven).

Turn the oven on to the broil setting. Cover a baking sheet with foil and put the salmon skin side down on the foil.

For the smaller pieces, broil for about 8 minutes;

for the large whole filet, broil for about 15 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked and flakes easily on a fork.

Sprinkle the salmon with chia seeds and serve.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Ponzu Spinach

This healthy salmon and spinach dish uses few ingredients (salmon, spinach, ponzu sauce, and garlic), involves one non-stick sauté pan, and cooks in under 10 minutes.

Ponzu sauce can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store.  It’s a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, citrus and dashi broth.  I’d show you the recipe, but let’s face it, if you can’t find ponzu you’re sure as heck not gonna find dashi!

Print this recipe:  Pan-Seared Salmon with Ponzu Spinach

Pan-Seared Salmon with Ponzu Spinach

makes 4 servings
recipe adapted from Big Bold Beautiful Food

4 salmon fillets, thawed

coconut or olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag of spinach

1/4 cup ponzu sauce

Pat the fillets dry on both sides. Brush the top with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Take the spinach out the bag. Go through the spinach and remove any big stems and any pieces that are not fresh. Rinse in a colander or salad spinner.

Mince or crush the garlic.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until it's hot. You know it's hot if you hold your hand over the skillet and you can only hold it there for 2-3 seconds, or you can wet your hand and flick water into the pan. If water sizzles and evaporates when it hits the pan, it's hot.

When the skillet is hot, add the salmon fillets, oiled side down, making sure the fillets are not touching each other and there is some air circulation in between them. Depending on how thick they are, you'll cook them a few minutes on one side (see note), until the bottom edges get opaque. While the bottom side is cooking, brush the top side with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Flip over and let that side cook for a few minutes until center of fish is just opaque (see note). Remove from pan and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil into the skillet and swirl around. Add garlic, stir around once, and add spinach right away. If you can't fit all the spinach at once, add as much as you can, stir around until it wilts and then add the rest. Add the ponzu sauce and it will help the spinach wilt and cook. When all the spinach is wilted, turn off the heat.

Put some of the spinach on a plate and place the salmon on top of it.

Note:

• If you have a fillet that's about 1 1/2 inch thick, you'd cook it about 6 minutes on one side, flip it and cook for 4 minutes on the other side.
• If you have a fillet that's thinner, cook it less.
• You should take the fish off the heat when it's almost opaque but still a little translucent in the center. To check the color inside, stick a knife in the center and gently pull apart the flesh. The fish will continue cooking in its own heat when you take it off the stove and become fully opaque.

Sesame Crusted Salmon

I like to make a special-stick-to-your-ribs-looks-like-I-went-all-out Sunday dinner, I think it’s a Midwestern thing.  However, while this was quite special, it took almost no time at all and it was good.  I paired it (oh listen to me sounding all Top-Cheftastic!) with Easy Creamed Spinach, which I will post separately.

At first the family poked at it, rolled their eyes at it…and then ate it all.  They added a little soy sauce to it for an extra kick.  I’m going to use my leftovers in a salad tomorrow.

This is another great recipe borrowed from my new favorite website, Deliciously Organic called Sesame Crusted Salmon.

Sesame Crusted Salmon

Serves 4

1/3 cup sesame seeds

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons coconut oil, divided

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 salmon filets, skin-on, about 1-inch thick

Spread sesame seeds on a pie plate. Brush salmon with 2 teaspoons coconut oil.

Season flesh side with salt and pepper, then press flesh side in sesame seeds, turn and press skin side in sesame seeds to coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat until very hot, about 2-3 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil and swirl to coat.



This piece would be considered two P10 servings.



Add fillets flesh side down and cook without moving until flesh side is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Turn fillets and cook, without moving, about 3 more minutes until skin side is golden brown.

Remove from pan. Serve immediately.

One 3 ounce piece of salmon is 1 protein serving and 1/2 fat serving.

A 3 ounce piece of meat is the size of an iPod or the palm of your hand (without fingers).

Print the recipe here:  Sesame Crusted Salmon

Bronzed Sea Bass with Lemon Shallot Butter

I originally found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  This recipe is from Ree’s friend Pastor Ryan and I want to make sure I give props for that because I would not want to step on this lovely woman’s or her friend’s toes.  This recipe was a great choice for a P10 dinner and we really enjoyed it.  I have altered it slightly for P10 use.

Pastor Ryan says that the coolest thing about this recipe is that it’s not really a recipe at all. It’s a method. It would work equally well with a hunk of halibut or a nice piece of salmon, or any other thick fish.  Great results every time.

Pastor Ryan’s Bronzed Sea Bass with Lemon Shallot Butter

Prep Time 20 Minutes       Cook Time 10 Minutes      

This recipe is meant for one person, but this would count as 2 protein servings and would be great for Stages 1, 2 or 3.

6 ounces, weight (to 7 ounces) piece of sea bass, with or without the skin on

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil along with 1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons butter

1 whole medium-sized shallot, minced
  (you could sub a small onion, but shallot is better)

1 whole lemon, zested and juiced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. MAKE SURE the pan you will use is okay to transfer to the oven.

Season both sides of the fish generously with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil and pat of butter in a medium-sized oven-safe pan over high heat for a few minutes to let the oil get nice and hot. 

Once the oil has heated up for a couple of minutes, drop the fish into place and let it sit there untouched for two minutes. (Don’t overcrowd the pan, as this will kill the ability to create a tasty crust on the fish.) Sear over high heat for 2 minutes, then transfer the pan into the 375-degree oven WITHOUT FLIPPING THE FISH OVER. Set the timer to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin making the lemon shallot butter sauce. Melt the 3 tablespoons butter over a medium-high heat. Add in the minced shallot and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.

When the shallots have become a little softer, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Whisk together and reduce the heat to medium until you’ve got an incredible-smelling sauce. (Skipping the shallots in this process will make a super-simple lemon butter sauce.)
NOTE:  please make sure this a nice gentle heat or the sauce will break-don’t ask me how I know this-jh

Once the fish has been in the oven for 8 minutes, remove it and let it rest for a moment before serving. Take this time to check for an remove the pin bones if your butcher didn’t do it for you.

As you can see, there’s now a beautiful crust on one side of the fish that creates an awesome texture and flavor.  You could serve a piece of fish like this along with a nice bed of brown rice or quinoa (Stage 2/3 only) and a variety of veggies.  Put on top of a salad and you’ve got something pretty special sitting in front of you.

Photo provided by Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman