Maple-Dijon Salmon with Sweet Potatoes, Carrots& Dill

Now that school is in full swing and we are literally not home one night for me to cook dinner, I love these 1 pan meals that are quick and I can prep it all ahead of time. I roasted all the veggies and then adding the fish right when we get home to finish up the dish. It’s a simple fresh taste and we loved the orange squeezed on it as well, it really brightened up the dish.

Maple-Dijon Salmon with Sweet Potatoes, Carrots& Dill

(Adapted from Rachael Ray)

 

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2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 lb. rainbow carrots, cut on a sharp angle into 1-inch-thick pieces
3/4 lb. very small sweet potatoes, cut on a sharp angle into 1-inch-thick pieces
1 1/2 lb. skinless salmon fillet
2 tbsp. Greek yogurt
1/4 cup small fresh dill sprigs
1 small orange, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk 1 tbsp. maple syrup, 1 tbsp. oil, and 1 tbsp. Dijon; season with salt and pepper.

Toss with the carrots and potatoes. On a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes.

Rub the fish with the remaining 1 tbsp. oil; season. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Arrange the vegetables in an even layer on one side of the baking sheet; place the fish on the other side.

Roast until the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the remaining 1 tbsp. maple syrup and 2 tsp. Dijon.

Break the fish into large pieces. Divide the vegetables among plates. Top with the fish, yogurt mixture, dill, and a drizzle of oil. Serve with the orange wedges for squeezing.

Spicy Oven Fried Catfish

We recently went fishing with my dad and my son was over the moon excited to catch some catfish and gar. I love giving him a chance to see the circle of life by catching the fish, cooking the fish, how it makes it to our plate and nourishes our bodies. This is a quicker way to “fry” fish all at once. It came out nice and crispy and I highly recommend making sure you evenly spray the tops so they come out crispy too.

Spicy Oven Fried Catfish

(Adapted from Grandbaby Cakes)

 

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Non-stick olive oil spray
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2-2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 pound catfish fillets cut into smaller pieces

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper liberally sprayed with non-stick olive oil spray.

In a brown bag or ziploc bag, add cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon pepper, and paprika and shake together.

In a deep pie plate or large shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and hot sauce.

Add each fillet to the bag of cornmeal breading to coat then dip into beaten eggs on both sides, then lastly add back into the cornmeal breading and shake liberally to coat well. Place the fillet on the coated baking sheet. Repeat with each fillet.

Liberally spray the tops of each fillet with non-stick baking spray coating the fish well until completely covered in spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes depending on thickness of fillets until golden brown but still juicy in the inside.

Remove fish and cool for 5 minutes then serve with lemon and chopped parsley.

Lobster Risotto

Happy Labor Day!! This year we celebrated our 15 year wedding anniversary! It’s been a wild ride with plenty of ups and downs, but we’re making it! Here’s a fancy little dinner in honor of a fancy occasion (back in June because I forgot to post it!). It’s all come full circle now anyway, we went to Vegas over the weekend and got to eat at one of Gordon’s restaurants and snagged my pic outside his other Hell’s Kitchen sign.

Grilling the lobster gives the dish a much richer taste rather than boiling it. Trust me the time you put into this will make you ohh and ahh the whole meal!

Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Lobster Risotto Recipe

(Adapted from Bake it with Love)

 

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QUICK LOBSTER STOCK
4 cups (940 ml) water (or use 3 cups water/1 cup white wine)
1 1/2 lbs (24 oz or 680 g) lobster shells (we used 3, 8 oz lobster tails)
1 onion (peeled and rough chopped)
1 carrot (sliced)
1 rib celery (sliced)
1 tomato (chopped, or use an 8 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes)
1 bay leaf
each, salt & pepper (to taste)

 

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add lobster and continue to boil for 4 minutes. Remove lobster and plunge into ice water. Remove the lobster meat and dice for the risotto, then refrigerate. Return the shells to the boiling water. I grilled ours then added the shells to the stock.

Add onion, carrot, celery, tomato, bay leaf then add salt & pepper to taste.

Simmer the broth for 20 minutes then strain out the lobster shells, vegetables and spices. Reserve broth and keep on medium heat for use in the risotto.

LOBSTER RISOTTO
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil (extra virgin)
1 Tbsp (6 g) shallots (or white onion - minced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 cups (330 g) Arborio rice
1/4 cup (120 ml) white wine (dry white wine - we used more, closer to 1/3 c)
3 cups (710 ml) lobster stock (quick lobster stock instructions are above, or visit our 'How To Make Lobster Stock' page - may use up to 4 cups)
diced lobster meat (reserved from lobster stock)
2 Tbsp (30 g) butter (more, as needed)
2 Tbsp (75 g) mascarpone cheese (we used 4 Tbsp of cream cheese)
zest of 1 whole lemon
salt & pepper (to taste)
2 Tbsp (6 g) chives (fresh, chopped)
parmigiano cheese (shaved)

Bring a large skillet or frying pan to medium heat, add olive oil, shallots and garlic. Cook until softened (1-2 minutes).

Add the Arborio rice, cook (stirring occasionally) for 1-2 minutes before adding dry white wine.

Add wine and cook for a minute, keeping the rice moving (stirring frequently). Add one-third to half of the lobster stock, cook (stirring occasionally) for 3-5 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

Add the remaining lobster stock in ladled increments, allowing the rice to slowly absorb the liquid until the Arborio rice becomes slightly translucent and is an al dente firmness and the core can still be seen in the center (about 20 minutes total time once broth is added).

Add the reserved diced lobster meat, butter, mascarpone cheese, lemon zest and salt & pepper (to taste). Stir vigorously until all ingredients are well combined and a thick, creamy risotto is achieved.

Correct the seasoning (if necessary), serve and garnish with parmigiano and chives (if desired).

The Perfect Beurre Blanc

Having a good sauce on hand can elevate any quick dinner and make it extra special. At the end of the recipe there’s some variations to make it suitable for what you need. I just used a frozen parmesan breaded cod and it really cut my cooking time down with less to do.  I do think blending the sauce to take out the chunks of shallots would make it more presentable looking.

The Perfect Beurre Blanc

(Adapted from House Beautiful)

 

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2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) salted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1. In a heavy saucepan over high heat, combine the shallots, wine, and lemon juice. Boil the mixture until it is thick and syrupy. This will take between 10 and 15 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to very low, and add the cream, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the cubed butter, a little at a time.

3. When the butter is fully combined and the mixture is emulsified, remove it from the heat. Serve the sauce immediately, or store it in a thermos until you are ready to serve. The sauce can be made up to about an hour before serving, and then reheated. Do not let it bubble on the reheat.

Variations
Once you've mastered this base, get creative! To vary the flavor, you can add a couple of tablespoons of any of the following ingredients to the finished sauce: chopped chives, dill, tarragon, or parsley; puree or chopped roasted red peppers; a little mustard; or sautéed tomatoes with fresh basil.

Tuna Steak Marinade

People often ask what my main go to dinners are when I’m in a hurry. Seared tuna steaks are one of those meals. Mostly because I can cook them from a frozen state and whip up some instant mashed potatoes to with it. I liked this marinade and it held it’s flavor on the tuna steak well.

Tuna Steak Marinade

(Adapted from Betties N Brimstone)

 

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1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (4 ounce) tuna steaks

 

In a large non-reactive dish, whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, oregano, and pepper.

Place the tuna steaks in a gallon-size plastic bag, and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (I like to turn the bag at least once during the marinade process, to be sure all parts are coated and get a chance to soak in!)

You can grill these, or use a grill pan on the stove top. (I usually use the stovetop method, and skip the basting step.)

Grill directions: Preheat grill for high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook the tuna steaks for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn and baste with the marinade. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Discard any remaining marinade.

Apple-Saucy Scallops

A while back I mentioned I did an Applesauce recipe contest. Here’s the other recipe I entered. Before you say ummm no thanks, give it a try. I really liked how the flavor came out.

Apple-Saucy Scallops

(Created by Finding Inspiration in Food)

 

1 cup Simply Wholesome Foods unsweetened Applesauce

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons butter

10 Scallops

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

 

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until slightly reduced.

 

Melt butter in a sauté pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper on scallops and sear on both sides until cooked.

 

Plate scallops and spoon desired amount of sauce over them.

Grilled Coconut and Pineapple Sweet Chili Shrimp

I love grilled seafood and we are really enjoying grilling fruit. It switches up boring old fruit and adds a nice flavor.

Grilled Coconut and Pineapple Sweet Chili Shrimp

(Adapted from Closet Cooking)

 

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FOR THE COCONUT AND PINEAPPLE SWEET CHILI SAUCE:
3 tablespoons coconut cream*
3 tablespoons pineapple sweet chili sauce**
1 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste

 

Mix everything.

FOR THE GRILLED SHRIMP:
1 pound (20-25 or 16-20) shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 slices pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Skewer the shrimp and pineapple and grill over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Brush the sauce onto the shrimp and enjoy!

Note: *Place a can of coconut milk in the fridge, standing upright, for at least 24 hours, open it and scoop the thicker white coconut cream from the top, reserving the clear liquid on the bottom for other things like smoothies.

Option: **Use store bought sweet chili sauce and mix in pureed pineapple to taste.