Maple Marinated Salmon with Sesame Spinach Rice

1/4 cup garlic-infused oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce or tamari (I used low-sodium)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-oz) salmon fillets, skin removed
Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 to 3/4 tsp kosher salt (to your taste)
2 cups instant brown rice (or regular brown rice)
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp dark/toasted sesame oil
4 scallion tops, sliced

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic oil, maple syrup, soy sauce and black pepper. Place salmon fillets in a large zip top bag and add garlic-maple mixture. Toss to coat and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Place salmon on baking sheet and drizzle a bit of the marinade over the top. Bake until salmon is opaque in thickest part and reaches 145F on an instant read thermometer, 12 to 18 minutes, depending on thickness.

3. Meanwhile, bring the water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in rice and return to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 5 minutes more.

4. Mist a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Reduce heat to low and add rice, sesame seeds and sesame oil (If your skillet is too small to fit all the rice, add the spinach to the saucepan with the rice instead). Toss gently to coat. Divide rice among 4 plates and top with salmon. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Source: https://calmbellykitchen.com/blog/maple-marinated-salmon-with-sesame-spinach-rice

Asian Salmon Patties

1 1/2 lb skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
2 Tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 thinly sliced scallions
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1. In large bowl, combine salmon, shallots, ginger, egg, crushed red pepper, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp ground pepper.  Form mixture into eight 1-inch thick patties, packing each firmly; transfer to a plate.  Place in freezer just until firm, about 20 minutes.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add salmon patties; cook until browned on both sides and just opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning carefully.  Serve with lime wedges and Sesame mayonnaise, if desired.

To make Sesame mayonnaise: In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, scallions, lime juice, and sesame oil.  Chill until ready to serve.

Source: Lisa Fligor, MOPS talk

Quick Cioppino

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (a mandoline utensil is best)
Kosher salt
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups fish stock or clam juice
1 cup chicken stock (or more fish stock)
1/2 to 1 cup water
28-oz can crushed tomatoes, finely chopped and with juices
2 bay leaves
1 pound cod (or other white fish), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound uncooked, shelled shrimp
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion, fennel and a generous pinch of salt.  Cook until tender, about 12 minutes, stirring often.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, and orange zest, then cook, stirring until very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to high and deglaze the pan with the wine and let bubble for 3 minutes, stirring.  Add the stock, 1/2 cup of water, tomatoes and bay leaves, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Taste, adjust seasoning, then add an additional 1/2 cup of water if too thick.
3. Add the cod and shrimp, then cover and cook just until the fish and shrimp are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.  Uncover, stir in the lemon juice, then top with parsley to serve.

Source: Seattle Times

New England Clam Chowder

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and diced
1 (6.5-ounce) can minced clams, drained
5 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 cup sliced celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme (I used 8 sprigs fresh thyme)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth (I used fish broth)
2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream (I used 1 cup whole milk)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Brown the bacon on the stovetop, and drain the accumulated grease.
Put the bacon into your crockpot, and add clams. Add all the vegetables and spices and pour in the broth. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the potatoes squish easily with a fork.
2. Use a hand-held stick blender and pulse a few times to naturally thicken the soup. Stir in half and half and shredded cheese. Ladle into wide-mouthed bowls or bread bowls.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Try #1 - October 21, 2014
I made this with some leftover salmon Nathan had cooked over the weekend.  I omitted the bacon (and clams, since I was using salmon instead).  So I guess I should call this salmon chowder.  Either way, it was delicious!  A great use of leftover salmon.  I used the salmon bones to make the broth a day or two before I made this soup (just added water and some herbes de provence to the bones and cooked it in the crockpot for several hours).  There was quite a bit of salmon meat left on the bones so I picked it off and added that to the chowder.  I will definitely make this again!

Fish Tacos with Slaw

1 cup (3 oz) finely shredded red cabbage
4 cups (12 oz) finely shredded green cabbage
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
canola oil
1 lb firm white fish fillets such as cod, snapper, or mahi mahi
freshly ground pepper
12 corn tortillas

1. To make the slaw, in a large bowl, combine both cabbages, cilantro, green onion, lime juice, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and cayenne and mix well. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving.
2. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill. Make sure the grill rack is clean, then oil it and let the oil burn off for 5 minutes.
3. Lightly brush the fish on both sides with the oil and then season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place on the grill rack and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and opaque throughout, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and divide into 12 equal pieces, discarding any errant bones.
4. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place on top of the grill to warm while the fish is cooking, turning occasionally.
5. To assemble each taco, place a warm tortilla on a plate, top with a piece of fish, a squeeze of lime, a little slaw, a drizzle of sour cream, a cilantro sprig, and a few drops of salsa or hot sauce.

Source: Family Meals cookbook

Try #1 - January 14, 2012
This was good, and a nice change of pace from our usual dinners. We got a lovely piece of cod from Central Market, and used our stove-top grill for the first time - it worked great! Produced a nice, flaky fish. I could have made half the amount of slaw and been fine - we have a bunch left over. We used mango salsa in the tacos, which gave it a nice sweet edge.

Linguini with Leeks, Shrimp, and Arugula

1 (16-oz) bag linguini (or another long pasta), cooked and drained
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
a handful of arugula
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil and butter. Saute the leeks over medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced. Add the shrimp and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until pink. Toss the leek-shrimp mixture with the cooked pasta. Add the arugula and toss. Add the grated Parmesan, toss, and adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Source: The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook

Shrimp in Spiced Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
16 ounces (1 pound) peeled and deveined shrimp
cooked couscous, for serving
chopped cilantro, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Stir in onion and ginger - cook until the onion has softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in coriander, cayenne and lemon zest - cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, breaking them up as you go - bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season sauce generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
2. Stir in shrimp and simmer until shrimp have cooked through, about 2 to 4 additional minutes. Serve each portion with couscous and a scattering of chopped cilantro on top.

This recipe also freezes well: after finishing the sauce, let cool to room temperature. Place shrimp in a 1-gallon freezer bag and pour cooled tomato sauce on top. Press out air, seal bag, and freeze flat. Store in the freezer, up to 2 1/2 months. To serve, thaw shrimp mixture in a refrigerator overnight. Transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high, cooking 3-5 minutes longer until shrimp is cooked through.

Source: Let's Eat!

Try #1 - December 9, 2010
Easy and yummy! The couscous was a nice change of pace. I left out the ginger (didn't have any, and found several websites that said NOT to substitute with ground ginger), but it was still good.

Creamy Pesto Sauce

From Whitney's blog

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp butter
4 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp pesto (or 2 pesto ice cubes)

In pan over medium heat, heat olive oil, butter, garlic and onion until onion is translucent. Add flour, pepper and milk. Reduce head to medium low. Make sure to stir well so there are no flour lumps. Let simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add cheeses, stirring constantly. Add pesto. Let cook 5 minutes.

Serve over pasta with chicken or fish.

Baked Cod and Shrimp

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 pound cod fillets
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a medium baking dish with the olive oil.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
3. Remove from heat, stir in the shrimp and mushrooms, and season with dill, salt, and pepper.
4. Arrange cod in the prepared baking dish. Pour the white sauce over the cod. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
5. Cover, and bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly and fish is easily flaked with a fork.
6. Serve over rice or pasta.

Adapted from allrecipes.com (original recipe).

Try #1 - April 20, 2010
Very yummy! I didn't use mushrooms, because I didn't have any, and I used dried instead of fresh herbs.

Try #2 - March 9, 2011
Made it with mushrooms and no shrimp this time. Put freshly shredded Romano cheese on top. Still delicious!

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

From allrecipes.com

4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted (or 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
(I used the juice of 1 1/2 limes, drizzled olive oil on top, and sprinkled with minced garlic and chopped cilantro stems.)
4.Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.

Try #1 - April 15, 2010
I made a lot of substitutions with this recipe - lime instead of lemon, olive oil instead of butter, fresh cilantro instead of parsley. The fish came out perfectly flaky. We served this over spaghetti and topped it with Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan definitely added a lot.

Salmon Patties

From allrecipes.com

1 (14.75 ounce) can canned salmon
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil

1.Drain and reserve liquid from salmon. Mix egg, onion, bread crumbs and salmon together.
2.Make into patties. If mixture is too dry to form into patties, add reserved liquid from salmon.
3.In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Place patties in pan. Brown on each side, turning gently. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Mango Salsa

I saw this on Food Network's "Ultimate Recipe Showdown," and it looked delicious! He served it with grilled shrimp and scallops. Also great with a mild white fish.

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (Trader Joe's sells frozen pomegranate seeds)
1 medium mango, peeled and flesh diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2 scallions, green part only, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon diced Vidalia onion
10 mint leaves, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon mirin*
Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

*Note: If you don't have mirin (a sweet rice wine from Japan), you can just use dry sherry or sweet marsala. Or you can dissolve a small amount of sugar in a little white wine or sherry, perhaps a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to 1/4 cup wine wine. Or, try apple juice.

Click for Full Recipe

Try #1 - March 28, 2010
Very fresh tasting, although a little too onion-y - I forgot to follow the directions about only including the green part of the scallions, and the "sweet" onion I used (yellow sweet onion) wasn't very sweet at all. I used marsala cooking wine instead of the mirin, and that was fine. I also used 1 1/2 limes instead of 2 - and next time I think one lime would be enough. And, since I didn't want to pay for fresh mint leaves, I used our dried crushed mint. The pomegranate seeds were fun but probably not absolutely necessary.

I served this with a white fish and brown rice. The white fish was totally tasteless, so this flavorful salsa was perfect with it. It was also really good with the brown rice.

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

From Angela's blog

"A simple, but tasty dinner dish with lots of serving options. We chose pasta, but I think a crusty loaf would be better to soak up all the flavorful juices!" ~Angela

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (or 4 tsp dried parsley)
1 Tbsp minced fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried dill)
1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen
Pinch of salt, more to taste
Pinch black pepper, more to taste
3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately. Serve with crusty French or Italian loaf bread, pasta, or rice.

Try #1 - April 6, 2010
Very good, but really only enough for one night (maybe 1/2 a leftover). We served it with peasant bread. The flavors were good - next time I might add more feta (I used half a 6 oz container of Trader Joe's feta, next time I might just add the whole thing...). I used dried parsley and dill (that's all I had), but it would nice to try it with fresh parsley.

I'm also not sure if any of our skillets are oven-safe, so I transferred it to a glass baking dish before baking.

Shrimp Spaghettini with Vegetables

From Whitney's blog

1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti
Shrimp (about 20), thawed (rinse with cold water to thaw)
1 small head of fresh broccoli
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Olive oil & garlic salt

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
Salt
Pepper
Dash of Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Read all directions first - #1-3 kind of need to be started at the same time. Sauce can be done last (or started after everything else is well underway).

1. Cook spaghetti. Drain when done. Return to pot. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Set aside.
2. In skillet put butter, shrimp, onion, bell pepper, Italian seasonings and 1 Tbsp minced garlic. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Add to spaghetti noodles.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli, carrots and celery. When done, add to the pot with the spaghetti, shrimp and veggies.
4. To make sauce: Saute butter, garlic and spices (I just used the same pan that I steamed the veggies in). Add flour and salt, stir for about a minute. Slowly add milk over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour into pot with other ingredients and mix well.

Try #1 - March 5, 2010
Really creamy and delicious! I forgot to add salt, though, which it needed. We will definitely make this again!

Pasta with Asparagus, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze

I asked for this recipe after eating it at Heidi’s house. It is really yummy and “restaurant quality,” in my opinion… it takes a little bit of time, but not too difficult to make. Definitely worth it!

1 Tbsp plus ½ tsp salt
1 pound penne or bowtie pasta
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, bottom 1 inch trimmed and discarded, spears halved lengthwise if larger
than ½ inch in diameter and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium-large red onion, halved and sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 1 ½ cups)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese
Cooked salmon or shrimp (optional)

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in stockpot. Add 1 Tbsp salt and pasta, stir and cook until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
2. Just before putting pasta in boiling water bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer slowly until syrupy and reduced to ¼ cup, 15 to 20 minutes. (This is the hardest part – you definitely have to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too thick!)
3. While pasta is cooking and balsamic is reducing, heat 2 Tbsp oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke. Add asparagus, onion, black pepper, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir to combine; cook without stirring, until asparagus begins to brown, about 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 4 minutes longer. Add asparagus mixture, basil, lemon juice, ½ cup Romano or Parmesan, and remaining 3 Tbsp oil to pasta in stockpot; toss to combine. Add cooked salmon or shrimp if desired. Serve immediately, drizzling 1 to 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze over individual servings. Top with remaining cheese.

Try #? - May 2011
We've made this a few times before, but not in a while... this time we did it vegetarian. So delicious. This is one of our favorite meals!