Speedy Supper #3 - Mustard-crusted Salmon

My efforts to simplify dinner have continued. This (shortened) week, our cook-at-home menu includes the following:

- Mustard-crusted Salmon with Parmesan Balsamic Cauliflower and a side salad

- Grass-fed beef burgers topped with portabello mushrooms and grilled peppers, served with a 3-bean crockpot dish and grilled sweet potatoes

- Grilled BBQ chicken spinach salad with walnuts, apples, and goat cheese

This might look complicated for those who don't cook often, but with a shopping list and a bit of planning, it's really easy. In fact, the chicken salad for Thursday night will be made even easier by grilling the chicken with the burgers on Wednesday night and heating the chicken in the toaster oven (covered, on convection setting) before serving. BBQ-ing is also great because it minimizes mess and clean up!

This salmon recipe, taken from my favorite cooking website Eatingwell.com, will surely become a staple in our house. It only requires 5 ingredients and is a great way to get inflammation-reducing omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Opt for organic sour cream, or try Greek yogurt instead!

Mustard-crusted Salmon
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb center-cut salmon fillets, cut into 4 portions (I used 2 6-oz portions to serve 2)
Dirty sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (I used regular organic)
2 T stone ground mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
Lemon wedges
Dill to taste (optional)
Garlic powder to taste (optional)

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients:


Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil, then coat with cooking spray or olive oil. Note: I made this in my toaster oven on "broil" setting. It's great to avoid heating up the oven during the summer!


Place salmon pieces, skin side down, on prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper.



Combine sour cream, mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl. I ended up making extra to use it later as a dipping sauce.





Add dill if desired, as recommended by reviewers on the EatingWell.com website.


I also added some garlic powder:


Spread evenly over the salmon.



Broil the salmon 5 inches from the heat until it is opaque in the center, 10-12 minutes.


Serve with lemon wedges (I forgot these but they would be great!). I also served it with this delicious cauliflower recipe and a fresh salad. Salmon, cauliflower, and spinach? Bring on the super foods!

Speedy Supper #1 - Red Curry-glazed Salmon

I've been trying to simply many parts of my life lately, including my cooking life. ("Trying" is the key word...) While traveling for work, I came across a really interesting article in Real Simple magazine that showcased 3-ingredient recipes. It seemed to fit my "less is more" mantra as of late and gave me an idea for a blog series: Speedy Suppers!

Most of my clients like to cook and even have a few fun recipes up their sleeves; they just struggle finding the time to make tasty, healthy meals for themselves and their families. I wanted to showcase a few recipes that are extremely simple yet flavorful for even the most pressed-for-time cook. (Note: the magazine article I snagged these from considers olive oil, salt, and pepper as "freebies" and doesn't consider them part of the 3 ingredients. I adapted the recipes slightly to accommodate my ingredient preferences.)

This first Speedy Supper features Real Simple's Red Curry-glazed Salmon. I served it with a homemade salad of mixed beans, chopped onion, avocado, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

Red Curry-glazed Salmon

Ingredients:

4 5-oz pieces salmon filet (or 2 larger pieces, shown here)

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

1 tablespoon canola oil (I avoid canola so used sesame oil or coconut oil)

1 teaspoon light brown sugar (I used honey)

Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions:

Heat broiler. Place the salmon on a foil-lined broilerproof baking sheet.

In a small bowl, mix together the curry paste, oil, sugar (honey), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

This is my extra cool Crate and Barrel electric salt and pepper mill:

Dividing evenly, brush the salmon with the curry paste mixture.

Broil until salmon is opaque throughout, 5-7 minutes. Serve with a big salad or mixed veggies.

My favorite part? Leftovers for lunch the next day!

Enjoy - with less stress and more time!

*M*

Company-ready Crusted Salmon

Whenever clients ask for a good salmon recipe, this is what I give them. It combines salmon with pecans and almonds (all great sources of healthy fat), plus a good helping of nutrient-rich spinach. Best of all, it's simple to make and tastes so fancy you can serve it at a dinner party...or a Tuesday night at home.

The recipe is adapted from a Taste of Home recipe I found a few years ago. It's a hit with everyone who tries it!

I use safflower mayonnaise because I'm not a fan of the soy and canola oil-based mayo. Soy and canola oil are highly genetically modified. Make sure to check the label to see what you're eating! I don't recommend the fat-free mayo that is in the original recipe.

Company-ready Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:
2 packages (6 ounces each) fresh baby spinach
1 salmon fillet (1 1/2 lbs)
1 tsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cornflakes (I omitted these - buy organic if you use them)
2 Tbsp. sliced almonds
2. Tbsp. chopped pecans
1/4 C safflower mayonnaise
Hot couscous, quinoa, or brown rice, optional

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients:


Place spinach in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with salmon. Drizzle oil over spinach:




Combine honey, mustard and mayo. Remove 2 Tbsp. mixture; brush over salmon. (Note: I usually double the sauce to spread more on the salmon.)






Place the cornflakes (if using), almonds and pecans in a small food
processor or blender; cover and process until ground:




Press onto salmon:



Refrigerate sauce until serving.

Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Drizzle with reserved sauce. Serve with couscous, quinoa, or brown rice if desired. I served it with roasted seasonal veggies.



Enjoy!

*M*

Black Bean and Salmon Tostadas

I love any chance to make healthy, tasty Mexican-inspired food. This recipe stood out to me because it uses both salmon and avocado, which are good sources of healthy fats, and is relatively inexpensive. While I don't like using a lot of canned products because can linings can contain BPA, sometimes canned foods help when you don't have a lot of time or energy and are OK when not utilized regularly. This recipe, found at one of my favorite websites, can be seen here.

A few considerations:

- I personally don't like jalapenos (and forgot to buy them!), so I used a bit of cayenne pepper and/or Cholula to add a bit of zip.

- Instead of microwaving, which I try to avoid altogether, I heated up the black bean mixture on the stove in a saucepan. It took about 4 minutes.

- Instead of corn tortillas, which my husband doesn't like, I used organic whole spelt tortillas. If you use corn, make sure it's organic so you're avoiding genetically modified corn.

- The cabbage, avocados, lime, and scallions are all from the North Scottsdale Farmers Market.

- I made extra of the salmon mixture and cabbage so I could have leftovers (and add extra veggies!).

Black Bean Salmon Tostadas

4 servings, 2 tostadas each

Ingredients

- 8 6-inch corn tortillas

- Olive oil cooking spray

- 1 6-7 ounce can boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained (I used 2 5-ounce cans that had bones, and these bones, while not noticeable, added calcium!)

- 1 avocado, diced

- 2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage (shred your own if you can!)

- 2 T chopped cilantro

- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

- 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (I used organic regular sour cream)

- 2 tablespoons prepared salsa (I used 1/2 cup pico de gallo - more veggies!)

- 2 scallions, chopped

- Lime wedges (optional)

Here are most of the ingredients:

Instructions

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Coat tortillas on both side with cooking spray.

Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until light brown, 12-14 minutes. I only made 3 tortillas because I knew we wouldn't be able to eat 4 (2 each).

Combine salmon, avocado, and jalapenos (or cayenne pepper) in a bowl.

Combine cabbage, cilantro and the pickling juice (or Cholula) in another bowl.

Process black beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions in a food processor until smooth.

Heat on the stove (instead of a microwave) until warm.

Here's what my little assembly line looked like:

To assemble tostadas, spread each tortilla with some bean mixture.

Top with the salmon mixture.

Add the cabbage salad and serve with lime wedges.

It was really filling and light, not heavy and dense like a lot of traditional tostadas. Enjoy!

*M*