Simple Salmon

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in creating new recipes that I lose sight of why I started this website in the first place: to help busy people learn to fit healthy cooking into their lifestyles. I recently had a wonderful reminder of this mission. Liz has been my friend for more than 10 years. We were hockey teammates in college and lived together in New York right after graduation. While we were roommates, we adhered to a strict division of labor, I cooked and she cleaned. It was with Liz that I first developed my recipe for healthy chicken fingers (a dish she requests every time she comes over to my house). Well, after many years of hating/avoiding cooking, Liz has started to experiment with some of my recipes. It turns out that she's a natural.

So, for the past few weeks she and I have been exchanging tons of emails about cooking and meal planning. Having these conversations with her has really reinforced my mission with this website as a place for information, tips and general info about cooking and meal prep. Liz emailed me this week about some ideas for preparing fish. Turns out, I haven't put a lot of fish on the website, mainly because I prefer simple preparations and never thought these were "wow" enough for the site. Talking to Liz has changed my attitude about this, and so I wanted to share this simple preparation for tasty salmon with you all.

I love fish. Living in New England, I am very lucky to have access to wonderful fresh fish year round. When it comes to fish, my opinion is that simple is better. This is mainly for two reasons. First, good fresh fish can be pricey, so you don't want to ruin it with too much recipe/seasoning. And two, fresh fish is DELICIOUS - so I don't like to cover it up with a lot of stuff.

Wild salmon makes for a tasty and incredibly healthy dinner. Craig and I picked up this beautiful filet of  wild Alaskan Coho Salmon at the store this weekend, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to highlight a simple preparation for this tasty fish.

My cast iron skillet is my kitchen MVP. I use it for everything, but over the years I've learned that it is the absolute best and most precise way to prepare fresh fish perfectly. This is due to the fact that you can put the skillet in the oven. Because most types of fish are very delicate, you never want to flip it. Broiling in a skillet ensures even cooking because you broil the skillet first so that it gets super hot. This will crisp the skin of the salmon and help it to cook evenly while the rest of it broils. I have been honing this method over the past few years and it works with all varieties of fish.

I served the salmon with lemon wedges and bulgur with kale and walnuts. It was a simple and tasty meal that took approximately 20 minutes to put together.

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Lemon Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Everyone knows they should eat more fish. However, it can be so difficult to find and get fresh, healthy and environmentally conscious fish. I am lucky enough to live in a place where fish is affordable and easy to come by, but for many that's not the case. This is one of the many reasons I love tilapia. It's plentiful, low in mercury, safely farmed and relatively easy to find, especially frozen. It's also generally cheaper than other types of fish (salmon, swordfish) and can be quickly and easily turned into a delicious dinner.

Craig and I were both feeling like fish after a decadent weekend, so I decided to dress up some tilapia filets we picked up. I combined two strong flavors, lemon and parmesan, with some whole wheat breadcrumbs for a light and healthy topping for the fish. Start to finish this recipe takes about 15-20 minutes total, making it a great weeknight dinner option.

The result was tangy and delicious. The flavors complimented the fish without being overpowering. I was  really happy with the taste as well as the simplicity of the recipe. I served this with asparagus and wild rice, but it could work well with anything.

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Craig's Scallop Stuffed Trout

I love fish. I don't eat nearly enough of it, but I love it. Usually, on Sundays, Craig and I get inspired at the supermarket and take home a nice piece of salmon or something. Yesterday, Craig decided that he wanted some trout, so I left him at the fish counter to go get some other stuff. He came back with trout and sea scallops and informed me he had invented a new recipe. So we got home and started experimenting.

There are many ways to stuff fish, usually crab meat is used, but I really loved the idea of using scallops instead. Bay scallops have so much flavor and a great texture. I knew they would hold up well in a stuffing. We decided to make the stuffing very simple, some onion, a bit of bacon, and parsley is all you need. Stuffed in the trout and roasted to perfection, this is a flavorful and lean meal that looks really impressive! I am so impressed with Craig's culinary imagination! The best part is that this is actually an incredibly simple dish to prepare. The prep is simple and then you just throw it all in the oven.

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Tilapia Piccata

Tilapia is such a versatile, lean fish. It is safely farmed, so there are no health or environmental concerns, and it's usually available year round. It is the perfect lean protein to build a tasty meal around. I decided to use tasty lemons and capers to make tilapia piccata. This recipe is as lean and simple as possible, no butter or excess salt and it cooks up in just a few minutes. The perfect last minute dinner.

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Smoked Trout Hash

We recently discovered a fabulous restaurant around the corner from our new apartment. One of their brunch specialties is smoked trout hash. Since the wait for a table is usually more than an hour, we decided to create our own version. We don't have a smoker, but Craig was intrigued by the idea of smoking fish on our charcoal grill. So after cooking dinner one night, as the heat was dying down, we smoked some fresh Rainbow Trout we had picked up. We used a cedar plank, which gave is a fantastic smoky flavor. After picking the meat off the bones, we just stored it in the fridge. The next morning, I used it to make this dish. Traditional, but with the flavorful fresh fish, this is a filling and impressive breakfast. The hash itself is simple to throw together in 20 minutes or so. You can serve alone or topped with fried or poached eggs. A liberal sprinkling of black pepper is required.

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Fish Tacos

Fish tacos are one of my all time favorite restaurant treats. This recipe is a lighter, homemade version with tons of flavor and far fewer calories. Instead of frying the fish, I grilled whole tilapia filets in my cast iron skillet and topped with some crispy pickled cabbage and creamy guacamole. This recipe will yield extra guac that you can eat with chips or your favorite veggies.
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Pizza Fish

I'm back! I apologize for the weeklong hiatus. I had another big project that took up every spare minute of my time. Fortunately, I am back blogging and have a lot of exciting recipes planned.

This is my favorite dinner from childhood. My mom would always make this for us to get us to eat some healthy fish. It is so simple and quick, the entire dish takes 20 minutes, start to finish. Tasty Italian flavors combine with some fresh fish for a healthy, yummy dinner.

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Lighter Fish Chowder

I had the most amazing adventure on Sunday! I got to spend the whole day out on a boat fishing by Provincetown, Ma. It was so beautiful and relaxing. I also caught my first fish! I had to reel it in, which was actually quite difficult and a good workout. I was so proud of catching this fish I had to take it home and dream up some new recipes. I also had the good fortune to catch a bluefish, which is known for its feisty temper and dark, flavorful meat. I ended up preparing it in a couple of different ways, but decided to use some of the leftovers (there was so much) to make chowder.

Full disclosure: I don't eat chowder. I have never eaten chowder. I dislike the look, smell and taste of it. I understand as a New Englander this borderline blasphemous, but I just have never liked it. However, Craig LOVES chowder, and has been begging me to make some and put a Dara-style spin on it. This seemed like a good opportunity to create something light and flavorful with our fresh catch and get over my chowder-phobia.

I used bluefish, but you could also substitute any dark, fatty fish. Mackerel would be really good. I think a more fishy-fish sort of lends itself to chowder, so go with something a little stronger than cod. I also used some leftover corn we had from a cookout the previous night. Grilling corn really brings out the flavor and sweetness. Adding grilled corn to the chowder instead of boiled actually made a great difference in the taste. You could roast them as well for a similar result.

In order to lighten up this chowder, I only used a little bit of heavy cream and cut back on the potatoes. The rich flavor comes from the fish, the corn and some fresh herbs, especially chives. Add a ton of black pepper and you are good to go. This also reheats well if you want to bring leftovers for lunch.

So...I actually loved this chowder. I never thought in a million years I would like it but it was so light and flavorful. I am now a chowder convert!

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Almond Crusted Tilapia

Tilapia is an inexpensive white fish that works well in a variety of recipes. A simple almond crust mixed with a bit of spice is all you need to whip up a quick, healthy and tasty dinner.

Recipe after the jump.
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Skillet Tilapia

My cast iron skillet is the most versatile cooking tool I own. Because I have such a small kitchen and no grill, it ends up being used for many different things. A well seasoned skillet ensures heat retention, even heat distribution and a scratch proof non-stick surface. Its easy to clean and maintain and sears meat beautifully. It is also great for broiling fish, especially tilapia, which is inexpensive, quick to prepare, and fully of heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.

Full recipe after the jump!

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