Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

Kat and I made this one night after a Hot Yoga class, and it was her first time having fish tacos!  She loved it and so did I.  Super light, healthy and satisfying.  Mahi is only 30 calories per ounce (I think) and super high protein.  Win win.  

Not sure how important the ginger is, I didn’t really notice it- but it is in the title so maybe it adds something. Kat and I chopped up the fish and served it in corn tortillas with a slather of sour cream (lazy white sauce) and cheddar cheese.   I burnt the glaze too the first time but it might be worth trying again, although in the tacos it wasn’t necessary. 

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

3 T. honey
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. olive oil
4 – 6 oz. mahi mahi
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. vegetable oil
optional - corn tortillas, sour cream, cheese

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the marinade (everything except fish and vegetable oil.)  Season the fish with salt and pepper and place them in the glass dish.  If the filets have skin, place them skin side down.  Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Remove fish and reserve marinade.  Fry fish with a small amount of vegetable oil for 4-6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Remove filets to a serving platter and keep warm. 

Pour reserved marinade into the skillet and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistency.  Spoon glaze over fish and serve immediately. 

Blackened Salmon

My friend Phuong from Pleasanton taught me how to cook salmon initially, and then she had posted some food picture that looked amazing (I'll see if I can find it for this post!) and so I begged her to share her secrets with me.  I tried it once and it was really good, but I think that like all things, practice makes perfect, so there is room for me to improve here.  Worth every minute though because salmon is so healthy and yummy and just full of things that are great for me and also the kids growing bodies.  Here we go!

Blackened Salmon
salmon filets (Costco's Kirkland frozen individually wrapped are a great start)
black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
paprika
dill
olive oil spray

Mix up the spices so you have a rub, or you can just sprinkle it on as you go.

Thaw salmon and dry with paper towels.  Generously salt salmon and put in the fridge for an hour or more on top of paper towel.  When ready to cook, pat paper towels on salmon to dry more.  On each side, sprinkle spice mixture and spray with olive oil.

Heat pan (ridged grill pan is better) on high heat so the pan is super hot.  This allows the salmon to blacken.  Spray pan with olive oil.  Sear salmon on one side for about four minutes (until it's seared black) and then turn it over and sear for 3 minutes or so.  It should feel fairly firm and not have a lot of "squishy" give to it when it is ready.

Phuong says "the trick is to have the salmon dry by patting it dry, salting it so the water is drawn out, and giving it time in the fridge to dry it out- and of course, having the pan super hot."  Thank you, Phuong! :-)

Baja Fresh Style Grilled Chicken

Just made this tonight and it was SO good!  We chopped up the chicken into cubes and served it on flour and corn tortillas.  I also made some tilapia in a second bag, and it turned out really well too.  I think that tomorrow, the leftovers will end up on top of black beans and brown rice in homemade burrito bowls.  You can use whatever type of meat or fish you like, really.  I hear that Chipotle uses thighs but I'm a breast gal, myself.  Very easy and effortless, with a lot of flavor.

Side Note: This was originally titled "Chipotle Grilled Chicken" but Jason and I decided it didn't have quite enough kick to be worthy of that title.  So we scaled it down to Baja Fresh style.  Still very good, absolutely worth making, but the search continues for a Chipotle copycat recipe.

Baja Fresh Style Grilled Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
2 t. chili powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. black pepper
3/4 t. kosher or sea salt
fresh cilantro, optional
lime wedges, optional.

Put the meat in a gallon size Ziploc bag, add the oil, and then toss/turn to coat all of the meat.  Combine the spices, and then add them to the bag, seal it and toss and rub the meat until it is well coated.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.  Cook over direct heat for 5-6 minutes per side, until there is no pink in the middle.  Let it rest for a few minutes before chopping it up.  If you have some fresh cilantro to garnish with, and maybe some lime wedges (after squeezing the juice on top, yum!) then that would be pretty.  Enjoy!

Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
• 2 limes, thinly sliced

Directions

Combine the rice and chicken broth in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a 2 or 3-quart baking dish. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved marinade over the fish. Shingle the lime slices over the fish. Bake until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Grilled Peaches

This is so easy that it almost isn't even worth writing a "recipe" for, but since I use this blog mostly for my own reference, and I don't want to ever forget about this, I am going to post it.  

Peaches, ripe but still firm (smelling them is the best way to know they are ripe) 

All you do is slice the peaches in half around the core (and do that cool twist trick) and then put them face down on your grill over medium direct heat for 3-5 minutes.  I did this on my nonstick grillpan indoors once, and they sort of stuck, so I would spray it next time.

Looking online, I see that some people add honey and other things when they make grilled peaches, but this is perfect as is.  I hear others say this makes a good dessert.... but I don't do fruit for dessert.  These serve really well with fish and pork- or they are good enough to stand alone.  Enjoy!

Tilapia

These are the ways that I know to cook tilapia. I buy the bag of frozen tilapia loins from Costco and thaw for a few hours (or overnight) and then get to work.

Spicy Lime TilapiaBrush filet with olive oil, after patting dry.
Sprinkle on some lime juice.
Rub with cajun seasoning.
Can garnish with fruity (mango?) salsa if you have it.

or

Breaded Lemon Pepper TilapiaBrush filet with olive oil, after patting dry.
Rub with lemon pepper seasoning.
Rub on some bread crumbs.
Spray with olive oil spray.
Sprinkle with lime juice after cooking.

I have not had the chance to get this fancy yet, but I read that you can slice lemon or lime and put the slices over the fish while it is cooking. I bet that is really good.

Bake either of these at 400 for about 30 minutes. I am sure you could broil quicker but this was easy to do yesterday and gives your other food a chance to cook as well.

Update:
I just dicsovered that you can make tilapia in your crockpot in foil packets!  Here are two recipes I know:

Mix up some mayo (Miracle Whip in my case), minced garlic, shredded (or grated) parmesean cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Coat both sides of filet and then wrap up in the foil packet.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar and honey over filet, in additon to salt and pepper.  If you have fresh sliced oranges or lemon, add that too- or you can use mandarin oranges.  Close up foil packet.

Cook in slow cooker on high for 2 hours, or in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Easy and NO clean up!

Garlic and Dill Salmon

Garlic and Dill Salmon

salmon
chopped garlic or garlic powder
dill weed
lemon wedge or juice

My Vietnamese friend turned me on to this combination and salmon all together for that matter. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Rub the fish with pre-chopped garlic in your fridge, or use garlic powder if you like. Then sprinkle liberally wih Dill Weed. Squeeze some lemon juice on top when it comes out of the oven, if you have it.

Dijon Salmon

Dijon Salmon

salmon
dijon mustard (I like Grey Poupon)
bread crumbs
olive oil spray

Spread salmon with a layer of Dijon Mustard. I use Grey Poupon. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. This gets really crispy- I always hit it with a blast of the olive oil spray to help that along. The original recipe I read said to melt butter to pour on top- which I am sure is good but is not necessary in my opinion. Also, it is not spicy at all somehow when it cooks. Christopher and Jason both like this one too.

Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans (and Salmon)

I saw this recipe on Robin Miller's show also. I didn't love the salmon when I made it with the wet teriyaki sauce- I seem to prefer dry rubs on my salmon over the moist stuff. But the side dishes are GREAT, and they can go in the oven at the same time as your salmon or chicken or whatever else you are making. It doesn't get much easier than this!!!

Teriyaki Roasted Salmon with Oranges, Fingerling Potatoes and Haricots Verts

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 pounds salmon fillets, 6 fillets or 2 whole sides
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 pound fingerling potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into thin strips
2 cups haricots verts or string beans

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat a large roasting pan and large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in prepared roasting pan. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, molasses, brown sugar, and garlic. Pour mixture over salmon in pan. Arrange oranges over salmon, set aside.

Arrange potatoes and haricots verts on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast salmon and vegetables for 20 to 25 minutes, until fish is fork-tender and potatoes are golden brown and tender. Remove from oven.

Serve about 2/3 of the salmon, about 16 ounces or 4 fillets with all of the vegetables. Reserve remaining salmon about 8 ounces or 2 fillets for the linguine, if desired

Salmon

Whenever I eat salmon, I always feel like a hero to my body. Sometimes, there are some foods that when you eat them, you can almost hear your body saying "Thank You!" It feels even better when I see my boy, and now Jason eating salmon too. Those Omega 3 fatty acids are supposed to be good for brain development and Christopher especially LOVES salmon.

Lately when I have been making it, I have been creating a sort of "Salmon Sampler Platter" where I have several peices but each is prepared a different way. If I remember, I thaw it out in the fridge the night before- but each cut doesn't take too long to thaw. I've gone from frozen to cooking within 20 minutes before by soaking the salmon, still in its vacuum sealed bag in warm water.

I know that wild salmon is supposed to be better than farm-raised, but I just buy the bag of frozen salmon from Costco. Once the salmon is thawed out, open the package and pat it dry with a paper towel. I always forget this step, but just in case you don't, try to remember to feel it to make sure there are no tiny bones left. Last time I ate a bone and it was too far down my throat by the time I realized it. Oops! (I lived so its no big deal if it happens.)

For all the prep methods, I like to bake and broil my salmon. It is easiest and I think cooks it the best. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil spray. Place seasoned salmon on the cookie sheet. Sometimes I spray the salmon lightly just to help add to the "crunch" factor. Bake for at least 10-12 minutes on one of the highest racks in the oven (about 3-4" from top) at about 400 or so, and then crank up the broiler and give it 3 minutes or so. Watch closely so you don't burn it! I like my salmon well-done. I hear people sometimes say that "salmon can be too dry" but I have not ever felt that way- so if you have, you may not want to cook it as long.

Salmon Rub
This is supposed to be enough for about 5 lbs of fish. I make the spice rub and keep it in a plastic bag to use later.
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. paprika
2 t. kosher salt
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. thyme

Mix it all together and then pat liberally on the fish. The fish will get really red from the paprka and look spicy, but it isn't. Christopher loves this and it is my favorite as well.