Grilled Panko Crusted Salmon with Honey Orange Vinaigrette

Copper river salmon is finally in season!  To celebrate, I tried something new.  Grilling fish.  Strait on the grill.  

Typically, my husband was always the grill master.  I just didn't want to deal with the extreme 700 degrees of our grill, and quite frankly the grill can be intimidating.  These days, I've had to overcome a lot of my fears, like giving birth, killing spiders, and manning the grill.  Since my husband works fairly late, I try to have dinner ready when he gets home so that we can all eat as a family.  Eating at 8pm, now, is no longer an option with a toddler.

Amazingly, the grill is a lot easier than I always thought.  Not to mention, less messy, less stinky, and AND....no more kitchen fires!  The key is to have a really hot grill, flip once, and oil the grates.  I use cooking spray--just stand back--those flames can really kick back. 

Now that we have overcome grilling, lets talk about this fish, shall we?  Copper river salmon is in season only in the summer months.  It's much more 'buttery' in flavor and texture.  In fact, it's the real reason I love salmon today.  Total fact.  Up until 7 years ago, I did not like fish.  Now, I don't know how I ever lived without it.

What I love about this recipe is the crunch from the panko crumbs (japanese bread crumbs that are, well, pretty darn crunchy!).  The finishing sauce, just brightens up the fish.  And who doesn't like sauce?  

Leaving the skin on helps with breakage of the fish on the grill.  Also, you don't even have to flip this thing, just cover with one of those disposable foil/aluminum pans over the top to create a steam cooking system.

Oh, and did I mention this takes 25 minutes?  Yup.

Grilled Panko Crusted Salmon with Honey Orange Vinaigrette

recipe adapted from "Cuisine at Home" magazine

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 T white wine vinegar

1 T Dijon

Zest of one orange

1 T shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon 

For the Salmon:

2 T.  olive oil

1.5 T. Dijon Mustard

2, 8 oz Salmon filets, skin on (or choose a size that you would eat)

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

2 T. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat grill

Wisk Vinaigrette ingredients together.  Set aside.

For the fish:  Mix together 2 T oil, and dijon and salt and pepper to taste.  Brush over salmon filets.

In a separate bowl: mix together panko, parsley, and 2 T olive oil.  Top each filet with the mixture.  

Oil grill (be careful of the flames).  Place salmon on the grill, skin side down. Cover with either a disposable aluminum pan, I used some aluminum pie pans I had.  Cook 5-6 minutes.  Or until fish is done.  Check often for flare ups.**  If topping seems to be getting too burned and fish is still not done inside, you can put fish on a sided cookie sheet on a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes (or until done).  I ended up having to do this.

**tip: Once the fish is on the grill, leave it alone. Don't move it until it's finished.  The skin will generally stick to the grill, don't worry about it, this helps get the fish off anyway.  Also, use a metal spatula and quickly, but gently get under the fish to pull it off the grill.

Serve over roasted asparagus and top with vinaigrette.

Halibut Sandwich and Toasted Couscous Salad

Over the weekend, I was able to catch up on my favorite food network shows.  Giada's struck me (maybe it was because they were all hanging at the beach and there is no warm weather in sight in MI yet!).  After watching, my husband and I were drooling.  I look over at him, and said "Should we make this today?"  He gets up immediately from his seat and says, "Yes, I will get a pen a paper and write you a list".   That's my husband.  Mr. Helpful.

We made everything from the show, I made the kalamata dip (no pictured) first so we could snack on that while we prepped dinner.  The halibut sandwich (sorry the picture is rather dark!) was SO good.  Toasting the ciabatta bread with olive oil and then rubbing a garlic clove on it was probably my favorite part...and smelled SOO good!  The toasty couscous salad was also a play on flavors.  Every bite was different and unexpected.  I will definitely make it all again.  I wasn't a huge fan of the beer though.  I like dark bitter beer.  This was WAAAAAY too sweet.  I suppose if you enjoyed bourbon, you might enjoy the star anise and cinnamon in the beer.

Check out the recipes, here!

Homemade Halibut Fish Sticks with Pickle Caper Tartar Sauce

Bon Appetit has had my toungue wagging all week with amazing recipes that have not let me down. This recipe was so easy and so quick....perfect for a weeknight (or the weekend...whatever).

I know what you're thinking. Fish sticks? Really?

Really. Let me explain.

This is NO freezer burned, cardboard, bottom feeder, tasting fish sticks....let me assure you. (Sorry Van de Kamps...I'm sure you are really nice people, but I just don't see myself ever eating a frozen fish stick).

Instead these are crispy from panko bread crumbs, and flaky halibut dipped in homemade tartar sauce. Heaven. That's what these are. They are just plain good. Really, really good.

I used my Le Creuset pan for these because it gets really hot and helps get these things get extra crispy.

If you think fish sticks are a great concept, it is. But wait until you move onto the homemade tartar sauce: pickles, capers, lemon zest....sounds good, doesn't it?

I just made a few changes to the tartar sauce. To cut the fat, I used half low-fat mayo and half non-fat Greek yogurt. I also added lemon and lemon zest. To me, when I eat fish, I need lemon.

Check out the recipe at Bon Appetit!

Here is my version of the tartar sauce:

Tartar sauce:

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, such as Fage

1 dill pickle, coarsely chopped, such as McClure's

1 tablespoon pickle juice

1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions:

Mix together in a medium sized bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Coming soon: HOMEMADE YOGURT!! I know you have probably heard me talk about wanting to make my own in the past. Now I have the chance--plus, I'll even review the product as well! Stay tuned!

Halibut Fish Tacos with Peach Avocado Salsa

When I became pregnant last year, I had sworn off fish for months. Not by my choosing but of by choice of my woozy stomach. Unfortunately that lasted well past 'fish season' so I missed out on nearly the entire thing. Fortunately though, my normal tastes and appetite have reappeared (probably times 100 these days because I'm nursing). But because of this, the choices I make are so much more important.

While wandering the market near my house, I decided I would make fish tacos. My first choice in the past would have been to make these with mahi mahi, but since I was told it was previously frozen (something that just don't do with fish), I settled on what was delivered and cut that day, halibut. I was skeptical because halibut, while meaty, is very flaky. I worried that it wouldn't really stand up in a fish taco.

I was proved wrong, very wrong. Not only was this the perfect choice, halibut was the perfect accompaniment to the peach and avocado salsa! It gave these fish tacos a very delicate bite!

You've got to try these things! Fish tacos are one of my all time favorite summer meals. It's fresh, it's fast, and it's healthy!

Halibut Fish Tacos with Peach Avocado Salsa

Recipe by: Cafe Coco

Ingredients:

1 lb halibut filet

1/2 avocado, diced

1/2 peach, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1/2 lime juiced

1 tablespoon cilantro

2 oz. feta cheese

white corn tortillas

salt/pepper

canola oil

olive oil

lime wedges

Greek Yogurt (I use fat free)

To prepare the halibut: pre heat cast iron skillet on grill. Add a few tablespoons of canola oil. Season fish with sea salt or kosher salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Cook skin side up for 4 minutes. Flip and cook another 4 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness. Cover with foil for a few minutes. Then flake off the meat for the tacos.

To prepare the salsa:

Add avocado, peach, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro to a medium bowl. Toss lightly. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble tacos:

Warm tortillas (I just put mine in the microwave for 10 seconds in a damp paper towel.) Top with halibut, salsa, and feta. Garnish with Greek yogurt and lime wedge.

Shrimp with Cheddar Polenta and Cilantro Pesto

Since I've become a mom, I've learned that I have very limited time to make dinner. (not to mention limited hands!). BUT we still have to eat and I need to put food on the table. So you will probably find many more 'mom inspired' meals around here! (Don't worry, I still hope to keep baking!)

I found this on the "Cuisine at Home" website. I get the magazine and I must say its great. All the recipes are very good, but family friendly, and pretty easy. I love all the step by step photos they provide--I love a good visual!

Speaking of good visuals, can you believe the photo?? My husband actually took it--he's getting better at this every day! And he took it with my new cannon rebel 15mega pixel camera. How is that for a 'push prize'? I love it and I hope it helps enhance the blog!

Anyway, I prepped the shrimp ahead of time and popped them into the refrigerator until my husband got home from work....and the rest of the meal came together in 5 minutes. Yup...5 minutes. How great is that?? The key: buy quick cooking polenta.

I didn't quite follow this recipe for the polenta on this recipe. Follow the package instructions on the quick cooking polenta, I used Colvita 5-minute quick cooking polenta. I added whatever cheese I had in the fridge--a little sharp cheddar and a little parmigiano reggiano. You could use whatever you have on hand.

Good meals DON'T have to take you hours!

Enjoy!

For the shrimp recipe, click here!
-Alterations: Toss ingredients with shrimp. Saute on medium/high heat in a heavy bottomed skillet with olive oil. Cook until pink on one side and flip. This should only take about a minute a side if that. Keep an eye on them. You want them to be in the shape of a C NOT and O. O=overcooked! You don't want that.

For the cheddar polenta recipe, click here!
-Alterations: Use quick cooking polenta. Add whatever cheese you have on hand!

Creme Fraiche Roasted Salmon

I’ve been quite absent from the blogging world, and I think I am just caught up in trying to enjoy summer. (Although, our summer in Michigan has been a bit cold.) Whomever said there was global warming clearly has never been to our state.

Regardless, I have been cooking/baking but I have been enjoying many of my old stand-by’s while trying to take care of our sick dog (who is feeling much better now).

I made this salmon a few months ago, and I found the recipe in Bon Appétit. It’s so easy it’s sickening. You basically get a salmon filet, season with salt and pepper, then slather a healthy amount of crème fraiche on it and in the oven it goes. Dinner couldn’t be easier! I love that.

It’s funny how many cooking magazines and cook books I have obtained over the years, but I have to say, Bon Appétit has been by far the best. I love the pictures, but they always have something new and inventive, and appetizing. My cousin usually emails me when she gets hers to tell me what she plans to make or “oooh…did you see the…” It’s always like Christmas at the mailbox when I get it.

So if you are looking for something easy to make…this is it.

For the recipe, click here.