Chili Maple Grilled Salmon

We've instituted one day a week where we have seafood on the menu.  Salmon is one of those things that is always a hit with my girls, so I've been experimenting with various preparations.  This one is a keeper!

Chili Maple Grilled Salmon

4 salmon fillets
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cloves crushed garlic
dash of red pepper flakes

Prepare marinade and put in a gallon ziploc bag, along with the salmon and let marinate (I did mine overnight).  Grill skin side down over medium heat (350-400) for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Grilled Lemon Salmon with Dill and Garlic

I wanted to do something other than my usual baked salmon (which usually has that weird white stuff because it's cooked too hot too quickly, even though it tastes good) and decided to try grilling it again.  Well worth it!

2 lbs salmon fillets, rinsed and dried (should be about 4 fillets)
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 TBS dill (could have used more, but I ran out)
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Place lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings in a large ziploc bag, mix well, and add salmon fillets.  Marinate in fridge for a few hours.  About 30 minutes before you're ready to grill, take them out to warm up a bit.  Grill at about 300-350 degrees for 15 minutes, skin side down, or until done.  Let rest 5 minutes.  I served mine with wilted garlic spinach.

Baked Salmon over Wilted Garlic Spinach with Blueberry Thyme Sauce

I wanted something a little bit different than our usual baked salmon routine.  This is what I came up with.  I'm not usually a fan of sweet/savory combos, but this was good!

Baked Salmon
1 Salmon Fillet, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Place salmon in a dish and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Blueberry Thyme Sauce
1 shallot, diced
1 tsp EVOO
1/4 cup Orange juice
1/2 TBS cornstarch (not technically paleo, but I didn't know what to substitute for it)
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (I had some left over from another dish I'll be sharing this week, so I threw it in)
1/2 cup chicken stock (could have probably gotten away with less)
S&P to taste

Saute shallot in olive oil until translucent.  Meanwhile stir cornstarch into orange juice.  Once shallots are ready, add rest of ingredients and turn heat down to low.  Simmer 20 minutes.

Wilted Garlic Spinach
6 oz baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp EVOO
S&P to taste

Heat a wok over medium heat.  Add olive oil and garlic and saute until garlic is tender.  Add spinach and salt and pepper and cook until just wilted, tossing often.

To serve, place spinach on the plate and top with a portion of the salmon.  Top with the blueberry sauce (mine was a little juicy, so I used a slotted spoon).  Enjoy!

Salmon and Broccoli Slaw Salad

I had some leftover roasted salmon from dinner last night and wanted a change from my usual leafy salad.

1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS lime juice
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
S&P to taste
2 cups broccoli slaw
roasted salmon, hot or cold, depending on when you cook it up (to roast, place in shallow pan, season with lemon juice and salt and pepper and roast at 350 for 30 minutes)
1/2 avocado, diced

Whisk olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Add slaw and mix well.  Top with salmon and avocado.  Serves 1 main dish or 2 side dishes.

I would imagine that this would be really good with leftover shredded chicken as well.

A Very Rosy Dinner

We went to the farmer's market this morning and got some lovely beets and then the store had some pretty decent sockeye salmon.  Here's what I came up with.

Roasted Beets with Sauteed Beet Greens

1 bunch beets, with greens
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Wash beets and greens well.  Cut greens off and reserve.  Cut beets into quarters (or smaller if large--you want about 1 inch pieces) and toss with olive oil and S&P.  Roast at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until tender.  Meanwhile, when beets are almost done, heat some olive oil in a pan.  Add onions and garlic and saute until just done.  Add beet greens (tough stems discarded and cut into 1 inch pieces) and saute until just tender.  Add roasted beets and toss.  Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

I served mine with Roasted Lemon Dill Sockeye Salmon.   So good.

1 large Sockeye Salmon fillet (it might have a few bones in it, so be careful, especially if feeding to young children)
Olive oil
S&P
Dill weed (I used dried)
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Place salmon fillet in a large baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with S&P, dill weed, and squeeze lemon over it. About 15 minutes into the beets roasting (at 350), add salmon, so that it cooks for a total of 30 minutes.

And yes, I served mine with some fresh corn (not Paleo), but it was worth it!

Ahhhh, time to get back in the groove!

So, you'd think that Costa Rica would be THE place for fresh seafood and vegetables...not so much.  Yes, they have some pretty great ceviche, but for the most part, our vacation consisted of Americanized fish tacos, weird "fajitas", and lots and lots of margaritas and Imperial beers.  We were ready to get back in the groove.  This is what we made for our first dinner home.

Foil Wrapped Salmon

1 fillet of salmon
Salt
Pepper
Dill
Parsley

Place fillet on large sheet of heavy duty foil and sprinkle with seasonings and wrap well with foil.  Grill for about 9 minutes per side and let rest 5 minutes.


Roasted Summer Squash

Summer squash, cut into 1 inch pieces
Olive oil
S&P
garlic and onion powders

Toss ingredients in large roasting pan and roast at 425 for about 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes.

Put the Lime in the Coconut Salmon

I needed to do something other than my usual baked salmon.  This is what I came up with.

1 large salmon fillet (2-3lbs)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
juice of 1 1/2 limes
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Coconut flakes and lime wedges for serving

Combine ginger, lime juice, zest, S&P in a dish large enough for the salmon.  Place salmon in, skin side up and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Place salmon (reserve marinade) on a cookie sheet (I covered mine in foil sprayed with olive oil) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Place reserved marinade in small saucepan and bring to a high simmer for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with coconut flakes and serve with lime wedges.

I served mine with Roasted Summer Squash and steamed green beans.
Cut summer squash into 1 inch pieces.  Place in roasting pan and spray with EVOO.  Sprinkle with S&P and garlic powder and give it a good shake.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.