Salmon with Coconut-Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup drained canned petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup light coconut milk
pinch cayenne pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and cayenne; bring to a simmer and cook, covered, 5 minutes.

2. Add cherry tomatoes to skillet and simmer just until tomatoes begin to soften, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle salmon with salt. Add salmon and lime juice to skillet and cook, stirring gently, until salmon is just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Served over rice.

Results: This was just one for Chris and I, although Henry did ask for pieces of salmon "as long as there are no tomatoes or green stuff on them" and really liked it. I thought this was a delicious dish...very simple preparation (one pot cooking! Yay!) and the tastes all complimented each other. A definite keeper!

This recipe came from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers

Lemony Salmon with Yogurt-Dill Sauce

Serves 4

1 medium lemon
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound salmon, cut into 4 fillets
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1. Spray grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat grill.

2. Grate 1⁄4 teaspoon zest from the lemon. Cut the lemon in half, juice one of the halves to get 2 teaspoons of fresh juice, and set the remaining half aside.

3. Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, dill, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Squeeze the reserved lemon half over the salmon and sprinkle with the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add the salmon to the grill and cook until just opaque in the center, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve with the
sauce. Yields 1 salmon steak with 2 tablespoons sauce per serving.

Served with fusilli pasta (with Parmesan cheese) and sugar snap peas.

Results: Seriously yum! The sauce was great. I normally make a similar sauce with sour cream and dill, but this was a great improvement (and lower fat!) on that flavor. We did have way too much sauce though. I think 1 tablespoon per serving is more than enough, so next time I'll halve the sauce recipe.

Salmon and Bok Choy in Thai Curry Broth

Serves 4
Prep Time: 22 minutes, Cooking Time: 12 minutes

2 teaspoons canola oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Thai green curry paste (next time, I'll double this amount)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise (I used one large bok choy, and I should have cut them smaller)
1 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, curry paste, cumin, and coriander; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add broth and bok choy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until bok chow just begins to wilt, 2-3 minutes.

2. Sprinkle salmon with salt. Add salmon and lime zest and juice to broth. Simmer, uncovered, until salmon is just opaque, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mint.

Results: Overall, this was a very subtle, tasty soup. Next time, I'll add more curry paste, because we could barely taste it. But this was easy and very good, so I'll be making it again. A nice meal for a cool Spring day.

Grilled Salmon with Garlic, Lemon, and Basil

Serves 4

Sauce:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, minced

Salmon:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper; add fish to grill, skin side up. Tent loosely with tin foil. Grill four minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Served with mashed potatoes and peas.

Results: This sauce was super easy to make, and would also taste great on chicken. I didn't think this made enough sauce for four people, but it worked for Chris and I, because the kids didn't want any of the sauce. So tangy and fresh tasting...a keeper!

Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce

Serves 6

1 cup cubed seeded peeled cucumber
1½ cups sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 (3-pound) salmon fillet
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

2. Prepare grill.

3. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place fish, skin side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes. Rotate fish one quarter-turn for diamond-shaped crosshatches. Grill 3 minutes. Turn fish over; grill 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with cucumber sauce and garnish with dill sprigs (optional).

Served with rice cooked with grated lemon peel (yum!) We really needed a veggie with this dish though. I don't know what I was thinking by not making one!

Results: Yum...the cucumber sauce was so delicious and easy to make. It just screamed SUMMER, which was nice on this cold, rainy day in Denver! Henry is a big salmon fan, and had no problem eating his. Steven (no surprise here!) wouldn't try it. Everyone liked the rice, which had just a hint of lemon flavor. A definite keeper!

I think this sauce would make a great spread for a sandwich too.

Note: I halved the sauce recipe above, and we still had a ton of it leftover.

Salmon with Orange Marmalade

Serves 4

1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1&1/2-pound) salmon fillet
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat over to 400°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Place salmon on rack of a broiler pan lined with foil; sprinkle fish evenly with salt. Spread half of marmalade mixture over fish. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove from oven. Spread remaining marmalade mixture evenly over fish.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Broil fish 3 minutes or until topping browns.

Served with edamame beans and spinach salad with Orange-Sesame Dressing

Orange-Sesame Salad Dressing
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon hot mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle oils into juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Results: The salmon was a bit overcooked, so watch the cooking time. I think 10 minutes would have been plenty. Still, it was very tasty and I would make this again. It was super easy, but make sure you do cover that baking sheet because the marmalade burns. Fake gagging from Steven, but Henry devoured his, and had an extra piece from Chris and me. Chris didn't think the salad dressing was that great. On just the spinach, I agree, but I did have a salad with spinach & chicken for lunch the next day and it tasted much better.

Roasted Salmon with Citrus and Herbs

Serves 4

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (2 1/4-pound) salmon fillet
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Place salmon on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Rub parsley mixture over salmon. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Served with broccoli and rice.

Results: I'm a sucker for salmon, and this recipe was fantastic. We all ate every bite except for He Who Shall Not Be Named. I would say this recipe is very close to replacing this one as my favorite salmon recipe.

Sweet Orange Salmon

Serves 4

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) salmon filets
Cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler or grill.

2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture over both sides of salmon filets. Place salmon on a broiler pan or grill coated with cooking spray. Broil or grill 8 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Note: This spice rub is very easy to make, but to make dinner even quicker, you can make it ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. You can also rub the spice onto salmon before freezing.

Served with orange slices, rice and sugar snap peas.

Results: Henry let out no fewer than three "I LOVE THIS!" comments while eating dinner. I think he was talking about the sugar snap peas, but he also ate most of his salmon without complaint. Steven wouldn't try it, but he didn't complain either, so I'll mark that as a win. This is one of my favorite salmon recipes and I make it all the time. It's a quick and easy meal, that tastes great.

Maple Grilled Salmon

Serves 4

1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add fish. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

3. Remove fish from bag, reserving the marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

4. Place fish on a grill rack or pan coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting occastionally with marinade. Remove fish from grill; sprinkly with salt and pepper.

Served with: broccoli and mashed potatoes

Results: I've had better salmon, but I would probably make this one again. It's a quick, easy marinade and makes a sweet salmon. I was really hoping the syrup would entice Steven to try it, but he put one piece in his mouth and spit it out into the garbage can. Henry ate most of his salmon (I think the only parts he didn't eat were the ones that were too small to pick up with his fork.) However, my favorite little eating machine pissed me off when he decided to fake vomit out his mashed potatoes. I wonder where he picked up that little trick. Hmmmm...

Fishcakes & Cucumber Chips

Serves 4

1/3 cup crushed cornflakes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons milk
¾ teaspoon dried dill weed
1 (14 ½ oz) can salmon, drained and skin and bones removed
¾ cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
tarter sauce

1. Stir together cornflake crumbs, eggs, milk, dill weed and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add salmon; mix well.
2. Pour Panko into a shallow dish.
3. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
4. Shape salmon mixture into 4 large egg-shaped balls. Flatten each into ¾ inch thick oval. Pinch one end of each oval into tail shape for fish. Carefully dredge both sides of fish in Panko.
5. Place fish into skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Carefully turn over and continue to cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Place small drop tartar sauce on each fish for “eye”.

Served with cucumber chips (cucumber & basil salad for the adults)

Results: Fun to make and actually pretty tasty. I have never used canned salmon before and although it tasted fine, I’m not sure I would use it again. Removing the bones was a pain! I think you could substitute grilled salmon very easily. Henry ate about half of his, Steven ate about a third (but said he didn’t like it.)