March 23, 2010

What's for Dinner? Salmon! Salmon! Salmon!

Today, I'm sharing TWO recipes for Salmon. One is more a "on a whim" salmon, and the other is... not. Neither have any real measurements... so good luck :-P


Lemon Dill Salmon
Easy salmon recipe that you can make just about any time. If you don't have a lemon on-hand, you can PROBABLY sprinkle some lemon JUICE on top before cooking and it'll still be yummy.

Ingredients:
Salmon
Dried Dill Weed
Lemon
Olive Oil

Directions:
-Choose enough salmon for each person to have about 2" of salmon steak.
-Put some olive oil in the bottom of a baking pan and lay the salmon, skin side down on top of it.
-Drizzle oil over the salmon and sprinkle generously with dill. You should still be able to see the pink of the salmon through the dill, but this is where almost all your flavor is coming from, so don't be shy.
-Slice a lemon into thin circles, and cover the salmon and dill with the slices
-Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake in an oven at 350* for 45 minutes or until done


Pistachio Encrusted Pesto Salmon
This is like "gourmet" salmon, but super easy - and marvelously decadent. It has a very full flavor that makes people think you tried really hard, even though you could do it in your sleep!

Ingredients:
Salmon
Pesto Sauce (Jarred works, fresh is better - either homemade or from the refrigerated section)
Pistachios - shelled (I shelled mine myself, but if you can afford the extra $$ for the pre-shelled ones.. you'll save your fingers some tenderness)

Directions:
-Choose enough salmon for each person to have about 2" of salmon steak. 
-Coat the bottom of a baking dish with oil and place the salmon, skin side down, in the pan.
-Pile the pesto on top of the salmon- about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick (no need for oil on top of the salmon, since it's in the Pesto)
-Place the shelled pistachios on top of the pesto - as many as you can, but only about 1 layer thick
-Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until done.


Both these recipes go very well with potato, but you can use any starch you like. Remember to remove the skin from the salmon before serving. You can peel the skin off before baking, or just slide the salmon sideways carefully after it's cooked and the skin will separate.  Never eat the skin of any fish if it has scales on it. OK, that was my "public service announcement" for the day :-P

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