orange pineapple teriyaki salmon

as part of my new job as super nanny, i have taken on the role of house cook (i won’t call myself a chef until i have the degree).

i really lucked out with these kids – they will eat just about anything. as was making this last night the 4-year-old exclaimed “I LOVE SALMON!” i almost choked. when i was 4 i’m pretty sure i was throwing a hissy fit on my kitchen floor (probably half naked) screaming for more french fries. these kids are saints.

i got this recipe from cooking light. it’s so so easy to make that you probably have most of the ingredients in your cabinet already. serve it with some brown rice and lemon green beans.

ingredients:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon orange zest
6 oz pineapple juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 6oz salmon filets
evoo

directions:

combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan over high heat. bring to a boil. reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). set aside.

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. season salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. add fish to hot pan and cook 3 minutes. turn fish over and place in oven. bake at 400° for 3 minutes. remove from oven and brush 1 tablespoon sauce over each fillet. return to oven, and cook 1 minute or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

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tuna tartare on crostini

my roommate, suz and i, have recently been volunteering our time at the dc cooking school, CulinAerie. it's a pretty sweet gig. we get there early to prep for the classes, assist the customers during the class (mostly we're there to make sure their wine glasses are always full, but every once in awhile we'll get asked a question) and clean up afterwards. at the end of the night, when everyone has left and the kitchen is cleaned, all of the volunteers and the chef/instructor sit down and enjoy dinner together. the chef prepares whatever was on the menu for the class that night.

last week's class featured how to make seafood dishes in 30 minutes. i re-created part of the meal at home for my parents and brother. i definitely tried this out on the wrong crowd because i got mixed reviews - the men hated it and peg said it was good, but she didn't like it on the bread. i on the other hand, really loved it. raw tuna is definitely an acquired taste and it's not for all. however, if you dig tuna tartare this is a great recipe for you to try - it's an elegant appetizer and pretty simple to make. enjoy!

ingredients:
8 ounces sushi-grade tuna, cut into 1/4-inch dice (watch that video to see how to cut it into small pieces)
2 tablespoons green onions, green parts only, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 lemon, juiced
baguette, cut into slices
evoo
pepper
sesame seeds, for garnish

directions:
preheat oven to 365 degrees. place bread slices on baking sheet, drizzle liberally with evoo and cook for 7 minutes in oven. meanwhile, mix tuna, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, lemon juice and pepper in a medium bowl. to assemble, place a heaping tablespoon of the tuna mixture on each crostini. garnish with sesame seeds. serve immediately. it is important that the tuna is not left at room temperature for more than 1 hour because you're eating it raw!

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honey pecan glazed salmon

this recipe comes from a weightwatchers five-ingredient 15-minute cookbook i bought awhile ago.  you can't beat a meal that uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and that combines salty with sweet!

ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
4 teaspoons finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
pepper

directions:
preheat oven to 425 degrees. combine first three ingredients in a large zip-top bag. sprinkle fish with pepper and add to bag and seal. marinate in refrigerator at least 15 minutes (don't do it much longer than this - fish doesn't need to marinate that long or else it will start to break apart). remove fish and nuts from bag, reserving marinade. place fish on foil lined pan and top with nuts. bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting fish twice with reserved marinade while baking.

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fish in a flash: tilapia with tomato caper salsa

the good thing about tilapia is its mildness. you can go any direction with it - italian, indian, greek, mexican, caribbean, asian, american, etc. last night i decided to go with mexi-italian. from start to finish this meal took 15 minutes to make. i served it with a side salad of mixed greens, feta and more tomatoes. yum.

(note: this recipe only serves one, but it's just as easy to make for four people as it is for one.)

ingredients:
1/2 tomato, chopped with seeds removed
1/2 tablesoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, mashed into a paste (this helps to spread the garlic more evenly so you don't get a big chunk of raw garlic...here's how to do it)
3/4 tablespoon evoo
s&p
1 (6-ounce) tilapia fillet
cooking spray

directions:
preheat broiler. combine tomato, parsley, capers, vinegar, garlic paste, evoo and s&p in small bowl. brush fish with more evoo and season with garlic salt and pepper. place fillet on baking sheet (greased with cooking spray) and broil for about 6 minutes until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. garnish with salsa and serve immediately.

up close and personal.

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a glamourous meal made by the ultimate glamour girl

it only seems fitting that raelynn surprised us roomies with a meal that she found while reading glamour. rae is an absolute girly girl who still gets kicks out of curling her eyelashes every morning.


the magazine featured an entire meal made by one of my favorites, ina garten. it was simple, fresh and light. with lots of vibrant herbs and a zing of lemon juice, this is the perfect entertaining menu for any type of cook. click on the links below to get the recipes.


roasted salmon with green herbs
french string bean salad
couscous with roasted pine nuts

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seared salmon with jalapeño asian sauce

i saw this recipe in my cooking light magazine and was immediately intrigued. not only was it extremely simple, but the presentation looked gorgeous. the recipe calls for mirin sauce. i had no idea what this was, but according to wikipedia it is "an essential condiment used in japanese cuisine, consisting of 40% to 50% sugar. it is a kind of rice wine similar to sake, but with a lower alcohol content." i was afraid to not use it, so i traveled to 3 grocery stores looking for this mysterious ingredient. (i finally found it at whole foods.) i think traveling the extra miles to find it was definitely worth it. somehow all the flavors magically developed into a sweet, tangy and spicy sauce - do not leave off the jalapenos even if you are afraid of heat. it is needed to balance out all the other flavors.

ingredients:
1/4 cup less-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1 large jalapeño pepper, cut crosswise into thin slices

directions:
combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, mix well. heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. add salmon, skin side down, cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. arrange 1 fillet on each of 4 plates. top fillets evenly with jalapeño slices. spoon about 2 tablespoons soy sauce mixture over each serving; let stand 10 minutes before serving. i served this with my favorite garlic rice recipe and steamed broccoli florets.

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chili lime tilapia with avocado, corn & pepper salad

last night i made this simple dish for the roommates - it was my twist on a rachael ray recipe where she deep fried fish fillets. i decided to make it a little healthier by searing it in the pan and adding a fresh corn avocado salsa on top. i know the ingredient list looks long - but you probably already have a lot of the things in your pantry.

ingredients for fish:
4 tilapia fish fillets
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Zest of two limes
s&p
evoo

ingredients for corn avocado salsa:
3 ears of fresh corn
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons diced fresh cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
zest of one lime
juice of two limes
evoo
s&p

directions for fish:
in a small bowl, mix together flour, spices, lime zest and s&p. drizzle each fillet with evoo and dredge in flour mixture. add evoo to skillet (enough to coat entire bottom of pan) and cook fillet on each side about 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet.  serve immediately with salsa.

directions for corn avocado salsa: 
preheat outdoor grill to medium heat. in a small bowl mix together 1/4 cup evoo, chili powder, cumin and s&p. coat evoo mixture over corn with brush and then wrap in tin foil. place corn on grill and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping every so often. meanwhile, mix together another 1/4 cup evoo with cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, zest of limes and s&p. slowly whisk in lime juice, making a vinaigrette.  if it tastes too much like lime, add 1 tablespoon of evoo at a time until it's a good balance of juice and oil. when corn has finished cooking, cut kernels off cob and mix together with avocado and bell pepper. toss with lime vinaigrette and season with more s&p if needed.

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