Dijon & Maple Baked Salmon

Dijon & Maple Baked Salmon

2 tbl  dijon mustard
1 tbl  maple syrup
2 tbl  olive oil
kosher salt and pepper

Mix everything together and spoon onto salmon.  Broil salmon until they are cooked to your liking.  Yum Yum!!

Mixed Green Salad with Salmon

Now that summer has officially begun in Texas I am craving light dinners.  I need more salad recipes!  I really only have a few go-to ones, and I am so tired of those!   These hot summers leave me craving salads, fish, fruit and white wine.

I ran up to Whole Foods hoping to find a salad inspiration.  Salmon sounded good, but I wasn't sure what to put in with it.  Definitely some avocados and cucumbers, but aside from that I had no I idea.  Here's what I came up with . . .

Mixed Green Salad with Salmon
(no measurements here, equal parts of each)

mixed greens
red onions, sliced
green beans, steamed then cooled
avocado
tomato
cucumber
dijon & maple baked salmon filet
goat cheese

I tossed all the ingredients (except the goat cheese) together with the best vinaigrette (it's just a bit sweet).  And because the goat cheese is so soft, I sprinkled it on top just before serving.

Standby Vinaigrette  
from Gwyneth Paltrow's, My Father's Daughter

2 tsp   dijon mustard
1 tsp   maple syrup
1/4 c   red wine vinegar
2 tbl   vegetable oil
1/2 c  extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper

Red Snapper with Nectarine Salsa

Yummmm!  Most of my early/late afternoons begin with the same question to Chase, What do you want for dinner?  I gave him a Cooking Light and Bon Appetite flip through hoping that maybe just this one time he would give me idea.  And of course he chose chicken kebabs...the one thing I hate most and refuse to cook!  Kebabs are so stupid!  It's that simple.  Nothing on the stick requires the same cooking time, and I usually get so frustrated half way through that I take everything off the stick and cook it separately.


I told Chase I would make this minus the kebab part, but chicken breasts seemed pretty boring for a Saturday night.  A fish would certainly do the job.  We chose red snapper, but in my opinion the marinate and salsa would be wonderful with anything!!


For some reason I wasn't too sure about the salsa, but oh my goodness was I wrong!  I wanted to eat it with a spoon for breakfast this morning!  As I say that, I should have put it on an english muffin, or with eggs and a tortilla -- oh the possibilities!! Can you tell I'm pregnant : )

Red Snapper with Nectarine Salsa                               inspired by Cooking Light

Snapper marinate

1 tbl  brown sugar

1 tbl  olive oil

1 tbl  fresh lime juice

2 tsp  chili powder

1 tsp  minced garlic

1/2 tsp  kosher salt

1/2 tsp  ground cumin

1/4 tsp  black pepper

Combine ingredients in a shallow dish.  Let fish sit in marinate 15 minutes.  Place fish skin side down on skillet or gill.  Cook three-fourths of the way through, then flip.  Cook to desired doneness.  

Nectarine Salsa

(dice the following ingredients)

2 c  nectarines (about 2-3 nectarines)

1/4 c  red onion

1/2 c  grilled corn cut off the cob

2 tbl  fresh cilantro leaves

1 1/2 tbl  fresh lime juice

2 tsp  seeded jalapeno peppers

1/4 tsp  kosher salt

1/2 c  avocado

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and give a gentle stir.  

If you cook like me then you don't measure many things out.  This salsa should be made to taste.   

Don't forget to add your own twist to the salsa!  Add whatever else is in the refrigerator -- bell peppers, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers...

Serve with a side of couscous or wild rice and there you have it!