I have been getting some flack as of late.  Nothing major, just people wanting to see healthier recipes that can be made in a hurry.  Not a lot of ingredients, not a lot of effort to prepare.  The hamster was spinning for a while but really when you break it down in your head – think protein and vegetables when in doubt.

Today I paired, a few roasted vegetables ( cause they are good), a chunk of salmon and some leafy pre packaged greens.  How easy is that.  Dinner can be on the table in 19 minutes from the time you walk in the door. 

Watch and see.

Ingredients

• Mixed Bag salad greens
• Grape tomatoes
• Slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
• Mixed Vegetables ( I used yellow peppers, zucchini, and asparagus)
• Salmon
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Add vegetable to pan and add 1 tablespoon of  olive oil and coat evenly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast
3. After about 10 minutes, turn the vegetables and add the salmon.  Cook salmon about 6-8 minutes ( depending on thickness)
4. In a large bowl, add mixed greens, tomatoes, slivered almonds.  Drizzle with a bit of balsamic and remaining olive oil and toss
5. Serve on a plate/bowl and top with salmon and roasted vegetables.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  Roast vegetables in bulk and store them in ziploc bags for the rest of the week.  Saves a ton of time and you can eat them cold or flash fry them to warm them up for dinner.

How did I do?

Simple – check.

Tasty – check.

Healthy -check.

I think this is a great go to dinner and can be easily changed up to keep you from getting board.   You could easily substitute the almonds for another nut, the greens for arugula, the salmon for chicken or another type of fish you have on hand.

Remember protein and vegetables when in doubt.  You can dodge the grains for dinner and have those for breakfast and lunch.  Have a great Monday and see you on hump day.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Good day to you!  Sometimes dinners can be rushed and you need a quick and easy solution but still keep the food “somewhat” healthy.  Today’s feature is dead easy and if I might add quite tasty.  I might be biased as I love salmon – especially fresh Atlantic salmon.

However, any salmon will work and be just as yummy.  It is all about the flavoring combination and individual taste buds. For this dish I went with a lemon dill combination hit with a little heat of the red pepper flakes.  Over the years, I have cooked salmon in many different ways whether it be roasted, poached, grilled or as today – just a simple pan sear.

I will not get into the specifics but I will say… 8 mins to salmon!  Hello…. that is faster than grabbing dirty bird on the way home.

Ingredients

• 4 Pieces of Salmon
• Onion flakes, or powder
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Pinch of Dill, dried
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• Juice of Lemon
• Drizzle of olive oil

Method

1. Bring a sauce pan up to medium high heat.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, leaving out the lemon and rub it all over the salmon.
3. Add half the butter and the olive oil to the preheated pan and lay the salmon in the pan.
4. No need to move the salmon in the pan.  let it get a nice sear about 3-4 minutes.
5. Once the sear is achieved, flip the salmon and let cook 2 more minutes on the other side.
6. Remove from pan and set aside.
7. Add the other half of the butter and the juice from the lemon.
8. Let reduce to a little sauce to drizzle over the salmon upon serving.
9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: By adding a little bit of olive oil to the butter in the pan, it prevents the butter from burning as the oil has a higher heat tolerance than butter.  It also adds a nice flavor to the slamon.

OK well another recipe complete.  Now you just have to go make it and tell me if it was thumbs up or down.  If it was mediocre you can tell me it was thumbs sideways.  Zesty Junior started that the last couple of years… I find it funny.  The most recent was on the blueberry muffins.  Hey Dad, ” something about these tastes weird, I give them thumbs sideways”.  Haha what a cat.

Talk to you all on Friday – whooo hoooo.  have a super day and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Whooo Hoooo – I am back home!  But it is cold…. damn weather and only to get worse.  I might have something that you can whip up and warm up for those cool evenings.  How many of us are busy as a beaver and feel we make up excuses to eat healthy?  Pick me Pick me… but with this simple salmon dish, you are in and out of the kitchen in 15 minutes, eating on the couch or table and happy as a clam.

For those of you who are not fans of salmon this will work with any protein for the most part.  White fish, chicken, pork, tofu – you name it it will taste great.  The dish is all about the relish.  The freshness of lemon, combined with the sweetness of the raisins and the crunch of the almonds.

Ingredients

• 4 Salmon portions
• 1 Clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp. Balsamic
• 3 Tbsp. Raisins
• 1/4 cup Almonds, toasted
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Fresh Tarragon
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly rub olive oil, salt and pepper over salmon.  Roast in the oven about 8 minutes per inch of thickness
3. In a large pan, add remaining olive oil to pan. Saute garlic and shallot until translucent about 4 minutes.
4. Add balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, raisins and let simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Finish the relish with the toasted almonds.
6. Top the salmon with the relish, tarragon and serve over salad.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Try not to overcook the salmon.  The last thing you want is dry overcooked salmon.  If you want a little more lemon flavor you can cook the salmon in a little bit of the lemon juice to cook the salmon.

Alright, I have a busy day of catch up at the office.  I will talk to you all on Wednesday but until then have a good start to your week and keep smiling.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty