I really enjoy playing with different flavours on salmon. It's such a versatile fish! This meal was inspired by the #meetyourmakers event of a few weeks ago. I wanted to try to layer flavours, and I'm happy with the result.

Marinade:
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/8 c. olive oil
1/8 c. apple juice
1/8 c. soy sauce
1/2 tsp mustard

Salmon Fillets, 6 (thawed)
fresh lemon (for garnish zest)
green onions (for garnish)

Mix well, and marinate salmon as long as possible.
Cook at 425*F on a foil and parchment lined pan until fish flakes easily with a fork. Top with maple butter-cream sauce, lemon zest, and green onions.

Maple Butter-Cream Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 c. skim milk, warmed
1/4 c. half and half
1/4 c. maple syrup

Melt butter in small pot, and add flour, stirring until combined. Add warmed milk, and stir until a pudding consistency is reached. Add cream and syrup, and continue to stir, until warmed and thickened. Be sure not to boil the mixture hard as this will ruin the cream and cause it to curdle. Once the milk had started to thicken I turned my heat down to low.

We served this with steamed carrots and roasted potatoes, and fresh vegetables. The only problem I had with the maple sauce was leftovers- my boys didn't want to try it, so I was basically left with maple pudding, which would have been great added to something else, maybe chocolate chip muffins? But I didn't feel like baking, and ended up eating it for dessert a day or two later as pudding.

This recipe makes a large casserole. I used it to make 2 smaller casseroles, one to give away and one to eat. The leftovers tasted really great the next day, and as you see we served it with fresh vegetables, and fruit for dessert.

I didn't salt the pasta water, and when I made it I didn't add salt to the casserole either. When eating it for lunch the next day, it was vastly improved with a little salt added, so do consider adding and tasting a little at a time, until you reach the flavour you love.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 c. diced mushrooms
1/2 c. carrots, cut into coins or diced finely
1/2 c. celery, diced finely
1/2 c. red pepper, diced finely
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 c. chicken stock
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp savoury
1/2 tsp oregano
1 can of tuna (in water, not oil), drained and broken up
salt, to taste
1 c. frozen peas
5 c. cooked whole-grain pasta
1/2 c. shredded medium or old cheddar cheese


Heat olive oil in a deep skillet. Add onions, and cook until softened. Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms start to soften. Add remaining fresh vegetables, stirring often, until onions are browned. Stir in cornstarch, then add chicken stock, 1/2 a cup at a time, until you get the consistency you like. Add the spices and tuna, peas, pasta, and cheese, then taste, and add salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375*F while you mix your topping.

1 1/2-2 c. panko crumbs
1/4 c. fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp black pepper

Spoon the crumb topping over the casserole, and bake in preheated oven until the parmesan in the topping is starts to brown. Remove, and enjoy.

One of the things I will be trying to incorporate in 2015 is adding nuts into our meals- not just a handful on the side or as a snack, but added into the actual meal.
Tonight was an experiment, and we're super happy with the results. I had some leftover ground hazelnuts from the hazelnut eggnog loaf I made earlier today, so thought I should play with those. This recipe made everyone except my second son very happy.

500g. package of salmon
1 tbsp of ground hazelnuts
1 tbsp of your favorite fresh herb blend- I used garlicky-dill topper from Victorian Epicure
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter.

Soften the butter, mix in the nuts and herbs, and spread over your fish. Pop into a 400*F preheated oven on a foil-covered baking sheet. and bake until the fish flakes easily- mine cooked for 20 minutes exactly.

We served this with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables, and for dessert ate sliced apples and eggnog loaf.

Pictured with Steamed Sweet Carrots.

I have always been disappointed when cooking cod. It's a lovely, meaty fish, and very cost effective, but it always came out unappetizing. This last time I thought I'd marinade it, and we were all very happy with how it turned out. Even my picky second son gobbled it up.

This marinade is for a large package of fish- 6 large fillets.

1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 tbsp mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Put fish in a container with a lid. Mix ingredients all together, then spoon over fish, ensuring all the fish gets equal portions. Cover, and refrigerate a minimum 1-2 hrs.

Heat grilling pan on medium-high heat. Place fish on pan (don't crowd- cook in batches if you have to), and cook for about 6 minutes, or until browning. Flip fish over using tongs. It definitely starts flaking when cooked, but that only makes it easier to portion control!
Enjoy.

I was so happy to get back in the kitchen after recovering from camping to make dinner this weekend. Last night I wanted to cook salmon because it's been a while since we ate any. I tried this recipe I found on my many travels online. While mine didn't turn out with exactly the same carmelization, I didn't mind at all. The flavour was amazing, though possibly a bit salty. I think I'd use a little less soy sauce next time. Shown with fresh vegetables and a brown rice topped with feta/dill cheese sauce.

680g. package of salmon fillets
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. oil
garlic powder
lemon pepper

Mix the brown sugar with the liquids. Place the salmon in a shallow dish with a lip, then pour over the marinade. Sprinkle with garlic powder and lemon pepper. Flip after a while to ensure the salmon soaks up as much marinade as possible.

We were going to bbq, but then I sent my husband out to do something else (and that's his job), so I used my grill pan instead. Heat up your pan, then add some of the salmon- don't crowd. Cook on one side until browning, then carefully flip over and cook on the other side. 

Verdict: Both my husband and first son said "This is DELICIOUS". My second son got a first bite with peppercorns on it and wouldn't try it again after that, so I will keep one without lemon pepper on it next time I make this. I really enjoyed it, except after about half of my piece I found it to be too salty.

Truth be told, I'm a bit nervous about dinner tonight. I've never cooked (or eaten!) red snapper before, but the price was excellent, and we are trying to "branch out" our seafood meals.
It's a beautiful day here, hot and sunny. The weather guy pointed out that we are the same temperature here as it is in Los Angeles, today. The only downside to dinner tonight is I preheated the oven to 400*F. So I hope it's great to make up for the heat.

6 large red snapper fillets
2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning (I used Epicure Selections)
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
3 heaping tbsp bread crumbs
1 ripe lime
Canola Oil spray

Make sure the fish is thawed, and pat dry with a paper towel. I lined a large glass baking dish with foil, and arranged the fish fillets in the dish.
Next, lightly spray or brush the fish with a light layer of canola oil. Set aside, and mix together your spices and bread crumbs.
Sprinkle fish with the bread crumb mixture, as evenly as possible. Zest the lime over the fish, then slice thinly and place on the fish.
Place into 400*F preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 300*F and cook a further 10 minutes.
Serve with fresh vegetables. We put wraps out, as well as coleslaw mix and chopped cilantro, in case anyone wanted to create a fish taco.

Verdict: First son said, "It was pretty spicy, but really good". Second son said, "I like it a bit" but then proceeded to eat way more fish than he's ever eaten. I gave him fish from the underside of each piece- unseasoned. Husband thought it was "good, tasty". I used a bit too much cajun seasoning- next time I'll drop it down to 1 tbsp. The lime brought a really great flavour overall.

We first tasted fish tacos when we visited San Diego a few years ago. We went for lunch in Seaport Village, at a little place called Marion's Fish Market. I highly recommend going!
This past Sunday afternoon was a make-up soccer game. It was a beautiful day- sunny and breezy, not snowing or raining (thank God!). When we got home I was actually a bit sunburned and wiped out. I *almost* decided to go with takeout, but because my fish was thawed and ready to go I sucked it up and made dinner.
I'm so glad I did. They were tasty and light and the perfect quick meal to make.
Over the years I've played with ingredients and preparation. This one seems to be the keeper for us. You can add more veges, such as carrot matchsticks and tomatoes, avocado would be nice if you've got it...but this is the bare-minimum for a tasty quick dinner. A Meals Maven exclusive!

White fish fillets- I used Tilapia
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
5 bunches of cilantro, finely chopped- divided in half
1/2 tbsp fish seasoning (I used a home-made blend)
Salad greens (our salad blend included kale and radicchio)
Pineapple Tidbits, drained
Whole Wheat flour tortillas

First, cut the fish into bite-sized pieces. I drained them on paper towel, because they were still partly frozen in places and I hate cooking with "wet" fish.
Next, mix the olive oil, lime juice, half the cilantro, and the fish seasoning in a bowl. Add the fish pieces, and mix well.
Heat a non-stick frying pan. Cook the fish in batches- don't stack, and use a spatula to not only flip the fish but also to make sure all the fish is being evenly cooked. Be gentle- it will fall apart easily as it cooks.
Use a slotted spatula to take the fish out of the pan. There will be some drippings as it cooks.

Put out in an "assembly line" style. A bowl of pineapple, a bowl of salad greens, a bowl of the remaining cilantro, the cooked fish, and a stack of tortillas.

As you can see I *may* have overfilled my taco. It was messy, but tasty. And best of all, there were enough leftovers for a lunch the next day.

Verdict: Husband went for thirds, which speaks for itself. First son loaded up his wrap with fish and pineapple, and gobbled it down. Second son ate some of the fish, but it got spicy in a hurry, so not a lot. And as usual, I enjoyed every bite.

Edited to add: An updated variation was posted on my blog today, that includes specific seasonings and a zesty, spicy greek yogurt sauce. Check it out here! 

1 lb Tilapia fillets, thawed
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c freshly grated parmesan 
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
milk

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Cut fillets down to evenly sized pieces- this ensures even cooking. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, and spices together in a shallow bowl. Dip each piece of fish in milk then dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture until relatively coated.

Lay out on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in preheated oven. When finished, the topping should be browned and the fish flake with a fork.

​As shown: served with rosemary-garlic rustic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and fresh vegetables.
​© 2016 The Meals Maven

I'm a Canadian girl, raised on real maple syrup. I like it so much I thought I'd try it on my favorite fish. This recipe will feed our family of 4. Both my older son and my husband will have seconds. We're serving it with steamed broccoli and roasted potatoes. This recipe is a Meals Maven exclusive.

680 g Salmon Portions (6 pieces)
1/4 c. no. 1 medium maple syrup
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/8 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black sesame seeds
6 green onions

Mix syrup, sugar, soy sauce, and onion powder together. Place thawed salmon portions into marinade. Flip periodically, making sure all salmon gets the flavour steeped in. Marinade for at least 1 hr. Don't forget to practice food safety! Marinade in the refrigerator! 

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and lay salmon across the sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Slice green onions in half and lay across each salmon piece. Bake for 10 mins at 350*, then increase the heat to 425*.

Cook until salmon flakes, 20-30 minutes in total.

Verdict: First son said "Great!" Second son didn't give me any useful words, but did convey that he thought it was awful. I'm not surprised. Husband said "Really good. Almost candied".
So there you go. We'll be making this again.