Salmon Caprese

Our new flat is right next to some great local shops, including a fish monger. Since I grew up in Utah, a very land locked state, I don't have much experience cooking fish. I asked Amy if she had any good recipes, and this is what she sent me. It was an instant hit at our house so I thought I would pass it on.

Salmon Caprese

1 lbs boneless, skinless wild salmon filet

3 tablespoons pesto sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 4 slices

4 ripe roma tomatoes, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine pesto and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a separate container. Cut salmon into 4 equal portions and transfer to a non-stick sheet pan. Brush each piece of salmon with the remaining tablespoon of pesto mixture. Top each with a slice of fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange tomato slices on four plates, fanning or tiling them into a tight circle in the center of each plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle each with pesto mixture allowing it to drip onto the places. Top each with apiece of baked salmon, making sure to include any of the gooey and crispy bits of cheesy goodness. Can be topped with fresh basil leaves if you have some.

I served this with a side of pasta, but it would probably be great with rice, or on it's own. Happy dining!

Fish Fillets with Lemon Sauce

This recipe was taken out of the April 2009 Runners World Magazine. I made it tonight for Vaughn's birthday and really liked it. It's also a really healthy meal and well balanced for athletes.

• 1 pound thin fish fillets, such as sole, halibut, or flounder
  
• 1 1/2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay (or other Cajun seasoning)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons water
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon curd
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 cups steamed brown rice
• 2 cups steamed broccoli

Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Set aside. Mix together bread crumbs, sage and Old Bay. Mix eggs and water in another bowl. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Dip fillets in the egg mixture; then coat in crumb mixture. Place fish in skillet. Coat the tops of fish with olive oil spray. Flip fillets when brown (about four minutes); brown other side for three minutes. Remove and keep warm. In a small saucepan, gently boil lemon curd and milk over medium heat, stirring frequently. When it forms a slightly thickened sauce, remove from heat (about a minute). Serve the fish over 1/2 cup brown rice, topped with a tablespoon of sauce and a side of broccoli. Serves four.

NOTE: Those are the original instructions. But I did it a little differently. I don't even know what lemon curd is, so I just made the sauce with whole milk, and one lemon zest and juice. It was strong, but really good still. Also, instead of frying the fish, I baked it in the oven at 425 for about 10 minutes. Also, I know fish sometimes sounds intimidating, but you can just buy the raw fillets in the frozen section of the grocery store.

Skillet Jambalaya

This is from the same cookbook that Steph got the skillet lasagna out of. It's my favorite one.

If you can't find andouille, use tasso, chorizo, or linguica sausage. Serve with plenty of Tabasco. We like Old Bay Seasoning in this recipe, but you can use your favorite Creole spice blend instead.

1 pound extra - large (21/25) shrimp, peeled and devined
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 cups instant white rice
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 table spoons minced fresh parsley

Making the minutes count:
While the andouille and vegetables cook, mince the garlic and parsley.

1. Season Shrimp: Season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Saute Sausage, Aromatics, and Rice: Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add andouille, onion, bell pepper, Old Bay, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add broth and cook rice: Stir in broth and bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
4. Cook Shrimp: Scatter shrimp over rice and continue to cook, covered, until rice is tender and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Off heat, let rices sit for 2 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.