Roasted Salmon with Orange Sauce

Oranges aren't just good in desserts. They also make a good sauce for fish. This recipe was easy and used three things from our CSA box this week--some dill, some green onions, and a couple of oranges. We'll repeat this recipe. With the exception of J, we all loved it. Curtis said it reminded him of summer (he grew up in the Atlantic Provinces of Canada and ate salmon in the summer) and M informed us once again, that she LOVES fish.


Roasted Salmon with Orange Sauce
from Bon Appetit

1 large orange, unpeeled, sliced
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 1/2 T olive oil

4 4-oz skinless salmon fillets
3 T fresh dill, chopped

1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions
1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice

Place orange slices in single layer in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

Top with onion slices and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.


Roast until onion is brown and tender, about 25 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees oven. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450.

Push orange and onion slices to side of baking dish. Arrange salmon in center of dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 T dill. Spoon orange and onion slices atop salmon. Roast until salmon is opaque in center, 8 - 15 minutes depending on thickness. (If salmon seems to be cooking very slowly, removed oranges and onions from over top for a few minutes). Meanwhile, mix orange juice, green onions, lemon juice, and remaining 1 1/2 T dill in small bowl.

Transfer salmon to platter. Spoon onion alongside; discard roasted orange slices. Pour orange sauce over fish. Garnish with additional orange slices.

Baked Fish Sticks

It's difficult to find a recipe that uses a lot of dill. One tablespoon here, one tablespoon there.....makes the dill bunch diminish really slowly (which I guess there is nothing wrong with this, as long as the dill stays fresh).

I made this for dinner when it was just the kids and I. I was sure this would be a kid-friendly meal. M, in particular, loves fish. I forgot to account for the homemade challah bread that came out of the oven about 15 minutes before supper was ready. All either kid wanted for dinner was challah with jam. Sigh. When I refused more challah without eating fish, M ate all of hers and J ate part of his. However, she didn't ask for seconds.

Nonetheless, I will make this again. I still think that on a normal day, when it is not competing with warm challah, the kids will love it. I plan on reheating the leftovers, putting them with those pickled onions and making some pseudo fish tacos for lunch. This original recipe had a bit of spice to it. I omitted it because I hoped the kids would eat. I am sure the recipe would be fabulous with the cayenne. Next time, I will also serve this with tartar sauce---it was begging to be dipped in something.

Baked Fish Sticks
from Bon Appetit

6 T butter, melted
1 T dijon mustard
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T chopped fresh dill
1 c plain dried breadcrumbs
1/2 t cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/2 lbs white fish fillets, cut into 3 x 3/4" strips

Whisk together butter, dijon, lemon juice, and dill in a pie plate. Mix breadcrumbs with cayenne in a another shallow dish.

Heat 2 baking sheets in preheated 475 degrees oven until hot, about 5 minutes (I skipped this step, I suspect this would make the fish sticks crispier than mine came out).

Dip fish, 1 strip at a time, in butter mixture, then in crumbs. Turn to coat. Place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake until crumbs are golden and fish is opaque in center, about 6 minutes per side (12 minutes total). Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Salmon with Bok Choy

the before picture

M hasn't been thrilled with my meals lately. This is due mostly to the fact that she doesn't like leafy greens. I made this meal with her in mind, wanting a meal she would love.

Love she did. I can't go wrong with fish and that girl, even if the fish rests on a nice bed of bok choy. She didn't eat the bok choy, but she sure enjoyed the salmon! Everyone else enjoyed this meal too, Curtis and I liked having the bok choy all to ourselves.

This is an easy weeknight meal, but presents fancy since it is fish sitting on a bed of something. I didn't have hoisin sauce, so I substituted soy sauce. This proportions will serve 4.

Salmon with Bok Choy
adapted from Bon Appetit

2 heads bok choy (or however much you have), well rinsed and separated
1 lb of salmon, cut into 4 pieces
2 T fresh orange juice
1 green onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 T hoisin sauce (or 2 t soy sauce)
1 t fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 t finely grated orange peel
1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves

Form a bed of bok choy in the center of 4 12-inch pieces of foil. Top bok choy with fish. Mix orange juice, green onion, hoisin, ginger, and orange peel in a small bowl. Spoon mixture over fish, dividing equally. Sprinkle with salt. Top with cilantro. Fold up foil sides and pinch tightly to seal above fish and at both ends of the packets, enclosing contents completely. Place packets on baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 oven for 12 - 14 minutes, or until fish is just opaque in the center. Serve with rice.

the not as great, after picture

Old Bay Seasoned Fish and Vegetables

I don't have much to say about this recipe for a change. We love it. I was able to use some of my sweet (mild) mystery peppers in this as well since I was out of bell peppers. Yep, a hit. M ate a whole fillet (6 oz of fish) and J even ate well. Plus, you can never go wrong with roasted sweet potatoes. I did use the lesser amount of Old Bay Seasoning because Old Bay occasionally gets too spicy from my kids. Enough said. Here's the recipe.

Old Bay Roasted Fish and Vegetables
from Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Suppers

2 large sweet potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/3" thick slices
1 lg onion, cut in half and then into 1/2" slices
1 large sweet pepper, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
3 T olive oil
1 t dried thyme
1/2 - 1 T Old Bay Seasoning

4 (6-oz) white fish fillets (such as tilapia, cod or halibut)
1 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t - 1 T Old Bay Seasoning

In a mixing bowl, toss the vegetables with 3 T olive oil, dried thyme, and up to 1 T Old Bay Seasoning. Spread on lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and browned. Meanwhile, place the fish fillets in a single layer in a lightly oiled baking pan. Whisk the 1 T olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic, and remaining Old Bay and drizzle over the fish. When the vegetables have roasted about 15 minutes, stir them with a spatula to prevent sticking. Put the pan of fish in the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter

I am still searching for ways to use my peppers--one pepper at a time when it comes to the small spicy ones. Tonight's dinner felt like a wild goose chase--I started out looking for tuna (canned) and pasta recipes and ended up with pan-seared tilapia, rice, and green beans. The search definitely went in the right direction. Serving rice with this was perfect because it meant I could slather some of the butter on the rice too.

We all loved this recipe. I can't go wrong with fish in my house--both M and J love fish. The chile lime butter was fabulous. I am looking forward to finding things to put the chile lime butter on (I know, not the healthiest....). Be sure to pat the fish dry (I step always skipped in the directions until I learned why it was important to do it). Drying the fish, or whatever you are frying, allows the food to brown. The only problem is that it didn't put a dent whatsoever into my stash of hot peppers. Oh well.

Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter
from Gourmet Magazine

Chile Lime Butter
1/4 c unsalted butter, softened (not melted, just softened--room temperature is about right)
1 T finely chopped shallot (optional--I left this out, didn't want to mess with cutting an onion)
1 t finely grated lime zest
2 t fresh lime juice
1 t serrano or jalapeno, minced (preferably red)
1/2 t salt

The Fish
24 oz (4 - 6 fillets) skinless tilapia fillet
1/2 t salt
2 T oil

To make the chile lime butter, stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat 1 T oil in a 12" heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until just smoking. Saute the fish, turning over once with a spatula until golden and just cooked through, 4 - 5 minutes. Do this in two batches if necessary, do not overcrowd the skillet. Serve each fillet with a dollop of chile lime butter.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

This was Curtis' birthday meal this year. It is one of his favorite recipes and it had been a long, long time since I've made it. Everyone liked it, even my cousin who doesn't like salmon. I heard her telling her mom that the pecan crusting hid the salmon flavor and it was really good. You can use whatever fish you like for this, but I prefer salmon. This is baked which makes it a lighter version of crusty, fried fish. I serve this with rice, a green vegetable, and covered with Mango Black Bean Salsa

Pecan Crusted Salmon
from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

4 firm fish fillets ( 5- 6 oz each, I prefer salmon)
3/4 c buttermilk
3/4 c pecans, finely ground
3/4 c bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T fresh parsley minced
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t salt
pinch of cayenne

Rinse fish fillets and place in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over the fillets. In a separate shallow dish, combine the pecans, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and cayenne. One at a time, remove the fish fillets from the buttermilk. Dredge the fish through the pecan mixture to coat all sides. Place in a lightly oiled baking pan (I used 1 -2 9x13" size pans). Bake for 30 - 40 minutes in a preheated 375 degrees oven until the topping is lightly browned and the fish is tender and flakes easily with a fork. (Baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet).

Fish a la Grecque

M is a huge fish fan, so I had no doubt that she would love this. I was not wrong. She had two servings. Curtis thought it was good as well (just good because I overcooked the fish). We served this with rice and green beans. It's a nice, easy, light summer fish dish.

Fish a la Grecque
adapted from one of the Moosewood Cookbooks

2 lb white fish fillets
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 T fresh dill (1 t dried)
black pepper, to taste
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled

Place the fish in an oiled casserole dish. Top the fillets with the onion rounds and sprinkle them with dill, pepper, parsley, tomato, and feta. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 20 - 30 minutes, until the fish flakes with a fork. (check early to prevent overcooking)

Fish Tacos

I finally did it! After years of unsuccessfully trying to fry foods, I finally achieved success. I discovered the key was finding a recipe that told me exactly how hot to heat the oil. With that information, frying wasn't a problem!

I had been searching for ways to use my cabbage that had been collecting in the fridge. Although the recipe called for red cabbage, I decided that my regular white cabbage would suffice. I must say, I would prefer the fish tacos without the cabbage. I think part of the problem was the sauce for the tacos. It wasn't anywhere nearly as good as the sauce on El Chilito's fish tacos (my fave fish tacos in town). I think if I could find the right recipe for sauce and cabbage I would be happier with the tacos. The kids loved the fish and tortillas, not so much the cabbage. Curtis loved the whole taco. As for me, I was just so proud of finally successfully frying something, the taste didn't matter as much. The fish was really good though, the sauce just needs some work (which was what most of the reviews on epicurious said as well). Prep wasn't very difficult, the most time consuming part was frying the fish.


January, 2012.  I am editing this because I think I may have figured out the secret to the cabbage!  :)

Fish Tacos
1/4 c mayo
2 T ketchup
1/4 c crema mexicana (sour cream or plain yogurt will work too)

1 c flour
1 t fine sea salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 c dark beer, at room temperature

1 1/2 lbs halibut or other white fish, cut in to 5 x 3/4" strips
1 lime, halved crosswise

6 - 8 flour tortillas

a recipe of Mexican Slaw
lime wedges
bottle hot sauce (Chipotle Tabasco or Chalula are our favorites)

Mix together mayo, ketchup, and crema mexicana, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Whisk together flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour in beer, whisking until batter is smooth. Let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Squeeze some lemon juice over each strip. Let stand 15 minutes.

While the fish and beer batter is standing, begin to preheat vegetable oil in a medium skillet (enough oil to reach a depth of 1 inch). Attach a deep-fry or candy thermometer and heat oil to 350.

Mix fish into batter (I did 1/2 the fish at a time so the fish wouldn't fall apart from too vigorously stirring). Slide 4 fish strips into oil. Fry until golden, about 3 - 4 minutes. Transfer fish to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and place in preheated 200 degree oven to keep warm.

While fish is frying, prepare tortillas as desired. I heated each briefly on a comal (a round, flat, low sided black skillet) and covered with a dish towel to keep warm until it was time to eat.

To serve, fill each tortilla with 1 - 2 fish strips. Top with sauce, cabbage, squeeze of lime, and dash of hot sauce.

Greek Fish

I bought a beautiful bunch of dill fronds at the Farmer's Market last Saturday on a whim. Upon getting it home and in a cup on my counter (absolutely beautiful!!), I realized there is no way I could possibly use all that dill without making lots and lots of dill pickles (alas, there are no cucumbers in February). I searched for a recipe that would use at least little dill and adapted one to my liking.

For those of us who ate (J boycotted food tonight for some reason--let's blame it on being almost 2), it was a great hit. M ate an entire fillet plus a little more, as did Curtis and I. I served it over rice. As often happens, I realized as I was dishing the meal, that I had forgotten my vegetable so we had orange slices with dinner as well. M didn't eat the goat cheese (which she called cream) or onion slices, but that was fine with Curtis and I. We served it over a bed of rice. The picture is before the fish was cooked, sometimes it is easiest to take pictures before everyone is sitting at the table, ravenous.

Greek Fish
1 1/2 lb white fish fillets (tilapia is good)
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 T dill fronds, chopped
2 - 3 T black olives, chopped
1/4 c (or up to as much as 1/2 c) goat cheese, crumbled
juice of one lemon

Lay fish in a 9 x 13 (or larger) lightly oiled baking pan. Layer sweet onion slices on top, followed by dill, black olives, and goat cheese. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 20 - 30 minutes, depending on thickness of fish, until fish flakes with a fork.

Tuna Tostadas

As we were eating supper tonight, Curtis and I had a debate about whether or not our greens were arugula or mustard greens. We are still unsure. The greens were more bitter than usual, but I didn't mind them. They still could have been arugula though, because the bigger arugula grows, the more bitter they tend to get. Regardless of what kind of greens they were, they worked fine for the tuna tostadas we had for supper.

I must admit, I am a little bit at a loss about what to do with fresh tomatoes in February. Making some homemade Salsa Cruda seemed like the perfect use for the tomatoes. I was saddened while making it because I had to buy my cilantro at the store instead of walking out my front door and just trimming some. I fear it will be a little while before I get around to tearing out the old vine beds that we inherited with house and planting some herb gardens.

Curtis and I thought supper was great. The kids are getting and getting over a virus and neither had much of an appetite (an example, M turned down a second choc chip cookie we made this afternoon. That never happens!). Any fish will do with these, we just happened to have one remaining bag of tuna in our freezer that we discovered when we moved.

Tuna Tostadas
1/2 c vegetable oil
6 - 8 corn tortillas (6" across)
1 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lb fish (tuna or catfish is recommended)
1 clove garlic, halved
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 c arugula

Salsa Cruda
1 - 2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
jalapeno or hot pepper as desired (I omit entirely on the rare chance the little people may eat it)

Fry tortillas in hot vegetable oil. Drain on paper towels. Combine cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Rub each fish fillet with the cut side of the garlic clove and then with the spice mixture. Arrange on broiling pan or aluminum foil and sprinkle with lemon juice. Broil the fish 3 inches from heat for 5 - 10 minutes or until juices run clear. (For me, the easiest way to broil this is in my toaster oven---not toaster, but toaster oven.) Cut into chunks.

To make salsa, combine salsa ingredients. Adjust ingredients to taste. To serve tostadas, top tortilla with arugula, then fish, and then salsa.

Tuna on Fettuccine with Green Olives and Arugula

Let me start by saying, this meal got divided into 2 parts....fish and pasta. I couldn't find fresh tuna (nor was willing to pay the price for it even if I had) at the grocery store. I decided Cod on Fettuccine didn't have the same appeal to it, so I baked the fish in the oven with some lemon and green olives. I am going to include the original recipe, which I have made before and I think is fabulous. My version also worked just great. M loved the fish (had third helpings!) and J loved the pasta so Jack Sprat and his wife struck once again. The arugula I had was "middle-aged" or older (as Curtis put it), but still tasted great--it just wasn't as tender as the young arugula.

Tuna on Fettuccine with Green Olives and Arugula
12 oz fettuccine
1 c green olive bruschetta spread from jar
6 T olive oil
4 t grated lemon peel
4 t fresh lemon juice
5 oz arugula

2 (12-oz) tuna steaks, each about 1-inch thick
4 t fresh marjoram, chopped.

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 c pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add olive bruschetta spread, 3 T oil, 2 t lemon peel, 2 t lemon juice, and enough cooking liquid to coat. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper. Mix in arugula, which will wilt slightly. Meanwhile, brush each tuna steak with 1 T oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle both sides of tuna evenly with marjoram and reamining 2 t lemon peel; press gently to adhere. Heat remaining 1 T oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tuna; sear until crusty and brown outside but still pink, inside, about 1 1 /2 minutes per side. Transfer tuna to work surface; slice thinly. Top pasta with tuna slices.

Salmon Bulgogi with Vegetables

We liked this pretty well. M loved the fish and I thought the vegetables and glaze/sauce was pretty yummy. Curtis liked it as well. J had to be coerced to eat (he would rather just drink milk for supper), but he did eat rice with the glaze and fish once he realized he was not going to be allowed to drink milk for supper. I found this recipe on Epicurious and pretty much followed the recipe with the exception of omitting the chili-garlic sauce (avoiding spicy so M would eat it).

Fish with Puttanesca Sauce over Rice

My husband prepared this meal. He followed this recipe from Epicurious, minus the linguine, omitting the anchovy fillets and red pepper flakes, and adding a chopped bell pepper and onion. He used fresh basil, parsley, and oregano from our herb gardens. While the sauce was simmering, he browned the fish fillets (1 1/2 lbs of orange roughy) in a little olive oil in a hot skillet. Once the fish were browned, he stirred it into the sauce. I started rice before he got home from work and we served the fish and sauce over the rice.

I loved it, and M found parts edible (she's decided she doesn't like certain foods prepared certain ways or mixed together, so there was a lot of picking things out). She ate the rice, fish, and black olives and left the tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions.