Hot & Cheesy Kale & Salmon Dip
I was seriously craving spinach artichoke dip yesterday … but alas! I am all out of spinach. Hmm, but I have kale … and it occurred to me … why does spinach get all the attention? Shouldn’t kale get to play in the dip too?
I also had some salmon that we had barbecued the other night that needed using, so I threw that in the dip too. By this time, it was getting pretty tasty, so I skipped the artichokes altogether and threw it in the toaster oven to bake. It totally satisfied my craving, and then some. I’m kinda wishing I hadn’t eaten it all … I would really like some more now … these pictures are making me hungry!
I think this dip would be fantastic with shrimp or crab in place of the salmon …
Hot & Cheesy Kale & Salmon Dip
This makes a small portion, just right for 2 people snacking (or one hungry muncher). Double (or triple) the recipe if you are serving to several people.
- 1 heaping up of kale leaves, chopped roughly (about 2 ribs of kale)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- Several sprigs of fresh dill
- 3 Tablespoons white wine
- 3/8 cup of salmon, flaked
- 1/4 cup fat free plain greek yogurt (or more if you want a creamier dip … I like lots of “stuff” in my dips)
- about 2 oz. of goat cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded Dubliner cheese (or parmesan)
- A bit of shredded mozzarella or Italian blend, for the top
Directions:
- Put the kale leaves, garlic, onion, and dill in a food processor or handi chopper and process till the kale is chopped into tiny bits.
- Heat a frying pan to medium heat, spray with cooking spray, then add the kale mixture and the wine. Stir it around a little and cover to cook for just a few minutes, then remove the cover and cook a minute longer to evaporate the moisture from the wine.
- Mix the kale mixture with the greek yogurt, salmon, goat cheese and shredded Dubliner cheese. Put in a small casserole or oven-safe bowl and top with a little bit of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and bubbly. Serve with chips, crusty slices of bread, or vegies for dipping.
This recipe was shared at Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Makin’ you Crave Mondays and Totally Tasty Tuesdays.
Pesto Salmon Pizza with Capers & Feta
I’m guest blogging over at Nutri-Savvy today! Lauren challenged me to create a recipe with a set of unusual ingredients for her Mix it Up Mondays. The list included salmon, capers, tomatoes, kale, and feta … that sounded to me like it would make a perfect pizza!
And it did.
Pop over to Nutri-Savvy for the recipe.
This recipe was shared at Mealtime Mondays.
Chile Brown Sugar Salmon on the Grill
I made this as a low sodium entree for my daughter … before we found out she can and SHOULD have salt. Whew. That’s a relief.
But when I asked my foodie friends if they still wanted low-sodium recipes, the resounding answer was YES. This is a tasty dish that you can make entirely without salt and it still tastes delicious.
Just ask my 13-year-old girl. She loved it. And she doesn’t even like spicy foods. It’s not really spicy at all. The chili powder gives it flavor, but not enough to be spicy. If you want a good kick, I would recommend adding some cayenne.
Chile Brown Sugar Salmon on the Grill
Spicy Sweet Rub Recipe is from Aggie’s Kitchen
Spicy Sweet Salmon Rub
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (you can omit the salt to reduce the sodium … I actually made this without the salt and it was delicious!)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salmon fillets, skin removed
- Fresh lemons or limes, sliced
Mix the salmon rub ingredients together. Brush the fish lightly with olive oil, then rub each piece of salmon with the sweet/spicy rub.
Heat up the grill. I put some rosemary on the coals to give it a little extra flavor. Once the grill is hot, arrange the lemon slices to make a “bed” for the salmon to cook on. Set each fillet on a bed of lemon slices and allow it to cook for about five minutes on that side.
Flip the salmon over and cook for about 5 minutes on the other side or until it flakes easily with a fork.
Squeeze a little lemon juice over the lovely fish and serve immediately with your choice of sides. Some pasta with roasted vegetables would be nice … or rice or quinoa and a salad.
This recipe was shared at Totally Tasty Tuesdays.
Salmon, Havarti, Blue Cheese & Veggie Omelet
I still had some salmon in my fridge from the other night when I made it for my daughter (I made extra just for times like this … salmon is such a fun fish to “play” with!) and a bit of Havarti and blue cheese, some cucumber, red onion, tomato, and dill … sounds like a fantastic omelet … It was.
You see, Wednesday night was yogilates night. It’s a tough workout. Usually after yoga on Wednesdays, we go out for wine. I never eat after that … I just roll into bed. So I tend to wake up on Thursday mornings just STARVING … time for an omelet.
Salmon, Havarti, Blue Cheese & Spring Vegetable Omelet
Blue Cheese Dilled Salmon Spread:
- 1 oz. light cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon or so of blue cheese
- A sprig of fresh dill, snipped
- Garlic scapes, snipped … or a bit of fresh garlic, chopped
- A bit of finely chopped onion … or green onion
- A small fillet of salmon, grilled or smoked
Omelet:
- 1 egg + 1 egg white
- Dabs of the Blue Cheese Dilled Salmon Spread
- Chopped red onion
- Chopped tomato
- Chopped cucumber
- Snipped dill
- Shredded Havarti cheese
- Flakes of cooked or smoked salmon
- Tomato slices and sprigs of dill for garnish and toasted french bread
Directions:
- Mix up the Blue Cheese Dilled Salmon Spread by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. This will make more than enough for an omelet, so use the rest for salmon cucumber toasts or serve it as a spread with crackers. It’s lovely that way.
- Prepare your chopped vegetables and shred the cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg, egg white, and 1 tablespoon of water till fluffy. (Use water to keep the eggs moist without sticking to the pan.) Season with salt and freshly ground pepper (and/or my favorite: Red Robin seasoning).
- Heat a skillet or omelet pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Arrange your omelet toppings close by so you can work quickly once you start cooking.
- When the pan is hot, add the egg to the pan, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan, then quickly sprinkle with dabs of the salmon spread, the chopped vegetables, dill, salmon, and Havarti cheese. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for a few minutes or until the cheese is melted and the egg is cooked. The omelet should be just lightly browned on the bottom.
- With a spatula, carefully fold over one side of the omelet onto the other, then slide it out of the pan onto a serving plate.
This recipe was shared at Weekend Potluck, the Egg Blog Hop and Talent Show Tuesday.
Tulip & Violet Salad with Salmon Cucumber Toasts
a.k.a., Tiptoe through the Tulips with Me Salad
I have been wondering what beautiful blossoms in my yard are edible? There must be something besides dandelions and wild violets …
So I did a little research and it turns out there is a reason the deer chomp off the tulip blossoms so quickly … they’re delicious! Tulips have a faint taste sort of like asparagus, but with a lighter, more flowery taste.
I have planted a lot of tulips, but I don’t get to see very many of my sweet tulip blossoms, thanks to the deer that visit my yard so frequently. I welcome the deer as a magical presence in my life … and at the same time I get frustrated with them for killing my trees, eating all my tulips, lilies, strawberries, hostas, apple and apricot trees (will I EVER have apples?) … it’s very hard to garden with deer around.
I had just three surviving tulip flowers … I figured I had better pick them before the deer got them.
Please do not try eating your tulips if you use chemicals on your tulips or on your lawn anywhere near your precious tulips.
Tulip & Wild Violet Salad with Blue Cheese and Pinons
- Find some greens. I snipped some “volunteer” greens from my garden. Make a bed of greens on your salad plate or bowl.
- Arrange tulip petals and wild violet greens and blossoms (whatever you have) on top of your greens. (Just please make sure there aren’t any nasty lawn chemicals on your flowers!)
- Sprinkle your beautiful salad with crumbled blue cheese and toasted pine nuts (pinons) … or other nuts of your choosing.
- Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette. I was sure I had some berry vinaigrette in my fridge, but I couldn’t find it and settled for my maple cranberry vinaigrette. It worked out beautifully anyway.
Salmon Cucumber Toasts
- French bread
- 1 oz. light cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon or so of blue cheese
- A sprig of fresh dill, snipped
- Garlic scapes, snipped … or a bit of fresh garlic, chopped
- A bit of finely chopped onion … or green onion
- A small fillet of salmon, grilled or smoked
- Cucumber slices and basil leaves, for the top
Directions:
- Toast the french bread lightly
- Mix the cream cheese, blue cheese, scapes or garlic, onion, dill and salmon in a small bowl till mixed well.
- Spread the french bread toast with the cheese mixture and top with cucumber slices and basil leaves.
This recipe was shared at Full Plate Thursdays, Tastetastic Thursdays, Katherine Martinelli’s Easter Blog Hop, Fit & Fabulous Fridays, Everyday Mom’s Meals and Totally Tasty Tuesdays.
Raspberry Salmon Havarti Toast with Wild Greens
Do you recognize those “wild” greens?
Today is National Weed Appreciation Day and you know what? I really appreciate my weeds. Oh some of them are a pain, literally, like the thistles and the cockleburrs that I just can’t seem to get under control, but the dandelions and wild violets that sprout up all over my yard and in the cracks of my sidewalk are just lovely! I totally love the thought of picking food from my yard. I mean, what’s better than free food?
Here’s one of the wild violet plants that sprung up in the crack of my sidewalk. How lovely is that?
So today I thought I would honor the beautiful weeds that grace my life by making a gourmet toast with them. I don’t use any herbicides or pesticides on my lawn so it’s relatively safe for me to eat them. Please don’t try this if you use any chemical weed control in your yard.
Raspberry Salmon Havarti Toast with Wild Greens
This could be served as an appetizer, a snack, a nice lunch, or even a light dinner!
- French bread
- Raspberry jam
- Cooked salmon (I had some leftover salmon we did on the grill the other night)
- Havarti cheese, sliced
- Dandelion and/or wild violet greens and some wild violets if you are lucky enough to have some about that are chemical free and clean
Directions:
- Lightly toast the french bread, then spread with a thin layer of raspberry jam.
- Add flakes of salmon on top of the jam, then arrange slices of Havarti cheese to cover the salmon.
- Bake at 400 or broil the toast for a few minutes until the cheese is nice and melted and bubbly.
- Top with wild greens and violets and enjoy!
This recipe was shared at Tastetastic Thursday, Full Plate Thursday and Fit & Fabulous Friday.
Cashew Salmon with Apricot Cranberry Quinoa
with a ginger, cumin & cilantro scented yogurt sauce
One of the most romantic meals of my life was on a Friday night when my date and I cooked this together. We drank wine as we cooked, I chopped the apricots & garlic & ginger and mixed up the sauce, he made the quinoa and broiled the salmon. When the salmon was done, he plated the salmon and quinoa in front of me, drizzled that heavenly sauce over it, and sprinkled on the toasted cashews … then refilled my wine glass before he plated his own. Just the way he did that totally melted my heart. Later I asked him for the recipe … and he gladly gave me the printout. I loved this meal so much I just had to make this again, wanted to share it with all of you here on the blog, and so I decided I would try making it for my children for a special Valentine’s meal. They both love salmon (my daughter moreso than my son, but he will eat salmon). I wasn’t so sure about the quinoa or the yogurt ginger sauce, but I thought I would give it a shot.
It was as I thought … while I was photographing the meal, my kids got in a fight. My daughter ran into her room. Our cat persistently tried to eat the salmon I was “shooting” and I had to push her out of the picture several times …
We managed to coax my daughter out of her room to join the meal. They both tried the salmon. My son immediately asked for garlic toast, saying “don’t we have some bread?” So I ended up cooking up some quick garlic toast for both of them. My daughter gobbled her salmon up before I could even glance over at her. My son inhaled the garlic toast, ate a few bites of the salmon, and then declared that his sister could have the rest of his. She said, “I can’t eat all of this …”, but she did eat some of his. Neither of them touched the quinoa or would even taste the sauce.
But they were happy that I had Valentine’s chocolates for them. My son said he would have been happier with smaller pieces of chocolate since I got him the BIG Reese’s peanut butter hearts (honestly, I would too … I like my chocolates in little bites!) So he’s trading in his chocolate for some licorice. LOL. My daughter was totally entranced with her heart-shaped Dove truffles in the fancy swirly tin. At least I got one thing right!
All in all, I would say this meal is probably much better suited for a romantic dinner with your sweetheart or for a fancy dinner party than for a Valentine’s lunch with a couple picky eating teenagers. But hey, I have some delicious leftovers. And now I can share the recipe with you … frankly, I think my kids are crazy. The tastes in this meal are phenomenal.
Cashew Salmon with Apricot Cranberry Quinoa
Adapted from Eating Well
You could shortcut the prep time by making up the sauce ahead of time, toasting the cashews and pre-chopping the garlic and apricot and things. Salmon cooks in a matter of minutes, so in the time it takes you to cook the quinoa, you could have dinner on the table.
Sauce ingredients:
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1 5-oz. container plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less … I don’t think it needs quite this much salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tablespoon of honey
- 1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- Juice of 1/2 a lime (or lemon)
Quinoa ingredients:
- 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or add an extra 1/4 cup of apricots … I only used cranberries because I ran out of apricots! But they did add a pretty splash of red color … and I liked the taste too)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa
Salmon ingredients:
- Salmon, cut into portions of 1/4 lb for each person. (You should have plenty of sauce and quinoa for up to 4 people. If you’re serving more, increase the recipe.)
- Old Bay seasoning (I used this seasoning only because I expected my kids would skip the sauce and thought the fish could use a little flavor on its own … you really don’t need it at all.)
- Salt & pepper
For garnish:
- Roasted, salted cashews, toasted and chopped
- Extra cilantro leaves
To prepare:
- First, make the sauce: Stir together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Don’t use your handi chopper to whir it all together–it destroys the thickness of the yogurt. You could use all plain yogurt instead of the greek yogurt if you actually STIR the sauce rather than whirring it like I did.
- Next, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the apricots, garlic, onion, ginger, and salt and sautee until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil, then stir in the quinoa. Cover, lower the heat to low, and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked through.
- Meanwhile rub the salmon with salt and pepper, sprinkle with seasoning (if using) and broil or grill until the salmon is lightly brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.
- Serve the salmon drizzled with sauce, topped with cashews and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves, with the quinoa on the side.
This recipe was shared at Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Love your Heart Month, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked Recipe Swap, Midweek Fiesta, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Thursday’s Treasures, Fit and Fabulous Fridays, Katherine Martinelli’s Nut Bloghop and Freaky Friday.
