Baked Salmon with Caramelized Onions

 For Easter, I wanted something special, but not a meat-meat (beef, foul, or pig).  So I settled on the super healthy Salmon option and then set about to finding how I wanted it cooked.  Pan-fried was out and baking was in.

I thought I had the perfect recipe.  And I did.  I just couldn't find the recipe card.  So I turned to my lovely mother who is visiting and she told me how she always makes her mouth-watering salmon and I was sold.

This was incredibly easy and it came out moist and perfect and full of flavor without overpowering the beautiful salmon's own flavor.  A favorite part for me, since I love caramelized onions so much, was the no-work caramelized onions this recipe produces. Score!

 

This is my plate for Easter: Salmon, harvest grain mix from TJ's, sweet potatoes, delicious asparagus (recipe to come!), fresh-from-the-oven French bread, and, of course, salad (not pictured, but I did eat it).

Baked Salmon with Caramelized Onions

serves 4-6 (1/2 lb Salmon per 1 adult)

• 2-3 lbs Salmon
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 c white wine
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 t)
• 1 small onion, sliced thin

-- Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, wine, and garlic together.

-- Place onions in a baking dish that will just hold the salmon.

-- Place salmon, skin side UP, on the onions.

-- Pour the marinade over the salmon so it's all over and under the salmon.

-- Let sit at least 3 hours (refrigerated for at least 2) 

-- Pull salmon out of fridge 1 hour before transferring to the oven

-- When you're ready, dump the marinade out, but reserve the onions

-- Put salmon skin side DOWN to bake with the onions on top and around

-- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (flesh should flake easily with a fork)

Fish Tacos

While here in Colorado I'm doing my best to eat healthy, but it's vacation and I'm vacationing with people who are not vegan, so we're all making a lot of compromises. They're being very good and letting me do some of the cooking, making sure there are big salads, and not being offended if I go for the chicken rather than the beef, or skipping meat altogether and just loading up on veggies. I, on the other hand, am eating dairy and meat without complaint. Like this meal. Dairy and meat in one meal! And it was great.

I have a confession to make before I keep going. I have never eaten Fish Tacos before. The idea of taco seasoning and fish and sour cream was just really repulsive to me. When my mom suggested this as a meal, I did not hesitate to tell her how I felt, and she looked at me dumbfounded. "You've obviously never had a fish taco before!" And since I hadn't, I didn't argue. Once she explained that there was no taco seasoning and that the fish were just in a corn tortilla, making them a taco, I wanted to try one.

And so here is what we came up with. It was too spicy for me, but then again I'm a spice wimp, so I'll cut the cayenne down about half next time. My mom also said that usually this is made with shredded cabbage and carrots instead of the lettuce and cucumbers, so while I really enjoyed this version, I may experiment next time. We used pre-fabbed fish sticks, but I think making your own fish sticks, or just baking some talapia with spices and lime and cutting it into chunks would work really well, too, and also cut down on the fat content.

We served this with a simple Quinoa salad and it was a wonderful light and summery meal. We will be making these again - they are fun and easy and very very tasty.

Fish Tacos
Serves 4-6

• 4-6 talapia fillets or enough fish sticks to feed 4-6 people
• Lettuce or cabbage
• Cucumber sliced thin or shredded carrots
• 1 very small red onion - sliced very thin
  
• 1/2 c plain yogurt
• 1/2 c mayo
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 t oregano
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t dill
• 1 t cayenne powder (unless you're a fellow spice wimp like me and then do as much as you dare)
• Corn tortillas - lightly fried if you want
  

-- Shred the lettuce and slice the cucumber ( or the cabbage and carrots if you're going that way) and onion and put them in a pretty serving bowl with tongs. :)
-- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayo, lime juice and spices. I suggest letting this sit for a little bit to let the flavors all meld together.
--Cook up the fish sticks or bake the fillets and then chunk them (11 minutes at 400 in tin foil with a little lime juice and some cumin would work really well.)
-- To assemble: put some "salad" or "slaw" mixture on a tortilla, top with fish, and then add a dollop of the sauce. Delish!

Sesame Orange Tilapia

I made this last night and it was so good. It is actually going to be the way I cook our Tilapia fillets from now on. I had been doing a very simple Olive oil, lemon, garlic mix that was good, but not great, and I wanted something that I actually enjoyed since fish isn't my favorite thing. Let me tell ya, this was easy and delicious. Scot took one bite and then his eyes went big (and I was nervous for just a split second because I didn't know it was was a good eyes-wide or a bad) and then he smiled and said "Wow, this is really good!" I think we were both a little skeptical. I served this with a nice green salad and left over quinoa salad and it was wonderful. It was light and tasty and best of all, even though it's fish and not technically vegan, it's heart healthy!

Sesame Orange Tilapia
Serves 4

• 4 Tilapia (or any other white fish) fillets
  
• 3 T Orange juice
• 2 T low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1 t sugar
• 1/2 t garlic (crushed)
• 1/4 t ginger
• sesame seeds

-- Mix OJ, soy sauce, sesame oil and spices together.
-- Place fillets in a shallow baking dish (lined with tin foil for easy clean up!) and pour sauce over them, turning to coat. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to let marinate.
-- Bake for 9-11 minutes @ 425 until flakes with fork.
-- Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and enjoy!