So we needed a nice, healthy, lighter meal. I had watched Giada at Home a few days before and had seen some nice recipes I wanted to test out. So it was just myself and hubby last night. Seemed like a good night for healthy fare.It said these were quick and I must admit I had it all done in under 30 minutes. Somewhat impressive considering how gorgeous the meal was. A few things I noticed and would tweak next time I make these though. First off this girl uses too much lemon. I like lemon but it's overkill here. Unless you absolutely LOVE lemon cut it back by half is my thought. Also we don't use fresh herbs alot. So I found the amount overpowering as did hubs. I would suggest cutting the herbs in half too. The mint was really overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I love fresh herbs but I don't think it should overpower the actual food. It should enhance the food.
So here they are. Hope you try them out. When I tweak and Kimify them I will repost my version. The salmon I will definitely do again but with some modifications to it. The agave over it was so delish I cannot even begin to describe it. So yummy.
Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde:
Source: Giada at Home
Ingredients for Salsa:
2 large oranges
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (cut this in half if you are not a huge lemon lover)
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (cut this in half if you are a huge parsley lover)
2 scallions, sliced fine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves (cut this in half if you are not a huge mint lover)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained as well as chopped (I left these out)
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Ingredients for the Salmon:
Vegetable or canola oil, this is for oiling the grill
4 (4 to 5 ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, about 3 inches square
2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
For the salsa:
Peel and trim ends from oranges.
Segment your oranges. Place them in a medium bowl.
Now add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest and red pepper flakes to the bowl.
Toss lightly.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Set this aside.
For the salmon:
This can be done on a BBQ, indoor grill or you could use a foreman grill which is what I did.
Preheat the grill.
Brush with oil.
Brush agave nectar on both sides of you salmon, then add salt and pepper to taste, and place on hot grill.
Cook until fish flakes easily. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes on each side if using an outdoor grill. If using the foreman it takes about 5 to 6 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Spoon the salsa verde over top of your salmon to taste. You could also set it on the side of the salmon so each person can add what they like.
Herbed Quinoa:
Source: Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients for the quinoa:
2 ¾ cups chicken stock (if going healthy use low sodium)
¼ cup lemon juice (you could half this if you're not a huge lemon lover)
1 ½ cups quinoa
Ingredients for the dressing:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (you could half this if you're not a huge lemon lover)
¾ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (you can cut this in half if you're not a huge basil lover)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (you can cut this in half if you're not a huge parsley lover)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (you can cut this in half if you're not a huge thyme lover)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions for the quinoa:
Use a medium saucepan and add your chicken stock, lemon juice and quinoa to it.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Directions for the dressing:
Using a small bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Putting it all together:
In a large bowl put your finished quinoa and then pour the dressing over it.
Mix until all the ingredients are combined and well coated.
Transfer to a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a smile.
 |
| Ignore the smudge, and the craptastic camera! |
 |
| I sure wish I took better photos! |
Caramelized Onion and Grapefruit Salad:
Source: Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients for caramelized onions:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Ingredients for dressing:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Ingredients for salad:
2 pink grapefruits
1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded and thinly sliced
3 scallions, sliced fine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Directions for the caramelized onions:
In a large skillet or pan, heat your oil over medium heat.
Add your onions, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Cook while stirring occasionally, until the onions are a nice, deep, golden brown. This takes about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 10 or so minutes.
Directions for the dressing:
Directions for the salad:
You need to peel and trim the ends of the grapefruit. Then using a paring knife you need to segment it. Add them to a large bowl.
Add lettuce, fennel, cucumber, scallions and thyme.
Putting it all together:
Pour your dressing over the salad and toss. Make sure everything is well coated.
Now arrange the caramelized onions over top.
Serve with a smile.
 |
| I sure wish my pictures did this justice. It's heavenly! |
This is for sure a beautiful meal. Would be nice if you are having people over for dinner. Easy to make and quite quick as well. I used my foreman grill for the salmon. Super easy and quick cleanup which is always nice.
Hope you try these out. I am learning not to be intimidated by recipes. While they look hard once you break it down most are pretty simple. I find it fun to experiment and tweak things. Check back later. Doing up a new ice cream treat I found. Hopefully I can squeak enough time out to make it before I have to run out.
Toodles and smoochies to all. xx
Leave a Reply