Orange-Glazed Salmon with The Kids Cook Monday!

This is some seriously good salmon.  Trust me.  It is.  And what makes it better is that I got my girls to help me prepare dinner and enjoy this healthy meal.  Even my, "I don't like fish", daughter, Mariah, ate a bigger piece this time.  The spicy rub paired with the slightly sweet glaze is the perfect match with the salmon.  This meal may look fancy but it is very easy and quick to prepare.       

"The Kids Cook Monday program is an initiative encouraging families to cook and eat together each Monday. Start your week off right: make Monday family night!"

Check out The Kids Cook Monday! updated website with more resources to help you start your Monday's off on a positive note.  Get more information on the other Monday campaigns, like Meatless Monday and Move It Monday! 

Orange-Glazed Salmon

Recipe by Cuisine at Home Preview Magazine

(Printable recipe)

Serving:  4 fillets

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (use a prepared one or make your own like this one)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets (6 oz. each)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup Seville orange marmalade (like Crosse & Blackwell)

1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

Combine Cajun seasoning, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl.  Rub over both sides of fillets.

Saute fillets in oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.  Turn and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.

Blend marmalade and lime juice; swirl in skillet until melted.  Carefully turn fish to glaze on all sides.  The salmon is done when it begins to flake when tested with a fork.    

Marissa takes the Cajun seasoning and rubs it on both sides of the salmon.  Use less rub for less heat.  

The glaze is a mixture of Seville orange marmalade and lime juice.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Seville orange marmalade is more acidic than other orange marmalades.  I used the brand Crosse & Blackwell which states on the label, "Made with Seville Oranges".  If you can't find Seville orange marmalade, use a sweet marmalade and double the lime juice.

The Kids Cook Monday with Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia

Happy Monday everyone!  Welcome to a new feature that I will be sharing with you every Monday.  Healthy Monday is a non-profit group based on a series of public health initiatives. 

"It’s a movement of people and organizations who commit
every Monday to the behaviors and actions that will end
preventable disease in the U.S."

Healthy Monday has a new campaign called The Kids Cook Monday where their logo is, "Start your week off right: make Monday family night!"  When I was contacted by the people from The Kids Cook Monday Campaign and I read about their program, I knew this was a perfect fit for my blog.  On their website they state the following:

"When kids pitch in making meals, they’re empowered to consider the portions, the vitamins and the nutrients of what they’re eating. And since the family that cooks together eats together, parents can check in with their children during dinner."

I believe and follow this philosophy with my own family.  And I truly feel it makes a positive difference in your child's life, health and well-being. 

My first recipe for The Kids Cook Monday segment is a light and delicious Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia.  Check out the recipe details below and photos of my 2 daughters helping prepare the fish.

My daughter's Mariah & Marissa are 13 years old and they practically prepared the fish on their own.  I chopped the garlic but they measured and prepared all the other ingredients.  My one daughter, Mariah, is not a fan of seafood but she did eat a small piece of fish.  I find the more your kids help you in the kitchen, the more they will try foods that they may not like or may not think they like.

This tilapia had a slightly sweet, citrus flavor with a touch of spiciness.  But, not too spicy for younger age kids either.  It was simple to prepare and cook.  It's kid-friendly and adult-friendly as well.  Perfect for a Monday night meal to get your week started in a healthy way. 

This recipe is from Cooking Light and you can find the recipe link here at Myrecipes.com.  

Pair this tilapia with Charred Vegetable Rice (click here for recipe) for a terrific side dish and a great way to get extra veggies.

I hope you found this recipe a good start to your weekly menu and an inspiration to have your kids help you prepare meals.  Come back next Monday for more time in the kitchen with The Kids Cook Monday! 

Disclosure:  The Kids Cook Monday people contacted me to participate in this weekly post.  This is not a compensated program but strictly a voluntary effort on my part.  Opinions, thoughts and feelings are my own.   

Marissa, me (Jamie) & Mariah showing off our healthy meal.  Job well done girls! 

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Having your kids help in the kitchen is a great way to talk about ingredients and spices as well as teaching them cooking skills.  Note:  Keep an eye out when broiling the fish.  It took less than the 15 minutes recommended cook time and can burn easily if not watched.      

a new look.....and Pan-Roasted Salmon with Soy-Ginger Glaze

Introducing my updated blog design.  One of my goals for 2010 was to change my blog template.  Well, I've got that crossed off my list now.  A big thank you to Hannah from Sherbet Blossom Designs.  I chose a Pre-Made blog template that start as low as $25.00.  For reasonable additional fees, Hannah can upload/transfer your old blog and can turn a 2 column template into a 3 column if you prefer.  Of course, she also does custom designs.  She designed my sister-in-law Aggie's blog, Aggie's Kitchen.  Hannah also has her own blog, Sherbet Blossom, where she shares her love for cooking, family, crafts and design.  So again, thank you Hannah for making my little blog a brighter, fresher and happier place to be.  

Now, how about some salmon everyone.  A former co-worker gave me this recipe a few years ago.  It comes from FoodandWine.com.  It is one of my favorite salmon recipes (I think I say that about every salmon recipe).  The soy-ginger glaze compliments the salmon perfectly.  A few ingredients and simple preparation makes this a delicious weeknight meal or it can be a meal to impress.  

Click here for the Pan-Roasted Salmon with Soy-Ginger Glaze recipe.        

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  This recipe starts in a skillet on the stovetop and finishes baking in the oven.  Be careful when removing the pan from the oven.  That handle is hot.  Remember to use your pot holder throughout.

Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub

Here's a great healthy meal to start the year off right.  I first heard of this salmon recipe when my sister-in-law, Aggie posted it on her blog, Aggie's Kitchen last April.  This is one of my favorite ways to make salmon.  The rub is a combination of sweet and slightly smokey.  Even though the rub uses a tablespoon of chili powder, it's not on the spicy side.  The salmon always comes out so moist and flavorful when I make it this way.  You can have it skinned and rub the spice mixture on both sides or leave the skin on and just put the rub on the flesh side.  I usually grill (actually my husband does) a big piece of salmon, about 1 1/2 lbs, and then cut it into serving sizes once it's cooked.  You could also broil or pan saute the fish.  Team this up with some rice, sweet potatoes, side of veggies or a salad for one heart healthy meal.

Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub

Recipe from Ellie Krieger, Food Network

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin and any pin bones removed
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Coat your grill or a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. While the grill is heating, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Brush each salmon fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, then rub each fillet with about 1/2 tablespoon of the spice mixture. Grill the salmon, flesh side down, until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 5 to 6 minutes for medium doneness. For well done fish, cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.

 

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  per the Nutritional listing of this salmon on Foodnetwork.com, it is full of Protein, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Potassium, just to name a few.  

I am not one to make New Year Resolutions but I do like the fresh start of a new year and to make goals for the upcoming year.  I have many goals this year.  Some of my blog goals are to update my blog template for a new look.  I also want to share more healthy meals like this one and more easy weeknight meals.  Of course I will still showcase my baked treats because I really like to bake.  It's all in moderation, right?  I also want to challenge myself more.  For example, I want to conquer my fear of yeast.  Yes, I want to make bread!  I want to work with ingredients I've never had or cooked with before like: butternut squash, fennel, risotto and eggplant.  I want to learn how to make pie crust.  Yes, I want to make pies!  I will continue to share my adventures in the kitchen with you and bring you more simple and down home recipes.  Thanks again for sharing time with me, my blog and my recipes in 2009.          

Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club Cooks with Wine

Cooking with Wine. That is the theme for October's Virtual Supper Club gathering. Five food bloggers (3 from the United States & 2 from Canada) get together virtually to present a menu with recipes all from Cooking Light. Cooking with Wine was a great theme. There were so many Cooking Light recipes to choose from on Myrecipes.com, their online listing of recipes. When I saw this fish recipe, Salmon with White Wine Mustard Sauce, I knew this was the meal I wanted to "bring" to our supper club. If you follow my blog, you know I love seafood and we eat salmon several times a month. This dish was simple to prepare. The sauce was so velvety smooth and worked perfectly with the salmon. When my husband said, "This tastes like it came from a restaurant", I was so happy. I know I will make this again and again.

Now, take a look and see what my other blogger friends brought to our October Supper, everything from an Appetizer to a Dessert: (click on each one to see detailed recipe)

Shelby (The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch) - Cheese Fondue w/Apples

Helene (La Cuisine d'Helene) - French Onion Soup

Jamie (that's me, Mom's Cooking Club) - Salmon with White Wine Mustard Sauce

Val (More Than Burnt Toast) - Baked Rice with Butternut Squash

Aggie (Aggie's Kitchen) - Red Wine Pear Crisp with Spiced Streusel

Wow, what a menu!

Click here to read more about our Cooking with Wine menu on Cooking Light's Blog; Test Kitchen Secrets.

Start with a beautiful piece of salmon and cut in equal fillet portions.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson: I'm not a huge wine drinker but I do always try to keep a bottle of white wine and a bottle of red wine to use for cooking. I'm sure we are all familiar with the phrase, "cook with a wine you would drink". So, buy what you like. You don't have to buy an expensive bottle of wine to cook with. There are many good wines that are reasonably priced. Also, avoid cooking with "cooking wine" that you find in the vinegar aisle of your grocery store. Salt and food coloring has been added to these weak wine bases. Check out this Cooking Light article about Cooking with Wine for some great information about using this ingredient in your cooking.

Baked Red Snapper with Garlic and My Day as a Guest Blogger

Today I am honored to be a guest blogger on Shelby's blog, The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Shelby is on a cruise with her husband, so I wanted to give everyone a taste of the sea. To get the recipe and read all about it, you have to visit Shelby's site. Click here for my first guest post.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Tilapia

This is a quick and easy seafood dish that is also very tasty. This recipe came from the free 2007 Costco Cookbook. Since I don't have a Costco where I live, my sister Paula gives me this every year. I collect cookbooks and she makes sure that I get my copy. Tilapia is a mild fish and very inexpensive. Our seafood market sells it for $4.99/lb. I love seafood and you will see many future posts using a variety of seafood. I grew up in a coastal town in Maryland and was introduced to seafood at a very young age. I have loved it ever since. Thankfully my husband and one of our daughters also loves seafood. The other daughter....well, not so much. I'm hoping one day she'll

enjoy it as much as we do.

Tilapia Parmesan

Recipe by Favorite Recipes, The Costco Way

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

1 1/2 - 2 lbs tilapia fillets

Fresh Tilapia Fillets

Ingredient Lineup

In a small bowl, mix together Parmesan, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange tilapia fillets in a single layer on a foiled lined broiling pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes.

Remove from the oven and spread Parmesan mixture over the fillets. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook.

Pair it with rice and a vegetable for a healthy dinner

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson: When buying fish, smell the fish. It should smell like the sea. It should not have a strong "fishy" odor. If it does, then it's not fresh.