Salmon Taco Bowls

So I buy fresh SALMON from Costco, and since everything comes in bulk there, it is a rather large fillet. I typically cut it into 2 or 3 PORTIONS and freeze them, but last time I totally forgot and stuck the whole thing in the freezer! This meant I had to thaw the whole darn thing—all 3 pounds of it. So, we had a lot of FISH that week! This was one of my favorite versions and I will definitely be making these YUMMY taco bowls again soon.

Salmon Taco Bowls
1 pound or so of salmon fillet
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chili powder
Cumin
Cooked rice
Black beans
Bell peppers, red, green, etc., chopped
Red onion, chopped
Frozen super sweet white corn, warmed through
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Cilantro
Avocado
Sour cream
Salsa

Lightly coat salmon with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Also sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. (You can decide how generous you want to be. More chili powder = more heat!) Cook salmon as desired, either in a frying pan or bake it in the oven. Once it is cool enough to handle, flake it into chunks with a fork.

Layer your tacos in a bowl (or on a plate is fine too!) starting with some cooked rice, the salmon, beans, veggies, cheese, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream and salsa if desired.

TIP: Layer in whatever you like on your tacos normally. It'll be good, I promise!

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

We L-O-V-E salmon at our house. Seriously, even all the kiddos. We typically just GRILL it with a little extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper and it's always DELISH. However, this time I decided to try something different and it was . . . AMAZING! I may try to mix things up a little more often now . . .

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon
(Adapted from www.chow.com)

1/3 cup real maple syrup
3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salmon fillets
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place the first 6 ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 or 3 minutes; set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Pat the salmon dry and then brush both sides with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put salmon on the grill pan and cook for until you can visibly see the salmon is cooked through at least halfway up the fillet, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip over and then brush the top with the glaze. Finish cooking, flip again, and brush glaze on top. Flip back over to slightly "crisp" the glaze.

TIP: Serve with a nice light side dish like quinoa or rice. Makes a tasty meal!

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Sauce

This is a very REFRESHING dinner that I like to throw together during my healthy eating times. I love the FLAVORS of cilantro and lime—so tangy and powerful, and the PERFECT sauce for these excellent tacos.

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Sauce

Lime Cilantro Sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup light or fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup light or fat-free sour cream

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Fish Tacos

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds any white fish (halibut, mahi-mahi, tilapia, etc.)

Small flour tortillas (or corn tortillas if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients and then refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the tacos, combine all the seasonings and then coat your choice of fish. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until done (the fish will flake easily with a fork). When fish is done, break into pieces with a fork and then scoop in the center of your tortillas. Drizzle the sauce over top and serve. Makes about 4-6 servings.

TIP: To add some extra nutrients, top the fish with shredded cabbage or some romaine or spring mix lettuces and then drizzle with the sauce. You can also serve with lime wedges on the side so people can squeeze on extra juice.

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

You all know I love cheese, and I really LOVE Parmesan! When I found this super SIMPLE recipe by Rachel Ray, I knew it would be YUMMY. The fish is moist and FLAVORFUL—a great combination! Thanks Rach!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (I used dried)
4 tilapia filets
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cheese, paprika, and parsley and then season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and then dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

TIP: I felt like the paprika was a tad heavy, so you may want to start with 1 teaspoon instead of 2. I also think a few sprinkles of garlic powder is a great addition.

Blackened Salmon Salad

OK, so I'm slightly obsessed with blackened SALMON, especially when combined with my FAVORITE basil dressing. (Just check out previous posts!) Sooooo, simply put, this SALAD is to die for. And that's ALL I'm sayin'!

Blackened Salmon Salad
Blackened Salmon (just follow salmon prep)
Leafy green lettuce, chopped
Iceberg lettuce, chopped
Cucumber, quartered and sliced
Red bell pepper, chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Sunflower seeds
Green onions, sliced

Creamy Basil Dressing
1/2 cup light mayo or nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar with the Greek yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh basil
Dash of dried oregano, parsley, and garlic powder

Prepare the salmon as directed; break into small pieces. Layer all salad ingredients on a plate and top with the dressing. Enjoy!

TIP: The bell pepper could be replaced with tomato if you prefer! I love sunflower seeds on a salad, but some chopped cashews or chopped dry roasted almonds would also be nice. And, I prefer the dressing with the yogurt—it definitely cuts calories that way and I can hardly tell the difference!

Blackened Salmon Sandwiches with Creamy Basil Sauce

I think I've mentioned before that my husband WANTS to gain weight. He is required to eat a lot of HEALTHY protein, so we've been having salmon once or twice a week. Our whole family LOVES fish, even the 1-year-old twins! Anyway, this SIMPLE dinner was fantastic and full of flavor thanks to the cajun seasoning and SECRET sauce.

Blackened Salmon Sandwiches with Creamy Basil Sauce

Salmon, cut into portions that will fit on bun

Olive oil

Cajun seasoning (I buy this in the spice aisle)

Creamy Basil Dressing

Hamburger Buns

Lettuce

Lightly pat all sides of the salmon portions with olive oil. Sprinkle a good amount of the Cajun seasoning over both sides and then cook in a grill pan (or bbq) until done. Spread a spoonful of dressing on both sides of the buns then put salmon on top. Finish off with another drizzle of the dressing and top with the lettuce. Enjoy!

TIP: The dressing is from one of my favorite salads EVER! I've been making it with Greek yogurt instead of mayo and it is still delicious. Also, if you don't have the oil marinade from a container of those fresh mozzarella balls when you make the dressing, just use olive oil instead. I usually throw in a couple dashes of garlic powder and oregano and parsley when I don't have the marinated mozzarella that I can steal oil from. 

Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Back in January I did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 exercise program and also tried doing her MEAL PLAN that goes along with it on most days. Anyway, this is my VERSION of her Mahi mahi tacos. It's super yummy and tastes so FRESH. It's the perfect spring meal if you ask me!

Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

1/2 to 1 pound tilapia, cut into bite-size chunks

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 ripe mango, cut into pieces

1 small avocado, cut into pieces

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/3 to 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon orange juice

Place the fish in a bowl and then combine the lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and seasonings and pour over fish. Let marinate about 15 minutes.

While fish is marinating, combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside. (Make sure to toss well so the avocado doesn't brown!)

In a frying pan, cook the fish in about 1 teaspoon olive oil and the marinade until completely cooked through and opaque, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve fish on flour tortillas topped with the mango salsa.

TIP: Another nice addition for serving . . . plain greek yogurt! Try it instead of sour cream for a more tangy taste. Shredded lettuce would also be a great addition.  

Coconut Shrimp Curry

We love CURRY at our house! This is a pretty MILD version, so if you're not sure how you feel, this is the RECIPE to try it. It's very EASY and tastes sooooo good! (Sorry for the not-so-great pic!)

Coconut Shrimp Curry
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cups thinly sliced baby carrots
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup water
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup toasted coconut
24 to 30 deveined raw shrimp, with tails removed
1/4 to 1/3 cup sour cream
Warm cooked rice

In a large frying pan, saute the onions and carrots in the oil until mostly tender, about 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle the curry powder over top and stir in well. Add the water, tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and coconut, stirring to combine. Let come to a boil and then thicken, about 5 or 6 minutes more. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sour cream until well combined and then serve warm over rice. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: As I said, this is a pretty mild version, so if you really love curry, try adding a little more curry powder—maybe 2 teaspoons to start. (The curry flavor does get stronger if you let it sit for a while—any leftovers are great!) Also, if you don't like shrimp, substitute about 1 pound of chicken cut into small cubes. It's fantastic too!

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos

I love SHRIMP and I love tacos, so when I get the opportunity to put them TOGETHER, I'm in heaven! These little tacos are super HEALTHY and full of FLAVOR—that's not a combo you can always find. Hope you like them!

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos

1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

20 raw deveined shrimp, shells removed

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (or more if needed)

1 tablespoon olive oil

White corn tortillas, warmed

Chopped lettuce

In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, cilantro, cumin, and lime zest and juice; set aside until ready to use (or refrigerate if making in advance of dinner). 

In another bowl, toss the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning to coat. Heat the oil in a frying pan and then cook shrimp until done (about 3 or 4 minutes or when the shrimp has "pinked" all the way through!). Put 4 to 5 shrimp in each tortilla, then top with a heaping scoop of the cilantro-lime sour cream. Top with lettuce and more cilantro, if desired. Eat warm!

TIP: A single tortilla does the job, but if you double up the extra tortilla will hold everything together even more securely. :)  Another great addition is more lime juice! Just squeeze over the shrimp when done, and even more over the taco when it is all put together. Mmmmmm!

Easy Grilled Salmon

We LOVE salmon at our house, and this is one of the EASIEST ways to prepare it! I usually serve it with some sort of RICE and a veggie. In fact, my next post will be a YUMMY rice dish. There! Something for you to LOOK forward too!

Easy Grilled Salmon

Fresh salmon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Remove salmon from fridge and brush all sides with a generous amount of olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper; let come to room temperature. Gently place on a hot bbq or grill pan and let cook on one side until cooked about halfway, and then flip. You'll get a nice crispy crust/edge that is SOOOO good!

TIP: I sometimes sprinkle some blackening spices on instead of the pepper. If anyone wants a recipe for the blackening spice mix, let me know and I'll post it for you!

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Sauce

This is a very REFRESHING dinner that I like to throw together during my healthy eating times. I love the FLAVORS of cilantro and lime—so tangy and powerful, and the PERFECT sauce for these excellent tacos.

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Sauce

Lime Cilantro Sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup light or fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup light or fat-free sour cream

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Fish Tacos

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds any white fish (halibut, mahi-mahi, tilapia, etc.)

Small flour tortillas (or corn tortillas if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients and then refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the tacos, combine all the seasonings and then coat your choice of fish. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until done (the fish will flake easily with a fork). When fish is done, break into pieces with a fork and then scoop in the center of your tortillas. Drizzle the sauce over top and serve. Makes about 4-6 servings.

TIP: To add some extra nutrients, top the fish with shredded cabbage or romaine lettuce and then drizzle with the sauce. You can also serve with lime wedges on the side so people can squeeze on extra juice.