Spinach Stuffed Salmon

This is my all-time favorite salmon recipe. After the salmon recipe is the recipe I used for homemade pesto. The pesto can be frozen for up to three months because you won't use the whole batch for the salmon. Store-bought can be used, but it is cheaper (and yummier) to make your own. Also, in many specialty stores, you can purchase bulk sun-dried tomatoes for a minimal price. When purchasing your salmon fillets, make sure that they have a substantial thick area that can be sliced for the stuffing.

This recipe is easily halved or doubled and is adapted from the South Beach Diet Cookbook.

Spinach Stuffed Salmon

• 2 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
• salt/pepper
• 5 ounces fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon prepared pesto
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In the thickest part of the salmon, make a large slit, but be sure to not cut all the way through.
3. Sprinkle the salmon very lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Separately, combine spinach, pesto, tomatoes, and pine nuts.
   
5. Carefully, stuff the salmon pocket with as much of the spinach mixture as possible. If necessary, hold the filling in with 1-2 toothpicks.
6. Place salmon on baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Homemade Pesto

All of these ingredients can be adjusted per taste.

• 2/3 cup packed bail leaves
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon each salt/pepper
• approximately 1/3 cup olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients except olive oil in food processor or blender (preferably food processor)
2. Turn on lowest speed and allow ingredients to coarsely chop for a few seconds.
3. Add olive oil in a steady stream until desired consistency is achieved.
   
4. Freeze unused portion and use with three months.
   

Etoufee!

This is officially the best thing I've ever made. I don't think I will ever tire of this! Crawfish may be the traditional etoufee protein, but I prefer shrimp. I don't think you'll be disappointed! Green bell peppers can be substituted for the red, but the red add an additional flavor and add some color.

• 1 cup butter (divided)
• 4 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
  
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 1-2 t crushed red pepper (adjust according to spicy tolerance)
• 2 c minced onion
• 3 c minced celery
• 3 c minced red bell pepper
• 3 1/2 c chicken broth

• In large pot, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Add flour and seasonings. Keep at medium heat and stir constantly with whisk for about 20 minutes. The mixture should become a medium brown and should smell slightly caramelly. The longer you let this cook, the better the etoufee will be.
  
• Add onions to the roux and cook until onions are translucent.
• Stir in celery and peppers. Increase hear to high and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add remaining 1/2 c of butter and bring to a boil.
  
• Decrease heat to medium and fold in shrimp. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Slowly pour in broth. Let simmer until celery is soft (about 10-15 minutes).
• Serve over rice!
  
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Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

This is my favorite recent find! It is so easy to succumb to the boring ol' grilled fish, but this manages to add a lot of flavor while keeping the fish a lightweight meal! I served with a side of steamed brown rice and green peas. And mayo haters, be of good cheer...you can't taste it a bit. Half the recipe if you like; we had enough for dinner and lunch the next day.

• 1/2 c Parmesan
• 1/4 butter, room temperature
• 3T mayonnaise
• 2T lemon juice
• 1/4t dried basil
• 1/8 t onion powder
• 1/8t celery salt
• 2 lbs tilapia fillets

1. preheat broiler and line cookie sheet with foil
2. mix Parmesan, butter, mayo, and lemon juice thoroughly, then stir in seasonings
3. arrange fillets on foil and broil 3 minutes per side
4. spread cheese mixture over tops of fish, then broil 3 more minutes
   

The. Best. Fish. Tacos. EVER!

There's just no other way to describe these fish tacos. As I told my friend D who joined me for dinner last night, "Out of three starts, I give these 4." The recipe is a little more complicated than I normally do, but if you do what you can the night before, it's not as bad as it looks. And the outcome is MORE than worth it.

Here we go. In order to make this as simple as possible, I've divided up the recipe into separate mini-recipes.

Fish Tacos with Honey Cumin Cilantro Slaw and Chipotle Mayo

Fish Preparation

• 1 lb tilapia, cut into chunks
  
• 1/2 c fresh lime juice

1. place tilapia in flat dish and pour lime juice over fish-cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours

*I marinated the fish for about 10 hours and it was fine.

Chipotle Mayo (this can be done ahead of time and I recommend doubling)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 chipoltle chilis packed in adobo sauce
• 1 T reserved adobo sauce
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper

1. Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside until needed.
   

Cilantro Slaw (also can be made ahead of time and definitely should be doubled)

• 2 c tri-color coleslaw blend
• 1 c cilantro, minced
  

1. Mix slaw blend and cilantro
2. Add all but 1/4 of the chipotle mayo (if you doubled the chipotle mayo recipe, only add one half of what you made)

Honey Cumin Sauce (I do not recommend preparing this ahead)

• 1/3 c fresh lime juice
• 2 T honey
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 t cumin

1. whisk together all ingredients and set aside.

TO MAKE TACOS:

• 1/3 c flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 c panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper
• 1 c vegetable oil
  
• flour tortillas, warmed

1. place flour, eggs, and panko in separate plates
2. season fish with salt and pepper
3. dip fish first in flour, then eggs, then panko
4. heat oil, then cook fish evenly until brown (about 2 minutes per side)
5. drain fish and brush immediately with honey cumin sauce
6. spread each tortilla with 1 T chipotle mayo, then fish, then slaw
7. ENJOY!!!