Dijon Herb Salmon with Braised Lentils

This dinner was one of our recent favorites and it came together in less than 45 minutes, definitely worth sharing for that fact alone, plus it is super healthy and really delicious.  Plus, if you're anything like me, you will probably have all of the ingredients on hand too.  Win!

I stocked up on MSC-Certified Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon when it was on sale at Whole Foods a few months ago and we've stored the vacuum-sealed filets in the freezer ever since then (they came vacuum-packed).  When salmon is on the meal plan, I thaw the whole package in the refrigerator overnight and it's completely thawed by the following evening when it's time to cook dinner.  At that point, it just gets a quick rinse and pat dry, and then I go over it with my fingers to make sure there aren't any bones.  If there are, they get pulled out with tweezers and it's ready to go.  Simple.

I served the salmon on a bed of my favorite Herb Braised Lentils (I've posted the recipe before, see it here).  They went together perfectly and the meal was both filling and completely delicious, while still feeling healthy (and it was!).  The original recipe says you can grill the fish, or use a grill pan, but I just broiled it since I'm not much of a griller (I leave that to my hubs) and I don't own a grill pan.  It turned out fine, although a touch on the well-done side - oops!  Mine was an especially thin salmon filet, so just keep an eye on it if you go that route, and plus it was Wild Sockeye, which tends to be leaner and can therefore get a bit dry if over-cooked.

Dijon Herb Salmon
serves 4
adapted from Skinny Taste

4 garlic cloves
1 heaping teaspoon dried Herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
non-stick cooking spray
1 1/4 lb Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon filet (mine was about 3/4'' thick), rinsed and patted dry
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
lemon wedges and sprigs of fresh thyme, for serving

Preheat broiler to High and set an oven rack 4-6'' from the heat source.

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves with the herbs, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the mustard until it becomes a paste (make sure to break up the garlic cloves very well).  Alternatively, you could use a mini food-processor/chopper for this step.  Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and spray with the non-stick cooking spray.  Place the fish on the sheet, skin side down, and brush the flesh with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.  Season with the salt and pepper.  Broil the fish 4-5 minutes, spreading the Dijon-Herb sauce onto the fish for the last minute of cooking time - the actual amount of cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your filet.  A thicker salmon filet will require up to 7 or 8 minutes of broiling.

Top the fish with the sprigs of thyme and serve with lemon wedges, on top of a bed of the prepared Herb Braised Lentils.

Dijon Herb Salmon with Braised Lentils

This dinner was one of our recent favorites and it came together in less than 45 minutes, definitely worth sharing for that fact alone, plus it is super healthy and really delicious.  Plus, if you're anything like me, you will probably have all of the ingredients on hand too.  Win!

I stocked up on MSC-Certified Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon when it was on sale at Whole Foods a few months ago and we've stored the vacuum-sealed filets in the freezer ever since then (they came vacuum-packed).  When salmon is on the meal plan, I thaw the whole package in the refrigerator overnight and it's completely thawed by the following evening when it's time to cook dinner.  At that point, it just gets a quick rinse and pat dry, and then I go over it with my fingers to make sure there aren't any bones.  If there are, they get pulled out with tweezers and it's ready to go.  Simple.

I served the salmon on a bed of my favorite Herb Braised Lentils (I've posted the recipe before, see it here).  They went together perfectly and the meal was both filling and completely delicious, while still feeling healthy (and it was!).  The original recipe says you can grill the fish, or use a grill pan, but I just broiled it since I'm not much of a griller (I leave that to my hubs) and I don't own a grill pan.  It turned out fine, although a touch on the well-done side - oops!  Mine was an especially thin salmon filet, so just keep an eye on it if you go that route, and plus it was Wild Sockeye, which tends to be leaner and can therefore get a bit dry if over-cooked.

Dijon Herb Salmon
serves 4
adapted from Skinny Taste

4 garlic cloves
1 heaping teaspoon dried Herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
non-stick cooking spray
1 1/4 lb Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon filet (mine was about 3/4'' thick), rinsed and patted dry
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
lemon wedges and sprigs of fresh thyme, for serving

Preheat broiler to High and set an oven rack 4-6'' from the heat source.

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves with the herbs, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the mustard until it becomes a paste (make sure to break up the garlic cloves very well).  Alternatively, you could use a mini food-processor/chopper for this step.  Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and spray with the non-stick cooking spray.  Place the fish on the sheet, skin side down, and brush the flesh with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.  Season with the salt and pepper.  Broil the fish 4-5 minutes, spreading the Dijon-Herb sauce onto the fish for the last minute of cooking time - the actual amount of cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your filet.  A thicker salmon filet will require up to 7 or 8 minutes of broiling.

Top the fish with the sprigs of thyme and serve with lemon wedges, on top of a bed of the prepared Herb Braised Lentils.

Mixed Green Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Herbed Lentils and Goat Cheese

I whipped up this salad with roasted butternut squash and herbed lentils last week in order to reinvent some leftovers I had.  


One of my favorite dinners to make at home is the Barefoot Contessa's Salmon with de Puy Lentils - it's hearty and filling, healthy and doesn't take too long to make so it's great for a weeknight.  Another great thing about these lentils is that they taste fabulous the next day too, so they make a perfect light lunch.  


I reheated the lentils and served them over some mixed salad greens with matchstick-chopped carrots, roasted butternut squash, sliced avocado, goat cheese and a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  Paired with a glass of chardonnay, this made a perfect meatless dinner for one.  I hope you try it, you won't be disappointed!

Sorry for the crappy photo, the natural light was all gone by the time I sat down to dinner.

Herbed de Puy Lentils
recipe serves 2 as a side-dish, plus you'll have leftovers
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

1/2 cup French green lentils, du Puy

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)

1/2 tsp fresh thyme

1/4 tsp kosher salt

dash fresh ground black pepper

1/2 Tbsp minced fresh garlic

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrots

scant 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Place the lentils in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan, add, onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add celery, carrots, chicken stock, lentils and tomato paste. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add the vinegar and season to taste.

Roasted Butternut Squash

serves 1-2, depending how hungry you are

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1-2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper directly on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast in the oven 25-35 minutes, stirring to flip the pieces over every 10 minutes, until evenly caramelized and golden.  

Mixed Greens Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Herbed Lentils, Avocado and Goat Cheese

Layer mixed greens and julienned carrots in a large bowl.  Top with the lentils, followed by the roasted squash and sliced avocado.  Crumble about 1 oz goat cheese onto salad and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.  

Mixed Green Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Herbed Lentils and Goat Cheese

I whipped up this salad with roasted butternut squash and herbed lentils last week in order to reinvent some leftovers I had.  


One of my favorite dinners to make at home is the Barefoot Contessa's Salmon with de Puy Lentils - it's hearty and filling, healthy and doesn't take too long to make so it's great for a weeknight.  Another great thing about these lentils is that they taste fabulous the next day too, so they make a perfect light lunch.  


I reheated the lentils and served them over some mixed salad greens with matchstick-chopped carrots, roasted butternut squash, sliced avocado, goat cheese and a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  Paired with a glass of chardonnay, this made a perfect meatless dinner for one.  I hope you try it, you won't be disappointed!

Sorry for the crappy photo, the natural light was all gone by the time I sat down to dinner.

Herbed de Puy Lentils
recipe serves 2 as a side-dish, plus you'll have leftovers
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

1/2 cup French green lentils, du Puy

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)

1/2 tsp fresh thyme

1/4 tsp kosher salt

dash fresh ground black pepper

1/2 Tbsp minced fresh garlic

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrots

scant 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Place the lentils in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan, add, onions, leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add celery, carrots, chicken stock, lentils and tomato paste. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add the vinegar and season to taste.

Roasted Butternut Squash

serves 1-2, depending how hungry you are

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1-2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper directly on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast in the oven 25-35 minutes, stirring to flip the pieces over every 10 minutes, until evenly caramelized and golden.  

Mixed Greens Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Herbed Lentils, Avocado and Goat Cheese

Layer mixed greens and julienned carrots in a large bowl.  Top with the lentils, followed by the roasted squash and sliced avocado.  Crumble about 1 oz goat cheese onto salad and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.  

Meat-Free Monday

So its not that I have anything against meat per se, I just like eating meat-free meals too! When I lived in Maryland, fresh organic, free-range, antibiotic-free and grass-fed meat was easy to find in ANY supermarket. Here in eastern NC, not only is it heinously expensive but its usually frozen too...and you can only find it in ground-up form, not steaks. While I would like to say we only buy grass-fed beef, it isn't true. I know its much better for you but the cost is usually what keeps me from buying it every time. So lately I've been trying to prepare more vegetarian meals, and I don't just mean salads.

I also HATE wasting perfectly good food, which is sometimes difficult considering we're only a family of two. Well, a few weeks ago I bought a container of part-skim ricotta cheese for an appetizer that I never ended up making. It just sat in the back of the fridge, unopened, until I made baked-ziti last week. Since that only used half the container, I still had to figure out what to do with the rest of it.

Fast-forward to Sunday when I found this recipe on In Jennie's Kitchen for Lentil-Ricotta "Meatballs" - perfect! I got to use up my ricotta cheese AND try out a new vegetarian meal! I had all the ingredients, plus a jar of Trader Joe's Organic Marinara Sauce (its my FAVORITE pasta sauce because its much lower sodium than most) and some Dreamfield's Penne pasta. The ingredients for the meatballs have to be combined a day before you plan to cook them, so make sure you plan accordingly. But DO make this recipe, it was such a hit! Even B (a TOTAL skeptic) RAVED about it! They have a very soft texture and some of mine fell apart in the sauce even though Jennie said her's stood up to the simmering. But honestly, who cares if your delicous meatballs fall apart a little bit?!!

A few more notes about the recipe: After I cooked the lentils I went to puree them in my mini food processor. They kinda stuck to the sides of the bowl after a few seconds, so when all was said and done the lentil puree had some whole lentils in it - I liked the texture of the finished product, how you could see some whole lentils mixed in with the puree - that was pretty much the only hint that you weren't eating meat! I also added a little milk (a few tablespoons) to the mixture before putting it away to refrigerate overnight, I just thought it looked a tad dry. And my last modification was to add about a half-teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder and dried italian seasonings before forming the mixture into balls for frying.

Lentil Ricotta "Meatballs"
makes about 20

recipe was originally published at http://www.injennieskitchen.com/

2 cups cooked lentils, pureed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1-2 TBSP milk, if needed, to moisten lentil-ricotta mixture
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Onion powder, garlic powder and italian seasoning, to taste

Canola oil for frying

Marinara sauce, optional

Add all ingredients to a deep bowl. Mix very well, using hands or a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, shape mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium flame. Add shaped "meatballs" and cook until browned all around, turning only once. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let excess drain off. Add to simmering marinara sauce if serving immediately, or store in a tightly covered container up to three days.

Meat-Free Monday

So its not that I have anything against meat per se, I just like eating meat-free meals too! When I lived in Maryland, fresh organic, free-range, antibiotic-free and grass-fed meat was easy to find in ANY supermarket. Here in eastern NC, not only is it heinously expensive but its usually frozen too...and you can only find it in ground-up form, not steaks. While I would like to say we only buy grass-fed beef, it isn't true. I know its much better for you but the cost is usually what keeps me from buying it every time. So lately I've been trying to prepare more vegetarian meals, and I don't just mean salads.

I also HATE wasting perfectly good food, which is sometimes difficult considering we're only a family of two. Well, a few weeks ago I bought a container of part-skim ricotta cheese for an appetizer that I never ended up making. It just sat in the back of the fridge, unopened, until I made baked-ziti last week. Since that only used half the container, I still had to figure out what to do with the rest of it.

Fast-forward to Sunday when I found this recipe on In Jennie's Kitchen for Lentil-Ricotta "Meatballs" - perfect! I got to use up my ricotta cheese AND try out a new vegetarian meal! I had all the ingredients, plus a jar of Trader Joe's Organic Marinara Sauce (its my FAVORITE pasta sauce because its much lower sodium than most) and some Dreamfield's Penne pasta. The ingredients for the meatballs have to be combined a day before you plan to cook them, so make sure you plan accordingly. But DO make this recipe, it was such a hit! Even B (a TOTAL skeptic) RAVED about it! They have a very soft texture and some of mine fell apart in the sauce even though Jennie said her's stood up to the simmering. But honestly, who cares if your delicous meatballs fall apart a little bit?!!

A few more notes about the recipe: After I cooked the lentils I went to puree them in my mini food processor. They kinda stuck to the sides of the bowl after a few seconds, so when all was said and done the lentil puree had some whole lentils in it - I liked the texture of the finished product, how you could see some whole lentils mixed in with the puree - that was pretty much the only hint that you weren't eating meat! I also added a little milk (a few tablespoons) to the mixture before putting it away to refrigerate overnight, I just thought it looked a tad dry. And my last modification was to add about a half-teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder and dried italian seasonings before forming the mixture into balls for frying.

Lentil Ricotta "Meatballs"
makes about 20

recipe was originally published at http://www.injennieskitchen.com/

2 cups cooked lentils, pureed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1-2 TBSP milk, if needed, to moisten lentil-ricotta mixture
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Onion powder, garlic powder and italian seasoning, to taste

Canola oil for frying

Marinara sauce, optional

Add all ingredients to a deep bowl. Mix very well, using hands or a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, shape mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium flame. Add shaped "meatballs" and cook until browned all around, turning only once. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let excess drain off. Add to simmering marinara sauce if serving immediately, or store in a tightly covered container up to three days.