{Cue music} Summertiiiiime and the grilling is eeeasyyyy. That’s right, forget the kitchen, it’s time to start cooking all of the foods on the grill. I’ll admit, I use my outdoor grill all year, but it’s especially lovely to cook outside in the summer, and pretty much a necessity when the weather gets hot.

The Salmon Council approached me to develop another recipe with them, this time focusing on the grill. Of course I said yes because grilling salmon is my most favorite way to prepare it. The result was this delicious grilled brown sugar bourbon salmon pecan salad that our whole family loved. (Well, everyone except Owen, but he is a 4-year-old who cannot be trusted when it comes to food.)

As part of the recipe challenge, the Salmon Council sent me a box of Grill Mates goodies from McCormick. They sent many wonderful Grill Mates products, but the Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade Mix caught my eye. I decided marinated grilled salmon would taste wonderful over a mixed green salad and perfect for summer. Then I started thinking more about the spicy marinade mix and had a feeling it would be good on candied pecans. I was right! These candied brown sugar bourbon pecans are awesome on salad…or even alone as a snack! The nuts are bursting with flavor with just a hint of sweet. So good.

I am so glad I had the chance to work with the Salmon Council and McCormick on this project because this recipe now exists. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Bourbon Salmon and Pecan Salad

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds salmon filet, skin on
• 2 packages McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade Mix
• ¼ cup oil
• 3 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon butter
• Mixed Greens (approximately 5-6 ounce package should be good)
• Sliced tomatoes
• Ricotta Salata

Instructions

1. In a 9x13 baking dish, whisk together 1 package of the McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade mix, ¼ cup oil, 2 tablespoons of the water and the vinegar.
2. Place salmon filet in the dish, skin side down, then flip over so skin side is facing up. Cover dish with foil and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. While salmon is marinating, preheat oven to 350º F and prepare the brown sugar bourbon pecans by placing the pecan pieces in a small bowl and tossing with HALF of the other Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade packet. (You will have one half packet leftover...save it for another day!)
4. In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of the water and 1 teaspoon butter. Microwave for 20 seconds.
5. Pour brown sugar mixture over the spiced nuts and stir until evenly coated. Spread nuts on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, then bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven, stir, and let cool. Be sure to stir and break up the nuts as they cool so they don't stick to each other or the foil.
6. When the salmon has been marinating for about 45 minutes, preheat the grill to medium heat, around 500º F.
7. When salmon has marinated for 1 hour, remove from fridge and, using the foil that covered the dish, place the salmon skin side down on the foil, folding up the edges of the foil to catch any liquid that cooks off while on the grill. Spoon marinade from the dish onto the salmon and spread evenly.
8. Place foil with salmon on center of the grill, close the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes, until salmon is fairly easy to flake apart. Remove from grill.
9. Toss mixed greens with seasoned nuts, sliced tomatoes and ricotta salata. Plate mixed greens and top with grilled salmon. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.

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• Visit the Hooked on Salmon Facebook Page
• Follow Hooked on Salmon on Pinterest
• Check out McCormick’s Grill Mates

February is American Heart Month. To raise awareness, the Salmon Council reached out to see if I would create a salmon recipe, which I was most happy to do! So, today we have Southwestern Salmon Orzo Salad, and it is quite tasty, if I do say so myself.

Currently, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for every 1 in 4 deaths. While that sounds dire, the good news is that a healthy diet and lifestyle can significantly help fight heart disease. When I interviewed Lisa Oz last December, one of my biggest takeaways from our conversation was how her heart surgeon father was an early adopter of using diet to help his patients’ health, an approach that then influenced Dr. Oz (Lisa’s husband). It can be quite miraculous what nutritious eating can do for our bodies.

Today’s post is specifically focused on heart-friendly salmon. Salmon is filled with omega-3 fatty acids, and it is recommended that we eat food high in omega-3s at least twice a week. But in addition to those omega-3s, salmon is also rich in protein and Vitamin D, a highly nutritious combination that can help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

The Salmon Council challenged me to incorporate DeLallo’s organic whole grain orzo into my recipe. I immediately thought of an orzo salad that my mother-in-law makes that has a Greek flavor to it. I decided to change things up and give the salad a southwestern flare, using a cilantro dressing and adding some heat to the salmon. I have to admit that I’m not normally a huge fan of whole grain pastas strictly for taste reasons, but this whole grain orzo was awesome – just as delicious as regular orzo but with a nice nutritional boost. And the salad overall is sooooo good. The spicy sweet salmon pairs beautifully with the fresh-tasting cilantro dressing and the crunchy veggies. And, if you want to add just a bit of cheese, queso fresca or cotija Mexican cheeses are PERFECT in this salad. If you’re trying to cut back on cheese, though, the salad is just as good without it!

A note about the salmon – as much as I loved it in the orzo salad, it was also really delicious all by itself. The preparation is super simple, making it a great meal on its own. 

Southwestern Salmon Orzo Salad

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked whole grain DeLallo orzo
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 to 1-1/2 pound salmon filet, skin on
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup canned corn
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
• 8 ounces salsa verde
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup water
• About 3 ounces queso fresca or cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)

Instructions

1. Add 2 tablespoons salt to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil.
2. Add orzo. Return to boil then cook for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
3. Preheat outdoor grill to medium heat, so internal temperature of grill reaches 500º F.
4. While the pasta is cooking, rinse and dry the salmon filet. Brush both sides of the salmon filet with olive oil.
5. Place skin down on a large piece of foil, folding up the sides, leaving a couple inches between the edge of the salmon and the edge of the foil all around the filet.
6. Mix together the brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic. Spread evenly on the top of the salmon filet. Place salmon on the foil on the grill and cook with the lid closed for 10-15 minutes, until salmon is fairly easy to flake apart. You may see some white stuff as well. Remove from grill.
7. Remove salmon from the skin in very large pieces. Set aside.
8. In a large bowl mix together the cooked orzo, bell pepper, black beans, corn.
9. Add salsa verde, chopped cilantro, sour cream and water to a blender and blend well.
10. Add ½ cup of the green sauce you just made to the orzo mixture and stir well. Add salmon pieces and stir carefully.
11. Serve with extra green sauce and top with queso fresca/cotija cheese if using.
12. Serve immediately or chilled.

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This post is sponsored by the Salmon Council. DeLallo provided me with the orzo I used in this recipe.

I was recently hired by The Salmon Council to develop a salmon recipe. I was trying to decide between salmon tacos or salmon with a balsamic glaze and just couldn’t settle on which recipe to pursue. I took the dilemma to Facebook (as one does) and the votes overwhelmingly came in for salmon tacos, so I decided to give them a whirl!

The Salmon Council did not hire me to do a blog post, but this recipe turned out so yummy I had to share it with you! Holy smokes, folks. Deeeeeeeeeeelicious. Seriously, this salmon was flavored beautifully, with a nice balance of salty, spicy and sweet. The texture of the fish was perfect and it paired wonderfully with the slaw on the tacos. Basically just super duper yummy food going on here.

Without further ado, the recipe!

(>> Find out more…)

Confession: Our family hardly ever eats fish. I cook it once every few years or so and that’s about it. There are a few reasons for this. First, Nate does not like fish, which is shocking since he comes from a long line of seafood-loving New Englanders. The second reason is I just don’t know the best ways to prepare seafood since I never do it. Practice makes perfect and there just isn’t any practice going on in my kitchen!

The Salmon Council reached out to me recently about doing a salmon recipe in support of American Heart Month (which is right now!) and I thought it would be a good opportunity to get some fish going on in our house. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating fish because it’s a good source of protein and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is at the top of their fish list and the AHA recommends eating two servings of heart-healthy fish TWICE A WEEK, which can reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack by up to one-third. I guess my twice a decade isn’t quite up to snuff!

I decided it would be fun to throw together a simple and delicious salmon recipe, in the hopes that my kids would go for it. As I was making dinner last night, Cate walked in and asked what we were having. I told her salmon, to which she replied, “I don’t like fish.” I asked her, “Well, what fish have you had?” She didn’t have an answer, so she said she would give it a try and as soon as the salmon came out of the oven, she asked for a bite. She was immediately converted. In fact she had three servings for dinner and exclaimed that it was “AWESOME.” She also said that the “salmon people” would be happy with my blog post because I could tell everyone kids love it. It was super, duper, crazy cute. She also asked if we can have salmon more often. Success! Anna wasn’t quite as enthusiastic, but she did like dinner and cleared her plate no problem! Nate is still on the fence – he said the recipe is good, but…you know, fish. But he promised he would never voice those opinions out loud in front of the kids since they like are really liking fish and it’s so healthy!

This recipe is so incredibly simple it’s surprising. Even if you’ve never cooked fish before you’ll have success! The leftovers were pretty good, but honestly, when the salmon is fresh out of the oven it is IRRESISTIBLE. So flavorful and moist with great texture, Cate and I were swooning!

Also, Cate told me I should take a picture of she and Anna enjoying their salmon. I obliged. How could I not?

In celebration of American Heart Month, the Salmon Council is giving away a fun salmon starter package! One randomly-selected winner will receive a $30 Visa gift card (to get your salmon!), a Hooked on Salmon Thermo-tote, and  1 pack of Weber Firespice cedar planks (visit Weber.com for recipes and tips including this step-by-step guide for perfect salmon planking). Here’s how to enter the giveaway! (Comments must be posted by Midnight PT on Tuesday 2/25. Winner must have a U.S. address.)

• Leave a comment on this post – any comment! Easy peasy!
• Bonus entry: Leave an additional comment with your favorite salmon recipe (either share the recipe or a link!)
• Bonus entry: Follow The Salmon Council on Facebook! (leave a separate comment indicating you’ve done so)
• Bonus entry: Follow This Week for Dinner on Facebook! (leave a separate comment indicating you’ve done so)

The giveaway winner was comment #77, Natahsa P. Congratulations, Natasha!

Without further ado, the super easy, even more scrumptious recipe for Maple Soy Glazed Salmon!

(>> Find out more…)

Doesn’t this look delicious? It is.

A few of us in the Martha Stewart Circle of Bloggers received a salmon from Norwegian Salmon for some cooking fun. Not just some salmon. A salmon. As in the ENTIRE salmon. Here she is.

This photo was taken by Nikki’s talented step-father Galen Lowe. Thanks, Galen!

I knew it was coming, but it was still something to behold when I opened the package! Our family hardly ever eats or cooks fish, so you can definitely call me a fish novice. I do enjoy salmon and decided it would be fun to participate.

I think I’ve only ever made salmon twice in my life, so I didn’t have a bunch of recipes in my box to turn to. Norwegian Salmon has a great website with all kind of quick and easy recipes, as well as some very helpful how-to videos. I decided I may as well take advantage of their expertise and use one of their recipes. I settled on the Asian-Style Orange Sauced Salmon with Sesame Broccoli, which was categorized under the Easy category.

My friend Nikki and I made the dish together. Nikki loves salmon, so I had to share the catch with her. You certainly do not need two people to make this recipe, although it was fun hanging out! The recipe was super easy to prepare, and the salmon was delicious.

Asian-Style Orange Sauced Norwegian Salmon with Sesame Broccoli

 

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Easy and delicious!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

• (4) 5-6 oz Norwegian Salmon fillets, skin removed
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup rice cooking wine (I couldn’t find this at the store, so we used white wine)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 each orange slices (and more for garnish if you like)
• 3 cups broccoli, florets
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 tbsp cilantro
• 1 tsp orange zest
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F
2. Make sauce: in a sauce pot, combine orange juice, rice cooking wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger and sugar. Reduce until thickened (about ⅔ original volume)
3. Arrange salmon fillets in oiled casserole dish. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with 1 slice of orange. Pour sauce into casserole dish
4. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until salmon is pink in center.

Notes

While salmon is baking, cook broccoli: Blanch florets in large pot of salted boiling water until tender. Strain water and drain florets well. Toss with sesame oil, sesame seeds and dash of soy sauce

Arrange salmon on plate surrounded with broccoli florets. Garnish with chopped cilantro and orange zest. (Whoops! We forgot the cilantro”¦but I’m certain it would be a nice touch!)

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