Healthy Glazed Salmon with Sautéed Spinach Recipe
Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have an abundance of fresh salmon. Our favorite way of cooking salmon is grilling it, especially in the summer. Super fresh salmon is incredibly tasty and we always buy our salmon at the Wild Salmon Seafood Market at Fisherman’s Terminal, near Ballard.
If you are shopping or traveling, they will happily wrap it up in dry ice for you too!
When it’s not grilling season
Since it’s winter now in Seattle AND we live in apartment, it’s hard for us to grill (remember, we also sold our boat recently). This Asian glazed salmon recipe is so easy and delicious – perfect for a cold winter’s night. There are many versions of this dish out there and I’ve added a few of my own twists.
You can serve it with white long grain rice or brown rice. You can also swap out spinach for baby kale or brussels sprouts. This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so it’s quick and easy! For more tasty ideas, please visit our Recipes page! Enjoy!
Ally
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Asian Glazed Salmon with Sauteed Spinach
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This is a sweet and zesty dish, full of flavor and very healthy!
Instructions
Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Mince garlic and set aside. In a small pan mix glaze with crushed red pepper and 2 tbsp. of lime juice and bring to a simmer to warm up.
Heat skillet on medium high and add 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil. Add salmon, skin side down. Cook for about 4 minutes, then flip. When you flip the salmon, you can now remove the skin with your spatula and discard. Cook for another 4 minutes (all depending on how thick your filet is - so watch it). and flip again. Remove from heat.
While the salmon is cooking, heat another large skillet on medium high and add olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until slightly golden. Add spinach and cook until wilted - remove from heat. Cook rice according to directions.
In a bowl, add rice, salmon and add spinach and salmon. Pour glaze over salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cucumber & Tomato with Bruschetta – the perfect summer time appetizer!
Everyone loves tomato and basil bruschetta and recently I decided to mix things up a bit. The typical recipe includes red onion, which can be too overwhelming during a party. So for my last batch, I replaced it with an English Cucumber and it was the hit of the party!
I also used red wine vinegar, instead of balsamic to keep the flavors zippy and light. When entertaining, I serve the tomato mixture in bowl, next to the bruschetta. This allows guests to pile on as much as they want, or very little.
Most recipes for bruschetta have you baking the bread in the oven. I love to fry mine in a mixture of olive oil and butter. My father-in-law goes crazy for my bruschetta and it’s because it’s crunchy, yet soft. It does take a bit more time, but it’s worth it. When serving this on our boat, I make it ahead of time at home, as we don’t have the space to fry the bread.
Enjoy!
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Cucumber & Tomato with Grilled Bruschetta
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This is a twist to the traditional Italian recipe for bruschetta. Adding cucumber gives it freshness, perfect for a hot summer day. I made this and the grilled bruschetta for my family last weekend and it was a huge hit!
Instructions
Grilled Bruschetta
In a small bowl, melt the butter and mix with the olive oil. Add red pepper flakes, garlic salt and ground pepper. Heat skillet to medium high heat – watch your heat as you go, as to not scorch your bread.
Using a basting brush, slather both sides of the bread with the olive oil mixture and fry until golden on both sides. Remove with tongs onto a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. If not serving immediately, allow to cool and then cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Cucumber & Tomato
In a medium bowl, mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Add cucumber, tomato and chopped fresh basil. Toss gently to mix. Serve within an hour.
Cod with Tomato, Basil & Garlic Sauce – A Hearty Meal
Scott and I try to eat fish at least twice a week and cod is one of Scott’s favorite types of fish. During the summer, we’ll buy fresh fish at Wild Salmon Seafood Market at Fisherman’s Terminal in Seattle since we’re just five minutes away. This is one thing I am looking forward to about moving back to downtown Seattle (you can catch up on our latest blog here). When we are not at the boat, I try to find fresh wild cod from the grocery store, but it’s never quite the same.
Pacific cod is very dense and hearty, so you don’t need large portions. With this recipe, the flavor is all in the sauce. This is a perfect recipe for an elegant dinner party or for enjoying on your boat. It’s easy to make and delicious. It pairs great with herb noodles and asparagus, or you can pick your favorite sides too. Enjoy!
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Cod with Tomato, Basil & Garlic Sauce
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This hearty dish is full of flavor and perfect for entertaining. Pair it with noodles and a side of asparagus for a great meal.
Instructions
Heat oven to 200 degrees. Rinse cod and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat and add cod. Cook on each side about 4 minutes, until golden brown. (Cod will not be cooked thru). Transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven.
Heat remaining olive oil in same skillet on medium heat and add garlic, cooking until it is golden, about 2 minutes. Be sure to not scorch the garlic. Add basil, lemon juice, lemon zest and dry white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7 minutes until reduced by half. Add cherry tomatoes, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes.
Add cod back to the pan and cook on each side for about 3 minutes until cooked thru. Serve cod with tomato basil sauce on top.
Tortellini Pasta Skewers Appetizer Recipe
These tortellini pasta skewers are festive, easy to make and delicious! I buy tri-colored cheese tortellini, so they are not only festive but vegetarian. These are easy to prep on a boat for your next dock party and hearty enough for a dinner crowd. During the holidays, I want my appetizers to be festive and go with the theme. That’s easy to do with a vegetable platter.
I like to buy the Three Bridges Family Size Rainbow Tortellini. You can make these about two hours before serving and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
This weekend I am going to change up the recipe a bit and add a slice of salami, provolone cheese and an olive to the skewers. Anti-pasta salad on a stick! Yum. If you find other ways to make these, please share with us. Enjoy!
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Tortellini Pasta Skewer Appetizers
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These tortellini pasta skewers are great appetizers. They are easy to make and can feed a crowd of hungry boaters or party guests. Using tri-color tortellini makes them festive for your next holiday party. Enjoy.
Instructions
Cook pasta according to the package directions, approximately 4 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain pasta gently into a colander and return to pot.
Stir in pesto sauce and red pepper flakes. Thread a white tortellini first, follow with a sundried tomato, a green tortellini, a sundried tomato and a red tortellini. Place finished skewer on a platter and repeat with remaining pasta. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made two hours in advance.
Cranberry Feta Pinwheel Appetizers For Your Holiday Party
The holidays are here and I love how delicious these cranberry feta pinwheel appetizers are. As you all know, I make pinwheel sandwiches during the summer as they are easy to prep and perfect for a day of boating.
Each year Scott and I host a holiday party. I want all of my appetizers to be festive on my table and these pinwheels are perfect! Yes, I will also share later my recipe for the pasta skewers shown here in the photo.
If you entertain on a boat or at home, you know how important it is to find recipes that you can prep ahead of time. I made the pinwheels earlier in the day, sliced them about an hour before guests arrived and kept them refrigerated.
We plan on attending our marina’s holiday party this year and these would be perfect! Enjoy!
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Cranberry Feta Pinwheels
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These cranberry feta pinwheels are sweet & savory. They are a bit rich, so most people will only eat a couple. You could also add nuts to them for some crunch. Enjoy!
Instructions
Mix the cream cheese with cranberries, scallions, feta cheese and red pepper flakes. Place a tortilla wrap on a 12" piece of foil or plastic wrap. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the right hand side of the wrap and make sure that the left edge is covered with a bit of cream cheese to help seal it. Roll the wrap up tightly from the right side. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, slice into 1 1/2" slices. These can be placed on platter, covered and refrigerated for an hour before serving.
An Elegant Hors d’oeuvres – Onion Tartlets
Tis the holiday season and this onion tartlet hors d’oeuvres recipe is classy & delicious. Our marina is having a holiday party and all of the boats will be dressed up. This is a great occasion to meet other boaters and enjoy tasty treats and cocktails. This recipe is one I can easily prepare and share at the holiday party. Recently, I served these onion tartlets along with baby potatoes with caviar and potato chips with smoked salmon as appetizers. They were a hit!
One of the challenges of serving appetizers is keeping them warm. Which is why I like to stick with those that can be enjoyed at room temperature. You can make the onion tartlets ahead of time and bring them up to room temperature when ready to serve. At home, we bake them in our oven. On a boat, you can easily use a toaster oven.
Toaster Ovens
Speaking of toaster ovens, we found this awesome one from Cuisinart and now it’s on our wish list! It has 7 cooking functions, including an AirFryer! This will definitely go on our live-aboard.
Happy Holidays and enjoy!
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Onion Tartlets
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These onion tartlets are perfect for any cocktail party and they are very easy to make! Serve them warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Instructions
Heat oven to 350º. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high and add onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Make sure that the heat is not too high, as you don't want to scorch the onions. Add oregano, thyme crushed red pepper and brandy. Cook the onions until they are tender and caramel in color.
Remove from heat and add cream cheese, egg and parmesan cheese. Place fillo shells on a cookie sheet and fill each one with the onion mixture. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Vegetarian Enchiladas
Vegetarian enchiladas on a boat? Okay, so I know we can’t make enchiladas on our boat unless we get a toaster oven. Scott and I have looked into getting one, but we don’t know how much time we would spend on the boat during the winter. A toaster oven would take up a lot of counter space and during the summer, we use our Magma Gas Grill
Then there’s the question, of which one to buy? There are many choices out there and since we don’t own one personally, we wonder what would be best? For me, I would want one that can easily bake without scorching the food. At the same time, I don’t want to spend a lot of money on something we might not use a lot. So stay tuned and we’ll let you know what we decide.
In the meantime, I still wanted to share with you one of my favorite healthy recipes. This is a great dish for a Sunday evening after you have spent all weekend boating and want some healthy comfort food. In this recipe, we are using canned green enchilada sauce for ease of prep on a boat.
This recipe does call for a lot of chopped vegetables. As I have mentioned before, I love my Onion & Vegetable Chopper. Here’s a quick demo video:
This post may contain affiliate links for products I mention.
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Vegetarian Enchiladas
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These vegetarian enchiladas are so delicious that even the meat lovers love them!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup orange bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 12oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 10" tortillas, flour & corn combo or use your favorite type of tortilla
- 1 12oz can green chile enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato, chopped
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup orange bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 12oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 10" tortillas, flour & corn combo or use your favorite type of tortilla
- 1 12oz can green chile enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato, chopped
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Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute' mushrooms, onion and bell peppers. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Cook until tender and add garlic. Add zucchini and black beans and remove from heat.
Pre-heat oven to 375º. Warm tortillas in microwave under a moistened paper towel for about 15 seconds. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish and spread about 1/8 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish. Holding a tortilla, fill it with about 1/6 of the bean mixture and carefully roll up and place in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. (If you have left over bean mixture, you can spread it on top of the enchiladas). Pour enchilada sauce evenly over all of the tortillas, covering each of them. Sprinkle cheese and cover with non-stick foil. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Top with chopped green onions, cilantro and tomato. Serve immediately.
Cheese Tortellini Pasta Recipe
Fresh cheese tortellini pasta can be found in the cheese section of your grocery store. While my Italian friends will only make fresh pasta from scratch, I find it much easier to just buy it freshly made. Our local Safeway and Whole Foods both have great selections of fresh pasta.
Pasta is one of the easiest things to prepare on a boat , since you really just need two pots. One for boiling pasta and the other for the sauce. When entertaining guests on a boat, the last thing you want to do is be spending time in the galley cooking all day. I would rather be sharing a glass of wine or a cocktail with my guests. What I love about this cheese tortellini pasta recipe is that it is super easy and hearty for the hungry sailors at dinner. I love to serve this over the Holidays as it is also festive in color.
Since this pasta is so rich, I love to pair it with a mild green salad.
Enjoy!
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Cheese Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus & Mushrooms
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This pasta is very rich and hearty. Serve it with your favorite salad and crusty bread and you have the perfect dinner!
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic and prociutto. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until prociutto is slightly crispy. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
Cook pasta according to directions and be sure to not over cook or boil too hard. Reserve a 1/2 cup of pasta liquid.
Add whipping cream to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened slightly. Add asparagus and cook for another 3-5 minutes until tender. If you need to thicken the sauce more, add some of the reserved pasta liquid. Add pasta and shredded cheese to the cream mixture and blend well. Serve with crusty bread.
