Baked Salmon Recipe

 INGREDIENTS

 1 1/2 pounds salmon, cut into 4 6-oz filets, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel

 3 cups halved grape tomatoes

 1 medium fennel bulb, cored, quartered, and very thinly sliced (about 2 heaping cups)

 3 shallots, quartered

 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

 3/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, divided

 1 clove garlic, minced

 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 2 tablespoons capers, drained

 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill

 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400ºF. For easy clean up, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Arrange salmon filets on baking sheet. 

In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, fennel, shallots, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Arrange in a single layer around the salmon.

In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper with garlic, lemon juice, capers, dill, and Dijon mustard. Spread onto salmon.

Roast 18-20 minutes or until salmon reaches desired temperature (recommend 145ºF) when checked with an instant read thermometer. 

Plate with one portion of salmon and ¼ of the vegetable mixture. Serve immediately.

Spicy tuna cakes

Ingredients
3 tablespoons melted ghee, divided
10 ounces canned albacore tuna packed in water, drained
3 scallions, thinly sliced (about ⅓ cup)
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh cilantro
1⅓ cup mashed baked sweet potato
finely grated zest from ½ medium lemon
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 medium lemons, cut into wedges (optional)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and use a brush to grease a 12-cup regular sized muffin tin with one tablespoon of melted ghee. (Or skip this part and just line the tin with parchment muffin liners!)
In a large bowl, mix together the tuna, scallions, and cilantro. Add the mashed sweet potato to the tuna mixture, and gently combine.
Then, mix in the lemon zest, jalapeño, the remaining two tablespoons of ghee, eggs, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I normally use 1½ teaspoons of Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt, but your taste may vary. (Not sure if you’ve added enough S&P? Take a small portion and fry up a little pancake to see if the seasoning is right!)
Use your hands to mix everything together because that way you can make sure that the fish chunks aren’t overly broken up.
Scoop a ¼ cup of the mixture into each greased muffin tin cup and flatten with the back of a spoon.
Bake the tuna cakes for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly.
Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. The easiest way I’ve found to get them out is to put the wire rack on top of the muffin tin, flip everything upside-down, and tap them gently on the counter.
Grab a lemon wedge and squeeze some juice on your tuna cake before your pop it in your mouth. They’re fantastic right out of the oven. Alternatively, store them in the fridge in a air-tight container for up to four days, and when you’re ready to eat, skillet-fry the cakes in some melted fat over medium heat. Crisp the edges, and you’re good to go.

Poached salmon and dill cucumber salad

INGREDIENTS

• Poached Salmon:
• 4 (6.5 oz) individual salmon fillets, skin on or off (or 4 chicken breasts)
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• ½ fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup good quality chicken stock
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Water

• Dill Cucumber Salad:
• 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp capers, drained well
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• Poached Salmon:
• In a large sauté pan combine the carrot, celery, onion, fennel, white wine vinegar, chicken stock, and a few good turns of the pepper mill. Heat over medium heat and let simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors meld.
• Place in the salmon fillets and fill pan with water until the fillets are fully submerged.
• Poach for 8-10 minutes over medium heat.
• Remove the pan from the heat and gently transfer fish to a plate or wire rack to cool for a few minutes.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
• While salmon is chilling, prepare the dill cucumber salad.
• In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients for the salad and toss until well mixed.
• Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve salmon chilled with dill cucumber salad on the side.
• If using chicken breasts:
• In a large pot (large enough to fit the chicken in one layer) add the chicken, carrot, celery, onion, fennel, white wine vinegar, chicken stock, a few good turns of the pepper mill, and fill with water so the chicken is covered by at least one inch. If you wish you can add in a few sprigs of fresh thyme or bay leaves as well.
• Heat pot over medium-high heat on the stove and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken registers at 160 F. You may want to start checking around 8 minutes depending on how thick the chicken is.
• Remove pot from heat and let the chicken stand in the liquid for 5 minutes.
• If you wish you can store the chicken with some or all of the liquid to keep it moist, if not remove the chicken from the poaching liquid completely and store in the refrigerator until chilled.

Shrimp and mango salad

 INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large mangos, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2/3 cup green onion, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lb peeled cooked shrimp (or 1 lb shredded cooked chicken breasts)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• In a small bowl prepare the vinaigrette by combining the lime juice with the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and whisk together. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix the mangoes with the avocado, green onion, cilantro and shrimp (or chicken). Pour in the vinaigrette and give it a good toss. The salad is best served cold, so if you are not serving right away, allow it to chill until then.
• To cook the shrimp:
• If using frozen shrimp, thaw them according to the packages directions.
• Melt some cooking fat in a skillet placed over a medium-high heat.
• Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until pink (about 2-3 minutes on each side).
• To cook the chicken:
• Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat some cooking fat in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Cook the chicken breasts 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.
• Remove from pan, let cool, and shred by hand or with fork.

Shrimp and asparagus pasta

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined (or 1 lb chicken breasts cubed)
• 1 large spaghetti squash (about 3lbs)
• 2 cups asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp cooking fat
• Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• Preheat your oven to 375 F.
• Cut the spaghetti squash in two lengthwise and using a spoon, remove the seeds and stringy bits until the middle part is clean. Place in the oven, cut side down and on a baking sheet, 30 to 40 minutes or until the flesh of the squash is easily scraped off.
• While the squash is cooking, preheat 2 tbsp cooking fat in a skillet over a medium heat. Cook the shrimp 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently until shrimp are bright prink and opaque. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
• If using chicken, add chicken to pan with 2 tbsp cooking fat and cook 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
• In the same skillet add 2 tbsp of cooking fat over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions soften, about 4 minutes.
• Add the asparagus and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until bright green and crisp but tender.
• Once the squash is ready, let it cool a few minutes just so it’s cool enough to handle and then use a fork to scrape out the flesh.
• Add the squash flesh, shrimp, 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley, olive oil, and red pepper flakes if using into the skillet with the asparagus and onion. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper. Combine everything together until it’s all warmed up.
• Garnish with the remaining parsley to serve.

Salmon/tuna salad

 INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz canned salmon, flaked
• 6 cups lettuce
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 2 grapefruits or 2 large oranges, roughly chopped
• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked beets, diced
• 20 pistachio nuts, shelled and chopped (optional)

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 4 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 or 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk until smooth. Season to taste.
• In a large bowl, combine the salmon, lettuce, avocado, grapefruit or orange, onion, and beets.
• Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad and toss well.
• Sprinkle the pistachio on top of the salad and serve.

Nori Wrap

INGREDIENTS

• 8 eggs
• 8 pieces (4 oz) smoked wild salmon
• 8 nori sheets
• ½ English cucumber, julienned
• 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and julienned
• 1 avocado, sliced thinly
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• Pinch of Cayenne (optional)
• Coconut Aminos (for dipping)

  PREPARATION

• Place eggs in a small pot and fill with cold water just until the eggs are fully covered, lightly salt the water and heat on high heat until the water begins to boil.
• Set a timer for 8 minutes and let the eggs boil, do not cook the eggs in the boiling water any longer than 10 minutes.
• Once the timer goes off quickly rinse the eggs under cold water or place them in an ice bath.
• Once cool peel the eggs and chop them roughly, if you like spice add the eggs to a bowl with a pinch of cayenne and mix.
• Place a sheet of plastic wrap about the size of the nori sheet on top of a dry cutting board.
• Place a nori sheet shiny side down on top of the plastic wrap.
• Starting ½ inch up from the edge closest to you place 1 slice of salmon parallel to the edge across the nori, if needed slice the salmon into thinner strips so it extends the full length of the nori sheet.
• Next make a thin line of avocado the length of the nori right next to the salmon, create another thin line of tomato, then a line consisting of 1 egg, then cucumber, then the green onions.
• Carefully take the edge of the nori closest to you and roll it just so it covers all of the ingredients, give it a firm tug towards you to secure everything under, then continue rolling so it makes a cylinder.
• Once you reach the end of the nori sheet dip your finger in water and run it along the edge then continue rolling to seal the edge.
• Repeat for the remaining 7 rolls.
• Slice each roll in half.
• Serve immediately with coconut aminos as a dipping sauce.

Easy lunch-tuna in avocado

 INGREDIENTS

• 20 oz canned wild caught tuna (in water)
• 2 ripe avocados
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 big green onions, minced (keep some of the green part aside)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• About ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil or 1 cup of Paleo mayonnaise
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• Drain water from tuna.
• In a bowl, combine the tuna, the garlic, the lemon juice, the green onions, and the olive oil or mayonnaise, then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
• Make sure to keep some of the green part of the green onions aside.
• Using a fork, combine everything well and to break apart the tuna.
• Take the two avocados and cut them lengthwise around the pit. Twist the two halves to open. Remove the pit with a spoon, gently making sure not to break the avocado itself.
• Place a big scoop of the tuna mixture into each cavity of the avocados. Sprinkle the top of each avocado boat with some paprika, then add some green onions on top and serve.

BAKED SALMON WITH SPINACH AND ONION

INGREDIENTS

• 4 salmon fillets, cooked (or chicken, leftover from dinner)

• 9 oz baby spinach
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 4 tbsp cooking fat
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• Re-heat salmon fillets in microwave or stove.
• Heat cooking fat in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until soft.
• Add spinach and cook until wilted, stirring occasionally.
• Add garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, stir so everything is combined well.
• Remove from stove and serve with re-heated salmon.

SALMON WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS & PARSNIPS IN LEMON-CAPER SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 8 skinless wild salmon fillets, about 5 oz each (2.5 lbs), or 8 (5 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• 1 ½ lbs parsnips, peeled and cut into ½ inch by 2 inch pieces
• 1 pound of asparagus, trimmed
• ⅓ cup white onion, finely chopped
• ¼ cup drained capers, chopped
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• Sea Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• In a bowl combine the onion, capers, lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, lemon zest, and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• On a rimmed baking sheet arrange the parsnips and asparagus as a single layer. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and turn to lightly coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place salmon fillets (or chicken) on top of the vegetables.
• Pour the sauce over the salmon (or chicken).
• Roast for 15 - 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. If using chicken cook 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
• Remove from oven and serve 4 fillets with asparagus and parsnips.