One-Pan Meal: Broiled Salmon with Mango Salsa and Broccoli

It's mango season, folks! Who's excited? The Smiths, that's who. I made this yummy (and easy) meal tonight and thought I'd share! The best part? It only uses one pan to cook in! (Ok - technically there is also a pyrex baking dish involved, but most of the cooking is done in one pan) The salsa is sweet and tangy, the salmon is moist inside and crispy on the outside, and the broccoli is fresh and crunchy. It's a good mix, I must say.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/4 cup salsa (I used the Publix brand... it's delish)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Have I mentioned how much I love mango?

Broiled Salmon

1 large salmon filet (with skin on one side)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate (I always keep a can of this in the freezer - it's great stuff!)

Combine all ingredients (except salmon, of course) in a gallon ziploc bag. Swish them around to mix. Put salmon in the bag, skin side up. Allow to marinate 10-15 minutes on the counter. For the next steps, look at the broccoli recipe below.

Let's make a marinade!

Just like a bubblebath...

Crispy Broccoli

1 large head broccoli, washed and cut into florets
salt & pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil

Put broccoli in a microwaveable dish (I used an 8x8 pyrex). Put about 1/8 inch of water in the dish. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with cling wrap and microwave for about 1.5 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green and crunchy.

McSteamy

Prepare a sheet pan with two pieces of aluminum foil. Turn the edges up on all sides so that the flavors won't combine in the oven. Put the broccoli on one side and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Take the salmon out of the bag, slice it in half (lengthwise) and place it, skin-side down, on the aluminum foil.

It's almost like two mini sheet pans in one!

See? One pan?

Preheat the broiler (on high). Put the pan in the oven and check the broccoli after about 7 minutes (it's fast, I'm tellin' ya!). If it's browning nicely, just pull the mini aluminum foil pan out with the broccoli on it. Let the fish cook a few more minutes (maybe 3) and check it. When it's really browned on top, take it out and let it rest for a few minutes.

Browned tips = deliciousness

All that's left is to... eat it! Get that salsa out of the fridge and plate it up! I served mine with some crispy flour tortillas (I literally friend strips of flour tortillas) and we were happy campers!

I love making things that taste so good and aren't rough on the waistline! Speaking of waistlines... did you notice no starch in this meal? That's my new thing. I'm trying not to make a starch for dinner because I figure we get plenty during the day (cereal for breakfast...sandwich for lunch...granola bars for snacks... you get the idea).

Hope you enjoy it!

~ Mari

Ridiculously Easy (and Tasty) Roasted Veggies

In my book, one never needs an excuse to eat broccoli or Brussels sprouts. But, I know plenty of people who would beg to differ. Whether you're a die-hard broccoli/B. sprouts fan, or you hate the thought of their green grossness, I think you'll like this dish. (But, if you still hate them after this, you can use almost any hard veggie - beets, carrots, parsnips, etc.)

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Then take your broccoli stalks and chop them up - I cut the bushy part of the broccoli from the stalk, peel the stalk & slice it into discs, and separate the broccoli florets. Then I take the fresh B. sprouts and lop (I love that word) the brownish little ends off, peel off the ugly outer leaves, and slice the little buggers in half. Next, peel some whole garlic cloves (can you ever have too much garlic?). Throw all of your goodies onto a pan (with an edge), douse with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss with your hands.


Stick your pan of yummies into the oven and let roast (tossing with a spoon every so often) for 20-30 minutes or until the tips of the broccoli are brown, the B. sprouts are crunchy and browned, and the garlic is smooshy and soft.

Now get out some parmesan cheese and a lemon. Zest the lemon (about 1 Tbsp.) and grate some cheese (about 1 Tbsp.) into a serving bowl.

When your veggies are done, dump them into the bowl and toss with the zest and cheese. Squeeze about 2 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice on top and grate some more cheese over top of your masterpiece.

Eat and enjoy! If that doesn't make a broccoli/Brussels sprout believer out of you then I don't know what will!

~ Mari

Another Ugly Day...

...calls for another wishful post. It rained all day long and I still haven't shaken the damp chill off. So, I thought I would look at some of my photos from summer and I found these summery beauties:


Doesn't look like your neighborhood produce department? Yeah... me neither. This is in a produce market in Fayence, France. Yes... I went there. I had to! I need color and warmth in my life in the form of lush and pornographic vegetables!



That's another market in France, but this one is right out on the street. I believe that photo was taken in Grasse, France (where they make perfume). I love that you don't even have to ask if the veggies and fruits are organic... it's just pretty-much understood that they are. I wish our country took as much pride in food as they do.

Is that not the most beautiful raw vegetable display you've ever seen? Well, I guess when you start out with fresh vegetables like the ones above... it's not too much of a stretch to wind up with a platter like that one. I wish I knew how to cut radishes like little flowers! We didn't learn that in Garde Manger (thanks a lot, Chef DJ...). Sigh. I'll just have to experiment!

Here's to spring and summer...and vegetables!

~ Mari

The Joy of Cooking (Vegetables)

Spring is here and it's time for veggies! Last night, my dad and I made a strictly veggie meal (which, if you know my dad, is almost unheard of) that was amazingly delicious - if I do say so myself! The photo above is what we started with: raw beets, sweet onions, fennel, and garlic cloves. We decided to roast them (believe it or not, at the suggestion of Auguste Escoffier) so they would be cruncy and delicious. After we arranged them in the pan (and preheated the oven to 350 degrees F), we drizzled EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on them and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, a little chicken base (I promise... it works), and balsamic vinegar.



Next, we baked them for about 20 minutes, flipped them over & added a few splashes of red wine, and baked them for another 10 minutes.

Next, we plated them and sprinkled toasted walnuts shaved parmesan cheese on them and drizzled a homemade mustard walnut vinaigrette over the entire yumminess. I love how the onions soaked up the balsamic and wine and look like little sweet roses! And every once in a while, when you bite into a roasted and caramelized garlic clove, you just want to weep with happiness.

You've got to love my dad. He couldn't take having a completely vegetarian meal (it's just not in him), so he rendered some bacon and sauteed the beet greens in it for about 4 minutes. And I must say - they were delicious! But, if you're a vegetarian, you could do without that step, of course. ;)

Enjoy!