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Grilled Salmon with Mustard & Herbs

From EatingWell: August/September 2006,                       

 

Salmon cooks over a bed of lemon and fresh herbs to infuse it with flavor and keep the fish tender and moist. We like a blend of thyme, tarragon and oregano, but any of your favorite herbs will work. Make it a meal: Serve with grilled new potatoes tossed in an herb vinaigrette and steamed green beans.

4 servings

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

• 2 lemons, thinly sliced, plus 1 lemon cut into wedges for garnish
• 20-30 sprigs mixed fresh herbs, plus 2 tablespoons chopped, divided
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 pound center-cut salmon, skinned (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Lay two 9-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil on top of each other and place on a rimless baking sheet. Arrange lemon slices in two layers in the center of the foil. Spread herb sprigs over the lemons. With the side of a chef’s knife, mash garlic with salt to form a paste. Transfer to a small dish and stir in mustard and the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped herbs. Spread the mixture over both sides of the salmon. Place the salmon on the herb sprigs.
3. Slide the foil and salmon off the baking sheet onto the grill without disturbing the salmon-lemon stack. Cover the grill; cook until the salmon is opaque in the center, 18 to 24 minutes. Wearing oven mitts, carefully transfer foil and salmon back onto the baking sheet. Cut the salmon into 4 portions and serve with lemon wedges (discard herb sprigs and lemon slices).

Tips & Notes

• Tip: How to skin a salmon fillet: Place skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

Nutrition

Per serving: 212 calories; 12 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 67 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 261 mg sodium; 428 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (60% daily value), Vitamin C (17% dv), excellent source of omega-3s.

Skillet Gnocchi with Shrimp & Asparagus

From EatingWell: May/June 2012

The gnocchi cooks right in the skillet, along with shrimp, shallots, asparagus and Parmesan cheese, in this gnocchi recipe. Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta. Serve with baby arugula salad with vinaigrette and a glass of pinot grigio.

4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into thirds
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound raw shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and golden in spots, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and shallots to the pan; cook over medium heat, stirring, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in asparagus and broth. Cover and cook until the asparagus is barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add shrimp, pepper and salt; cover and simmer until the shrimp is pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
3. Return the gnocchi to the skillet along with lemon juice and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 464 calories; 10 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 149 mg cholesterol; 65 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 28 g protein; 3 g fiber; 511 mg sodium; 339 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Folate (29% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv), Vitamin A (22% dv), Iron (21% dv), Calcium (20% dv)

Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole

From EatingWell: March/April 2008

Known as Tuna-Pea Wiggle to some, this family-friendly tuna noodle casserole tends to be made with canned soup and whole milk, which means high fat and sodium. We remedy this by making our own creamy mushroom sauce with nonfat milk thickened with a bit of flour. Look for whole-wheat egg noodles—they have more fiber than regular egg noodles (but this dish will work well and taste great with either).

6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each

Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups nonfat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces canned chunk light tuna drained (see Note)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, peas and 1/2 cup Parmesan until evenly incorporated. Then, stir in the noodles (the pan will be very full). Remove from the heat.
4. Sprinkle the casserole with breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 3 to 4 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3, spoon into an 8-inch-square glass baking dish, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese (Step 4) and bake, covered, at 350°F for 50 minutes. Uncover and cook until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

• Note: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna. The FDA/EPA advises that women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children consume no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna is considered safe.
• Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs. For dry breadcrumbs, spread the fresh crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs. Or use prepared coarse dry breadcrumbs. We like Ian's brand labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 406 calories; 8 g fat ( 3 g sat , 3 g mono ); 53 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 32 g protein; 5 g fiber; 684 mg sodium; 593 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (30% daily value), Potassium (17% dv), Iron, Vitamin A & Vitamin C (15% dv), good source of omega-3s.

Mini Mushroom-&-Sausage Quiches

From EatingWell: April/May 2005

These crustless mini quiches are like portable omelets. Turkey sausage and sauteed mushrooms keep them light and savory. Small and satisfying, they're also a good finger food for your next cocktail party.

1 dozen mini quiches

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 5 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup 1% milk

Preparation

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with cooking spray (see Tip).
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.
3. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.
4. Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

• A good-quality nonstick muffin tin works best for this recipe. If you don't have one, line a regular muffin tin with foil baking cups.

Nutrition

Per quiche: 90 calories; 5 g fat ( 2 g sat , 1 g mono ); 105 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 9 g protein; 0 g fiber; 217 mg sodium; 108 mg potassium.