Category Archives: Poisson
Yummy salmon filet on The BBQ….or not, with asparagus and light creamed spinach.
Tonight’s special at the Rock on Sparrow Lake, Muskoka was salmon. I prepared dinner in under 20 minutes while hubby was reading his newspaper on the couch in the Muskoka room….Life At The Cottage!
No carbs tonight but a full filing meal. The secret to the light creamed spinach is light herb and garlic cream cheese 🙂
I marinated the salmon about 2 hours before cooking but 1 hour would have been sufficient.
Here is the 1st step:
Mix together:
- 2tbsp of olive oil
- 1tbsp of lemon juice,
- 1 1/2 tbsp of Dijon mustard,
- 1 1/2 tbsp of soya sauce (optional),
- 2 tsp of dried dill,
- 1 garlic clove,
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper.
Place the salmon fillet meat side up in a container or aluminum foil and spread the marinade on the salmon. Put in the refrigerator for 1-2 hour.
About 20 minutes before dinner, start the BBQ or the oven at 425F
.
While you wait for the BBQ to heat up, break off the end of a bunch of asparagus and place in aluminum foil.
Drizzle with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle salt and pepper. Close up the aluminum to make a bundle ready for the BBQ. If you are cooking the salmon in the oven, place the asparagus in a cookie sheet and drizzle the same way. They will go in the oven for 10 minutes.
Once the bundle of asparagus is ready, the BBQ should be hot. Place the salmon filet on the grill. 
Meanwhile, prepare the creamed spinach.
Put about half the container of light Philadelphia herb and garlic cream cheese with about 2 tbsp of lemon juice in a saucepan.
Heat at medium on the stove until cheese is melted and add a whole package of spinach. Heat for about 2 minutes, turn the burner off and leave the cover on to finish cooking.
Now back to the BBQ. Add the asparagus bundle to the grill and close the cover. Leave everything in there for about 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon. Time for an apero and a book 🙂
8-10 minutes later, check the doneness of the salmon using a fork to see if it will flake up.
Once ready, dish out the spinach first.
Place the salmon in the plate, leaning it on the spinach with the asparagus besides. Add a wedge of lemon and a tbsp of caper sprinkled on the salmon. Remember that how it looks is almost as important as how it taste!
Pour wine and go down to the lake to watch the sunset. Why would we travel anywhere in the summer!
Baked cod with lemon and capers
This is an easy and light dinner, my husband I shared for dinner at the cottage tonight. Potatoes and cod are cooked together and we simply add some tomatoes and cucumbers with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to complete the meal.
Ingredients
- I used 5 Yukon gold mini potatoes cut in half but you can use larger ones and cut them into wedges.
- 2 tbsp of fresh parsley from our herb pot outside 🙂
- 1-2 tbsp of capers (i love those so I add more)
- Some olive oil (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large filet of cod skinless (or buy it in pieces)
Preheat the oven at 425F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
Cut potatoes in half and place them in a saucepan with 2 inches of water. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and put them back in the saucepan to coat them (my husband appreciate it when I re-use, less dishes :).
Add 1 tbsp of chopped parsley, the capers, 1-2 tsp oil, paprika and half the salt. Toss gently to coat them.
Meanwhile, mix the lemon zest, garlic, 1tbsp parsley, 1 tsp oil, remaining salt and mix together. My good friend Iona gave me this awesome zester! It is a must, love it.
Rub the cod with the mixture and place in the baking dish with the potatoes around it. Sprinkle cod and potatoes with the lemon juice.
Bake until the fish is opaque in the centre and flakes well. This should take about 15-18 minutes depending on your oven.
Serve and enjoy with a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio as we did 🙂
Variation: I sometimes sprinkle the fish with lemon and roll in Panko mixed with Parmesan cheese. It is a great variation!
Martine's food and places 