Grilled Bruschetta and Salmon

A grilled lunch for a perfect Saturday.

 

 

1 ripe tomato, diced

4 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp or so of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Loaf of crusty sourdough bread, cut into thick slices
2 5-oz salmon filets, with skin
Tajin seasoning (we put this on everything!)

Preheat grill to high, about 450˚.

In a small bowl, combine tomato, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with EVOO and mix; set aside. Prepare toast by brushing both sides of bread slices with EVOO; set aside.

Season skinless side of salmon with Tajin. Place skin side down on grill, allowing to char, about 3-4 minutes. Flip salmon and carefully remove skin. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip filet again and grill 1-2 minutes. Filets should easily flake, do not overcook.

Grill bread for about one minute. Flip bread and move to top rack of grill, away from direct heat. Spoon tomato mixture onto each slice and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Plate salmon over a small bed of baby kale and serve with the bruschetta.

 

Grilled Salmon Burgers with Kale and Caprese Salad

I love salmon. I can literally eat it every day. I’ve also been on a kale kick. And that’s how this little beauty was created. This was yesterday's healthy lunch.

 

 12-14 oz minced or ground fresh salmon
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp mayo
1 large slice of sourdough bread, diced (you can use regular or panko breadcrumbs too)
1/4 small red onion, minced
½ small red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped

Thinly sliced red onion, 2 or 3 rings
Vinaigrette dressing

2 Ciabatta rolls

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Caprese salad

1 large, ripe tomato, sliced
1 large fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 large fresh basil leaves, sliced

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients for salmon patties. Using wet hands, shape mixture into 2 patties. Over medium high heat, grill until cooked all the way through, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Cut Ciabatta rolls in half and lightly brush insides of rolls with EVOO. Place open sides on grill to lightly toast.

In a small bowl, combine kale and red onion. Toss with vinaigrette.

To plate, make a Caprese salad on one side by layering slices of tomato and mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with basil leaves.

Assemble salmon burger by placing salmon patty on toasted bottom roll. Top with kale salad and add top roll.

 

 

Baked Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells

Pick your favorite pasta sauce for this dish. I used a sundried tomato pesto sauce.

 

3-4 servings

 

8 oz jumbo pasta shells

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, save some to sprinkle on top

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, save some to sprinkle on top

2 green onion sprigs, chopped

2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Zest from one lemon

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained

About 10 fresh basil leaves, sliced

 

Cook pasta shells according to directions on packaging. Drain, set aside and cool.

 

In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, mozzarella, green onion, parsley, lemon zest and spinach.  Stuff each shell with cheese and spinach mixture.

 

Add stuffed shells to a greased casserole dish. Top each shell with a spoonful of your favorite pasta sauce. Top with extra cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and broil for an additional 5 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with basil leaves.

Crock Pot Tomato Basil Soup

I have 4 words for this soup: creamy, chunky, craveable and crock pot!

1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
2 cups heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup freshly sliced basil plus extra to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, chicken broth and bay leaf in crock pot. Cook on low for 5+ hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, make roux. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Wisk in flour. Add one cup of soup and whisk until creamy. Add another 1-2 cups of soup and whisk until creamy. Stir roux mixture into crock pot. Stir in cream, garlic, cheese and fresh basil. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve with a nice crusty bread.

Stuffed Tomatoes and Angel Hair Pasta

½ lb of ground turkey
½ zucchini, diced
¼ green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
S&P to taste
3 large Beefsteak tomato
Angel hair pasta
Spaghetti sauce
Freshly grated Romano cheese

Over med-high heat, sauté turkey until half way cooked. Add zucchini, bell peppers, garlic and salt and pepper. Sauté veggies 2-3 minutes until tender. Add a couple spoonfuls of spaghetti sauce to the meat mixture, turn to low and let simmer.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the tomato and scoop out the insides with a spoon or melon baller. Try not to cut the sides of the tomato so the filling doesn’t spill out while cooking. Fill each tomato with the turkey mixture. Put the stuffed tomatoes in a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Don’t overcook otherwise the tomato will fall apart (like mine did!).

Boil Angel hair pasta for 3-4 minutes until tender. Drain, add spaghetti sauce and mix.

Serve stuffed tomato on top of pasta. Sprinkle with grated cheese.