Salmon recipes
 

Here is a challenge - I hate all seafood (even tuna) and have for my entire life, but I've read so much on the nutritional benefits of salmon that I would love to find some recipes that would allow me to eat it without realizing that I was eating fish. I figure that if any group could find an answer it would be the 3FCs! ;) So, bring on the salmon recipes!
Thank you!

My recipe is simple... I take a salmon fillet, and marinate it in Raspberry vinigerette dressing for about 30 minutes, then discard extra dressing, put salmon in the oven.....SOOOOO good!

Wild Salmon Salad

I prepare it just like I would tuna fish salad... celery, onions, salt, pepper, vinegar (honey likes it with vinegar), scallions, relish, etc...

However you would normally make tuna salad...

I use grilled salmon (marinated first in olive oil and lemon) or canned.. It is so convenient to be able to use the canned! Great as a sandwhich, on toast, with crackers, as a dip, or just with a spoon. :hun:

I make Tuna or salmon burgers ...
1 can T or S, drained
2tbsp bread crumbs, you can use Italian flavoured crumbs or even crackers
2tbsp eggwhites

Mix all together, makes 2 large patties or 4 smaller ones... You can add finely chopped celery or onions, or garlic, onion or celery powder.... Fry in a pan with a bit of olive oil or Pam spray... Great on a whole wheat bun with tomatoes and lettuce ...

I just made this recipe tonight it was excellent. The fish really soaked up the marinade and it was quite tasty. The recipe calls for catfish, but I think you could make it with any type of fish (salmon, halibut, tilapia, etc.)

Indonesian Style Catfish
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
- 1 tsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1-2 tsp minced or crushed garlic (from a jar is fine)
- 4 catfish fillets (20-30 oz total)

Mix together the first five ingredients. Marinate fish in the mixture (use a plastic bag or a non-reactive bowl) for several hours, turning once or twice.

Grill fish for about 3 minutes on each side until it flakes easily with a fork. You may need to grill it a little longer if you are using thicker fillets (like salmon). If you can't grill the fish, broil it. Baste the fish with the marinade while it is cooking.

The marinade is about 17 calories per serving (assuming four servings of fish) and the fish won't soak up all of it, so in terms of calories, you are just looking at whatever the fish is.

Also, a few tips on cooking fish:
- For fish that you won't be marinating, you can soak it in milk for half an hour or so and it will cut down on the "fishy" taste.
- Grill the fish if you can. Everything tastes better on the grill, but I think fish in particular tastes much better grilled.
- Salmon is a pretty strong fish for someone who doesn't like fish (as is tuna, for that matter). You might want to try some milder fish like halibut, tilapia, sole, or mahi mahi.

- Barbara

My favourite is to juice a lemon. Pour half the juice over the salmon fillet and bake. Then pour the other half over the serving on the plate.

Another is to use a bit of teriyaki sauce.

I love blackened salmon. I put the cast iron skillet on the burner on high for 10 minutes. I get a nice piece of salmon and rub both sides with 1 tbs olive oil (total). Then I sprinkle both sides with cajun seasoning and rub it in really well (wash hands carefully). Then I just toss the salmon in the skillet (no PAM or extra oil or anything) and let it go about 6 minutes total (flipping it back and forth). It's just so spicy and good - love it! I also make a glaze with red wine, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil for pan frying.

My suggestion, although wild salmon is good (i'm not so keen on farmed salmon), it has a very fishy taste overall. If you want to incorporate fish into your diet, I would suggest a white fish which has a generally mild taste and then cook it various ways to make it not so fishy. Tilapia is a good white fish that isn't very fishy. Tuna has a strong taste generally too so that may be why you don't like it.

Thank you for all of your ideas! Maybe I should start out with tilapia fish, because of the fishiness of salmon as some of you mentioned. I only started with salmon because I've read so many times that it has all of the omega 3s you need with iodine and selenium. I just recently read in a First magazine article that missing these things in your diet could cause difficulty controlling appetite, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and remembering, heavy blue moods and eczema - ALL issues for me. I am taking an omega 3 supplement, so maybe that will help. The dermatologist gave me a cream to help with my skin - it works okay, but he said that the eczema may not ever go away. I am from the school of thought that there is an answer to every problem if you look hard enough, and I would bet my right arm that nutrition is the answer to my skin issues.

I'm rambling, but thank you all for writing!

Does canned salmon have the same nutritional benefits as wild or farmed salmon? Growing up my family always had salmon patties made from canned salmon, cracker crumbs and egg. I enjoy them, so possibly if the canned is as good as the fresh, I should start making them again.

I found my answer! This is from Cooking Light:

The American Heart Association recommends eating salmon or other fatty fish such as mackerel or tuna twice each week for the heart-protective benefits associated with omega-3 fatty acids found in their fish oils. The marketplace obliges, offering salmon wild caught, farm raised, canned, smoked, and brined. But according to USDA figures, there are nutritional differences, depending on the source and methods of preparation.

Farm-raised: Farmed salmon generally contains more calories, more fat and, consequently, more omega-3 fatty acids than wild fish (2.147 grams versus 1.059). Farm-raised flavors tend to be milder.

Wild Caught: Aficionados favor sea-running salmon for its more assertive flavor, particularly chinook and coho. And fresh salmon, both wild and farmed, deliver more protein than processed varieties (for example, 23 grams for wild coho versus 18 for smoked). Ask your fishmonger which is freshest since nutritional values degrade over time.

Canned: The most commonly canned species are pink and sockeye salmon. Between the two, the cheaper pink has the edge in higher omega-3 values (1.65 grams versus 1.15 grams), though the stronger-tasting, firmer textured, red-hued sockeye tends to win flavor comparisons. Soft fish bones found in canned varieties deliver high calcium levels, giving them a strong nutritional edge. Salt used to preserve the fish contributes to moderate sodium levels, though.

Smoked: Smoking preserves salmon by exposing it to high heat, resulting in smoky, flaky fish. To get the smooth texture associated with lox, salmon is dunked in salt brine and then "cold smoked" at a lower temperature for a longer time. Both smoking processes degrade protein, fat, and omega-3 values from fresh fish, and increase salt content significantly. Ordinary smoked salmon has 784 grams of sodium, and a typical serving of lox contains a whopping 2,000 grams, which is almost equal to the Recommended Daily Intake

Living in a state where many folks make their living catching wild salmon, I NEVER knowingly eat farmed salmon. Much of the canned salmon is wild-caught, so read the can. I love salmon, which is good thing, as we have a lot in our freezer. :) I think my favorite way is just grilled, or marinated in teryiaki and grilled. I make it lots of ways though. You can basically use cooked (or canned) salmon any way you'd use canned tuna. I mix it up for a salad for sandwiches. I make salmon patties. I put it in casseroles.

I recently entered a Kraft foods contest for salmon recipes. Here's the recipe I entered.

SALMON STUFFED MANICOTTI
Serves 4-6

16 oz canned salmon, or 2 cups cooked salmon
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 8 oz package of manicoti
2 TPSP butter
2 TPSP flour
1-½ cup milk
½ of 8 oz package of Kraft Shredded Italian Cheese (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8x2” baking dish with cooking spray. Cook the manicotti as directed on the package. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.

If using canned salmon, drain the salmon. Mix the salmon, onions, celery, ricotta, lemon pepper and egg together. Stuff the cooled manicotti with the salmon mixture. Place into the baking dish.

Make a white sauce: in a medium frying pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour until the mixture is paste-like and bubbling. Add the milk slowly, stirring so the sauce gets and stays smooth, and being careful not to let it boil. After all the milk has been added, and the mixture is smooth and slightly thick, add the cheese, salt and pepper, stirring constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Once the cheese is melted, remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the stuffed manicotti in the baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Of course, I used non-fat milk, and frankly I prefer Monteray Jack cheese, but it had to be a Kraft product and they don't sell it shredded - at least in my grocery. :)

I just assumed the more expensive red (sockeye) had more omega-3's.. Thanks for the info.

I found an article online that ranks fish according to which are healthiest. It is at http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041600.asp#T041606. Sadly, my halibut and catfish are low on the list for omega 3s (but sardines are high, and I do like the occasional can of sardines--a sardine sandwich could fit into my calorie plan).

Also, if you really don't want to eat fish, apparently you can get fish oil capsules at health food stores.

- Barbara

All of this salmon talk inspired me! I made some salmon patties last night for dinner. I bought a can of the Deming's Wild Caught Red Sockeye Salmon. I cleaned off the skin and ookey bits, add about 8 crushed saltines, 1 egg and a teaspoon of light mayo, plus s & p. I made about 3 good sized patties, and sauteed on the stove in some olive oil. Yum! I'm not sure if it's the most diet friendly recipe, but I had 1 pattie, along with a mixed greens salad and some Ranier cherries.