Simple Salmon with Lemon and Dill #SeptemberWhole30

Simple Salmon with Lemon and Dill

Simple Salmon with Lemon and Dill


By now, everybody knows (wild-caught Alaskan) salmon is a health food. It’s chalked full of Omega-3 fatty acids. It’s high in protein and is a great source of Vitamins B6 and B12 and minerals like selenium, phosphorus and potassium (source).

Unfortunately, my family doesn’t really like salmon. After several years of marriage and many coerced meals, my husband now eats it without much push-back. Occasionally he even smiles and says he likes it. My mother on the other hand, all but refuses to eat salmon. She basically has to douse each bite with a half cup of lemon juice before she can choke it down!

Mom’s problem is that she’s been served (not by me) too many dry, fishy-tasting salmon entrées over the years, so she believes she doesn’t like it. Our lovely and generous neighbors recently bestowed upon us a beautiful 2 lb. (wild caught) Alaskan salmon filet. On a particularly hectic weeknight, I decided to make that gorgeous salmon filet for dinner, despite my mother’s protestations.

To accommodate my mother’s need for lemon flavor, I used both freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon slice slices. The salmon basically steams in the lemon juice, water and oils, sealing in the flavor and preserving all the tender, flaky wonderfulness of the salmon!

LEMONS!

LEMONS!


The secret to any successful fish recipe is not to overcook it. I’m convinced the reason so many people dislike fish is because so many people overcook it. So keep this in mind. You may need to adjust the cooking time slightly to account for your oven or the thickness of your salmon filets (our filet was fairly thin). Set your oven timer if you need to. And remember to allow for several minutes rest time after removing the baked salmon from the oven (step #6 below) before serving. During this time, the fish will continue to cook somewhat, so it is better to err on the side of slightly shorter oven cooking time if you are uncertain.

Ingredients:
• 2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• 2 Tbsp. Distilled water
• 2 lb. Wild caught Alaskan salmon, skin on
• 1 tsp. Sea salt
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder or 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• ¼ tsp. Dried Dill or 1 Tbsp. fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter), melted
• 1 Whole lemon, thinly sliced (preferably organic)

Hardware:
• Glass measuring cup
• Small chef’s knife and cutting board
• Citrus juicer
• Measuring spoons
• 9 X 13” Baking dish or pan
• Aluminum foil

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 340° Fahrenheit (171° Celsius).
2. Wash and slice whole lemon. Then prepare 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Set aside.
3. In a glass measuring cup, combine 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and 2 Tbsp. water. Stir mixture to combine, and pour mixture into 9 X 13” baking dish.
4. Next place salmon skin-side down over the mixture in baking dish. Then sprinkle salmon evenly with salt, garlic and dill. Drizzle salmon with melted ghee. Then lay lemon slices on top of salmon.
5. Cover the entire baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. And bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Do NOT over cook salmon.
6. Allow salmon to rest 10 minutes. Then remove foil. Serve and enjoy.

Serving Suggestions and Notes: I served this with a simple green salad and Crispy Fried Sprouts because I happened to have a couple bags of shredded brussels sprouts on hand. But I think salmon also pairs well with steamed asparagus, crispy roasted green beans, broccoli, zucchini or any green vegetable you have on hand. These Quick and Easy Crispy Potatoes are a simple and delicious are a #Whole30 compliant side dish sure to please the whole family.

Wisdom for the Day:
When they went ashore, they saw a fire with a fish lying on the coals, and they saw a loaf of bread. Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net ashore. Though the net was filled with 153 large fish, it was not torn. Jesus told them, “Come, have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask him who he was. They knew he was the Lord. ~John 21:9-12 (God’s Word Translation)
Read more here.

Awesome Autumn Apple Sausage Soup #SeptemberWhole30

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This is day 19 of #SeptemberWhole30, and our second #Whole30 has been more challenging than our first. Both Hubs and I have struggled to maintain motivation, and most recently we’ve been battling powerful (if surprising) cravings. We’ve had multiple conversations over the past 10 days that have gone something like this:
Hubs (and/or me): “You know what would be great right now?”
Me: “I don’t know ’bout you, but I’d like a drink!” (this is especially crazy because I almost never drink)
Hubs: “I’d like to eat a whole bag of chips, maybe two.” (Again bizarre. Hubs never, EVER overeats!)
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The cravings are apparently to be expected according to the #Whole30 timeline, but the lack of motivation is disappointing. We’ve had several discussions about why we seem to be white-knuckling it this time around. There seems to be no energy or excitement to the process this time compared to last time. For example, I’ve suffered from a serious lack of creativity this time. I’ve primarily had to rely on recipes from our first #Whole30 only because I have had such a hard time coming up with new stuff this go-round.

This soup recipe is the one exception to my recipe dry spell. This recipe makes a huge amount of soup and it’s ready pretty quickly. Using fresh and frozen veggies that are pre-chopped saves time and energy which is really important at this stage of the Whole30 process. And the wide variety of flavors and textures; plus lots of fiber and high-quality protein makes this a very satisfying and satiating meal. Just what you need when the cravings are raging!

As a special added bonus, this recipe includes some ingredients from Healthgrove’s list of top 30 foods for beautiful skin and hair#19 Brussels Sprouts and #4 Collard Greens, along with smaller amounts of #16 carrots. Brussels sprouts are a terrific source of Vitamins C and K. Collard greens are also great sources of Vitamins C and K and are some of the best sources of Vitamin A available. When you add in the collagen and gelatin, this soup becomes a skin and hair beautifying bonanza! And it’s really delicious!

Ingredients:
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
• ½ large sweet onion (e.g. Vidalia), chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, crushed)
• 2 tsp. pure sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 6 stalks celery, chopped (divided)
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped (divided)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, crushed)
• 2 tsp. pure sea salt
• 32 oz. (4 cups) homemade or Whole30-compliant stock. Whole recommends several delicious commercially-available broths. Check out the approved list here.
(I like this one from Imagine Foods)
• 32 oz. (4 cups) distilled water
• 1 oz. dried mushrooms (I found these beauties for less at our local Walmart)
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• 4 medium red potatoes, diced or shredded (I made a batch each way and prefer using shredded potatoes because the shredded potatoes added more textural variety)
• 1 package Aidell’s Organic Chicken & Apple Sausage, chopped
• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Instant Potato Flakes (optional but yields a creamier soup)
• 1 bag (14 oz.) frozen chopped collard greens, defrosted and drained
• 1 bag (16 oz.) frozen brussels sprouts, defrosted and drained (or 12 oz. package fresh shredded brussels sprouts)
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. each dried thyme leaves, rosemary, ground bay leaves, and white pepper
• generous pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 large or 2 small apples
• 4 Tbsp. Great Lakes Brand or Vital Proteins Brand Beef Gelatin
• 4 Tbsp. Great Lakes Brand Collagen or Vital Proteins Brand Collagen Peptides
Hardware:
• Chef’s Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups + spoons
• Extra large soup pot with lid
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Instructions:
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1. Place soup pot over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and add coconut oil to pot. Rotate pot to disperse oil. Then add chopped onion, chopped parsley, half the chopped celery and half the chopped carrots. Cook the vegetables in oil over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, stirring continuously for 8 minutes. While mixture cooks, open dried mushrooms pack and empty onto clean kitchen towel or plate. Carefully sort through mushrooms and remove and small stones.
2. Reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW. Stir in garlic, sea salt, broth, distilled water, and sorted mushrooms. Place lid on soup pot and cook for 30 minutes. While mixture cooks, if using whole slice brussels sprouts, slice in half and set aside.
3. After mixture has cooked for 30 minutes, remove lid and add all remaining ingredients except apple. Stir well to combine. Then reduce heat again to LOW. Replace lid and cook mixture for 60 minutes more.
4. After 60 minutes, core and chop apple(s), peeling first if desired. Then add apples, collagen and gelatin into soup. Stir well to combine. Be sure the collagen and gelatin dissolve with no clumping. Recover the pot and cook for 15 minutes more (over LOW heat).
5. After 15 minutes, test soup for seasoning, adjusting to taste if needed. Serve and enjoy.

Deliciously soothing and satisfying soup!

Deliciously soothing and satisfying soup!


Serving Suggestions and Notes: This is a hearty soup that hits on 4 of the 5 primary flavor points – salty, sweet, bitter, and spicy. You can hit that 5th point (sour) by serving a crisp green salad along side this dressed with a fruit-based vinaigrette such as this (Whole30-approved) one from Tessemae’s. Or you can easily whip up Presto Peachy Lime Vinaigrette (pictured above) or this Split-Second Strawberry Vinaigrette, both deliciously #Whole30-compliant and ready in 1 minute or less.

Wisdom for the Day:
“Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine or with those who gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags.” ~Proverbs 23:20-21 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Read more here.

For More #Whole30 Recipes, Check Out These Great Recipes from the (HealthGrove) Top 30 Foods for Beauty Series:
Super Simple & Sumptuous Sweet Potatoes
Stupid Easy Paleo Cran-Cherry Sauce #WHOLE30 #Vegan #Raw
QUICK & EASY BEAUTIFYING PAPAYA SALAD #WHOLE30 #PALEO #VEGAN
Presto Peachy Lime Vinaigrette #WHOLE30-compliant #Vegan #Paleo #Raw
Split Second Strawberry Vinaigrette #WHOLE30 Compliant (#raw, #paleo & #vegan)
Fix-It-And-Forget-It: Simply Beautiful Southern Greens Crockpot #WHOLE30 Compliant
Quick & Easy Paleo Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing #WHOLE30 Compliant
Chicken Tri-Almandine Casserole
WHOLE30 Stuffed Zucchini 2 Ways
Easy Cheezy Chicken & Broccoli Soup with Crispy Potato Croutons

Hi I'm Karen.

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