Salmon with Lemon and Dill

My husband and I always talk about eating more fish, but lately, it's been so expensive! We had been on a Tilapia kick for a while, but I picked up some frozen salmon the last time I was at the store and thawed it out for a quick weeknight meal last night. (My husband had a late class and I didn't want anything too heavy, that late at night!) Don't get me wrong, I much prefer fresh fish, but we've been relatively pleased with most of the frozen fish that we've bought...especially those that come in their own little vacuum-sealed packages. I can't honestly say that I was overly pleased with the brand we had last night, but I'd really like to try this recipe with fresh salmon, if and when it ever is on sale! I think a big part of the problem was that the salmon cooked a lot more quickly than I anticipated, so it may not have even been an issue with the brand. I had (4) 4 ounce pieces and wish I had checked the salmon after about 18-20 minutes. The recipe states to cook it for about 25 minutes, but that probably would have been a more accurate time if I used
(2) 8 ounce fillets. Either way, though, I'd suggest checking it after about 20 minutes to avoid overcooking the salmon! We both really enjoyed the lemon butter flavor and definitely will try this again!

Salmon with Lemon and Dill

1 pound salmon fillets
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

Place salmon in the baking dish. Mix the butter and lemon juice in a small bowl, and drizzle over the salmon. Season with dill, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.

Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Chicken Scaloppine with Lemon Glaze

This recipe was quite similar to a few others that I've recently tried, but it seemed to have that "something extra" that made it stand out. (I'm wondering if it's the addition of the Dijon mustard to the egg mixture?!?) This was an easy meal to throw together...I think I had dinner on the table within about 30 minutes and it's one of those meals that looks like you spent a lot longer preparing it...always a "bonus"!

Chicken Scaloppine with Lemon Glaze

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts; approximately 2 1/2 lbs (pounded to about 1/3-inch thickness)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or to taste) ***I didn't have "poultry seasoning", so I just added some marjoram, sage, thyme and rosemary***
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup chicken broth (I used a chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in boiling water)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
6-12 thin lemon slices
fresh parsley, chopped (to taste)

Directions:

In a small bowl or shallow dish whisk together mustard and eggs; set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the dry bread crumbs with poultry seasoning, garlic powder and seasoning salt. First dip the chicken breasts in the egg/mustard mixture (shake off any excess egg) and then coat evenly/generously with the crumb mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until it is no longer pink inside; remove and transfer to a plate to keep warm. (I had to use 2 pans and added the browned bits from the second pan to the first pan, after I removed the chicken).

For the glaze: in the same skillet add in the broth, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil scraping any brown bits from the pan. Add in lemon slices and parsley; mix to combine for about 1 minute.

Spoon the glaze/sauce over chicken.

Source: Adapted from recipe posted on Recipezaar.com

Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops

The more we eat pork, the more fond I am becoming of it! (Especially the affordability...I found these really nice assorted pork chops for $.97/lb at Kroger last week!) As I typically do, I doubled the marinade ingredients and I allowed the pork chops to marinate for a good 24 hrs. I think one of my major "turn-offs" regarding pork in the past has been that it always seemed to dry out so easily. Now that we've gotten the hang of watching our cooking times more closely, we've really found that we enjoy incorporating it into our meal rotation more regularly. This is a great, quick, weeknight meal--especially if you marinate the pork ahead of time, which I would highly suggest...they were absolutely delicious! Also, if you are grilling them, make sure to check them after the 5-7 minutes on each side to avoid overcooking them. Several reviewers on Allrecipes.com said that they actually broiled and/or baked theirs, so that's always an alternative if you don't care to go outside in the dead of winter! I haven't personally tried them that way, so I can't attest to the exact cooking times, but just to give you a rough estimate, one reviewer said she used 3/4 inch center cut pork chops and broiled them on each side for 5 minutes and then covered them with foil and baked them for an additional 10 minutes at a lower temperature. If any of you try them baked/broiled, please let me know how they turn out!

Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops

1/2 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

Directions

In a large resealable bag, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Place chops in bag, seal, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Turn bag frequently to distribute marinade.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag, and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

Baked Garlic Lemon Tilapia

Ummmmm, yeah...I'm still VERY behind on my blogging! I feel absolutely terrible, because I truly miss each and every one of your blogs and hope you know that I plan to do some major "catching up" in the next couple of weeks!!! I have caught a recipe here and there, but am fairly certain I have missed quite a few. It's just been such a busy month or so...I actually made this tilapia on September 24th and am just now getting around to posting it! As for the recipe, I'm not sure it was my "favorite" tilapia recipe, but it was definitely good...especially if you're trying to watch what you eat. (It came from a blog dedicated to Weight Watcher recipes). Speaking of which, I have met my goal, so I am SO over this whole dieting thing. I'm a very strong-willed and determined individual, but have a difficult time cutting out my favorite foods!!! :) I hope you all are well and I can't wait to check out your latest posts!!!

Baked Garlic Lemon Tilapia

(6) 6oz tilapia fillets (I used frozen)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tsp fresh parsley (I didn't have any fresh, so I substituted dried)
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter on a low flame in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and saute on low for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and shut off flame.
Spray the bottom of a baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

Place the fish on top and season with salt and pepper. Pour the lemon butter mixture on the fish and top with fresh parsley. Bake at 400° until cooked, about 15 minutes.

NOTE: Weight Watcher's Points--5 pts per 6 oz serving

Source: Gina's WW Recipes

Double Lemon Salad

This has been a very crazy couple of weeks, so please excuse my lack of postings! I've still been busy in the kitchen, but am a bit behind on posting all of my recipes :) You'll have to excuse this picture, because it was next to impossible to photograph--I can't tell you how many times I tried and each time, it just looked like a big glob of some sort of yellow substance! Rest assured, it tastes WAY better than it probably looks and is quite well liked by all who have tried it. This is a great summer jello recipe, as it's very refreshing. I'm not a huge lemon fan, but I do enjoy this recipe and the rest of my family absolutely loves it...both my husband and son and the rest of my extended family! This is super easy to throw together the night before--especially if you need something quick to take to a BBQ or potluck the next day!

Double Lemon Salad

(2) 6 oz packages lemon jello
5 cups boiling water
12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
12 ounce carton cool whip

Directions:

In large mixing bowl, dissolve jello in water. Stir in lemonade concentrate. Chill several hours or until nearly set. Beat with electric mixer until frothy. Add cool whip and continue mixing until well blended. Pour into serving bowl and cover and chill overnight.

Source: Adele Fine

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Onion Roasted Potatoes

I've spent a LOT of time looking through my cookbooks recently, trying to come up with new ideas. Both of these recipes come from a cookbook that was put together for me as part of my bridal shower gift. My Mom and sister enclosed recipe cards in my bridal shower invitations and requested that each guest share some of their favorite recipes. I had two bridal showers and received two separate cookbooks...both filled with countless recipes from my family and friends. This chicken recipe was from one of my Mom's friends from college and it was incredible!!! I couldn't get over how moist and flavorful it was. Whole chickens really do intimidate me, but this is definitely worth making. The potato recipe was given to me by one of my grandmother's close friends and they, too, were delicious! The onion soup mix with the potatoes is a wonderful combination!

Roast Chicken with Lemon

1 whole roasting chicken
Lawry's seasoned salt and pepper
1-2 whole lemons, depending on size

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash chicken in cold water and drain/pat dry. Sprinkle inside and outside with salt and pepper (rub into all areas). Soften lemon(s) by rolling, then prick them all over with a fork and place INSIDE chicken. Put chicken on roasting pan, breast down and bake 15 minutes (no basting needed).

Turn chicken breast side up. Bake another 20 minutes, then turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees. Bake another 30-60 minutes, checking for "doneness" on poultry setting of meat thermometer.

Source: Tricia Smith

Onion Roasted Potatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix
2-3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1/3 cup margarine, melted
garlic powder, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large plastic bag, add all ingredients. Close bag securely and mix until potatoes are evenly coated. Empty potatoes into shallow baking or roasting pan. Discard bag.

Bake, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Source: Shirley F.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

As previously mentioned, my family has been attempting to eat healthier...well, minus my chicken recipe from last night! My husband and I both really enjoy fish, but for some reason, I don't seem to buy it all that often. As a rule, when I have gotten fish in the past, I seemed to gravitate more toward salmon, but the last couple of times, I've gotten Tilapia and have been pleasantly surprised by the texture/flavor! I guess I always assumed that it was similar to pollock, which my husband despises, but it's a much more "dense" fish and got his stamp of approval! This is a very simple recipe--the only changes I made were to sprinkle the fish with garlic salt and pepper before pouring the lemon juice over the fillets and I mixed the garlic in with the melted butter, before drizzling it over the fish. I also sprinkled a small amount of lemon pepper seasoning to finish it off. Definitely watch the fish closely as it cooks...I would say that 22-25 minutes would be plenty of time! Enjoy :)

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

My husband loves soup...he could eat it almost every day and actually tends to do just that! Even more than his love for soup, is his love for anything "lemon"! This seemed to be the perfect recipe option to please everyone, especially myself, who was wanting to use up some leftover chicken that I had in the refrigerator. To my surprise, the soup was even a big hit with my 3 1/2 year old--his exact words were "Mommy, you made a great soup!" (Talk about melting your heart!) I very much enjoyed the soup, but did feel that the lemon was a tad bit overpowering, as was the amount of soup base that the recipe called for--it tasted a little "salty" to me. I would suggest cutting back a little on the lemon juice and perhaps only adding 4 tablespoons of soup base, instead of 6, but all in all, this was a nice, hearty soup...it would be excellent with a loaf of French bread!

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

8 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 tablespoons chicken soup base
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cooked white rice
1 cup diced, cooked chicken meat
16 slices lemon
8 egg yolks

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, carrots, onions, celery, soup base, and white pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Blend the butter and the flour together. Then gradually add it to the soup mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until light in color. Gradually add some of the hot soup to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return the egg mixture to the soup pot and heat through. Add the rice and chicken. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with lemon slices.

Source: Allrecipes