• Home
  • Start Here!
    • Subscribe
    • Topics
    • Top Tips!
  • About
    • Services
    • Contact Us!
    • Media
    • Disclaimer
  • Blog
    • Popular Posts
    • Recipe Index
  • Books
    • RD Book Coaching Services
  • Podcast
  • Privacy Policy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed

Maryann Jacobsen

Independent Author & Family Nutrition Expert

  • Home
  • Start Here!
    • Subscribe
    • Topics
    • Top Tips!
  • About
    • Services
    • Contact Us!
    • Media
    • Disclaimer
  • Blog
    • Popular Posts
    • Recipe Index
  • Books
    • RD Book Coaching Services
  • Podcast
  • Privacy Policy

30 Meal Challenge (Meal #4): Salmon Prepared 3 Ways

January 6, 2015

Tweet
Pin
Share18
Yum
Email
Share
18 Shares

The very first time I made salmon was when I lived in New York more than 10 years ago. I had a tiny kitchen, the kind you’d miss if you didn’t look left while walking into my 350 square feet apartment.  I decided to cook for real every Sunday night for my boyfriend (now husband). I have never eaten out as much as I did when I lived in New York and welcomed a home-cooked meal. In fact, my cholesterol climbed 25 points during that time.

I continued cooking salmon and have tried many different ways of preparing it. I used to put it in foil and cook for about 40 minutes, which makes it stay moist. I’ve tried it in the slow cooker which I don’t recommend. I’ve attempted mustardy-type seasonings and the sweeter varieties. But now I opt for easy baking (or grilling in the summer) and season it one of three ways. I make trout the same way which is equally as tasty.

Jump Ahead

  • 1. Easy rub
  • 2. Basil and garlic mixture
  • 3. Breading
  • Sides

1. Easy rub

I got this rub recipe from my friend Holly who is an awesome cook. I keep it in a spice container ready to go. I apply a small amount of olive oil to the fish to moisten it and rub in the rub, which is equal parts cumin, mustard powder, curry powder, coriander, chili powder, sugar, and salt.

salmonrub

2. Basil and garlic mixture

This one is adapted from All Recipes. I mix 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a small bowl and spoon out on top of the salmon.  I usually have some leftover.

3. Breading

These salmon sticks are what got Big A into salmon. I no longer make these but I do top some of the salmon with a breading mix. I basically mix breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese and add some garlic powder and salt.

After seasoning, I bake salmon in the oven at 400F for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness.  What is your favorite way to make salmon?

Sides

Part of this challenge is also to work on sides. I usually serve salmon with baked fries and a salad. I kind of gave up on making my own and have come to love the Alexia brand of products. But recently my friend Holly made some baked fries (half sweet potato, half regular) that were really good. That motivated me to try them again. She suggested adding some cornstarch to make them crispy.

Of course, I forgot the cornstarch but I did soak the russet potatoes in some cold water to help remove some of the starch. At 425F for about 25-30 minutes, they turned out good but still not as crispy as I would like. I worked off this recipe but changed some things. Here’s the before and after:

bakedfriesbefore

bakedfriesafter

I usually check out youtube videos for cooking secrets because I think that’s what makes the difference between a meal or side turning out and not. I see some cooks recommend microwaving potatoes first before cooking.  Sticking russet potatoes in cold water, as I just mentioned, also helps. Super Healthy Kids posted about cooking potatoes on a cooling rack to achieve crispness. And then there’s the cornstarch idea which I’ll try next time.

So I’ll keep at it. Anyone figure out how to make homemade baked fries crispy?

And last but not least is the salad.  Because the potatoes took more work, I opted for an easy: spinach, chopped strawberries, dry toasted almonds (from TJ’s) and feta with a vinaigrette dressing. A good meal for sure.

Next Post: Meals 5-7: Two Types of Tacos and Chicken Enchiladas

Previous Post: Meals 2 & 3: Tuna Noodle Casserole & Turkey Chili

Related Posts

  • 30 Meal Challenge (Meals 15-17): Shrimp Two Ways and Salmon Cakes

    This challenge is getting difficult but I'm more than halfway there! Today I'm highlighting two…

  • 30 Meal Challenge (Meal #1): Slow Cooker Chicken with White Beans

    I ran across my very first slow cooker cookbook while going through my cookbooks. It…

  • 30 Meal Challenge (Meals 8-10): Vegetarian Dishes

    Everyone needs a good amount of tasty vegetarian meal options. Here I have a tried…

  • 30 Meal Challenge (Meals 11-14): Simple Chicken Recipes

    Okay, I can see that I cook with chicken a lot.  What I have been…

Tweet
Pin
Share18
Yum
Email
Share
18 Shares

Categories: 30 Meals in 30 Days Challenge, Food & Cooking 8 Comments

« 30 Meal Challenge (Meals 2 & 3): Tuna Noodle Casserole & Turkey Chili
30 Meal Challenge: (Meals 5-7) Two Type of Tacos and Chicken Enchiladas »

Comments

  1. cheryl says

    January 6, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    it was Taco Tuesday tonight. the kids had a bowl with Doritos, beef and cheese (kid-version of taco) and my husband and I had a taco salad: lettuce, red beans, beef, cheese salsa and dressing. it was yummy!!! and easy.

    thank you for sharing the recipes for salmon. gonna try those!

    have your kids watched “Master Chef JUNIOR”?? my kids love it. it has inspired them to get in the kitchen and cook! we are gonna let them do something like that.

    Reply
    • Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD says

      January 7, 2015 at 8:13 am

      No Cherlyl but we’ll have to check it out. My daughter is starting to cook the meal on my kids choice night.

      Reply
  2. Kim says

    January 6, 2015 at 11:36 pm

    I appreciate you sharing all these recipes! Thanks for the salmon ideas! I have yet to have many takers, but the breading with the Parmesan cheese sounds like something my family would try.

    For crispy oven fries, I whisk egg whites with some salt until frothy, then add potatoes to coat and scoop them out onto a baking sheet with a slotted spoon. The egg white puffs slightly and gives the fries a light, crispy coating on the outside.

    Reply
    • Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD says

      January 7, 2015 at 8:13 am

      Thanks for the tip Kim. I’ll have to try it!

      Reply
  3. Sally at Real Mom Nutrition says

    January 7, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Thanks for the ideas. Salmon has been a tough sell for my kids (and my husband!) but I love it so much. I’m going to try your breading idea.

    Reply
    • Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD says

      January 7, 2015 at 1:11 pm

      Hey Sally. I would try the salmon sticks below and dip in butter first and be generous with the salt! Once they accept its easier to back off. let me know how it goes.

      http://www.maryannjacobsen.com/tag/baked-salmon-sticks/

      Reply
  4. Allison says

    January 7, 2015 at 5:59 pm

    We just had your salmon sticks recipe for dinner tonight. It has been how each of my two kids have started accepting salmon. Super easy, quick and we have them once a week because everyone loves it! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD says

      January 8, 2015 at 4:05 pm

      That’s great to hear Allison!!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, I’m Maryann…

Hi, I’m a registered dietitian who focuses on developmental stages. Here, you won’t get one-size-fits-all advice. Instead, you’ll get information based on your (and your family’s) age and stage. Make your choice between family and midlife-focused newsletters below and subscribe. Find out more!

Recent Posts

  • Heart Health for Women Over 40 Comes Down to This
  • How to Diet-Proof Your Daughter with Amelia Sherry [Podcast]
  • Yes, Every Midlife Women Should Take a Multivitamin (And Here’s Why)
  • 10 Signs Intermittent Fasting Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype
  • What do the Latest Vitamin D Studies Really Tell Us?

Random Posts

  • Weekly Meal Plan: Monday June 25thWeekly Meal Plan: Monday June 25th
  • Weekly Meal Plan: Monday January 3rdWeekly Meal Plan: Monday January 3rd

Categories

Get the books!

The Alliance of Independent Authors - Author Member

Join the Newsletter

Sign up for Maryann’s E-mail Newsletter and get her ebook The Landmines of a Healthy Relationship with Food for FREE. Subscribe now!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. You're not done. Check your email to confirm your address. After you do that, you'll receive a link for the free e-book.

.

Copyright © 2023 — Maryann Jacobsen • All rights reserved • Powered by Femme Flora. Designed & Developed by BinaryTurf Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.OK Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT