Lesson #56: Simple Sound Salmon Fillets

Low Carb Cooking 101

Tonight’s simple menu features very simple salmon fillets, one of my husband’s favorites. (He likes fish more than he does beef.) And even though salmon season isn’t quite here, salmon still tastes good, especially when it’s grilled or broiled.

When salmon season does roll around in June I’m going to buy several whole salmon and have them cut into salmon steaks and filets and stick them in my freezer. I just got a food sealer so that they won’t get freezer burn, and next year we’re going to be eating a lot more salmon all year.

I may even try smoking some fillets if I end up getting the smoker I want. My son, now ensconced in his new college home, loves smoked salmon and has been buying it often.

I’d like to be able to provide him with some that isn’t as horribly expensive as the store-bought smoked salmon. (His smoked salmon consumption alone should make a smoker pay for itself in short order!)

Here’s this evening’s simple menu:

• Simple Salmon Fillets
• Snow Peas And Mushrooms
• Colorful Garden Salad

Here’s the shopping list for the meal. You may very well already have some of these things on hand:

• 4 large salmon fillets
• butter
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• mushrooms
• 3 limes (lemons may be substituted)
• 1/2 pound small snow pea pods
• 8 cups Italian blend prewashed salad green (or salad greens of your choice)
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 red bell pepper (a green bell pepper can be substituted)
• 1 cucumber
• salad dressing of your choice
• soy sauce
• garlic powder
• salt
• white pepper

Here’s the game plan:

Tonight’s dinner cooks very quickly, so before you begin cooking the salmon, set the table and put the salad together. Put the salad back in the refrigerator to crisp up while you cook the rest of the meal.

Preheat the broiler.

Prepare the mushrooms and snow pea pods for sautéing. Set aside.

Cut one lime (or lemon) into wedges and place them in a bowl on the table.

Prepare the salmon fillets according to the recipe directions and put them in the preheated broiler.

Begin sautéing the sliced mushrooms in the butter.

Baste the salmon fillets a second time.

Add the snow peas and soy sauce to the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until the snow peas are crisp tender.

When the salmon fillets flake easily with a fork, take them out of the broiler and put them on the dinner plates. Add servings of the mushrooms and snow peas to the plates and put the plates on the table.

Turn off the broiler and the stove!!! (It sounds stupid to remind you of this, but how many times have you forgotten to? I have – a lot! – and it’s embarrassing.)

Call everyone to dinner and sit down to a well-deserved, relaxing meal.

And, finally, here’s the recipes:

Simple Sound Salmon Fillets

• 4 large salmon fillets
  
• salt
  
• white pepper
  
• juice of 2 limes (lemons may be substituted)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
  

Season the fillets with the salt and white pepper. Combine the lime (or lemon) juice, garlic powder, and melted butter. Place the fillets on a broiler pan and baste them with the butter mixture.

Broil the salmon fillets for 5 minutes. Baste them again with the butter mixture, and continue broiling them 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook them or the salmon will be dry!

Have extra lime (or lemon) wedges on the table for those that want them.

Serves 4.

Snow Peas and Mushrooms

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1/2 pound small snow pea pods
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  

Saute the mushrooms in the butter over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the snow peas and soy sauce. Continue cooking until the snow peas are crisp tender. Toss and serve piping hot.

Serves 4.

Colorful Garden Salad

• 8 cups Italian blend prewashed salad greens (or salad greens of your choice)
  
• 1 medium tomato, diced
  
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
  
• 1 cucumber, sliced and peel in stripes (explanation below)
  
• 4-6 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (optional)
  
• salad dressing of your choice
  

Slice the tomatoes into quarters and remove all the seeds and icky “innards.” Dice what’s left. Set aside.

Slice the ends off the washed cucumbers, and peel alternating strips of the peel off with a vegetable peeler so that they are striped. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise. then slice the cucumber halves into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside.

Clean and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.

Divide the salad greens evenly between 4 salad plates or bowls. Distribute the tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, and mushrooms over the salad greens. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of each salad, if desired.

Top with your favorite salad dressing only after the rest of the food is cooked and on the table.

Serves 4.

***Note: If you are serving children, there’s probably no way you’re going to get them to eat 2 cups of salad greens. Adjust the serving size to what you think you can get them to eat. (I started my daughter out with 1 bitsy piece of greens. It was months before she would eat two.)