Tag: Garlic

Tomato Basil Soup

Grilled Cheese and tomato soup is the perfect combination of comfort foods. Rainy, snowy, or just plain crummy days are instantly better after a warm bowl with cheesy bread for dipping. Cooking Light had a quick recipe for Tomato Basil soup in their March issue that sounded so easy I had to try it. (It helped that I had most of the ingredients on hand as well!) The soup is served with toasted bread topped with melted Asiago cheese.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I just used the whole bag shown in the photo)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (half a container)
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
1 ounce shredded Asiago cheese

Preheat your broiler to high. In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped basil.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Add the cream cheese.
Stir until melted.
If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the mixture into a normal blender and remove the plastic center from the top. Place a paper towel over the opening and blend until smooth. Be very careful not to burn yourself, the liquid is really hot! Pour back into pot over medium high heat.
I received an immersion blender for Christmas so I was so excited to use it for this recipe. This is my first try with it and it was awesome! So much simpler than pouring into a blender and pouring back into the pot. If using an immersion blender, blend until desired consistency (I wanted a few chunky pieces left in mine).
Stir in milk and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat.
To make the bread, arrange bread on a cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Broil for 1 minute.
Remove from the oven and rub garlic over the bread pieces. Turn bread over, top with cheese and broil for an additional minute.
Serve with the soup.
The soup managed to taste light and creamy at the same time, very impressive!
The basil flavor shown through which was a really nice enhancement to a normal tomato soup.
I loved the crispy bread topped with cheese. This would be a great appetizer at a party (using the tomato soup as a warm “dip” for the toast).
The entire meal ended up taking about 30-40 minutes so it is definitely an option for a weeknight.

Couscous-Stuffed Chicken

I haven’t posted a chicken recipe on here since September! I figured it was definitely time to change that. I really don’t eat much chicken so I guess I’ve gone a long time without even making it without realizing. I have been on a couscous kick so when I came across Cooking Light‘s recipe for Couscous Stuffed Chicken I was pretty pumped. However, I apparently do not possess the skill to create pinwheels with chicken. What they lack in beauty though they most certainly make up for in flavor!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 minced garlic clove
2  skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. First make the couscous. Add the broth to a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and let stand for 4 minutes.
Add the couscous to a small bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool. Add the chopped tomato, olives, feta, olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. (I failed at this step. My pounding brought it by no means close to 1/4 inch thickness. Next time I make this, I think I’ll try it with chicken tenderloins instead).
Add the couscous mixture on top of each piece of chicken.
Roll up and secure with wooden picks. Pretty sure this should have looked prettier than mine ended up.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and add the chicken rolls. Cook for six minutes until the chicken is browned. Turn over and bake at 400 degrees.
The original recipe said 5 minutes. Because my pieces were so thick it took closer to 20 minutes.
So yeah. My presentation isn’t going to win me any awards. BUT this dish tastes so good! The chicken remained really moist and flavorful.
The couscous mixture was fantastic. I am not the biggest fan of olives so I included fewer in my rolled up chicken (which meant my olive-loving boyfriend got more in his mixture. No complaints from him).
I think thin chicken tenderloins would work much better with these if you are big on presentation.

Mango Couscous with Salmon

I really don’t like winter. I know we are having quite a mild winter in Philly this year but it goes past the cold and snow. I miss sunlight. And sitting outdoors. And most of all, I miss summer foods. So I decided it was time for a little peek into summer: Mango Couscous with Salmon. (I found the recipe on Taste of Home).
Ingredients:
  Salmon:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
2 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
  Couscous:
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup couscous (I used tricolor, because it’s so darn pretty)
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 medium mango, peeled and chopped
  Mango Sauce:
1 medium mango, peeled and cut into chunks
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
2 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

In a pot, bring the broth and butter to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, mango, and 1 tablespoon parsley.
Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley in a bowl.
Rub on the salmon.
Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Add the salmon to the pan skin side up. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook for 4 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
While the salmon is cooking, combine the mango, lemon, honey, basil, parsley, water, and mustard in a blender.
Puree for 1-2 minutes.
To serve, add the salmon and couscous to a plate. Spoon the sauce over the salmon.
Look at those colors!
What I love most about this dish is you get to enjoy mango two ways: sweet within the couscous and tangy within the sauce.
I made this for my boyfriend and he loved it! He was all but licking his plate clean. He even started trying to eat off of mine!
So.. I think it’s safe to say this is a winner. 🙂

Mussels in White Wine Garlic Sauce

It’s very rare that I make a meal without some kind of goal in mind. I’m not terribly creative, so I usually do at least some research before making a meal: read a magazine, google a recipe, ask a family member, or have a craving from a restaurant I want to try to make at home.
I guess my subconscious was channeling a craving for Bona Cucina‘s mussels in white wine because I kind of sort of ended up with that at the end of my cooking, so here’s my version of their Mussels in White Wine Garlic Sauce. I was just trying to whip up a quick meal, so I actually didn’t take any photos until the finished product (whoops) but I thought I’d share it anyways. I still had some mussels left over from when I made Angel Hair Pasta with Mussels in a Red Pepper Sauce so I figured I should use them.
Ingredients – serve 2 as an appetizer, multiply as needed (get all ingredients here):
  • 1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-4 garlic cloves, minced (depending on how much you want to offend those around you)
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • Chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons butter

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Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

So I realized today that this post for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is my 200th! How crazy is that? Okay, back to your regular programing… time for an awesome recipe for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese!
Winter weather really makes me crave comfort food. When it snows (like it did this weekend) my need for comfort food escalates.
I’ve been looking for any excuse to make another mac and cheese recipe, so I jumped at the chance to make it during the snow.
I originally printed out this recipe from Cooking Light, but I changed it so much to fit what I could find it’s barely recognizable. The overall method is basically the same though.
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 1/4 cups 1% low fat milk
  • 1 box uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 4 ounces cubed sharp cheddar cheese
  • 4ounces cubed gouda cheese
  • Panko breadcrumbs
  • Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh parsley, chopped

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Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Who honestly doesn’t love crab stuffed mushrooms? Little bite sized bits of happiness: mushroom, crab meat, cheese, and crunchy bread crumbs. I always have my fingers crossed that these party staples show up as an appetizer at any and all social events. So I thought it was about time that I attempted to make them myself. I finally whipped up a batch of theses crab stuffed mushrooms to eat while watching the games on Sunday. They are actually quite easy to make and are awesome right out of the oven or cooled to room temperature. Taste of Home had a great recipe I decided to try. My only “big” change was that I substituted Old Bay in for the cayenne. I’ve spent many a summer on the Chesapeake and now can’t eat crab without at least a little bit of this seasoning!
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Old Bay
  • 1 can (8 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed 
  • 2 containers of fresh baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
  • Cooking spray

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Caprese Tomato Bites

I know, I know. It’s January. What the heck am I doing posting a Caprese recipe? I had a craving for a Caprese salad and I can’t bring myself to buy large tomatoes so out of season. Cherry tomatoes always seem to be around the same level of taste all year long, so I thought this might hold me over until the spring. The recipe incorporates all ingredients found in a traditional Caprese salad, while making it into a cute appetizer bite. I found this recipe on Taste of Home and mainly stuck to the recipe, with  a few changes based on what I could find.
Ingredients:
  • 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into smaller pieces
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

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Thirty Minute “Paella”

I absolutely love paella: rice, saffron, seafood… what isn’t to like? If I could, I’d eat this amazing dish once a week. Traditional paella takes a good hour at least to make, so it would be quite the task to make it all the time. However, I found a paella-like dish from Cooking Light that can be made in 30 minutes! My parents and sister recently went to Spain and brought me back some amazing, but vague, spices. One was just labeled as “paella spice” and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try it out.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 a white onion, chopped
2 chicken sausages, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound large shrimp
2 cups uncooked  rice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon “paella spice” (sub in 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron for this)
1/4 teaspoon paprika, smoked would be ideal
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen green peas
the juice of 1/2 a lemon juice

Using a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pan, head the olive oil over medium-high heat. Chop your onion and sausage.
Add to the pot and cook, stirring, for three minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir in to the other ingredients.
Add the rice, water, oregano, salt, paella spice (or saffron), paprika, black pepper, and chicken broth.
Mix so that the rice is coated in the liquid.
Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in the peas, and squeeze with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
So, traditional paella has that nice crispy bottom where the rice has started to stick to the pan. Twenty minutes obviously won’t give you that result. But the rice turns out fluffy and has the flavoring of not only the saffron/paella spice, but also the smokiness of the chicken sausage and a subtle fresh seafood flavor of the shrimp.
The little bit of citrus really enhances the dish. It brings out all of the flavors and adds such brightness to the rice.
I am so impressed and pleased with how this turned out. For just thirty minutes of your time, you can have a paella-type dinner prepared!
I kept the tails and shell on the shrimp so that they could soak in the liquid while cooking the rice. It helped so that the shrimp wouldn’t overcook. Also, I think it makes the paella look a bit more authentic. 🙂
If you are a bit squeamish about it, feel free to use deveined shrimp. I’d suggest not adding them to the pot until the rice is about half way cooked, so as to not overcook the shrimp.
I wish I could figure out what exactly was in the “paella spice” I had because the flavor was really amazing. Saffron, tumeric, spanish paprika? Sigh. Who knows. But if you come across any pre-made paella mix, be sure to buy it and try this dish! However, I do think that using saffron would make a really solid substitute.

Spice Rubbed Salmon with Lemon-Garlic Spinach

If you’re like me, you can never have too many salmon recipes. If I could, I’d eat salmon every day, so I prefer some variety with how it’s prepared. Cooking Light had a recipe that incorporated some really interesting spices: coriander, cinnamon, cumin and paprika. I was excited to see how this would turn out. The recipe also pairs the salmon with a wilted spinach, one of my favorite sides.
Ingredients (this makes one serving)
Salmon:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon paprika
a pinch of ground cinnamon
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 5 oz salmon fillet
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
Cooking spray
chopped cilantro, for garnish
lemon wedges
Spinach:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large handfuls uncooked baby spinach
zest from one lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
the juice of half a lemon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. To prepare the spice rub, combine the salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, and pepper in a bowl.
Rub the mixture evenly over the salmon.
Thinly slice your onion. Add the onion to a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Add the salmon on top of the onions. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until flaky.
When there is about 5-10 minutes left on the salmon, prepare the spinach. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add one handful of spinach.
Cook for one minute, stirring. Add the remaining handful of spinach and cook for 4 minutes or until wilted, stirring frequently.
Add lemon zest and salt. Stir in juice and remove from heat.
Serve the salmon with the onions and spinach.
Sprinkle salmon with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges.
You’d think all of those powerful spices would overwhelm the salmon. Not at all. The flavor was fantastic!
I can’t even describe it. But my taste buds did a little dance.
The lemon added a nice tanginess to the spinach, which was a great contrast to the sweet caramelized  onions.
I think the next time I make this, I will check the salmon after 15 minutes of cooking. The salmon was slightly overcooked for my liking. Past that, this recipe is a definite keeper!

Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce

I love a good gyro. I never considered even trying to make one because, this may come as a surprise, but I don’t have a spit in my tiny apartment. I know, a huge oversight. So I was really excited to find this recipe for Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce, (no spit required), especially because it takes 25 minutes to make. Woo hoo! (If I haven’t convinced you to pick up the Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast  cookbook yet, you must not be reading my posts this week).

Ingredients:

Lamb Wrap:

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 lamb sausages (or 1/2 lb ground lamb)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • Pepper and salt, to taste
  • 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
  • 2 pocketless pitas or other flat bread

Tzatziki sauce:

  • 1/4 cup plain reduced fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 a cucumber, seeded, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
  • the juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 garlic clove finely minced

Continue reading Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce

Pan Seared Flounder with Fried Rosemary and Garlic

In an effort to eat more fish, I have been in search of recipes that call for fish other than salmon, my main seafood staple. I’ve made flounder once before and loved how quick it cooked up and how delicious it tasted.
So when I found this recipe for Pan Seared Flounder with Fried Rosemary and Garlic in Cooking Light’s Fresh Food Fast cookbook, I knew I had to try it.
I’ve had the Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast cookbook for a while now and just finally opened it. I found so many delicious recipes that I can’t wait to try!
Ingredients (get all ingredients here):
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 flounder fillets
  • Salt, pepper and paprika, to taste
  • Lemon wedges

Continue reading Pan Seared Flounder with Fried Rosemary and Garlic

Pesto

Nothing tastes as fresh as homemade pesto. It is surprisingly easy to make and really blows the store-bought stuff out of the water. With a whopping 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), pesto is definitely something you need to try to make if you haven’t already! I made this to go with my gnocchi that I made for a food swap.

Ingredients (makes about 1 cup):
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Add the basil leaves and walnuts to a food processor.

Pulse a few times to combine.

Mince your garlic.

Add to the food processor.

Pulse to combine.

While the food processor is running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.

Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

You can add more of whichever ingredient you think you need more of at any time. I prefer my pesto to be relatively firm, so I don’t use a lot of olive oil to make mine. I also tend to add more cheese on top of my pasta anyways, so I limit the amount of cheese I put into the pesto. You can also use pine nuts instead of walnuts; I just prefer walnuts.
Be sure to use high quality ingredients for this recipe if you can. Because none of it is cooked, you want basil when it is fresh, high quality olive oil with a smooth taste, and a nicely aged cheese. A little pesto goes a long way when used as a topping on pasta, so this recipe can luckily be frozen to use at a later date as well!

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

I received another eggplant in my CSA share this week so I thought I’d attempt Eggplant Parmesan. I saw this slightly different version of the recipe on MyRecipes.com, originally from Sunset Magazine and thought I’d give it a try.

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)
1 eggplant
1/2 tube cooked polenta
Olive oil cooking spray
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 can (14 oz.) tomato purée
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (6 oz.)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Begin by preparing your eggplant. Rinse the eggplant and cut off both ends. Cut the eggplant crosswise into 4 equally thick slices.
Using only half of the tube of polenta, cut the polenta crosswise into 4 equal slices.
Lightly spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray and add the polenta and eggplant to the sheet. Spray another layer of the cooking spray on the slices.
Cook for 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and the polenta is heated through.
While the eggplant and polenta are cooking, prepare your onion, basil and garlic.
 Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and add the onion, garlic and basil.
Cook until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato puree and 1/4 cup water.
Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and cover to keep warm until the eggplant and polenta are finished cooking.
When the rounds are heated, sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the slices. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
To assemble, add one of the larger slices of eggplant to a plate.
Top with 1 tablespoon tomato sauce.
Add one polenta slice.
Top with another tablespoon of sauce.
Repeat with another eggplant slice, tomato sauce, polenta slice & more tomato sauce. Top with 1 tablespoon panko. Repeat this process to plate the other eggplant Parmesan stack.
If desired, spoon the remaining tomato sauce around the stacks.
What an inventive “eggplant Parmesan” dish! It was really simple too, the whole meal was ready in just over 30 minutes.
I think I honestly prefer this version to the traditional eggplant Parmesan. I always find the breading to be a bit too heavy for the eggplant so the polenta was a happy alternative. Not to mention, I was able to make only two servings so nothing went to waste! Now to find a recipe to use the rest of my polenta…

Oven-Roasted Halibut with Quinoa and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette

I’m still working through my tomatoes (no complaints here), and I am trying to experiment with different ways to use the tomatoes. I found this recipe for Oven-Roasted Sea Bass with Couscous and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette and used it as a base. I substituted halibut for the sea bass (Chilean sea bass is severely overfished, often illegally, and also has a high content of mercury. Try to buy Pacific halibut because Atlantic halibut is also overfished). I also used quinoa, which was already in my pantry, instead of couscous.

Ingredients:
1 scallion (green onion)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup halved  cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices lemon, halved

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut scallion into 3-inch pieces, and those pieces into thin strips (see photo below).
Prepare your garlic, tomatoes, and lemons.
Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until garlic begins to brown.
Add the tomato and scallions and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 1 minute.
Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Keep warm.
Combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and chicken broth in a medium saute pan and bring to a boil. Gradually stir in quinoa and chopped chives and cook for 15 minutes on low. heat Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork. Cover and keep warm.
Season fish with salt and pepper. Place fillets on a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place 4 halved lemon slices on each fillet.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve over quinoa, and top with vinaigrette. Garnish with more chives, if desired.
These ingredients worked SO well together. The tomatoes added a slight sweetness to the vinaigrette, which brightened up the entire dish. The quinoa added a nice earthy flavor.
Be sure to top the halibut with a lot of the tomato vinaigrette. I actually went back for more for my serving.

Broiled Salmon with Roasted Tomato Sauce

How I love August. Not for the heat or the never ending rain (not-so-fun fact: August is already the wettest August ever recorded in Philadelphia, what joy) but because it is tomato season! Fresh tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients and I wait all year to enjoy about 6 weeks of perfectly ripe tomatoes. I realized I hadn’t posted a recipe using salmon recently so I went in search of a recipe that would combine both salmon and tomatoes (I honestly wasn’t even sure if that was a possibility). Naturally, Cooking Light once again saved the day with their recipe for Broiled Salmon with Roasted Tomato Sauce.

Ingredients (serves 2):
4 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil


Preheat your broiler. Prepare your tomatoes, onion and garlic and spread on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Broil for 8 minutes.

Stir gently and broil for another 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to blacken.

Remove from the broiler, but keep the broiler on. Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, and tomato paste in a blender and process until smooth.

Place the mixture in a saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the broth. The original recipe had vegetable broth, but I only had chicken broth on hand. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. While the mixture is simmering, combine 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon corn starch in a small bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into the tomato mixture after it has simmered for 10 minutes. Bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and strain to remove any solids.

Place salmon on a cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper and broil for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

To serve, add 1/2 of the tomato mixture to each plate and top with a salmon fillet. Top with 1 tablespoon basil each.

I am happy to say that salmon and tomato do work well together. However, I think the recipe was missing something… maybe a bit of red pepper flakes to add some heat? Even without the unknown missing ingredient, I really liked this recipe. Definitely worth a try!

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