Lemon-Dijon Salmon with Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

Lemon-Dijon Salmon with Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

 

      I have become even more of a fan of salmon since I discovered that wild-caught salmon saves me a Point or two over farm-raised, plus I like the less fatty texture of wild-caught much more than farm-raised Atlantic salmon.  A 6-ounce cooked filet of farm-raised salmon is 9 Points, compared to 7 Points for a cooked 5-1/2 ounce wild-caught piece of salmon.   Whatever your preference I think you, too, will enjoy this quick and easy recipe for salmon.  The marinade is scaled-down from Ina Garten's  Salad Niçoise recipe and though I use it for salmon, it would be tasty on most any fish.  

     Now for a side...  I have tried several frozen Weight Watcher's entrees over the years and one that I have enjoyed for a quick lunch is the cheese-broccoli potato entree.  Tastes change and I now find the orange-colored cheese sauce a bit too Cheez Whiz-y but I still long for the tasty combination of potato, broccoli and cheddar.  I often make cheese mashed or scalloped potatoes with salmon and ham for some reason and I like broccoli with cheese-y potatoes (who doesn't?) so I thought I'd put them together like my old WW favorite!  The result was a real treat and one I know I'll make again and again, especially with salmon or ham.
     The recipe as I made it (with 11.5 ounces of raw Yukons) totaled 26 Points in Recipe Builder, which I divided into 4 generous 1-cup servings at 6 Points per serving.  I usually start my cooking with a specific carb total in mind - my husband said he'd like 6-8 ounces of raw potato, I'd like 3-5 ounces, so I weighed the different potatoes and choose 2 that would fit the bill.  You non-Point/carb counting folks don't have to be so specific. 

     

Lemon-Dijon Marinated Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• Zest of half a lemon (about a teaspoon)
• Juice of half a lemon
• A garlic clove, pressed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound of salmon filet, cut into serving-sized pieces

Putting it Together:

After marinating for 5-10 minutes the salmon is ready for oven or grill.

     Whisk together the marinade in a small bowl.  I omit the butter if using farm-raised salmon since it's so fatty.  Line a heavy baking sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil, lay the pieces of fish close together and pour/spread over the marinade.  Let fish sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking but no longer as the acid may "cook" the fish (think ceviche). 

     Preheat the oven or outdoor grill to 425-450 while the fish is marinating.  Before cooking I move the fish pieces apart to speed cooking time.  The filet may be left whole for cooking but I prefer cutting it into servings so the cooking time is shortened.  A one-pound piece cut into 2-3 servings takes about 10 minutes of cooking time; I rotate the baking sheet after 5 minutes.

I like to leave the skin behind, whether on the grill or baking sheet.

     Fish flakes easily and is lighter pink and opaque when done but with a little darker pink in the center.  To remove from the baking sheet I use a fish spatula, slide it between the skin and gray fat and leave the skin behind on the tinfoil.  I have also cooked the fish directly on the grill but the fat often flares up and leaves it with an unappealing scorch mark look and flavor (especially the Atlantic farm-raised).    

     The marinade recipe above was sufficient for a pound of salmon (skin on), just double for 2 pounds of fish. 

Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

Ingredients: 

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 large shallot, minced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large whole garlic clove, peeled
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 3 tablespoons half and half
• 2 ounces very sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I love Cougar Gold, a sharp white cheddar)
• 1 head broccoli, cut into about 1-inch pieces, steamed until crisp-tender (I use a microwave steamer bag)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 12-16 ounces thin-skinned potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
• Cooking Spray (Optional)

Putting It Together:

     Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet; add shallot, crushed red pepper, salt and whole garlic clove and saute until shallot is softened.  Sprinkle flour over and stir for a minute or two.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.  After a minute or two stir in half and half and cheese, stir until melted; add pepper and more salt to taste.  I poured the sauce into a metal bowl, covered it with foil and set it aside so that I could rinse the skillet and use it for the potatoes.

Potatoes have been browned, then steamed 'til tender.

     Scrub potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces; add to 1 teaspoon of olive oil in heated skillet and cook until browned.  The potatoes brown more easily if you don't move them around constantly.  When lightly browned, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the potatoes, cover with tight-fitting lid, turn heat down from medium-high to low and let cook/steam for 5 minutes.  If the potatoes are not tender, stir, add more water, recover and check again in another 5 minutes.  Repeat, if necessary.   

     While potatoes are cooking, rinse and chop a crown of broccoli using tender part of stems and florets; steam until crisp-tender and set aside.  I use Ziplock Zip 'n Steam Bags which are BPA-free but should not be re-used.

Time to add the reserved cheese sauce to the cooked potatoes and steamed broccoli.

     When potatoes are tender, add steamed broccoli and pour over cheese sauce but remove the whole garlic clove!  Stir to combine.  I poured the mixture into a baking dish which had been sprayed with olive oil Pam and baked it uncovered for 5-10 minutes at 425 degrees while I cooked the fish outside on the grill.  If you opt not to bake, just cover and keep warm over very low heat, taking care not to burn the mixture. 

     I used11.5 ounces raw, skin-on potatoes but the sauce mixture would be sufficient for a pound of potatoes with the large broccoli crown.