Quick & Easy Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato Compote

Growing up, there were a couple of foods that I did not like: fish and tomatoes. And now, armed with that information take a good look at the picture of this recipe ... okay, now you can congratulate me on how mature my taste buds have become! I've learned to not only tolerate, but also appreciate and enjoy both fish and tomatoes, and the combination of the two in this dinner was surprisingly... well, perfect.

So, never fear, frustrated parents ... your children may whine and complain now when you put delicious food in front of them, but you can take hope that their taste buds will also someday mature as nicely as mine have! :)

Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato Compote
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 25 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 4 salmon fillets (4 oz.-6 oz. each)
• 1 cup dry polenta
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• freshly ground pepper for serving

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. When it comes to a full boil, turn down the heat to low and whisk in the polenta. Cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes, occasionally whisking to prevent burning on the bottom. After about 15 minutes (when the polenta is becoming mostly soft and creamy), add in the butter for the last few minutes of cooking. Pull it off the heat when it is creamy and still slightly runny (you can add in more water while it is still heating if it starts to become too dry).
2. While the polenta is cooking, cut up the tomatoes, onion, and parsley. Combine the tomatoes, onion, two tablespoons of the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. 
3. Pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into a medium skillet on the stovetop and heat to medium-high. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cook for 7 minutes, then turn the fillets over and let them cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until they are flaky and opaque.
4. Remove the salmon from the pan, and pour the tomato mixture into the still heated pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the tomatoes are warmed and starting to lose their shape. 
5. Serve the salmon over the polenta topped with the tomato compote, fresh parsley, and freshly ground pepper.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup polenta with a fillet and 1/2 cup tomato compote    551 calories   25.6 g fat   40.6 g carbs    40.6 g protein    9.2 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from I Can Cook That.

Baked Salmon

I'm not a big camper because I'm afraid of the dark---yes, even in my twenties--and I let my mind wander to the point where I'm convinced something will in fact get me through the tent. I just know that it would simply be an annoyance for any bear coming after me ... it would just slow them down and they would get through it one way or another. Needless to say, we don't camp unless I have a trailer, which means ... we don't camp. But, I adore the idea of gathering around the cozy fire with tin foil dinners cooking in the crackling fire as I'm wrapped in a blanket cuddled up to my sweetheart. This dinner brings that campfire taste to the comfort (and safety!) of my own kitchen. We eat this at least a few times a month and I still get requests for it, so I can't be the only one who thinks it's good!

Baked Salmon
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 60 minutes           READY IN: 65 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 pieces of 7 to 8 oz salmon, skinned and boneless (I get mine from Costco)
• 2 tablespoon fat free mayonnaise 
• sea salt

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cut pieces of tin foil (one per salmon) large enough to cover the entire fillet.
3. Place each individual salmon on its foil. 
4. Spread about 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each salmon. You want enough to do a thin layer on the top of the salmon so you might need to add or remove the mayo depending on the size of fillet you have. Sprinkle with sea salt. 
5. Cover the salmon and place on a cookie sheet. 
6. Let it cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes. You might need to adjust the time depending on your size, so check it every 10 minutes or so for the last 20 minutes of the cooking time. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cooked fillet    414 calories  24.7g fat  1g carbs   43.9g protein   0.5g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from fit2fat2fit.com