Cooking Light Night #12

Here is a fun new salmon recipe if you're looking to add new flavors into your life. That's what tonight's dinner was all about. Don did say that given the title of the dish, he was a little disappointed that the horseradish didn't come through stronger. So don't be scared away if you don't like horseradish. This definitely is a sweet dish and not a spicy one. The apple jelly and champagne vinager come together to form a subtle and yet sophisticated sweet glaze. Searing the Salmon Fillets in a hot skillet before baking it off in the oven gives it a nice crispy carmelization that compliments the other flavors well. And baking the fish in the same frying pan that you seared it in, saves dishes and extra clean up after dinner. We didn't have chives so we used green onions and that worked just as well. Now that we have all the ingredients, we will certainly make this again, and will surely entertain with it.

We also tried a new salad recipe tonight. It's definitely not for everyone with it's unusual combination of flavors and textures. In this recipe, cold Spinach Salad meets warm cooked apples and caramelized onions with spicy curry, tangy cider vinegar, and crispy salty bacon crumbles. I enjoyed it but probably won't make it again. I love apples in my salads, but I think I'll stick to raw and not cooked. If you decide to try this recipe, I recommend adding a little crumbled goat cheese if you have on hand.

Apple and Horseradish-Glazed Salmon


Mild apple jelly and hot horseradish pair well with rich salmon. Serve with a neutral-flavored side of couscous or rice.


1/3 cup apple jelly
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick), skinned
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine apple jelly, chives, horseradish, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.

Sprinkle salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add salmon, and cook 3 minutes. Turn salmon over; brush with half of apple mixture. Wrap handle of skillet with foil; bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Brush with remaining apple mixture.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)

CALORIES 375 (40% from fat); FAT 16.8g (sat 4.3g,mono 7.7g,poly 3.4g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.1g; SODIUM 376mg; PROTEIN 36.4g; FIBER 0.1g

Cooking Light, MAY 2004

Spinach, Walnut, and Curried-Apple Salad


This warm spinach salad is sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy. Add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of red curry powder for a spicier dish.


Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 teaspoon red curry powder
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon honey
8 cups fresh spinach (about 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)

Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add apple and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder; sauté 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, broth, and honey. Remove from heat.

Place spinach in a large bowl. Pour warm apple mixture over spinach; toss well. Sprinkle with nuts and bacon.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

CALORIES 74 (35% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.9g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 51mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.3g; SODIUM 69mg; PROTEIN 2.5g; FIBER 2.4g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2002