Lemon Pepper Glazed Salmon

This is my absolute favorite dinner.  I never, ever, ever order salmon at a restaurant because it's never as good as this dish.  My mom makes it weekly, and it tastes incredible every time.  It's one of those dishes where you have to have it every now and then, or else you will just crave it and crave it (like chocolate).  It's the simplest dish to make, yet it has tremendous flavor.  Salmon is my favorite fish...it has the richest flavor of any other fish.  Did you know that salmon is considered the healthiest food in the world?  It has tons of omega threes, protein, and minerals.  It's also believed to lower blood pressure and lower your risk for cancer, improve mood, provide eye benefits, and improve joint protection.  Scientists believe people should eat salmon, or other fish with healthy fats, at least 2-3 times per week.  I can't believe something that is so healthy could taste so good.


Ingredients:
4 large large skinless salmon filets
6 ounces lemon pepper marinade
garlic salt
ground lemon pepper
Garnish: lemon slices (optional)


Instructions:
1. Place the salmon fillets and lemon pepper marinade in a large plastic baggie and marinate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, flipping baggie over half way through.
2. Remove salmon fillets and place on a greased baking pan.  Sprinkle with a couple dashes of garlic salt and lemon pepper.
3.  Broil in oven 7 minutes on each side (14 minutes total). Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Pepper Honey Cedar Plank Salmon Pizza

            Salmon pizza?  Yeah, it’s a little unusual, but it’s good.  It’s really good. The secret is the sauce and the cedar planks. The sauce makes a delicious marinade for any grilled fish or chicken, especially salmon.  If you taste the sauce before it’s placed on the fish, it may taste pretty peppery from the cayenne, but the finished product is not too peppery.  It’s perfectly spiced.  This is my all time favorite salmon marinade and I really enjoyed it on these pizzas.  The cedar plank gives the salmon a huge load of smoky flavor…way better than just broiling it in the oven.  One thing I like about these pizzas is they’re very balanced between the salmon and the pizza crust.  Salmon is definitely a more heavy, rich, filling fish.  And these pizzas are less filling than normal pizza because they’re made on tortillas.  I’ve made tortilla pizzas in the oven many times, and I love it because it’s so easy and you can add whatever ingredients you want.

Yield: 6 personal pizzas

Ingredients:

2 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks

For the sauce:

¼ inch cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ cup honey

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

For the pizzas:

6 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets

1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1.5 cups shredded parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

6 whole wheat flour tortillas

Instructions:

1. Soak cedar planks in warm water 1-2 hours
2. Bring first 6 sauce ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in remaining sauce ingredients.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 15 minutes.  Set sauce aside.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.  Place planks on the grate.  They’re ready to cook when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.
4. Season the salmon with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Place the fillets onto the smoking cedar planks and baste each fillet with a light coating of sauce.  Close lid of grill and cook salmon until just done in the center (about 15 minutes), basting about halfway through.  Remove salmon from grill.  Shred and pull it apart into bite-sized pieces.
5. In a small skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in oil until tender, about 6 minutes.  Place tortillas onto ungreased baking sheets.  Top with onion mixture, salmon, and cheeses.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
6. While pizza is cooking, return remaining sauce to a simmer to return to its liquid state.  Drizzle sauce over pizzas when done, cut into wedges, and serve.