August | 2015 | cookingonthebrightside

I’m going to be honest – I have not been feeling it lately.

Y’all know how I love to get in the kitchen and try out new things. But lately, it’s been whatever I can just throw together as quickly as possible. I have been in a cooking funk!

Now that we are coming up on the best time of year (football season people!) I am hoping to get my groove back!

I have been whipping up some new things on occasion – don’t you worry. And one of them just happens to be a great go-to easy recipe. So it allows me to cook without having to spend an hour in the kitchen prepping things when I just need to decompress after a long day. That’s what I call a win-win!

I find my relationship with salmon a little odd. Love it smoked. But sometimes the, well, salmon-ness of it just doesn’t seem appealing. It just always overpowers whatever sauce or breading I try to pair with it and in my opinion, it’s just not great plain.

Enter the orange glaze…mmmm.

This recipe I found in a recent CookingLight magazine – and it seemed to fit the bill. A little sweet. A little spice. And a little citrus. Really complements the salmon flavor without playing complete second fiddle. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Orange-Glazed Salmon (Serves 2 / 6 WW pts. per serving)

Adapted slightly from recipe found in Cooking Light

2 salmon filets (5 oz. each)

1 Tbsp. molasses (or maple syrup)

1 tsp. orange zest

1 1/2 tsp. fresh orange juice

1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. minced garlic

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small bowl, whisk together molasses (original recipe called for maple syrup – I tried with both and found the molasses had a better flavor and look!) zest, juice, mustard, garlic and pepper.

Place salmon skin side down (if applicable) in a lightly greased baking dish. I line mine with foil for this one since we crank up the broiler! Brush the salmon with the orange mixture, covering the top of the salmon.

Bake at 400 for 5-7 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes until the glaze caramelizes. This gives it a delicious, light crust packed with flavor.

Remove from oven and add to your plate! This is such a versatile dish – it goes great with sauteed veggies if you’re a little pressed for time. I also paired it with some of my Skinny Au Gratin Potatoes and roasted asparagus for a fancier meal and it was fantastic.

Hope you enjoy!

So leading up to our vacation this summer, I really wanted to get myself in shape so I could feel good about myself. I signed up for a virtual challenge through a friend of mine which emphasized being physically active and eating clean.

I was a little hesitant about the clean eating part of it (it has nothing to do with the 5 second rule people) and while it’s not necessarily always going to be something sustainable for me personally, it really challenged me to find some new recipes and gave me a new outlook on food and how it fuels my body.

I found Pinterest to be a great resource for inspiration, which lead me to one of our new favorites – even when we aren’t aiming to eat clean! It is my go-to recipe for a crazy weeknight when I have other stuff to get done – like preparing other meals for the week or getting a workout in. It’s filling and packed with protein and flavor. It takes 10 minutes to prep! Oh, and the best part? It only takes 1 dish. You chop everything, throw it in a dish, stir it and bake it. No messy bowls, pots and pans to worry about – just the dish you cook it in.

So recap:

Easy – check!

Quick (and you can get other stuff done while it cooks) – check!

Healthy – check!

Delicious – check!

1 dish – check!

You’re welcome.

Chicken Veggie Bake (Serves 2 – 8 WW Pts./Serving)

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray.

12 oz. raw boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

4 oz. red potatoes, diced

1 cup asparagus, trimmed and chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced (I halve some of the slices to spread the love)

1/4 medium red onion, diced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. dried rosemary

2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning

Salt and pepper

Add chicken and vegetables to your baking dish. Add olive oil, garlic, rosemary, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Take this 30 minutes to check something off your list. Get in a quick workout. Make your lunch for the next day. Call your mom. Take a bubble bath. Pay your bills – the possibilities are endless people, because your work is done when this thing goes in the oven!

I add a side salad…and usually a side of wine too.

Let me know if you try this and if you love it as much as we do.

cookingonthebrightside

Adventures in Eating, Drinking and Being Mary

Monthly Archives: August 2015

Orange-Glazed Salmon

Chicken Veggie Bake