Baked Salmon with Caramelized Onions

I did say that I will try a different recipe for salmon. After my previous try, I decided that I didn’t want to just sear the salmon. It was tasty but I didn’t like the slightly uncooked center; because I seared it for less than the recommended time, I had to cut and reheat it just so I can eat it. Because salmon is an oilier fish compared to the white stuff that I’m used to eating, I baked it this time.

If the previous recipe was sweet, then this one was slightly spicy. I’ve always liked onions and I was attracted to the recipe when I first encountered it. So I made it simpler and easier to cook for those who don’t have a lot of time to prepare.

Served it with your side dish of choice. I don’t really like salads because I prefer my vegetables cooked so I served the salmon with a bowl of zucchini rice. Recipe after the jump.

Baked Mussels with Oats and Tomato

I was feeling particularly adventurous. Baked mussels and tomatoes are okay. But oats?! I first used oats in meatballs and I’m fascinated about using it in a dozen other ways now that I know how versatile it is.

I previously made garlic butter baked mussels using a more traditional recipe. While I wanted to eat baked mussels again, I didn’t want to eat the same exact dish so soon. So I decided to experiment.

I was a little nervous but, thankfully, it wasn’t the horrible dish I feared it would be. The oats lent a nice crunch to the soft mussels. I ate it with half a cup of white rice. What’s your side dish of choice?

Recipe after the jump.

Sesame Pan Seared Salmon with Tomato Egg Pasta

This marks two firsts for me: cooking salmon and pan searing. I didn’t even know what pan searing meant until I was in my twenties. *facepalms*

I bought a nice Norwegian salmon fillet and I was determined to eat it soon. I didn’t want to ruin it so I tried to look for a recipe that could be a base for what I had in mind.

This is one of the days when I wish I have wine. But this is a non-alcoholic country so we just have to make do with non-alcoholic alternatives and all I had in the fridge was sparkling grape juice. Oh well.

I learned quite a bit from this first effort. If you’re finicky about not eating raw fish but don’t like to eat dried tasteless fish meat, then cut the fillet in two before searing. Some recipes recommend searing for two minutes on each side but I found that it isn’t enough so it’s better to do it a bit longer.

I served the fish with a side of pasta in tomato and egg.

Was the dish bad? Not at all! I liked it. But I would love to try changing it a bit and experimenting more so I can get the hang of cooking salmon. Recipe after the jump.