Skin-on salmon is helpful as the skin helps hold the fish together after baking but skinless salmon works fine too.
Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets or steaks, preferably skin-on
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 thinly sliced lemon, for garnish
Method
Prep the salmon: Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and sprinkle a little salt over it. Let it sit at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Make the dill butter: Mix the fresh dill with the butter in a small bowl.
Bake the salmon: Spread 1-2 T olive oil on the fish to coat it. Place the salmon skin side down in a roasting pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes undisturbed (depending on how thick your salmon pieces are). Remove the salmon with a spatula. The salmon should be just cooked through when done.
Serve: To serve, place a few thin slices of lemon on each plate. Remove the salmon pieces from the oven and place on the lemon slices with a spatula. Top each piece of salmon with about a tablespoon of the dill butter and serve at once.
This tangy sauce provides the perfect balance of heat, acidity, savoriness and sweetness to dumplings. It can also be used over noodles, wontons or mixed with fried tofu. My dear friend Bini taught me how to make home made dumplings for Lunar New Year several years ago. It’s a lot of work but oh, so fun to do with a big group of friends. I cheat and buy frozen dumplings in the freezer section of my grocery store to save time. They are not as delicious as Bini’s but ALOT easier. Freezer-section dumplings come in chicken, pork or vegetable varieties and are the key to an easy weeknight meal (or a great party appetizer).
Pair the dumplings with this tasty sauce and you’ll be hooked!
2 tbsp water or broth from dumplings (if boiling dumplings)
1 tbsp Chile garlic sauce (I use “Tuong Ot Toi Vietnam” or you can use Go Chu Jang which is a Korean chili pepper sauce)
1/2 tbsp chili oil
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chinese black vinegar (or Worcester sauce)
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp minced garlic
chopped fresh scallions (cut on a diagonal)
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
12 pieces store-bought or handmade dumplings
Instructions
Wash and chop the fresh ingredients (cilantro, scallions, garlic)
2. Mix all except the last ingredient (dumplings) together in a small bowl.
3. Prepare handmade or store-bought frozen dumplings based on your preference (steamed or pan-fried). The package often tells you how to prepare them. Check out the process at the end of this post on steaming and pan frying dumplings.
4. Pour the sauce over the plated dumplings and garnish with more scallions and cilantro. You can also dip the dumplings into the sauce if you prefer. Adjust the chili oil or chili garlic sauce to your heat preference. Enjoy!
Preparing Chinese Dumplings
Boiling (option 1)
Fill a pot two-thirds with water and bring to a boil.
Add the dumplings, so they can fit in a single layer.
Cook them until they float (about three minutes)
Fish them out of the pot and drain them.
Pan Frying (option 2)
Using a small amount of oil, you can pan fry frozen dumplings. Cooking frozen dumplings is a process that takes between 20 and 25 minutes and is best done with a non-stick pan with a thick heavy bottom to distribute the heat better.
Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pan and heat on medium-high heat.
Add the frozen dumplings and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side. Don’t move them too much. You just want them browned.
Add boiling water to cover half the height of the dumplings and bring to a boil.
Cover the pan and let the dumplings steam until their bases are golden and the water has almost evaporated.
Low Carb Creamy Tuscan Chicken is rich and satisfying with lots of sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. I love the parmesan cream sauce. It is one of my very favorite low carb meals and it is perfect for the keto diet.
Prep Time 10 minutes / Cook Time 15 minutes / Total Time 25 minutes / Servings 4 / Calories 495
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half horizontally
1 1/2 teaspoons Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (approximately 1/2 of a 4 oz jar )
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 cups baby spinach
2-3 medium zucchini squash, zoodles (optional)
Instructions
Place olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.Season chicken with lemon pepper.
Add chicken to skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.Remove chicken and set aside.
Add onion to skillet and cook for about 3 minutes to soften.
Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Add white wine or chicken broth and cook until reduced just a bit and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer for 1 minute.Add Parmesan and stir until melted.
Add sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.Stir in spinach. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted.Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Optional: Many italian dishes are served over a bed of pasta. I like to avoid the carbs and use zoodles instead. Make the zoodle noodles with either a mandoline or zoodle maker. Place on a paper towel to remove some of the excess water. Add 2 T of olive oil to a pan and heat on medium heat. Add zoodles to pan, and add salt and pepper to taste and stir for about 2 minutes. Add more slat/pepper to taste and stir again for two minutes or so until just a bit limp. Place zoodles on a plate and then add the chicken and sauce and serve.
Don't Forget the Secret Ingredient 