Feta & Herb Baked Salmon + Couscous, Cuke & Kale Salad

Happy Friday! I was craving salmon & salad for dinner...this really hit the spot. My mom & dad make lamb in a similar way (baked in individual foil packets), so I thought I'd try with salmon. As a Greek girl, I have a strong affinity for lemon + garlic + herbs. ;) The tang from the lemon & feta is delicious, and all in all, is a really quick & SUPER healthy (see below) meal.

Feta & Herb Baked Salmon
(4 servings)
Prep time 10 min, Cook Time: 25 min


1 lb Wild-Caught Salmon
4 oz Feta Cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano. Some mint, dill or a combo would work)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1 tsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Red onion (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Clean and pat dry your fish, and cut into 4 portions. Salt & Pepper. Mash up the topping: feta, olive oil, lemon, herbs and fresh cracked black pepper. I added some red pepper flakes too. Portion the topping on each individual piece of fish and wrap into 4 neat foil packets, topped with a few thin slices of red onion. Bake for 20 minutes, then unwrap the packets and cook an additional 5 min.

Kale, Cucumber & Couscous Salad
(4 servings)
Total time: 10 min

1/2 bunch organic kale (I used red kale)
3/4c dry couscous, cooked according to package directions
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt & Pepper

Wash, dry and trim kale of thick stems. Coarsely chop. Throw into a mixing bowl with a little salt and olive oi. IMPORTANT: Massage with your hands until kale breaks down and softens a bit (about a minute). Toss with couscous, cucumber and then add lemon (and a bit more olive oil, maybe a tsp or two and toss.

Plate the finished salmon on top of the bed of salad and devour. ;)

Best part about this meal? Super nutritious and well-balanced. This meal is highly anti-inflammatory and blows your daily requirements of Omega-3, Omega-6, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Vitamin C out of the water.

Nutrition per serving:

487 calories
39 g protein
35 g carbs
21 g fat

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

 (pictured with spicy greens sauteed with onions & bacon fat...)

Not sure why, but I really enjoy stuffing vegetables.  Eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, squash...it's a good time!  Today I stuffed peppers (and one lonely tomato).   The filling has a bit of a Greek flare to it (lamb, oregano, feta...).   A lot of stuffed pepper recipes call for cooking the rice inside of the peppers for longer at a lower temp.  I'd rather know my rice is done and have peppers that look like peppers still, so I make my stuffing in a pan, which allows for a quicker bake time.

I picked up the ground lamb from my friends over at Mirror Lake Organic Farms. Their lambs are free-range & organic.   It's important to me to buy local, fresh foods and to know that my food is coming from a clean, healthy and humane environment.  Needless to say, I'm very happy to have found a local source for tasty lamb!  Bonus:  they also make awesome organic soaps and lotions!

On to the stuffed peppers....



Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers (shop for ones with even bottoms -  they'll stand up nicely)
1 lb ground lamb (or beef...but everything's better with lamb, IMO)
1/2 c dry wild rice
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 oz (1/2 a typical package) feta, crumbled
1 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste, whatever you have on hand
2-3 tbsp fresh oregano
Handful fresh chopped parsley (1/3 c)
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (add more for more of a kick!)
1/2 tsp cumin
Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
Salt & Pepper


Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package's directions. You'll end up with 1 1/2 c of cooked rice.   Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  As your rice cooks, prep all veggies as stated above.  In a large saute pan, brown your lamb for 7-8 min (until no longer pink).  Now, add your tomato, onion, garlic, herbs and spices (everything except the cheese).  Let cook for another 8 min or so, stirring occasionally, until the onions are close to translucent.  Take the stuffing off the heat and sprinkle your feta over the mixture, stirring to combine.  Carefully slice the tops off of your peppers (and/or core your tomatoes).  Get rid of the seeds and pith, but reserve the tops.  Place the peppers in a glass baking pan and spoon the stuffing into your vegetables. Put a bit of water in the bottom of the dish. Place the pepper's tops back on and bake for 25-30 min .

Nutrition (per pepper):

367 calories
22 g fat
23 g carb
19 g protein