Grilled Salmon over Mashed Potatoes with Butter Beans

I made my first trip out to the grocery store with my list!  It was really tough for me because I had to read the list & read the product labels on the things I was looking for at the store for 3 new recipes.  I normally try my best to do things without having to "read" (I'm dyslexic)...which means I sometimes end up with things that I didn't intend to buy. I usually look at the picture on the label without reading how many ounces are in the can or if it's sliced, condensed, or whatever is called for by the recipe.  Cooking is one of those things I don't really enjoy because you have to read and follow a recipe...I have messed up by adding a cup of hot pepper instead of a tablespoon (ask the hubs about that!).  It's tricky because,  I would swear that I read it one way but when I go back I'll see it was another way!  I do this with everything because I guess my brain just tries to make since of things in it's own way.  Okay, so now we all know I'm backwards it'll explain a lot!  So back to the trip to the store...I was lucky that my husband watched the baby for me so my oldest daughter and I could tackle Kroger.  I like Publix better, but thought I'd go to Kroger.  Before I was halfway through the store, I was wishing I was at Publix.  I couldn't find things easily and the produce is way better at Publix for sure!!  I had to call my Mom to ask about some of the ingredients, because I didn't know what they even were or where to find them in the store!!  Yes, I'm that much of a beginner and I've been married for almost 13 years!!  I have been pretty much cooking the same things over and over...it's about time to try a little harder, huh?  My daughter (Food Critic #2) was super helpful at the store!!  She is the HOPE for our family as I think she loves to cook and will be wonderful at it!  I've got to get the grandmothers to teach her how to cook Thanksgiving Dinner so when I get older we can all just go over to her house (that's the plan!).  Ha ha
I was so tired from the shopping trip that I put in a frozen Stouffer's Lasagna for dinner that night!  My son (Food Critic #1) was not happy...he's the pickiest eater!  I feel it will be really hard to find meals that will make everyone smile, but that's the goal!

Let's Go!! 

 My first recipe to try out:  

Grilled Salmon over Mashed Potatoes with Butter Beans

What you Need:

4 (5 to 6oz) salmon fillets

5 medium white russet potatoes

2 cups canned chicken broth

4 to 5 tablespoons margarine, softened

1/2 to 3/4 cup half and half, heated

2 cups water

2 cups frozen baby butter beans

1/4 cups melted butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 or 2 drops of water

Lemon slices, fresh dill or parsley (optional)

How to Cook:

Remove skin from the salmon.  Store, covered, in refrigerator until time to grill.  Combine the potatoes and broth in saucepan, adding water if needed to cover.  Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until tender; drain.  Add the margarine, mashing to mix.  Blend in the milk gradually.  Add salt and pepper.  Cover partially to keep warm.  Bring 2 cups lightly salted water to a boil.  Add butter beans and cook for 25 minutes or until done to taste.  Heat the grill 30 minutes before ready to serve.  Spray the salmon on both sides with nonstick cooking spray.  Remove the hot grill racks with heavy tongs.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Return the grill racks to the grill.  Place the fillets on the racks.  Grill over medium-low heat for 7 minutes; turn.  Grill for 5 minutes longer or until the salmon flakes easily.  Place a scoop of potatoes in the center of plate and surround with 1/2 cup drained butter beans.  Arrange the salmon in the center of the potatoes.  Drizzle the beans with a mixture of butter, lemon juice and 1 or 2 drops water.  Granish with lemon slices or parsley.

Recipe from the book "Downtown Savannah Style"

Deborah's Dish Results

To begin with I read "Salmon" and thought...oh, we all like salmon! Normally, I just cook Gorton's Frozen Salmon Fillets that comes with a combo of added ingredients in it that I'm sure aren't so good for you, but everyone loves it.  I kind of missed that little word in the title when I wrote down all I needed to make this on my list.  Yep, "Grilled!".....I don't know how to grill and we don't have a grill you can set to medium heat!  So, on this first recipe I feel like I cheated!!  I had to get my husband to cook the salmon for me.  Thankfully, we don't live far from family so he cooked the salmon over at the grandparents house on their grill.  I couldn't even do the first step...remove the skin from the salmon!!  It was not easy and I have a fear of knifes (isn't that a great thing to add to the mix of learning to cook!).  I did cook the butter beans and mashed potatoes with no problems!

 

 The Dish!

The Husband:  He seemed to really like the dish!

Me:  I didn't like the potatoes cooked in the broth as much as how I normally make mashed potatoes...didn't like the added flavor.  The butter beans were just butter beans!  The salmon was good, but it wasn't something I could do all on my own so I didn't like having to get the husband's help on it because it makes it take longer...leaving home to cook elsewhere!

Food Critic #1:  He was so UNHAPPY he wouldn't eat any of it and wanted Gorton's Salmon!  He said the beans and potatoes tasted the same (they were not touching each other at all on his plate!).  He didn't like the beans and was dramatic about how awful it was that I even cooked this dish!!

Food Critic #2:  She was scared of bones (I took them out but she was still concerned about it).  She didn't want butter beans, but ate the salmon and enjoyed the mashed potatoes.