salmon

Salad with Salmon and Collard Green Pesto

I’ve been eating my weight in greens, thanks to this new community garden plot of mine. Some slightly poor planning has left me with little other than kale, collards, swiss chard and tatsoi. I’m waiting with patience for cucumbers and tomatoes, and am in the meantime throwing down a greens party nearly every night in the FoodFitnessFreshAir kitchen.

I really haven’t any serious complaints about it though.

I do have some little baby carrots and radishes growing, which make an appearance in this recipe. And some lettuce from a friendly neighbor. Both worked well to construct the bed of salad that’s placed beneath the real stars of this dish: salmon and collard green pesto.

Since crispy broiled salmon speaks for itself, let’s get straight to the pesto.

Currently, I have no basil in sight, aside from a few slow growing plants on my back porch. Likely you don’t either.

What there is an abundance of this time of year, however, is greens. And as mentioned above, thankfully I’ve got a ton with which to work. Regardless of whether you’re reaping the same harvest or not, I’d encourage you to give this a go. This time of year, I guarantee it’ll be cheaper, and just as tasty, as traditional basil pesto. And even a little healthier, too.

I tell you, collard greens make for one nutrient-packed pesto.

If you do have basil laying around, feel free to throw it in with the greens. You could also swap the collards for other greens, such as swiss chard or baby kale. Stay away from greens that are on the more bitter side or are more matured, which will reap a heavier flavor. These could have their place too in pesto, but not aside the delicacy of roasted salmon.

If you have any other green-loaded recipes, please share! I’m looking to freeze a bunch of this pesto for the winter, but would love to hear your ideas, too. Let me know how you’re using kale/collards this year!

June 15, 2015 By Grace Dickinson

Baked Salmon with Creamy Dijon Dill Sauce

Another salmon recipe coming your way. This one’s surely graced the blog before, but seeing as though it’s a definite go-to of mine, I felt it worthy of a second post.

There’s something about yogurt (esp. Greek) that turns recipes into effortless creations. Overnight oats, stuffed baked potatoes, and this “cream sauce”, formed from a handful of ingredients stirred together in a bowl, are all great examples. Here, yogurt makes a surprisingly smooth, rich-feeling sauce without any heavy cream or butter needed. Another reason why the ingredient shines in my kitchen – it’s a trickster in all the right ways.

When it comes to the kitchen, there are definitely good occasions to be tricked and bad ones. Finding an empty pizza box put back in the fridge – killer. Discovering your cupcake is stuffed with peanut butter mousse – win. I’d say turning low-fat yogurt into a successful, creamy sauce undoubtedly goes on the plus side. You tell me your thoughts after giving this one a try.

March 21, 2013 By Grace Dickinson

Miso Marinated Salmon

The last time I went to my sister’s house, she sent me home with a five-pound bag of miso. Three little kids in the house she can handle, but ten pounds of miso, that’s what she calls a struggle. Guess that’s what you get when you order miso from the Internet.

Good thing she’s down to five pounds now, and I’m fortunately up five of my own. What would I do without a handheld weight of miso?

Here’s what I am doing with it: Miso Marinated Salmon. After you get the ingredients assembled, this becomes such a simple recipe to execute. Slightly (but only a pinch) sweet and a little salty, this becomes a transformative marinade for salmon. I’m itching to try it out on tofu or on some other protein-based forum.

Though not pictured, I may suggest serving this atop brown rice. You could even snag a Tbsp. or two of the marinade to set aside (before adding the salmon) to drizzle over your rice. That’s an Asian pairing I will be cooking up soon. Considering I’m only ¼ cup down, I think I’ll have plenty of room left for more miso creations.

Any suggestions for how else to use the ingredient?

Click here for recipe…

March 1, 2013 By Grace Dickinson

Dijon Herb Salmon

“There’s a worm in this kale,” I say rather nonchalantly as I prepare to plate myself a healthy portion from the pan. When dining in the early fall at my parents house, don’t be surprised to find a dead worm in the steamer basket. “Oh, it’s that time of year. Just pick it out, it won’t hurt you,” my dad likes to tell me. Just another natural part of living from the garden, I suppose.

But then I find another worm.

And another.

I don’t know why I even continued to take the prongs and move the leaves around in the pan because by the third worm, there was no way I’d be putting any kale onto my plate. My parents on the other hand, they went right on munching on the leafy greens. A little “protein” they like to say, just in case one slips into their stomach.

Luckily, I prepared the rest of the meal for the last family dinner occasion we had. And I made certain there were no insects anywhere near the ingredient vicinity. I like bugs in my photography, not my food.

Below, a simple, standby salmon dish that I use time and time again. This can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled for a larger crowd.

Click here for recipe…

September 29, 2012 By Grace Dickinson

Poached Salmon with Dill Horseradish Sauce

“$31.99 per lb. King Alaskan Salmon”

That’s crazy talk. I could have a fancy plated filet of salmon for that price without ever having to lift my own spatula or finger. Well, except to place a clean cloth napkin on my lap and to hold the shiny, silver fork that would send that precious salmon into my mouth.

When I saw this sign through the glass window of the seafood department, I laughed. And not out of pleasure. Sure, the King Salmon was the shiniest of the bunch at the grocery store that day. It’s also the fattiest wild variety, yielding the most tender results in its cooked form. But there is no way that spending over $30 for a pound of salmon fits my budget, especially when there are other varieties (wild, too) for half that price resting right by its side. Maybe my opinion would be different if I were out there in Alaska pulling this fish in from the river. But for now, I’m calling this corporate blasphemy.

Anyways, enough about over-priced seafood. I still walked out of the store with two mighty fine filets of salmon, used that night in this delicious recipe. I had been wanting to experiment with a poaching method of cooking for awhile, presuming that it would keep the salmon extra moist. And that it did. Finish it with a light, dill horseradish sauce, and the salmon becomes even more decadent. This is a low-fat way to pump salmon’s omega 3’s into your body while feeling like you’re getting restaurant quality food. As long as you make sure to check the prices at the store, this is totally worth lifting your fingers at home in the name of some serious salmon.

Click here for recipe…

March 19, 2012 By Grace Dickinson

Older Posts

Salad with Salmon and Collard Green Pesto

Baked Salmon with Creamy Dijon Dill Sauce

Miso Marinated Salmon

Dijon Herb Salmon

Poached Salmon with Dill Horseradish Sauce

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