Our family loves salmon but since we prefer fresh over frozen fillets, it doesn’t appear on our menu often. On a whim, I picked up a very large salmon during a recent Costco trip. I normally avoid buying fish there since the quantity is way more than we would eat during one meal and I’d rather not freeze the leftovers.
Lucky me, this time I had a plan for that entire package of fish! I stumbled upon this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens magazine. It has a crazy long list of ingredients that all sounded fresh and delicious together. I didn’t have everything on the list, so I picked and chose based on what’s in my fridge at the moment. I think you could make endless combinations of this salad and it would always be just a little different.
The fish and leftover wild rice were an amazing addition to a green lettuce salad. I would never have imagined putting rice in there, but it was fantastic.
The additional recommended ingredients you could add or mix in as you wish included: various grains including quinoa, wild or brown rice, 1 cup cantaloupe cubes, 1 small zucchini cut lengthwise in narrow ribbons, 1/2 cup walnut pieces, fresh herbs over the top: dill, basil, mint. I can’t wait to try this again by adding in cantaloupe! I’m guessing my sugar snap peas will appear in this salad once harvest time hits, too.
So we had baked salmon with wild rice for dinner on day 1 and this summer salad with the leftovers on day 2. Two completely different meals. I’ve included our very easy salmon recipe at the end just in case you’ve never tried making it at home. Ridiculously easy and it is our very favorite way of preparing it.
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Everything but the kitchen sink summer salad
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens magazine
Ingredients:
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup sliced green onions
4 cups mixed spring greens
2 cups blueberries
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 oz. leftover cooked salmon, flaked
Method:
1. For basil dressing, in a blender or small food processor combine the 1 cup basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl stir together cooked grains and green onions. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of the basil dressing to coat.
3. For the salad, line a large bowl with greens. Top greens with remaining ingredients presented in clusters. Drizzle with half the remaining basil dressing; toss gently.
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Easy baked salmon
courtesy of Chef Paul Prudhomme
Ingredients:
fresh salmon fillets, skin removed
butter, melted
Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Salmon Seasoning (CRUCIAL)
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place salmon fillets in a baking dish (I use a glass 9×13 dish). Brush melted butter over the tops and sides of the fillets. Sprinkle very very generously with the magic seasoning. Gently pat seasonings into the fillets. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Fish should flake easily with your fork when you poke it. Depending on the thickness of the fillets, it can really take anywhere from 8 – 15 minutes. Our Costco fillets required 12.
Kristina
Do you have to order the seasoning on-line or can you find it locally? Sounds and looks yummy!
Tiffany
Our container is so old, I am not sure where you could find it locally. My mother purchased it for us and found it right in the seafood department of her grocery store. (As opposed to the spices section.) I would start by asking for it with the seafood counter! Definitely worth hunting down, especially if you enjoy mustard as a flavor ingredient. It complements the salmon beautifully.