I speak the truth and nothing but the truth when I genuinely say I can eat salmon almost every day. Maybe even every day. That is how much I LOVE the taste and texture of this fish (and of course the color). The ingredients and spices that can casually be added are endless, and the interesting thing is-the taste is accordingly altered and elevated, like magic! A couple of pointers to keep salmon moist: sear it first, then simmer, covered with a splash of some liquid potion (like vegetable stock!) for no more than 5-7 minutes, then broil for a minute to intensify the color and texture on top, being careful not to overcook at any point! The combined residual juices of the vegetables, lemons, stock and spices surrounding the sizzling salmon is so darn good that you can drink it (or if I am not particularly counting carbs, which I am usually not, I toss in some pasta to ensure every last bit is taken into account, or soak up all the marvelous flavors with some toasty garlic bread).
I don’t know why I feel obliged to talk about ‘healthy’ eating in this post. How biased is that right? Since this post is about ‘salmon,’ it must also include some verbiage about clean eating. I think we are all very well aware of the benefits of eating this delight so I don’t particularly feel the need to list them here. I admire all those who remain consistently conscious of what they eat for health reasons or other reasons and it is quite obvious that a healthy lifestyle demands diet control and carefully choosing what we feed and nourish our body with. I think equally as important though is portion control, which is sometimes overlooked. I find that what works for me is fairly clean eating at least 4-5 days a month and portion control with intermittent fasting the remaining days. I guess that can be summarized as, I cook and eat what I want and crave, but in smaller, reasonable amounts-in moderation. There are some days that I don’t eat after a certain time, for a certain length of time. I am also aware that what works for me, may not be the best approach for others. But one thing is for sure-salmon is what I mainly choose to consume and devour on those specific days when I am making an attempt, despite how feeble, at “healthy” eating. And this is precisely why I have created many different and simple recipes for salmon-and they are so fabulously delicious. With this, the myth that healthy cannot equal super tasty is completely busted! Quick and easy is also important to note here because, let’s be honest, when I exercise with heart and soul on my “I wannabe healthy” days, who has the energy to cook up a storm (that being my usual cooking style for my traditional, fusion, International flair recipes!)
Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes and Baby Spinach (or Olives!)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp grape seed oil
- 3 fresh salmon fillets
- ¾ small red onion *finely chopped
- 3 cloves fresh garlic *finely chopped
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves *or 1 cup fresh, mixed olives
- 1 tsp parsley flakes *lightly dried
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes *I use a mixed medley
- ¼ cup vegetable stock
- ½ lemon *3 slices + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper *freshly cracked, to taste
- ¾ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
For Marinating Salmon
- In a small bowl, add 1 tbsp grape seed oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, paprika, oregano, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and whisk to combine. Carefully place salmon fillets in a rectangular dish and pour marinade on top and gently mix/massage to combine. Set aside.
For Layering Flavors
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp grape seed oil on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium, add chopped onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Now add chopped garlic, mix well and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes (I halve some of the tomatoes and leave the remaining whole, as these tomatoes are small). Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Then add baby spinach leaves, vegetable stock, parsley flakes, ¼ tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, mix well, cover and simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes. *Note: you can replace the baby spinach leaves with fresh mixed olives!
For Final Combining
- With a spatula, move the spinach mixture to the sides of skillet, turn heat to medium high and add marinated salmon fillets to center of skillet (in space created). Sear salmon for 1-2 minutes (skin side down). Place one slice of lemon on each fillet. Spread spinach/tomatoes or olives/tomatoes mixture evenly around the edges of salmon fillets, cover skillet, turn heat to low and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Turn oven setting to broil. Uncover and carefully place skillet in oven. Broil for no more than 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from oven, cover again and let rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Super simple, perfectly seasoned, moist, tangy, juicy and full of flavor Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes and Baby Spinach (or Olives) is now ready to serve. Really no need to serve it with anything other than a fork. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.