Healthy and Tasty Salmon

Savoring Simplicity has moved to WordPress. Please, join us there. It's simple. Just cut and paste the following url to your browser or click here.
http://savoringsimplicity.wordpress.com/

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

I'm a Southern girl with all the cultural baggage which that implies. If you look close enough in a Southern kitchen, you will surely find a container of bacon fat hidden away somewhere. We love fried foods and rich desserts, and while some of our traditions still hold strong, many Southerners are opting for healthier foods.

With Thanksgiving under our belts and Christmas on the way, rich foods abound. I am who I am, so I won't even pretend to deny my love for the cuisine of my heritage, but lately I've had my fill of rich foods.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm actually longing for something simple, healthy, and light. A rich source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is on every "top ten healthy foods" list. I found this recipe for salmon with a delightful sounding lemon-mint dressing at Coastal Living.

Salmon with Lemon-mint Dressing

1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1?8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; slowly whisk in ¼ cup olive oil. Stir in shallot and mint. Set aside.

Sprinkle salmon with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté salmon 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle with dressing. Garnish, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Serve

Cook 1½ cups orecchiette pasta according to package directions. While pasta cooks, cut 1 medium zucchini lengthwise into quarters; slice thinly. Add zucchini to pasta during last 1 minute of cooking. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, ½ cup shredded Parmesan, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Makes 4 cups.

POUR

Dave Martin, executive chef of New York City's Crave on 42nd, recommends Francis Coppola Diamond Collection 2006 Yellow Label Sauvignon Blanc with this dish. "With a clean finish and hint of tropical flavor, this wine is a deal at about $15," he says.

Recipes by Jackie Mills, R.D.