Cajun Broiled Salmon with Chunky Guacamole

I tried to angle the bread so you couldn't tell I took a bite first.

This is a great healthy summer-ish recipe that's still rich enough to be satisfying. It's hard to NOT create something satisfying when guacamole is involved, but the salmon is really good too. And a chunk of yummy bread on the side helps.

I've been on an avocado kick, so it was only a matter of time before I combined it with salmon. I usually like to pan-fry my salmon, but I tried broiling it because that was more conducive to taking care of a baby at the same time, and it was delicious! I still like the crispiness that you get in a pan, but I'll take this for how easy it was.

I used Tony Chachere's blend (it's the only spice blend I bother keeping in the pantry), and it was perfect. No need to figure out how to balance cajun spices from scratch here.

The Recipe (serves 2):

1/2 lb salmon (I like skinless to go over salad)

1 tb Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning (or a homemade blend)
1 avocado
1 tb red onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lime juice
baby spinach, for salad
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
bread for the side

Pat salmon dry. Place in baking dish and rub spice mix on top. Broil for 15-20 minutes.
Combined avocado, red onion, salt, and lime juice by cutting the ingredients into the avocado with a butter knife, to keep the avocado chunky (Ina Garten's method).
Toss lemon juice and olive oil with spinach leaves, and season with salt and pepper.
Layer salmon on salad and guacamole on top.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A

Overall reason: Healthy, easy, tasty

Time to prepare: 25 minutes

Husband quote: I'm pretty sure he said something clever, but I took too long to write this entry and I forgot it. Sorry, clever husband.

Comments

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from Tea for Turmeric and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...

Vietnamese Curry Stir-Fry

When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top. I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at Pho Grand in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it? I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far. Changes for the future: - More oil and sugar, restaurant style - A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce - Fried shallots on top The Recipe (adapted from Veggie Anh ): 3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 1 pinch salt 2 tb avoc...

Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

Search This Blog