Amazing weeknight roasted salmon dinner with sides

[richard-in-cincy]

Sometimes things just come together and a simple throw dinner together becomes a magical feast. This is one of those.

I started with a slab of silver coho salmon that I put out to thaw this morning, then wondered what I was going to do with, and serve with, it.

Initially I was leaning toward making cutlets, flouring them, and sauteeing in olive oil and butter and serving with mashed potatoes and buttered corn. (sounded very homey).

Then I saw a recipe for couscous and came up with Lemon-Basil Couscous. A package of aging fresh spinach and the last of the mushrooms that I needed to use became Mushroom and Garlic Creamed Spinach.

For salad, I had an heirloom Cherokee beefsteak tomato that I purchased two weeks ago that had been sitting on the kitchen window sill waiting to ripen, I combined it with perfectly ripe avocado, a drizzle of balsamic, and a sprinkle of pecan smoked sea salt.

Served it with a Columbia River Rieseling (which I opened to put into the couscous) and it was a perfect dinner that I will be making again because it was so delicious.

Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Lemon Basil Couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
6 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
1 bunch chopped green onion
1/2 cup curly leaf parsley, chopped
1-1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup riesling white wine
1 lemon, zested, and juiced
1-1/4 cups plain couscous
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 bunch of fresh basil, stemmed and chopped

Saute the veggies in the oil and butter until translucent. Add chicken stock, wine, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, basil, and couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Roasted Honey-Mustard Silver Coho Salmon

1 slab of coho salmon, thawed, drained, patted dry.
dijon mustard
wild clover honey
thyme

Oil baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place salmon skin side down. Drizzle lightly with honey, sprinkle with thyme, spread and seal the top with a thin layer of dijon mustard.

Roast at 475F for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of salmon.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Mushroom and Garlic Creamed Spinach

1 tbs. olive oil
6 mushrooms, diced
1 lb. fresh spinach
freshly ground nutmeg
5 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
salt
pepper
1/4 cup whipping cream

Saute mushrooms until well done. Add the minced garlic, top with the spinach, salt & pepper the spinach, and add 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg.

Cover tightly and steam spinach. As spinach starts to wilt, uncover, and stir to cook spinach evenly, cook off any juices, and distribute mushrooms and garlic. Pour cream over spinach, continue cooking and stirring until sauce has thickened.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Heirloom Beefsteak and Avocado Salad with Pecan-smoked Sea Salt

Slice tomato into thin bitesize segments
Slice peeled and seeded avocado into similar size pieces.
arrange on salad plate.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle with pecan-smoked sea salt, or another flavorful smoked salt to taste.

 

[Guest]

All look so good. Going to make the creamed spinach soon for sure

 

[richard-in-cincy]

It makes a

great omelette filling with swiss cheese the next morning with any leftovers.

 

[marilynfl]

Geez, my *weekend dinner with sides* was a yogurt with crunchy mix-ins. sigh

 

[wigs]

Every single item sounds scrumptious! Of course, I zero'ed right in on the Choc Chip cookies! lol

Have a superb Christmas, Richard....

 

[angak1]

You know I will try this with our own Coho or sockeye salmon!