9 June 2008

Roast Salmon in Soothing Lemon Sauce with Potato & Green Bean Salad


There's no question that salmon is one of the healthiest foods you can, and should, eat. It contains two critical omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, that your heart and brain need for optimal health..and this is important to me.... especially as you age. EPA fats are a "near miracle" for your health. They promote normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels and improve blood flow. They also promote healthy skin and boost your immune system.

Wild Alaskan salmon as well as wild British Columbia salmon are in season right now and MarxFoods.com is seeking out new and exciting recipes and applications for their contest.

In a perfect world, I would tell you to eat any salmon you could get your hands on because the health benefits are so immense. Unfortunately, most of the salmon out there is "farm raised." Instead of living free in the open waters, farmed salmon are kept in captivity in close quarters. These "fish pens" are breeding ground for disease, therefore fish are sometimes fed antibiotics, which is not something I personally would want to ingest. They are also fed grain rather than EPA and DHA rich algae that salmon eat in their natural habitat, which makes them lower in the all-important omega-3 fatty acids. You can tell the difference in the way they taste. Farmed salmon have a strong, astringent flavor, and the texture leaves a little to be desired. So if you are lucky enough to be able to find wild salmon in your local stores make this your option of choice. If not I wouldn't want to steer you away from eating this "miracle" food with all its health benefits. It is important as a consumer to find out where your food is coming from...just be a smart consumer.

Please submit your favorite salmon recipe by Friday, June 20, 2008.

My daughter came over last night for our mother/daughter/movie/dinner night. With working all these late hours at the Easter Seal Camp for the summer this dish makes the perfect meal. I prepared the potato salad and the fish in the morning while it is still cool enough to have the stovetop and oven on. They are eaten at room temperature al fresco on the patio. Perfect for these long, lazy summer days with a nice glass of wine or in our case we started out with a Pina Colada!!

**Roast Salmon in Soothing Lemon Sauce with Potato and Green Bean Salad**

2-lb salmon fillet, preferably centre cut
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup chopped dill or mint
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place salmon on oiled baking sheet. Combine mustard, olive oil, mint or dil, garlic, lemon rind, sour cream or yogurt, salt and pepper. Spread on salmon and leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450F. Roast salmon for 12 - 15 minutes or until white juices just show on the base. Remove from oven and place sheet on a rack. Cool salmon. Remove salmon to serving platter and serve with Lemon Sauce.

**Lemon Sauce**

1 cup Greek yogurt or plain yogurt strained through cheesecloth to remove liquid
2 T lemon juice
1 T grated lemon zest
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh lemon balm or mint
salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

**Potato and Green Bean Salad**

1 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 T grainy Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1-lb small red potatoes, unpeeled
1/2-lb green beans, trimmed
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 T parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh dill or mint

Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and sugar. Slowly beat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Boil potatoes in cold salted water for 10 - 15 minutes. Drain well. Immediately toss with half of the vinegar-lemon dressing. Cook green beans for 2 - 3 minutes or until tender crisp. Drain and refresh with cold water. Pat dry and combine with remaining dressing. Toss green beans with potatoes. Stir in green onions, parsley and tarragon. Season well.
Best Blogger Tips

30 comments:

  1. Mmmmmm, this is so tempting. We are having a few very cold nights, but I am sure this meal will be superb alongside a log fire....

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love salmon - this is definitely a winning recipe and would get my vote!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The potatoes and green beans I can do, but the thought of 15lbs of salmon scares me!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks yummy Val but I am not sure where the salmon we eat comes from. I must definitely ask the next time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nothing I can get can compare to what we get when we visit our sons in Seattle and Portland.
    Looks like wonderful salmon and the sauce looks grand.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Isn't it sad what our food has come to. The farm industry does the same to it's beef, chicken and pork as well!

    That recipe looks so good Val! I have some frozen salmon form Costco that will work nicely with this!

    ReplyDelete
  7. All I can say is YUM. This looks really really good, Val.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJune 11, 2008

    All I can think of is the sauce soothing me....I want it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I do envy your local supply of wild salmon and the lemon sauce...balm..soothing..I get it! lol

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow this looks delicious and simple! I'm bookmarking it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a beautiful entry and the presentation is simply beautiful. I wish we could have more mother/daughter nights.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Al fresco and in your patio... that sounds as if you were living in Seville!!!! He, he I love salmon and have one recipe to post soon too.
    I get the picture of your daughter and you eating this wonderful dish with your piña colada and saying: THAT'S LIFE!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This looks absolutely phenomenal Val. It has several of my absolute favorites, too. I make a similar sauce for poached salmon, but it's not as complex as yours. I'll have to give your version a try!

    ReplyDelete
  14. A pina colada sounds like a great way to start a summery meal! I suppose you have to consider the pina colada as a decadent appetizer.

    This looks great- I'm a big salmon fan!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have been craving salmon, and this recipe sounds perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This looks delicious and I really like the sauce. I don't work with salmon much since, like you said, farm-raised leaves a lot to be desired, and unfortunately, that's what is normally available here. :-/

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'll have a large portion of that yummy looking salad please!

    What movie did you watch?

    ReplyDelete
  18. You had me at the word "soothing"!
    I LOVE salmon, but like you, are concerned about the farming, etc. That's why I would move to Alaska if I could get some cooperation around here!
    Beautiful recipe, Val! Even tho I entered that contest, I am thinking yours is a winner!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Val thanks for all the info abt the awards I just passed the awards to some blogger and to you.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Salmon and lemon -- I love it hot or cold. The sauce would make a great salad dressing, too, with chunks of salmon over some spinach. I think I'll try that!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I think my fav salmon recipe is barely a recipe at all, simply baked on lemons!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love your salmon recipe, Val. That sauce looks wonderful! We love salmon and try to eat it often, but I refuse to buy the farm-raised stuff. It's not easy to find nice wild salmon down here, so whenever I do see it - I grab it!

    I make a green bean/potato salad just like yours. It's a great Summer dish.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, your lemon sauce soothes me so! It looks divin. All creamy over the salmon.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Superb. That lemon sauce sounds terrific.

    ReplyDelete
  25. You have been tagged sis, so check my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  26. sis, I have tagged you.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love salmon, this dish looks just wonderful. The lemon sauce sounds delicious, I'll definitely have to try it sometime! :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. This sounds delicious - love the smell of lemon and fresh dill. I have yet to have grilled salmon this summer... i am going to have to get on that one.

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousJune 14, 2008

    I am adding your recipe to my huge TO MAKE file:) Great recipe!

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

This blog uses comment moderation therefore SPAMMERS, SELF-PROMOTERS and ADVERTISERS will be deleted.