My first recipe to share!

I made a very yummy AND nutritious meal tonight.  My entire family ate happily, which is such a bonus.  It looked pretty, tasted great and wasn't too time consuming.  It took me a bit longer than normal because I was trying a few new recipes.  Next time I make this I think it will be a 30 minute meal.

It was filled with great proteins so I won't be lingering around the pantry at 9pm, knowing I shouldn't eat, but filling compelled to have a bite of something :)

Here was the menu:

Baked salmon with strawberry salsa- sounds random, but is amazing!  Ask my son :)

Quinoa pilaf

Roasted asparagus

Start with the pilaf...  I adapted this recipe from Americas Test Kitchen Cookbook

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped fine

1 onion, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried

salt

2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained (place in a fine mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear)

1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped coarse

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the apple, onion, sugar, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the drained quinoa and cook until it is just beginning to turn golden, about 4 minutes.

2. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the quinoa is tender with a slight crunch, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove the cover from the saucepan and continue to cook the quinoa until the remaining liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.  Off the heat, let the pilaf stand for 5 minutes.  Gently stir in the toasted pecans and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I didn't have pecans or parsley, so I chopped a bit of cilantro and it tasted great. I also forgot to add any salt of pepper throughout the entire recipe and I didn't think it was missing any flavor.  I did use my homemade chicken broth which I think makes anything taste better.

Once the pilaf is simmering away, start the strawberry salsa. I am using the recipe I found at Annie Eats blog.  I didn't cook my salmon the same way. I used a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  This way I could stick in my asparagus for the last 3 minutes.

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

Ingredients:

For the salsa:

2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 scallions, white and green portions, sliced thin

1 tsp. fresh parsley, minced ( I used cilantro instead and it tasted great)

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle of honey

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

To make the salsa, combine the strawberries, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.  Mix well to blend, then cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salmon.

Preheat the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the salmon fillets on the foil.  Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over each fillet, and season with salt and pepper.  Broil about 6-8 inches away from heat source (in my oven, this is upper middle rack).  Cook about 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of the fillets, checking for doneness.  Transfer the salmon to serving plates and top with strawberry salsa.  Serve warm.

While the salmon is cooking prepare the asparagus.  Cut off and discard the bottom third off the asparagus bundle.  Lay them flat on a sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Use your hands to mix them up to coat each stalk equally.  Lay them flat again.  Cook in a 400 degree oven for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of your stalks.  I like mine with a crunch.  I find that they are perfectly cooked when I smell the asparagus in the oven.  I have an unusually strong sense of smell, so this trick might only work for some :)

Once out of the oven, use a micro plane grater and grate parmesan cheese on top.  

You are ready to serve!  I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family did!