Go on, Get Wild!

Salmon is the super man of the sea. Loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids it is proven to be a natural way to fight against far-too common diseases like heart disease, diabetes and obesity. But that isn’t the only reason salmon is making an appearance in my kitchen lately. Super salmon is also super delicious which makes it a go to protein.

Unfortunately, the majority of farm raised salmon is fed a poor diet including corn (huh?) and a whole lot of other nonsense which makes it far less nutrient dense and not as tasty. Many salmon “factories” are putting red food coloring in the poor little fishes to make them appear super nutrient rich. I don’t know about you but I want my food to taste good… and real… like it should. So, I only purchase wild salmon whenever possible.

This recipe highlights a beautiful piece of wild salmon laced with southwestern spice. The pistachio is a Middle Eastern nut, but hopefully you trust me by now. Pistachios in the rice pilaf and lemon in the guacamole give this dish depth and a little twist.

Let’s put it this way, my taste tester said this salmon dish should be the first item we put on our future restaurant menu. I say that is a seal of approval.

So go on and get wild in the kitchen tonight!

Recipe makes 4 servings 

Time in kitchen: 1 hour 

Nutrition information per serving: 520 calories, 45 carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber

Pistachio Brown Rice Pilaf:


Ingredients: 
2 cups dry brown rice, rinsed
3 ¾ cups water (or low-sodium organic vegetable stock)
Heavy pinch of kosher salt
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
¼ cup pistachios

Rinse the rice and then cook according to package directions. Use slightly less water than the package says (about ¼ cup less) for fluffy rice. When the rice is done, fluff with a fork. Mix in salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, chopped baby spinach and pistachios.

Grilled Wild Salmon: 

 
Ingredients: 
1 lb wild Alaskan salmon (4, 4 oz filets)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon Mexican chili powder
½ teaspoon chipotle powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat grill pan on medium high. Mix olive oil with salt and spices; slather filets with mixture. Allow the salmon to marinade in the spice mixture for at least five minutes. Place the fish on the flesh side first; about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Flip filets and grill skin side down; about 5 minutes until skin is crispy and fish is medium (I like it slightly pink in the middle).

Lemon Guacamole: 

 
Ingredients: 
2 ripe avocados (any varietal)
The juice of one lemon
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste

Cut avocados in half and remove the seed. Scoop out flesh and mix with lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper (to taste).