Herb-roasted salmon, potatoes, carrots, and sugar snap peas

Now that vacation is over it's back to cooking for ourselves! Last night was too nice not to break out the grill, so burgers were on the menu. Tonight it was salmon with roasted vegetables. This recipe is tasty, healthy and requires every mixing bowl in your kitchen. The sauce has quite a kick and would be great as a stand alone dip. Now, on to the recipe . . .

First, the salmon is marinated in an oil, lemon juice, garlic and coriander mixture.

A quick sauce is then made from yogurt, thaini, oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon peel and an herb mixture of chives, dill and mint.

The vegetables are mixed with oil and coriander and roasted until tender. Finally, the salmon is roasted as the vegetables finish cooking.

Herb-Roasted Salmon, Potatoes, Carrots, and Sugar Snap Peas
Slightly modified from Bon Appetit
Serves 4

2 green onions, chopped (we used chives from the garden!)
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice, divided
2 cloves minced garlic, divided
1 tsp grated lemon peel, divided
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 Tbsp tahini
12 ounces fingerling potatoes, halved (we used baby yukon golds)
1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed
8 ounces sugar snap peas (we used snow peas)

Toss green onions, dill and mint in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel and half of coriander in a separate bowl. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and add to the marinade. Let salmon marinate for 15-20 minutes. Mix yogurt, thaini, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel in a small bowl. Stir in half of the herb mixture.

Position one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven; preheat oven to 400. Brush two large rimmed baking sheets with oil. Toss potatoes, carrots, remaining coriander and two tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Spread potato mixture on one baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on top oven rack until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Put the potatoes cut side down for best results.

Arrange salmon on second oiled sheet. When the 20 minutes are up, toss the snow peas in the remaining marinade, then add to the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to the lower oven rack and place the salmon on the upper rack. Roast until the salmon is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer salmon to plates. Mix remaining herb mixture into vegetables. Serve with salmon and yogurt sauce.

Lime and honey glazed salmon with basmati and broccolini

Any hardcore fan of Top Chef knows that broccolini is to be avoided at all costs, especially if you happen to be cooking on an airplane. However, my experience would indicate that it seems relatively safe at sea level. Broccolini looks pretty much like what it sounds like - small broccoli. It has a stalk about the width of asparagus and a small broccoli-shaped floret. The flavor is, not surprisingly, broccoli-like, but maybe a bit more mild, especially when raw. Introduced to the US in 1998 from Japan, broccolini is actually a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, or Chinese broccoli (thanks, Wikipedia!).

This recipe is a great one (or two) pot meal, coherently combining fish, rice and vegetables. The lime sauce pairs well with all three components and even works as a dip for snacking on the raw broccolini while you wait for the rice to cook. On to the recipe . . .

First, trim the ends off the broccolini and saute some shallots in olive oil until starting to brown.

Add the rice and broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. At this point, transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish. Cover and cook until the rice is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and cut into portions.

Once the rice is almost cooked through, nestle in the salmon and broccolini, topping with a bit of the lime sauce. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking.

Top everything with more of the lime sauce and enjoy!


Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini
Slightly modified from Bon Appetit
Serves 2

1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp lime peel
2 Tbsp honey
4 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
3/4 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 5-6 ounce salmon fillets
1 bunch broccolini, bottom inch trimmed

Preheat oven to 450. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Heat oil in ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. (We use a non-stick skillet for this step, then transfer the ingredients to a Pyrex dish before placing it in the oven.) Add shallots to skillet and saute until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then broth and bring to a boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid (or the Pyrex with tin foil) and bake about 15 minutes. Rice should be almost cooked through and most of the broth should be absorbed. If not, keep cooking until you reach this stage.

Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and place on rice. Tuck broccolini in around rice, with stems anchored in rice. Add 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each piece of salmon. Bake about 12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice.