Rhea's Rundown
This salad is not only as delicious and healthy as it looks, it’s also a great example of clean eating. By now, you should be familiar with the basics of clean eating. If you missed my last two columns or if you just need a refresher, here’s a recap: eat whole foods, avoid processed foods and refined sugars, cook your own meals, and eat balanced meals. This salad exemplifies all these things, particularly the last one. Combine protein with carbs to make sure a meal is balanced; it will ensure more satisfaction, less hunger pangs, and ultimately less temptation to eat junk food. Best of all, this salad is super easy to make.
Cooking the main components of the salad is a cinch. Just be careful not to overcook the potatoes; you don’t want them to fall apart. I left mine just slightly on the firm side; the recommended time worked perfectly for me. I modified the instructions to blanch the asparagus because I find it to be the easiest and fastest way; however, choose any method you prefer. I also did not peel my potatoes. The only thing that requires a little more work is the tomato vinaigrette, but it is so worth it. I can’t say enough good things about the flavors of the vinaigrette (tomato, lemon, orange, dill) and how well it pairs with the salad. If you absolutely must use an alternative dressing I would recommend one that already has herbs it in, or to have fresh herbs on hand.
Ingredients – Serves 4
- 1 lb. skinless wild salmon
- 1 lb. small red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed
- ¾ lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
- 10 ounces of mixed baby salad greens
- 3 green onions, white and tender parts, thinly sliced
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Sun dried tomato vinaigrette (see below)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Season the salmon generously with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in a baking pan and roast until opaque throughout (should flake apart with fork), 10-12 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel and cut into slices ½ inch thick.
4. In a large saucepan ing a few tablespoons of water to boil. Put asparagus in water, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the asparagus is ight in color and cooked to desired amount of tenderness.
5. Cut the salmon into 1-inch chunks.
6. In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Add the asparagus and potatoes along with remaining vinaigrette and greens onions and toss gently. Add the salmon pieces on top and toss gently once or twice.
Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients – Makes about ¾ cup
- 4 dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Boiling water as needed
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl, pour over boiling water to cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain the tomatoes and finely dice.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, dill, orange zest, garlic, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt, and a grinding or two of pepper until blended.
Adapted from: Jacobi, Dana. “Salmon, Potato & Asparagus Salad.” Good for You: Easy, Healthy Recipes for Every Day.” Weldon Owen, Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. California: San Francisco, 2013: Print.
Rhea Torreon
