BDHQ Eats - Summer Salmon and Citrus Salad

What a mighty alliterative title. A bit of a tongue twister too. Well, believe me friends, the meal I'm about to throw down will spin your tongue into a twist too, in the most delightful of fashions.

When I think summer cooking I think fresh, flavourful and fast. I love cooking, but don't want to be spending an onerous amount of time sweating it out in a steamy kitchen. I whipped up this baked salmon and fennel, grapefruit and avocado salad in about 30 minutes. There's not a lot of prep, so just get the salmon in the oven, and toss the salad together while it bakes.

Please note that all measurements are approximate, and you may want to adjust to suit your taste. This made enough for me for two meals.

Baked Salmon with Almonds and Goat Cheese

1 small salmon fillet
spritz of olive oil *
1/4 tsp honey
1/8 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp sliced almonds, crushed fine
1 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
pepper

Place salmon fillet skin side down on a parchment lined baking dish. Spritz with olive oil. Drizzle with honey, then dust with mustard powder and a little pepper. Coat with crushed almonds and crumbled goat cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

While salmon is baking, prepare the salad.

Fennel, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

1 ruby grapefruit, peel and pith removed
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin**
1/2 large avocado, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup watercress

1/6 cup fresh orange juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
1.5 tbsp olive oil or flax oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp hemp hearts
1/2 tsp raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp black sesame seeds

Cut between grapefruit into segments by slicing between section membranes.

Place watercress on plate and spread fennel on top. Arrange grapefruit and avocado slices on top.

Whisk orange and lemon juices, oils, honey, orange and lemon peels, ginger, sesame oil and mustard powder together. 

Drizzle with dressing, and garnish with seeds and hemp hearts.


* My olive oil sprayer is one of my most used kitchen tools. I've had this one for close to a decade. Super handy, fairly cheap, and almost always available at Winner.

** If you have a mandoline, this would be a good time to bust it out. You want that fennel thin like an Olsen Twin.