This year I finally got to meet my dear friend, Kelly Pfeiffer, in person. She’s the brilliant and talented cook and photographer behind the Nosh and Nourish blog. She’s also the author of two books. Her second book, Superfood Weeknight Meals, just came out a few days ago. And it’s just as fantastic as her first book. Superfood Weeknight Meals is basically the book I’ve been waiting for – all of my favorite foods turned into simple, healthy, 30-minute or less meals. Today I’m sharing Kelly’s incredible recipe for Thai Coconut Salmon Salad. You’ll definitely want to pay attention to this one! (Also, I’m giving a copy away! Scroll down for entry form!)
Kelly’s second book, like her first book, highlights 10 superfoods. This book incorporates quinoa, lentils, sweet potatoes, spinach, eggs, almonds, citrus fruits, avocado, olive oil, and cauliflower into the recipes. All of the recipes contain at least two superfoods. Maximum nutrition in each one – it doesn’t get much better than that! The recipes are creative and completely un-boring. I get tired of the same old, same old, so it’s really nice to have a bunch of new recipes to add to our rotation. I also deal with a few picky eaters at my house and it can be difficult to get them to eat their veggies, but Kelly’s recipes make it easier for me. There are recipes for tacos, pancakes (breakfast for dinner – my favorite!), soups, salads, and other main dishes. All are healthy and easy to make.
As I looked through Superfood Weeknight Meals, I was especially drawn to the Sensational Seafood chapter. We love, love, love seafood at our house, but I’ll be the first to admit I make fish the same way most of the time. It’s good, but totally boring. Know what’s not boring? Thai Coconut Salmon Salad. I’m excited to share this recipe with you – it was hard to pick just one, believe me! I have a bunch of wild-caught salmon in my freezer, and I knew that’s the recipe I needed to make.
I bought the salmon (almost) directly from an Alaskan fisherman. Frozen on the boat and delivered a day later. As fresh as I could possibly get! It was perfect for this salad. I broke a little from Kelly’s recipe – I didn’t cut this bigger piece into fillets. (The original recipe calls for smaller portioned salmon.) I also opted for baking the salmon in the oven instead of cooking it on the stovetop. (That was only because I already had my oven on. I think the stovetop is actually quicker.)
I love the simplicity of the flavors in this recipe. Like all of Kelly’s recipes, it relies on the use of fresh veggies and ingredients with tons of flavor. The salmon is brushed with Thai chili paste and a little oil. That’s it. The flavor of the fish really shines through. And there’s an almond butter dressing that is utterly delicious….sigh. (I could eat it by the spoonful.)
As for the salad, I really loved the combination of baby spinach, green cabbage, carrots, and cucumber, and the addition of coconut flakes, sliced almonds, and Kelly’s Quinoa-Lentil Blend. I think that’s one of my favorite parts of Superfood Weeknight Meals – she includes a recipe for this yummy blend that is cooked in a big batch for use throughout the week in some of the recipes.
By the way, I think this is brilliant. Quinoa and lentils together? I’ll say it again: brilliant! I often cook quinoa, brown rice, and black beans in big batches for the week, but I will forevermore use that Quinoa-Lentil Blend. It is tasty! (Side note: I found myself digging into it and eating a warm bowl with nothing more than a little spoonful of coconut oil. SO GOOD.)
Anyway, back to this salad!
The flavors and textures are spot on. We LOVED it. That dressing, I’m telling you! Such a good recipe. Everything we’ve tried from the book has been delicious. We’re trying the Quinoa & Corn Crab Chowder next. :)
I want to share the goodness, so I’m giving away a copy of Superfood Weeknight Meals. Enter using the form below. Giveaway runs through Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 11:59 PM MST. Open to US residents with a valid shipping address only. Enter once a day. Winner will be announced on December 14, 2016 on the entry form below and will be notified by email.
Thai Coconut Salmon Salad
from Superfood Weeknight Meals by Kelly Pfeiffer
Ingredients:
For salmon:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 fresh wild salmon fillets (5 ounces or 140 g each), or frozen and thawed
1 tablespoon (15 g) Thai chili paste
For dressing:
2 tablespoons (32 g) creamy almond butter
2 tablespoons (28 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (28 ml) sesame oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
1 tablespoon (20 g) pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon (10 g) minced garlic
For Salad:
6 cups (180 g) fresh baby spinach
1 cup (90 g) diced green cabbage
1 cup (110 g) grated carrots
1/2 cup (96 g) Quinoa-Lentil Blend (see notes)
1/2 cup (70 g) diced cucumber
1/2 cup (30 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup (46 g) sliced almonds
Instructions:
To make the salmon: In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the salmon fillets and sear for 3 minutes on one side. Brush the Thai chili paste on the fillets and then flip. Sear the other side for 4 minutes. Flip once more and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more until the salmon is opaque and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
To make the dressing: In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the almond butter, olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and garlic until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
To make the spinach salad: In a large salad bowl, toss together the spinach, cabbage, carrots, Quinoa-Lentil Blend, cucumber, coconut, and almonds. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Portion the salad into 4 individual serving bowls and top each serving with half of a salmon fillet.
Yield: 4 servings
Notes:
-To make Quinoa-Lentil Blend: Place 2 cups (346 g) dry quinoa, 3/4 cup (144 g) red lentils or green lentils, 2 cups (475 ml) chicken or vegetable broth, and 2 cups (475 ml) water into a rice cooker and cook. Alternatively, place the ingredients together in a large saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Partially cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Yield: 6 cups (1.2 kg)
-I used a larger piece of salmon and divided it before placing on salad.
-I also added a little salt to the dressing because my almond butter was unsalted.
