Southwestern salmon

(Parents magazine, May 2006)

This is one of those recipes that I make and then think, “Where have you been my whole life?” And then I look at the date on the bottom of the magazine page on which it’s printed and I realize that it’s been sitting in my pile of “recipes to try” for the past two and one half years. Two and a half years! I’ve had this loose magazine page for longer than I’ve had my elder son! At any rate, I’m just glad that I didn’t throw the recipe away in a fit of exasperation with all my clutter. Very easy, and very good. Serve it with Mexican-style rice, nachos, or quesadillas on the side. You can also add shredded lettuce and avocado to the corn and beans after they're cooked for a little green.

Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

You need:
4 salmon filets, about 4 to 5 oz. each
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
½ tsp. cumin
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained
1 can (11 oz.) corn kernels, drained
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro [more, if you love it as much as I do]
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/3 c. mild salsa
2 Tbs. butter

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Place salmon filets on prepared baking sheet. Cook in oven until salmon is firm to the touch (about 10 minutes per 1-inch thickness). [I always use the flake test: The salmon should flake when pressed with a fork. And I always cook at 400 degrees; 375 doesn't work for me.]
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add cumin and cook 1 minute. Stir in black beans and corn. Cook to heat through. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
3. In a small bowl, combine salsa and butter. Microwave for 1 minute, or until butter melts.
4. Serve salmon filets atop corn and beans, then spoon sauce over salmon filets.

Nutrition per serving: 398 cal; 28g protein; 23g fat; 21g carb; 48mg calcium; 4g fiber

Stuffed leek leaves

(This recipe comes from Miriam. "Comes from," as in, "completely made it up herself." I'm posting it with her comments, and I can't wait to try it! Thanks for the submission, Miriam!)

** I labelled this as vegetarian, even though it contains fish. Does anyone have a better label?

This meal is super easy and truly delicious. What's really good about this recipe is that it's a good combination of sweet, from the dried fruit, savory from the onion and salmon, spicy from the ginger and pepper, bitter from the parsley, and well-textured from the crunchy veggies, the moist cous cous, and soft leaves.

Ingredients: 2-3 large leeks

Stuffing: 1 cup of finely chopped onion, sauteed
about 1 cup each of the following, chopped:
flat leaf parsley
carrots
prunes or other dried fruit
celery
cucumber
red or green pepper
about 1/2 cup ginger
1 cup of cooked cous cous (I used garlic and herb instant cous cous)
1 piece of cooked fish, like salmon or shellfish
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

tomato sauce (I used a canned tomato, onion, garlic sauce)
olive oil (optional)

Preparation: Clean, trim, and cut the leeks into 2 -1/2-in. long pieces. Make a slit along one side of the leek through to the center and separate the leaves.

Combine the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Place a leek leaf on a work surface. Spread about a tablespoon of stuffing in the center of the leek. Roll the leaf up like a cigar, securing it with a toothpick if necessary. Line rolls up in a baking pan. Brush leaves with oil. Pour your favorite tomato sauce over the rolls.

For added moisture and flavor, drizzle olive oil over. Bake at 400 deg. for 20 minutes or until leeks are soft.

Lime-Cilantro marinade/topping

(From Parents magazine, but I sure can't remember which issue.)

Whisk together 2 Tbsp each seasoned rice vinegar, lime juice, and soy sauce with 1 Tbsp chooped cilantro and 1 tsp grated ginger. Whisk in 1/3 cup canola oil. Makes 2/3 cup.

For 12 or fewer ounces of meat, reduce recipe by half.

The recipe says to use this with fish or pork. I haven't tried it with pork yet, but I have put it on salmon a few times and it is so tasty. Just pour over salmon prior to baking at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes (salmon is done when it flakes when pressed with a fork, evidently).

You can also bake or grill your salmon as desired and top with this after. That way the cilantro isn't all wilted. However, letting the salmon bake in this really helps the fish absorb the flavors from the lime.

I've also omitted the ginger a couple times, as I don't typically have ginger just laying around the kitchen. The ginger makes it even tastier, but is by no means necessary.

If I haven't made it clear how tasty this is, let me share this anecdote: I made this recently for a friend who had gotten food poisoning from salmon years ago (I didn't know!) and so only ate a couple bites of salmon off of others plates; she couldn't stand to eat a whole fillet herself. She liked it so much that she asked for the recipe and in doing so inspired me to revive Kuchenspiel. Thanks, Lexie!