sesame seared wild salmon over a bowl of quinoa, leeks, kale + broccoli

Sometimes I get caught up on coming up with unique recipes for this blog, that I get away from the real deal food I eat on a daily or weekly basis. Not today.

This meal right here is pretty much our go-to Monday night meal, especially this time of year when we're in the peak of wild salmon season. It's feel good food that is easy to make and hits all the right notes of flavor and health to makes this one of my favorite at home. A great dinner for just the two of us.

Since I post mostly vegan and vegetarian recipes on this blog, I thought twice about posting a seafood recipe here, but this blog is really all about overall health, and wild salmon is one of the healthiest foods on the planet.  

Wild salmon is so good for you. You know this. Loaded with Omega3's, wild salmon is straight up food for your brain. When looking for salmon, the only word you need to look for is WILD. None of this organic farmed salmon. There simply is no such thing as "organic" salmon.   

I am pretty picky about my seafood, just like I am my produce and most other things I eat and prepare. I eat salmon because of all of the health benefits, but I stay away from many other types of seafood, especially farmed seafood and deep water fish that contain high levels of mercury. 

It's all about being a conscience eater and knowing exactly where your food comes from before it makes it's way back to your kitchen. 

 

For my vegan and vegetarian friends, you can make this as a warm quinoa salad and omit the salmon all together. On days I cannot find a good piece of wild salmon, that's what I do. I am kind of addicted to the ginger sesame dressing that goes over this dish. You can put that dressing over anything and it will make it feel like a special meal.

sesame seared wild salmon over a bowl of quinoa, leeks, kale + broccoli

Serves
two people

Ingredients

2 6oz pieces of wild Alaskan salmon
1 eggs white
the juice of 1 lemon
salt + pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup of black + white sesame seeds
1-2 tablespoons of sunflower oil (or another high-heat oil) 

1 cup of quinoa, cooked
1/2 of a leek, white and green parts cleaned well and diced
1 bunch of kale, chopped
about 2 cups of broccoli florets 
1-2 tablespoons of sunflower oil (or another high-heat oil) 

about a 1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
salt + pepper

Method

Prepare the salmon

• Rinse the salmon and pat it dry. Then squeeze a little lemon juice over each piece of salmon and season with salt and pepper. Brush a thin layer of egg white over the top and sides of the salmon and sprinkle the sesame seeds all over. Place in the fridge while you cook the vegetables. 

Cook the leeks + broccoli, make the dressing

• Heat the oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat and add the leeks. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and then add in the broccoli. Sauté for about 10 minutes until the leeks are soft and starting to brown and the broccoli is browning on the edges. 
• While you're cooking the leeks and broccoli, make the dressing. Whish together the ginger, garlic, olive oil, sesame oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper (to taste) until emulsified. Taste and adjust and seasoning necessary. 
• In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and toss with the chopped kale, and the cooked leeks and broccoli. Add in the dressing reserving a little to finish the salmon. Toss to combine everything and set aside while you cook the salmon. 

Sear the salmon

• Using the same cast iron pan, cover the bottom of the pan with the oil and heat at medium-high. You want to make sure the pan is nice and hot before you add the salmon. 
• Add the salmon skin side up and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook for another 8-10 minutes. I prefer to cook my salmon to medium rare, but if you want it more well done cook for a little longer. I know it's done when the sides are cooked through and it easily flakes apart. You can usually pick up the layers to see how done the salmon is without having to make a cut down the middle. 

Assemble the dish

• Remove the skin from the salmon (if you like). Plate the quinoa broccoli mixture in two bowls and add the salmon on top and finish with the remaining dressing over the salmon.