Salmon Encore

I seem to be stuck on a theme here. Salmon, salmon and more salmon. What is it about this orange fleshed fish that makes it so addictive? For me, eating is first and foremost about the senses, and this fish has them all. The color draws me in like those of a Gaugin painting. Odd that a fish of the cold northern waters should be reminiscent of the tropical scenes of a French painter, but who am I to argue with color? The flavor can stand on its own, unadorned except for a squeeze of lemon. Or you can dress it up in something more sophisticated - the satiny texture of a sauce dotted with dill, for instance. Or something a little more rustic, such as the rub I wrote about last time.

But here's the thing: If you're cooking for one, as I often am, there's always that leftover portion. Now, some people feel that fish will not withstand even a day in the fridge. I find that if wrapped well, fish can stand up to 3 days in the fridge with little or no degrading of flavor. Of course, this pre-supposes that you've started with the very freshest fish.

In my clinic, which I share with others, we have a rule that we cannot heat fish in the microwave for lunch. It makes the room smell like fish, and there will be patients who will be using that room when we're done with lunch. So the obvious answer here is salmon salad. I adore salads, especially when the weather is warm. I have gone in two different directions with my salads - one direction is to throw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink in it, and the other is to keep it simple. I like both approaches, but this time I chose the simplicity, if for no other reason than to allow the salmon to take center stage again. The star of the show shouldn't have to worry if she's being upstaged by a bit player, should she?

For this salad, I decided to keep the Northwest theme going. I was in Trader Joe's and saw a box of blueberries. It winked at me. No, really, I swear it winked at me! What was I to do? I looked at those deep blue berries and thought how beautiful they'd look next to my salmon. I was building my palette. I had been whittling away at a jicama for a couple of days, and decided that a bag of baby spring mix salad would provide the perfect, dark purple and green background for this painting.
For the dressing, I kept it simple.....Some olive oil, a touch of sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.

I decided that the salad needed a side dish -- something thicker and denser. So I picked up some garlic hummus and those wonderful pita chips - this time just toasted with some sesame seeds. Yes, this was a meal which was made mostly with stuff I bought at TJs. The salmon was my only addition. But you know what? Sometimes, that's all this girl wants.
For more health news, visit Mission Valley Acupuncture

For a place to share what natural remedies work for you, visit Second Opinion