Salmon with Peachy Quinoa

I spent a little time with Cooking channel’s Brigitte Nguyen this weekend, and after tasting her Chocolate Coconut Rum Cake, I contemplated erasing the entire cooking category from this blog since, let’s be honest, it’s hardly my forte. But besides wowing me with her culinary skills, Brigitte’s passion for food reminded me that cooking is one beautiful way to take care of a family–regardless of how gifted {or challenged} the cook may be! In that vein, I thought I’d share one of my new favorite summer recipes, courtesy of Parents magazine.

I first bought quinoa because I kept seeing references to it being the “Supergrain of the Future” and among the “World’s Healthiest Foods.” Turns out this protein-packed grain contains all nine essential amino acids, twice the fiber of most other grains, and impressive quantities of iron, magnesium, manganese, riboflavin, and lysine. Unfortunately, my kids haven’t been terribly impressed. But throw in chunks of sweet summer peaches and a tangy homemade vinaigrette and suddenly quinoa’s got a fighting chance!

Uncooked, quinoa is a very small grain and requires a fine mesh sieve for rinsing.

Ingredients:
½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 Tbs. minced shallot (I left this out to make it a little more kid-friendly)
1 ½ tsp. honey
¾ tsp. grated fresh ginger
¼ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 peach, peeled, pitted, and chopped (I used 2 peaches)
½ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped (I used red because it’s sweeter)
4 (4oz) fresh salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick

Method:
1). In a saucepan, combine quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Place quinoa in a medium bowl; let cool slightly.
2). Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the lime juice, shallot, honey, ginger, and salt. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside 1 Tbs. of the mixture in a shallow dish. Then stir the peach, bell pepper, and remaining lime-shallot vinaigrette into the quinoa.
3). Coat the salmon with vinaigrette mixture in a dish. (If I were you, I’d marinade it overnight in the vinaigrette). Grill the salmon on a greased grill rack, or in a heavy nonstick skillet, over medium heat for 8-12 minutes or until the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Be sure to turn over halfway through grilling. Serve salmon with the fruity quinoa pilaf.

Nutrition per serving:
328 calories, 26 g protein, 15g fat (2 g saturated fat), 21g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g sugar, 30 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 198 mg sodium