Mom’s Healthy Recipe for May 2014

Lemony Lentil Side Dish with Seared Salmon

 

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup of lemon juice (Juice from One Lemon)
  • 2 teaspoons of golden brown mustard*
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – enough to coat the pan to simmer everything. Approximately 3 – 4 tbsps
  • 1 poblano pepper (seeded and diced)
  • 4 or 5 large crimini mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
  • 1 zucchini (scrubbed and diced- not too small you don’t want the pieces to get too mushy)
  • ½ onion
  • 1 tbsp of capers (and a little of the juice)
  • ½ tsp white or black pepper
  • 2 cups cooked brown, green or red lentils (see Tip**) or (1) 15-ounce can lentils (drained and rinsed). To keep sodium to a minimum you may prefer to use your own fresh lentils
  • 4 pieces of cooked & seared salmon to serve with this dish – see salmon prep tip below
  • Cooked brown rice to serve along side.

* When preparing this you can choose whichever mustard you prefer,  although I was going for the lower of the sodium choices here when testing this recipe, and the dijon had more than the golden brown in my pantry.

** Soak dry lentils for half hour, rinse and drain. Then to cook lentils: Place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 20 – 30 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Directions:
Sautee onions, mushrooms in olive oil. Add mustard, lemon juice and capers. Toss in peppers and lentils. Allow to simmer until zucchini is tender, don’t allow to over cook.

Prepare the Salmon Separately:
Allow salmon to marinate in a bowl before cooking. If you’re watching your sodium content use fresh garlic, shredded onion (to allow the juice without large pieces) & your favorite seasonings, I like paprika with olive oil to marinate. If you’re not concerned for your sodium levels try marinating the salmon in soy sauce, then drain the soy sauce off before cooking.

In a hot skillet with olive oil, allow the salmon to sear and cook, flipping only once. This will give it a nice crisp layer on each side. Use a fork to see the level of which the salmon is cooked to your taste. Set along side the lemon-lentil side. Serve with brown rice.

 

Have you read Mom’s May 2014 Article…Under Pressure