Blackened Salmon Salad

Blackened Salmon Salad

Inspired by Chef Conway from the Old Brogue Irish Pub

Foodie for the Soul

This salmon dish is not only healthy but delicious. It has an Asian flare to it but you can certainly make it Cajun style and add 2 tablespoons of "Tony Chachere's" cajun seasoning instead of the ground ginger and the chinease spice seasoning. Don't let this dish intimidate you. It's very easy!

You will need a cookie tray with a sheet of foil on top greased, a baking dish for the salmon fillets, a large skillet to get that gorgeous "blackened" smoked look on your fish, and two bowls (one for your salad and one to toss the veggies in a marinade). 

Ingredients:

4 Salmon Fillets or 1.5 lbs of Atlantic Salmon

Store bought pre-sliced vegetable kabobs (I know for a fact they have them at whole foods in the produce section).

Mesclun lettuce mix

Grape Tomatoes sliced in half 

Any other veggie you might enjoy in your salad

Crumbled Feta cheese or Blue Cheese

2 tblsp Real Lemon Juice

1 tblsp of Butter

Salmon Dry Rub:

1 tsp of black pepper

2 tblsp of paprika

2 tblsp of garlic powder

1 tsp of 5 chinese spice seasoning

1/2 tblsp of ground ginger

1 tblsp of salt

1 1/2 tblsp chili powder

Vegetables for Salad:

Pre-sliced veggie kabobs

1 1/2 tblsp of worshestire sauce

1 1/2 tblsp of balsamic vinegar

2 tblesp of olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Dressing (courtesy of Chef Conway):

1 tblsp Brown Sugar

3 tblsp Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp Ground dry Ginger

1/2 tsp Chinese 5 Spice

1 tsp onion powder (or as original recipe which is 1 tblsp minced shallot)

1 tsp garlic powder (or as original recipe which is 1 tblsp fresh cut minced garlic)

1/2 cup olive oil

***Tip: For  the base of any dressing, always remember 2 parts oil to 1 part acid (such as vinegar, lemon juice, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Take apart the veggies on the kabob sticks and place in a bowl. Take out a cookie sheet out and place a sheet of foil over it (makes for easy clean up) and spray it with PAM or olive oil. In the bowl with the veggies, drizzle some olive oil, worshestire sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Arrange veggies on cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Combine the rub in a small bowl. Rinse the fish fillets with cold water. Pat dry, and sprinkle the 2 tblsps of lemon juice on the fish. Season each piece of fish with the dry rub. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tblsp of butter and 1/2 tblsp of olive oil.  Once the butter has melted, add the dish and cook about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to safe small baking dish and cook for another 4-6 minutes. 

While fish and veggies are in the oven, get the salad together and make the dressing. Let veggies cool before placing on top of salad, so greens do not wilt. Serve salmon fillet on each individually served portion and salad dressing in a gravy boat, leaving it to each individual's discretion on how much dressing they'd like to use. 

You will very much enjoy