During the long winter season we crave fresh greens, veggies, fruits and most of all barbecue. Unfortunately, there’s still more winter ahead of us so if you can’t wait any longer to eat your favorite spring foods, here’s a favorite recipe that will mimic your favorite spring flavors and cure your barbecue blues.
Salmon is a great winter staple (or any season, in my opinion)— it’s most always available, frozen or fresh. In the winter I like to pair a baked or broiled salmon with roasted broccoli or cauliflower, a winter salad with goat cheese and cranberries or with an asian rice with a sticky teriyaki soy sauce. But lets kick aside the heavy winter sides and get the fresh spring flavors on our plate.
This recipe is for a delicious baked barbecue salmon with a light green mango salad. If you don’t care for salmon, you can substitute with any meat or tofu patty. Mmmm!
You will need:
- salmon fillets
- 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 large unripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp chopped mint
The salad is simple: In a large bowl, whisk the lime zest and lime juice with the rice vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. Whisk in the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced green mango, cucumber, cilantro, mint and 1 tablespoon of the roasted sesame seeds. Chill until salmon is done. Add the chopped cilantro and mint just before serving. Voila!
Baked barbecue salmon: Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Place the salmon fillets in a pan or on a baking sheet. You may want to place some aluminum foil on the pan for easy cleanup. Use your favorite barbecue sauce, or make your own, to brush on the fillets. Brush as much or as little to your preference. Bake at 375 until the fish is done, varying from 20-45 minutes based on your preference and thickness of the fillets.
Transfer the salmon fillets to plates and sprinkle them with the remaining sesame seeds. Serve atop or next to the mango salad.
If this recipe doesn’t get you out of your barbecue blues and into a springtime mood, I’m not sure what will. Bon a petit!
