Salmon with Mango Chimichurri + Weekly Menu

As Mr. Prevention and I (Lily, too!) were driving to the CSA farm yesterday, he said he had received a Groupon email notification for Lake Michigan salmon fishing. Naive little me had to do some research into this — I thought salmon was a salt water commodity only. Clearly, I’ve lived in the central states forever.

What I do know about salmon (fresh water varieties, I’m not sure about) is that 2 servings a week meets the recommended (DRI) amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. I also know that we’ve only been managing about 1 serving of fresh fish a week.

This salmon recipe jumped out at the page thanks to that bright mango chimichurri and quick preparation time. The yellow/orange and green are so beautiful together and the flavor combination was outstanding, especially served over the meaty salmon.

Being the foodie that I am, chimichurri is something I haven’t made before. It is designed to serve over grilled meat and uses the equation of oil + acid (citrus or vinegar) + fresh herb for its creation. So simple, so good…and so many possibilities.

I purchased a 2 pound piece of salmon that had not been pre-portioned because I find that easier to throw on the grill. The larger cut also seems to be the preferred way of selling wild caught salmon around here, which is totally fine by me. It makes for a fun presentation!

I served the salmon with sauteed green beans that had a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice along with some slow roasted fingerling potatoes that had been halved and tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

We’re serving salmon this week in the hospital cafeteria…I hope staff love it as much as me!

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Salmon with Mango Chimichurri from Martha Stewart

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 lbs skin-on salmon fillet

Directions:

Stir together mango, cilantro, red-pepper flakes, oil, and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Season salmon with salt and pepper and lightly brush with oil. Grill, skin side up, until salmon begins to turn opaque, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Once cooked, spoon chimichurri over top, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings (5 ounces salmon + ~1/3 cup chimichurri)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 374 calories; 22.5 g. fat; 93 mg. cholesterol; 172 mg. sodium; 6.5 g. carbohydrate; 0.83 g. fiber; 32.3 g. protein

Result: Summer meets salmon! This was my first chimichurri attempt and it was beyond simple. Fresh fruit + herb and oil…sign me up any day, especially when severed over a piece of flaky, grilled wild salmon chock full of omega 3 fatty acids. This meal is whole some and pairs well with nearly any side. This comes together in about 15-20 minutes and makes for a perfect weeknight meal with loads of flavor. Enjoy!

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Weekly Menu: July 14th – 19th

• Saturday: Parmesan Lemon Orzo with seared scallops
• Sunday: Foil Packet Fish over Greek Orzo
• Monday: Recipe Swap – Blogger’s Choice (i.e. it’s a secret for now!)
• Tuesday: leftovers
• Wednesday: ­Red Curry Lentils over brown basmati with naan
• Thursday: Shrimp Gyros

Other than grocery shopping and playing my first hockey game in MI, I’m not sure what’s on the agenda! In case you missed the Facebook update, Lily can swim…and there’s a cute photo of her in her life jacket!

Be well,