I'm a big fan of salmon. I grew up on the West coast, so it's ingrained in my culinary formative years. I don't tend to eat much meat these days. Especially seafood that's not great in this regional area. But it's my go-to when I need a pick-me-up or a fun reason to break out the kitchen gadgets. Like today, when all I could think of was firing up the barbecue. I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to make when I barbecued salmon with lemon and onion slices. Although I've been making a lot of couscous and cauliflower over the last couple of months. It all started with a Moroccan-inspired Christmas. It might be spring, so something bright and refreshing on the barbecue is in order. But salmon salad is one of my favorite dishes and a great, relatively simple dish to toss together.
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Variations of Salmon Salad
I make a plethora of salmon salads. I'll eat a lot of salads without "a protein." Especially since things like spinach have an enormous amount of protein in them. As well as a lot salads with tofu or other ingredients as the star of the show. But every now and then I like to splurge on salmon and whatever fruits and vegetables look best at the time. Today, I ended up with couscous, cauliflower, poblano peppers, garlic, yellow summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Although salads are a great dish to mix and match to make your own. There are plenty of fruits, vegetables, and seasonings that pair incredibly well with salmon fillet. Anything from lettuce and quinoa to rice, vermicelli, and any grains, legumes, or produce of choice are a great fit.
This Salmon Salad consists of poblano pepper, garlic, Moroccan and pearl couscous, tahini, honey, yellow summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. With a seasoning of smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cloves, salt, and pepper. Although you can easily mix and match the produce and spices to your own personal tastes and preferences or what you have on hand.
Let the salmon rest until it reaches room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat barbecue to medium heat.I grilled a rather large salmon, so I turned all 4 burners to medium. For smaller fillets, either cut the temperature or cooking time slightly. Although the same basic principles will apply, regardless of size.
Place salmon skin-side down on a griddle or baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add a dash of salt and pepper. Slice a lemon and half of an onion. Place evenly on top of the salmon.
Bake salmon for 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon begins to flake. Salmon tends to be cooked when it loses the bright color and you can take a fork and it easily separates. Larger cuts of salmon may take upwards of 20 minutes. Smaller, individual portions may take less time. It's best to begin checking after 10 minutes of cooking and adjust the cooking time to the doneness of your filet.
Couscous
Add all of the ingredients into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger vegetables and then add the smaller ingredients, top with spices, and then add the couscous and water.This cooks the larger vegetables on the bottom, while dispersing the flavor profiles in the middle. Although with some mixing, this really doesn't matter all that much. Everything will eventually cook together!
Press the cook button on the rice cooker. It should take about 45 minutes to cook.
When the couscous is fully cooked, let sit for 10 minutes, and then fluff with a wooden spoon.Do not use a fork or other metal utensil. It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach Teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom.
Assemble Salad
Place couscous on a plate. Add salmon, summer squash, tomatoes, avocado, and a dash of salt and pepper.
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