Salmon with Orange and Black Olive Salsa

Maybe it is living in the US southwest, maybe it is summer heat, but somewhere along the way, I’ve developed a keen taste for fresh salsa not as a condiment for Mexican foods, but as a zesty way to dress up grilled and roasted fish fillets. Or chicken and pork tenderloin.

In this case, salmon.

Juicy orange, kalamata olives and garden-fresh basil join together in flavorful harmony enhancing the pleasure of every bite atop grilled salmon. No grill? No problem, simply roast the salmon fillet in the oven.

I like to serve this with CMF Rice or CMF Quinoa with the crunch of toasted pecans.

I’ve even served it with Quinoa Tabbouleh for a colorful summertime dinner. Add a spinach salad with sliced red bell peppers or grated carrots and toasted sunflowers seeds and dinner is a visual and tasty delight.

For dessert, Epicurious: Plum Kuchen

Variations:

  • Cilantro or parsley instead of basil
  • With or without olives
  • Green onion instead of red onion
Salmon with Orange Olive Salsa
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Salmon with Orange Olive Salsa
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Peel oranges, cut in slices removing center, and dice into small pieces. Place in a medium mixing bowl.
  3. Chop black olives and add to oranges. Add chopped olives, basil, green onions, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
  4. Mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Roast salmon in oven for 12 minutes or until center is barely cooked. Remove from oven and let rest a few minutes.
  6. Serve with orange olive salsa on top.
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Orange and Pineapple Medley with Mint

Simple and fresh, it dresses up a table and makes taste buds happy.
This recipe is part of Father’s Day (or anytime) Brunch menu.

It can easily become dessert with a scoop of orange or mango sorbet and a dollop of whipped coconut cream

Orange and Pineapple Medley with Mint
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Orange and Pineapple Medley with Mint
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Cut oranges into bite-size cubes.
  2. Cut pineapple into bites-size cubes.
  3. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill at least one hour.
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Spinach Orange Salad

Spinach is a powerful super food, as are onions and oranges.

[su_expanding_quote_without_link source=”SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt M.D. and Kathy Matthews” full_quote=”Citrus flavonoids are found in the fruit’s tissue, juice, pulp and skin and have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth, strengthen capillaries, act as anti-inflammatories and they are antiallergenic and antimicrobial. Flavonoid intake is inversely associated with the incidence of heart attack and stroke as well as a host of other ailments. ” short_quote=”Citrus flavonoids found in the fruit’s tissue, juice, pulp and skin and have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth”]
Spinach Orange Salad
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Spinach Orange Salad
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
Salad
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Instructions
Dressing
  1. Whisk fresh orange juice, apple cider vinegar, orange zest and red onion in little bowl to blend.
  2. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of olive oil.
Salad
  1. In a large bowl, toss spinach with orange segments and half of black olives.
  2. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat lightly.
  3. Sprinkle remaining olives on top and serve.
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Zesty Green Salad Packs a Healthy Punch

Mixed Green Salad with Oranges, Dried Cranberries and Pecans is one of my favorite salads from Epicurious.com

I was tempted to skip soaking the cranberries in orange juice, but it’s worth that extra step. It take the salad from good to extraordinary. I seriously altered the salad dressing, but I always do—I like my salads to have punch.

Cranberries are high on lists of healthy foods because of their antioxidant content. This combination of cranberries, oranges, greens and nuts provides a significant healthy boost. I’ve also used spinach, and finely sliced kale instead of mixed baby greens. And any nut or seed (sunflower, pumpkin) can replace the pecans.

Mixed Green Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
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Mixed Green Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Bring 1/2 cup orange juice to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in dried cranberries. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain well; reserve juice.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, orange peel and the juice the cranberries soaked in. Mix in cranberries. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
  3. Place greens in large bowl. Toss with 2/3 of dressing. Add orange segments to bowl, reserving a handful of pieces. Add pecans, reserving about 2 tablespoons. Toss with remaining dressing. Top salad reserved orange segments and pecans.
Recipe Notes

Optional: After tossing salad in the bowl, spread it on a platter, arrange reserved orange slices decoratively on top and sprinkle with pecans. The platter makes a prettier presentation.

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