Salmon Avocado Salad

I love going out to eat. Usually this means I'm not on my couch and am socializing with friends so that's a plus but I also love trying something new that someone else has prepared for me. So I usually try to get something that I wouldn't make at home. Salmon is something I make all the time so when I go out and find myself thinking "ooo the salmon looks good", I have to take a minute to decide if I really want salmon or something new and exciting.

I had this salad at a local restaurant recently and decided to give it a go because although it had salmon, it had avocado, bacon and goat cheese which I wouldn't normally pair with salmon. Technically, this was a Cobb salad but I asked for no egg (that was pushing the mixing limits) so not a Cobb salad anymore.

Making this at home, I stripped it down to the bones: salmon, avocado, goat cheese. So simple and yet so delicious. I roasted the salmon in the oven like I would normally do but then added it to a bed of spinach. The last step, the day of consumption, was adding the avocado and goat cheese. I warmed the salad up in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften the cheese and warm the salmon to perfection.

Personally, I was fine eating this without a dressing but it was originally served with a honey mustard vinaigrette. Adding this to my meal rotation is an easy thing to do since it just requires baking the salmon and then assembling. Go!

Sunday Reading: The Perfect Portion Cookbook

A couple weeks ago, I was approached to take a look at a new cookbook that was being released, The Perfect Portion Cookbook by Anson Williams, Bob Warden and Mona Dolgov. Initially, I was hesitant. Whenever I hear something about portions or 100-calories, I think of portion control and diets within a specific calorie count.

But, you know what they say, "Never judge a book by its cover" (--er, its title, its cover looks delicious). And I have to say, I'm glad I gave it a go. The cookbook is very informative on what qualifies as a 'portion' when you're cooking food at home and there isn't a handy nutrition label to tell you. It also educates you on how much 100-calories looks like but as a guideline for determining serving size or 'perfect portion' (I see what they did there).

The 150 recipes are divided into ten sections for different types of food: casseroles, snacks, breakfast food, sides, pretty much anything you could want. The recipes focus on your good old fashioned homegrown dishes like meatloaf and mac 'n cheese with new and easy things to add to your meal rotation like ratatouille and honey mustard salmon (yes please!).

I also love how they include behind-the-scenes photos showing the authors preparing some of the recipes. When trying something new, I appreciate the photos so I know how it's meant to look as a final product.

I gave the Honey Mustard Salmon recipe a whirl. An easy marinade of Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice and dill gave a nice tangy flavor to a fish I prepare the same way over and over.

You can purchase The Perfect Portion Cookbook on QVC's website or through Amazon.

Recipe
from The Perfect Portion Cookbook

• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons chopped dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 4oz. salmon fillets

1. In a mixing bowl, stir the mustard, honey, lemon juice, dill and spices together to make a glaze.
2. Place the salmon fillets in the glaze, fish-side down (skin-up). Toss until evenly coated.
3. Cover the marinaded fish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The skin will stick to the parchment paper as the fish cooks, making it easier to get the fish off the pan.
5. Place the marinated salmon fillets on the pan, drizzling any remaining glaze on top. 
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the thickest fillet is cooked through.