A couple reader’s who know my kitchen shenanigan’s, asked me to post some quick recipe’s for one. Since I have a high school daughter who is very busy with her school and friends, I’ve become fairly proficient on creating the quickest, tastiest dishes that I was asked to share. Here goes with tonight’s recipe.
Downtown Herb Crusted Salmon atop Black Lentils with Steamed Asparagus
PHOTO TO THE RIGHT
Prep and cook time: 30 minutes total. Easy
Items On-Hand:Dried Black Lentils, your container garden herbs, chicken broth, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper,
Dropped by the local Whole Foods: In and out in 7 minutes (Bonus: A nice Pinot Noir & a baguette.) Bought a small filet of Wild Salmon (if fish isn’t your preference, you can sub a small portion of chicken breast. If breast is thick, slice butterfly style for quicker cooking.) A carrot. An onion. One Bunch of Petite Asparagus.
Cooking Tools: A silicon steamer (or parchment paper- come on make some effort here), an Asparagus Steamer (or any steamer device), a small sauce pot, a sharp knife, paper towels, a cutting board, measuring cups, a pair of tongs, cook-top spoon, a small square of foil, a fish spatula. (If you don’t have a indoor grill, a grill pan)
Pre-heat the grill. 1/4c. of dried black lentils with 1-1/4c of water in a sauce pot, bring to a boil for 3 minutes while you gather herbs.
Best herbs: Parsley, rosemary, thyme, chives. Cut with scissors and a quick chop with a knife. Take the onion and carrot. Peel the carrot and dice into the smallest bits, approximately a few tablespoons of both. Place the diced carrot and onion in a silicon steamer with chicken broth and put in microwave on high for 2 minutes. The lentils have boiled for 3 minutes, now they simmer for 25 minutes. After the microwave dings, put the carrot/onion mixture into the lentils, along with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Pat the salmon filet dry, push the herbs on the salmon filet with some salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Put one-inch of water in an asparagus steamer, squeeze a half lemon in the water and drop the portion size you like of trimmed asparagus into the steamer basket. Cover lid and steam for four minutes. While the asparagus are steaming, the salmon goes onto the indoor grill (or grill pan) for 5 minutes, skin-side down. If you have a curved metal lid, cover the fish and vent to assist in cooking the interior of the filet. Everything is nearly ready- the lentils have almost absorbed the stock, the asparagus are waiting in the steamer basket and one last hatch mark on your salmon for 1 minutes (depending on the thickness of your filet), remove, tent with foil while you plate the lentils and asparagus. Then pull the foil off and top with the salmon. Hope the music is ready, your favorite Rhapsody playlist. A thyme sprig for the plate and sit with a glass of Pinot Noir. You’re almost glad there’s no one around trying to snag a bite off your plate. Enjoy!
On The Way To Happy 