Quinoa Salmon Salad

So without further ado, here is my first recipe for a very healthy and very flavorful Quinoa Salmon Salad. This is one of Ben's favorite meals! He took me to eat at a trendy restaurant in Phoenix. He of course ordered the burger of all burgers and I opted for this healthy, super foods kind of meal. It was so heavenly that I just had to recreate my own version. And boy am I glad that I did. Even the kiddos can't get enough of this meal. So yummy!

 

Quinoa Salmon Salad

 

Ingredients:1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
1 lb. salmon filet
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 large avocado, sliced
1/2 cup shelled edamame
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
Sweet Chili Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Quinoa:
Rinse quinoa until water becomes translucent. Bring quinoa and vegetable stock to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Boil for 15-17 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff and chill in the fridge for at least two hours. I love making this in the morning because I can just stick it right in the fridge and it is one less step that I have to worry about when making dinner in the evening.

Salmon: Marinate in soy sauce for 30 minutes before cooking. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. Bake at 375⁰ for 20-30 minutes until it barely flakes. A fillet that fills an 8X8 pan would take about 20 minutes and a fillet that fills a 9X13 pan would take about 25-30 minutes. I love a grilled flavor, so you may do that as well. We use the trusty George Foreman grill we got 10 years ago as newly weds. It takes 6 minutes to cook the salmon through. Do not overcook salmon! It should have just a slight hint of shine in the middle when it is done.

Sweet Chili Vinaigrette: enough dressing to serve 4-6. Great on salads too.
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce (may not find at Walmart, but is in most grocery stores in the Asian isle)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Chill in fridge before serving.

Assembly: (this meal serves four, so divide evenly among four plates)
Layer radishes and cucumbers at bottom of plate. Scoop quinoa over top. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over. Place salmon over quinoa. Place edamame around edges of plate. Top salmon with slices of avocado. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of dressing over top of salmon. Garnish with chopped pistachios.