Pat and I are blessed to have two kids that love to read, so we’re always making trips to the library to load them up with new reading material. I used to have to help them look for books that interest them, but now they are old enough that they do their own looking without any assistance, which allows me time to do some browsing myself (Yay!). Recently, during this much anticipated “me time”, I stumbled upon a new-to-me cookbook by Curtis Stone: “What’s for Dinner?: Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life”. Um, did he just read my mind? Busy life? Yes and yes! I checked it out, earmarked pages and cooked a few recipes. This healthy Salmon with Spinach and Tomato Orzo has quickly become a family favorite.
The original recipe calls for pine nuts, but a half cup of those buggers was a little rich for my budget, so I substituted pistachios, and they added the perfect crunch to the salad. Fresh tomato, spinach and basil anchor the orzo, and a simple but tangy red wine vinaigrette brings all of the salad flavors together. Top the orzo salad with a simply grilled piece of salmon and a hint of salty feta, and you have a restaurant-worthy meal that tastefully keeps those healthy eating resolutions intact.
Where do you get most of your family’s favorite recipes? Friends? Cookbooks? Or just wicked good cooking skills?
Salmon with Spinach and Tomato Orzo
Scared to make salmon at home? We make it easy with this tasty Salmon recipe with spinach and tomato orzo.
Ingredients
Orzo Salad:
- 12 ounces dried orzo
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 a carton of fresh baby spinach (about 2.5 ounces)
- 8 ounces of halved grape tomatoes
- 1/3 cup pistachios (I used roasted and salted nuts)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salmon:
- 4 salmon fillets (4-6 ounces each)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
To make the Orzo Salad:
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent orzo from sticking. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add together vinegar, shallots, garlic and 1/3 cup oil in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a medium bowl, stir together spinach, tomatoes, pistachios, basil and cooked orzo. Pour vinaigrette over top of orzo salad and stir to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
To make Salmon:
- Preheat grill pan over medium high heat. Brush salmon pieces with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes per side or to desired degree of doneness (cooking time will depend on the weight of your fillet).
To serve:
- Evenly divide orzo salad among four bowls. Top with a salmon fillet. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 976Total Fat: 59gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 517mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 63g
This sounds right up my street – I might just have to make it for dinner next week!
It’s so yummy. I hope you enjoy it, Rachel!
This sounds amazing! I love that you used pistachios instead of pine nuts….I’m not a huge fan of pine nuts, but the pistachios sound like the perfect substitution!
We are BIG pistachio lovers here, so the substitution was an easy one for us. Hope you enjoy it!
This is absolutely my kind of meal. I love this!
I love everything about this – will need to check out that cookbook!
Amy, We’ve made a few other recipes from the book, and they were all good. Hope you find a handful you enjoy!
A few of my favorite foods all on one plate!
Oddly I wasn’t much of a salmon fan until a handful of years ago. Only goes to show what a good recipe can do!
I love finding new ways to eat salmon–this orzo pasta salad to accompany the salmon is a great idea! I love pasta salads and this one looks wonderful! Pinning!
Thanks, Julia!
This looks insanely delicious! I need some of this awesomeness in my life asap!!
Dinner tonight, Jocelyn?
I am not a fish person at all, but trying to like it! This recipe is calling my name with all the other flavors! Pinned, shared on google and on facebook. 🙂
Thanks for the shares, Kristen! I hope you give this recipe a try. It’s one of our faves!
I never thought to substitute pistachios for pine nuts!! That’ll save big bucks 🙂
Why are pine nuts so darn pricey?!?
Love all the healthy flavors in this dish! Love this for dinner!