Salmon-Cucumber Summer Salad

19. July 2010 Fish 0

I very rarely cook with salmon because there are always more exciting fish in the market, but my goal is to not use the oven this summer and I could only think of making a salmon salad to keep the kitchen cool. Kirby cucumbers are always good for this sort of salad because theyâ€™re fresh, crispy and sturdy enough when chopped and mixed in with other ingredients.

I originally made this without any carbohydrates, but after the first taste, it needed something heftier so I could make it an entire meal in itself. I found a leftover bag of Trader Joeâ€™s mixed grains in the pantry and added that to the salad after a couple of minutesâ€™ boil. For this recipe, feel free to use the same or any other grain available that wonâ€™t take too much of your time to cook and fluff.

Ingredients:
1 salmon fish fillet, patted dry with a paper towel
2 cups of mixed grains like barley and/or orzo
1 Kirby cucumber, sliced thinly
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
2 sprigs scallions, chopped
2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
juice from lemon
oil, salt, pepper

1. Using a non-stick skillet, heat some oil. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. When the pan is smoking a little bit, lower the fire and add the salmon. Cook for 6 minutes without moving it and gently turn over using a spatula. Cook the other side for 5 minutes. Remove to a plate, let cool and put in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Heat a small pot of boiling water to cook the grains. Set aside to cool down.
3. While the salmon and the grains are cooling, assemble the salad by putting all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to mix completely with lemon juice.
4. Remove the salmon from the fridge and flake the meat with a fork. If you left the skin on, it should be pretty easy to tear up in smaller pieces. Toss in with the vegetables. Little by little, toss in the barley so you have about the same portion as the salmon but not too much that the carbs overwhelm the vegetables.