A taste of Persia – Yoghurt and Spice Roasted Salmon

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine and taken from Simply written by British-Iranian cook and author Sabrina Ghayour.

Serves : 4

These oven-baked salmon bites are roasted quickly for slight charring on the outside and delicate flesh on the inside. Pop leftovers into your lunch box for the following day.

Ingredients :

500g skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4cm cubes

For the marinade :

4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp garlic granules
1 heaped tbsp rose harissa
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
Grated zest of 1 lime and its juice
1 tsp olive oil
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

To serve :

Tortilla wraps
Sliced tomatoes
Finely sliced onion
Coriander leaves
Greek yoghurt

Method :

Preheat your oven to its highest setting (with fan if it has one). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the salmon and turn until well coated in the marinade.
Spread the salmon out on the prepared baking tray and roast for 10 minutes until cooked through.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately with tortilla wraps, tomatoes, finely sliced onion, coriander leaves and Greek yoghurt.

Lunch box salmon couscous

Recipe taken from Balance Magazine, published by Diabetes.org

On the pulse – Pulses contain protein and fibre and, compared to other carb-containing foods, don’t give sharp rises to blood glucose levels. So if you have diabetes, there’s never ‘bean’ a better time to cook with them …

Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins

Per Serving 567g:

Carbs: 56.2g Cals: 663 Sugars: 21.8g Fat: 28.4g Sat Fat: 5.7g Salt: 0.41g
Protein: 40.1g Fibre: 11.1g

2 portions of fruit and veg

Ingredients:
80g wholewheat gian couscous
400ml low-salt vegetable stock
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
100g frozen edamame or peas
30g dried apricots, chopped
75g grated carrot
2 x 125g skinless salmon fillets
1 tsp runny honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
15g chopped pistachios
2 spring onions, finely sliced, or a little coriander

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 6. In a small roasting tin, stir the couscous, veg stock, red onion, edamame or peas, and apricots. Bake for 18 mins.
Stir in the carrot, sit the salmon on top, drizzle the fish with the honey and sesame oil, sprinkle over the seeds and roast for 12 mins.
Scatter with pistachios and spring onions. Enjoy hot or chilled.

Spiced Salmon Pilaf

Recipe taken from the Lidl Easter Brochure – April 2021.

Serves : 4; Prep Time : 10 mins; Cook Time : 35 mins

Ingredients :

1 tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets
2 onions, finely chopped
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp cumin
300g basmati rice
800ml vegetable stock
300g baby spinach
200g frozen peas
Small bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, juice only
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
Onion and garlic dip

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (one with a lid) and add the salmon fillets skin-side down. Fry over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning to cook each side, until just cooked through. Remove the fillets from the pan onto a plate, instead adding the onion to fry for 8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, discard the salmon skin and gently flake the fillets into large chunks.
Add the garlic to the pan and stir in the ginger for kick, cooking for a further minute, then stir in the cumin and rice. Stir well, then pour in the stock to give the rice added richness. Season and cover the pan with its lid, cooking for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Add the spinach to the pan and cover with the lid, allowing it to wilt for 2 minutes, then stir through the peas, coriander stalks and most of the leaves.
Gently fold through the salmon flakes, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve scattered with the toasted almonds for crunch. Add a contrasting creaminess with some generous spoons of the garlic dip, garnishing with a final pinch of coriander.

Wild Salmon Sashimi, Spring Onion, Shiso Leaf and Yuzzo dressing

Recipe taken from Hello Magazine many years ago.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
700g (1 1/2 lb) salmon fillet, any bones removed
100ml (4 fl oz) yuzzo
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
100ml (4 fl oz) olive oil
100ml (4 fl oz) Japanese soy sauce

To garnish :
Finely sliced spring onion
Japanese pickled ginger
Shiso leaves

To serve :
Wasabi paste
Soy sauce

Step One : Slice the salmon as thinly as possible and arrange on four serving plates.

Step Two : Whisk together the yuzzo, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, ginger, olive oil and soy sauce and spoon 2-3 tablespoons over each serving.

Step Three : Scatter the sliced spring onion, ginger and shiso leaves over the top and serve with wasabi paste and soy sauce for dipping.

Salute the Salad : Poached Salmon, Almond and Grapefruit Couscous

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2016) and taken from “Savour : Salads for all seasons” by Peter Gordon.

For this light, healthy meal, poach the salmon in a pan wide and deep enough to hold the pieces in one layer. The couscous can also be served with other meats.

Serves 2 as a main course

Serve warm or at room temperature

Ingredients :
100g couscous
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely grated (shredded)
1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 spring onions
1 small handful of flat-leaf parsley, still on the stalk
1 grapefruit
2 salmon fillets (150-175g each), bones removed but skin left on
3 tblsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 small handful salad leaves (perhaps use pea shoots)
1 lemon, halved

Step One : Mix the couscous with 100ml of tepid water and 1/4 tsp of salt, and leave for 5 minutes. Mix in the grated carrot and olive oil and leave for 5 minutes. Trim both ends from the spring onions. Thinly slice the green parts and mix into the couscous. Pick the parsley leaves from their stalks, coarsely shred and add to the couscous. Put the parsley stalks and spring onion white ends in a separate pan. Add water to a depth of 4 cm and 1 tsp of salt, bring to the boil then reduce to a rapid simmer. Peel three strips of rind from the grapefruit, avoiding any white pith, add to this poaching stock as it heats up.

Step Two : Gently lower the salmon pieces into the stock, skin side facing down, and bring back to the boil. Turn off the heat, put a lid on the pan and leave for 8-10 minutes, by which time it will be cooked (if the salmon is thin, and submerged, leave it for no more than 4-5 minutes).

Step Three : Meanwhile, segment the grapefruit, cutting off the peel and pith. Cut each segment into three or four pieces and mix into the couscous along with the almonds and any juice you can squeeze from the grapefruit core.

Step Four : To serve, divide the couscous among your plates and sit the salad leaves on top. Remove the salmon carefully from the poaching liquid and lay on a plate, skin side facing up. Peel off the skin and carefully scrape away any dark-coloured flesh (and blood line) under the skin using a teaspoon. Break the salmon into flakes and sit it on top of the couscous. Tuck in a lemon half and serve.