Posted on: Wednesday, August 25, 2004
RECIPE DOCTOR
A salad of salmon with a Thai touch
By Elaine Magee
Q. I'm looking for a fun way to get some salmon into my life. I've been doing teriyaki salmon once a week for a while now, but it's getting old fast. Any simple suggestions?
A. I love salmon, and I try to come up with different ways to fix it, too. I've recently made a miso-glazed salmon (the recipe was in this column a few months back) and a macadam-ia-crusted halibut with lime-cilantro sauce that would work well with salmon (which I wrote about a few weeks ago).
I also like to use broiled or grilled salmon for a pasta salad made with light mayo, fat-free sour cream, capers and asparagus. You can also just broil salmon with a bottled, reduced-fat salad dressing poured over the top. I even like rubbing the flesh side of a salmon filet with a teeny bit of canola oil, then sprinkling freshly ground black pepper, dill, garlic powder and sea salt over the top before broiling.
Hope that gives you a few more ideas.
Since it's toward the end of summer, though, I thought I would share a naturally light recipe for Thai salmon salad. You can crank down the heat by using a milder pepper in the dressing — like a pasilla pepper. You can find the bottled fish sauce called for in some supermarkets or specialty stores.
This simple salmon salad is spicy but light and refreshing at the same time. Top the salad with chopped peanuts or soy nuts for added crunch.
THAI SALMON SALAD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking dish with foil and coat with canola cooking spray. Place the salmon fillet on the foil-lined tray flesh side up, and rub with olive or canola oil. Bake until fillet is cooked through and flakes easily (about 20 minutes). Let cool about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the skin.
Meanwhile, whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and chopped chiles in a small bowl. Set aside.
Break the salmon meat into large chunks and place in medium bowl. Add onion, tomato, basil and dressing. Toss lightly until mixed. Place each serving (one-third of the mixture) on a bed of shredded lettuce and top each with a tablespoon of chopped peanuts or soy nuts.
Makes 3 servings.
• Per serving: 286 calories, 30 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat (1.9 g saturated fat, 5.2 g monounsaturated fat, 4.6 g polyunsaturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 970 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 38 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids 3.3 g. Omega-6 fatty acids 1.3 g. Weight Watchers points: 6.
Elaine Magee's new book, "The Change of Life Diet and Cookbook," is in bookstores. Readers may reach her through her Web site at www.recipedoctor.com. Personal responses can't be provided. This column is distributed by Knight Ridder News Service.
