Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Baked Salmon with Puy Lentils

While I was cooking this, I wasn't happy with the way the puy lentils turned out. There was something missing ... and then I decided to add coriander powder and it totally turned the recipe around. It was so hearty and satisfying. There are perhaps 1 or 2 things I might tweak [mainly I would like to try this out cooking the lentils from scratch vs. using a can and would definitely prefer using fresh tomatoes instead of canned -- although these were good in that they had no preservatives or sugar added] in this recipe, but I think it's quite good as it stands. I really love that I was able to make this without using any oil aside from spraying a bit of olive oil at the bottom of the baking dish.

I had never cooked with puy lentils before (also called bijoux verts). I really enjoyed them. They had quite a meaty texture. There were times when I felt like I was having minced meat!


Ingredients:
Salmon
3 4 oz salmon fillets
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Lentils
1/2 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced

1 400 g can puy lentils (bijoux verts lentils) - rinsed and drained
1 400 g canned tomatoes with juice

1 1/2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs (oregano, thyme, basil, etc.)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
For the salmon
1. Place salmon fillets in a baking dish (coat dish with olive oil cooking/non-stick spray). Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and lemon juice over the salmon. Let it marinate for a while (though this is not necessary - you can bake it right away).
2. Bake fillets for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 C (400 F)

For the lentils
1. Pour tomatoes along with the juice in a sauté pan and break tomatoes up so that they are almost flaked. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add in the onions, garlic, and carrots. Stir and let cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in the lentils as well as the remaining spices. Stir well. Let the mixture cook and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf prior to serving.

Serve the salmon over the lentils.



Nutritional Info: (per serving; recipe above serves 3 - salmon + lentils)
340 calories
31 g. protein
25 g. carbohydrates (6 g. fiber)4.6 g. fat (1.2 g. saturated fat)


3 comments:

  1. Looks delicious! I like the taste of coriander but don't use it very often.

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  2. Bake in preheated oven at ? I'm a stickler for following a recipe which makes me a very boring cook. My husband doesn't complain though because too often he is having to fend for himself in the kitchen. Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to look for those lentils. :)

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  3. Oh, the recipe of the pretty dinner. I'd like to bake fish more often. I don't use coriander enough lately either.

    :-) Marion

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