Blackened Salmon & Strawberry Salad
A simple, perfectly summer salad that has an absolutely irresistible combination of flavors...but why would you even try when it's this healthy?
Ingredients
BLACKENING SEASONING INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 3/4 cup raw pecans
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
- pinch sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 4-6 ounce salmon filets skin on or off and pin bones remove
- 1 lemon
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- white balsamic vinegar
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1 cup strawberries chopped or sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add raw pecans to one sheet and sweet potatoes to another. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and sea salt on sweet potatoes and use fingers to coat evenly.
- Combine all ingredients for blackening seasoning in a small bowl. Lay your salmon filets side by side on a plate, skinless side up. Cover tops evenly with blackening seasoning. Set aside.
- Place pecans and sweet potatoes in the oven. Roast pecans for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant. While pecans are roasting, add maple syrup and 2 tablespoons water to a small saucepot. Heat and stir so liquid is warm but not bubbling.
- Remove pecans from oven and add to sauce pot. Stir to coat evenly then turn pecans onto another piece of clean parchment or a cooling rack. Set side.
- Sweet potatoes will roast for 30 mins or until soft and caramelized around the edges. While they are roasting, heat a cast-iron skillet (can sub another skillet) to medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil begins to smoke, add your salmon filets side by side, skinless side facing down. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until you can move a spatula underneath salmon. If it sticks, it's not ready. Flip filets and cook the skin side, 3-4 minutes or until crispy. If filets are not cooked as thoroughly as you like in the middle, put the pan in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
- When you are finished cooking salmon, slice your lemon in half and garnish filets with fresh lemon juice. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes.
- Assemble your salad: Toss spinach with a light coating of white balsamic vinegar. Top spinach with 1 salmon filet, a handful pecans, a handful of strawberry slices, a scoop of sweet potatoes and a few crumbles of goat cheese.
