Morrocan Style Quinoa Salad

The weather is getting warmer and there are definite signs of Spring here on the Southern end of the Island this week.  Daffodils, Snow Drops, and Rhododendrons are blooming and I also saw some cherry blossoms on our Sunday afternoon outing.  

So, The Captain has decided to barbecue a piece of salmon for dinner tonight.  I wanted something special to go along with it and came up with this quinoa salad.  It does need to be served cold, so make sure you prepare it early enough to allow some chilling time in the refrigerator.

Originally I thought I would use raisins but decided to use dried cranberries at the last minute.  They go so well with oranges, and are pretty, too! (See my Orange Cranberry Salsa from an earlier post.) If you like, you could use this dish as a main course, add almonds or cashes for protein and forget the salmon altogether... mmm.  I think I will try that!

Of course you can double or triple the ingredients, as you like.

Moroccan Style Quinoa Salad
Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 large orange, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 2 Tbs dried cranberries
• 2 green onions, trimmed and sliced
• dashes of cumin and oregano
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the quinoa and water into a medium saucepan over HIGH heat.
2. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender and has sprouted tails.
3. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
4. Put the cooked quinoa into a bowl and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile prepare the other ingredients... be sure to remove and use the zest from the orange before you peel and cut it.
6. When quinoa has cooled, mix in the rest of the ingredients, cover and refrigerate until dinner. 
7. Divide between 2 plates and serve cooked salmon fillets on top. 

Per serving, not including salmon.
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 248; Protein 6g; Carbohydrate 46g; Fat 8g; Fibre 7g.

Place the quinoa and water into a saucepan with a lid and cook at a gentle rollling boil for 15 minutes.

After it has rested, covered, for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and put into a bowl to cool.

 

Quinoa sprouts a 'tail' when it has cooked sufficiently.

While the quinoa cools, wash, dry and zest the orange with a small grater or zester tool.

Cut away the peel a bit at a time.

Cut away as much pith and peel as you reasonably can, without wasting too much of the orange flesh.

Cut the orange into uniform chunks.

After the quinoa has cooled to room temperature add the orange and other ingredients.  Mix well, cover, and refrigerate till serving time.

To serve, divide the salad between two plates....

then top with a piece of barbecued salmon, and garnish with orange slices, if you like.



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Can't Do Without Canned Fish!

In light of the positive health benefits associated with fish, I am always looking for creative and tasty ways to use it in our meals.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week because it's a good source of protein and low in saturated fat. Fatty fish including trout, sardines, tuna, and salmon are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Salmon is high in calcium, too, especially when the bones are mashed into the meat.

Sometimes it is not convenient to have fresh or frozen fish on hand.  Particularly when we are cruising and relying mainly on our food lockers to supply the ingredients for our meals.  I like to keep an assortment of canned fish on hand.  And lately I have been purchasing it in foil pouches, too.  These items are readily available for tasty and nutritious meals.  My favorites are tuna, salmon and sardines... and occasionally I will buy baby clams, mussels, smokey oysters, crab and smoked herring.

You can make a nice layered dip for crackers with a can of baby clams, some chili sauce and a container of whipped light cream cheese.  Just put the cheese in a bowl and spread it a bit, then cover with chili sauce and the drained clams.  Very tasty.

Smoked oysters and mussels make nice canapes if you put them on crackers with a bit of ketchup or seafood sauce.  And who can resist a hot crab dip made with artichoke hearts, mayonnaise and parmesan cheese.... Mmm.

Tuna can be found in tins and also in foil pouches. It comes packed in water, oil or in many flavourful sauces, and in a choice of styles… fillets, chunks, flakes. And there are different kinds of tuna as well. My favorite is the white albacore, but it is more expensive. Chunk light tuna packed in water is the one I normally buy for every day use.  I have also had smoked tuna in cans and it is delicious.



Tuna, 1/2 cup or 4 oz., canned in water.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.

Salmon is usually found in many different sizes of cans, also water or oil packed, There are different kinds of salmon and the can will be labelled with the species name. I prefer sockeye or pink. I have also been lucky enough to have home-canned salmon and it is lovely, too.  Smoked salmon is a lovely treat mixed with cream cheese and used as a dip or spread.





Salmon, 1/2 cup or 4 oz. canned in water.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.

Sardines come in flat tins that have a pull tab opening on the top. They are packed in water, oil, and many different sauces. I like the mustard sauce best.  Sardines packed in Spring water is my second choice.





Sardines, 1 tin (approx 3.5 oz), canned in water.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.

You can used the drained tuna or salmon in green salads, for a quick meal. Or mix tuna, salmon, or sardines with some mayonnaise or yogurt, and a few chopped veggies, some capers or relish, and you have a tasty sandwich filling.

But there are so many other ways to use these tasty fishes. Here are a few recipes I have featured :



Springtime Sardine Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Pasta/Tuna Salad on Spinach

Linguini with Tuna, Olives, and Bell Peppers

Salmon Loaf with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Creamed Salmon on Toast

Salmon and Potato Cakes with Horseradish Sauce

Tasty Tuna Burgers



Salmon Patties

Avocado and Tuna Salad

 

 

Scrumptious Salmon Patties

Recently we were the lucky recipients of a couple of jars of home-canned wild Pacific Sockeye salmon.  This is my all-time favorite fish. It is truly delicious and I created these patties to take advantage of the lovely red color and wonderful taste that Sockeye affords.

It is a simple recipe.  The only seasonings are salt and pepper, along with some lemon juice and zest to enhance the natural flavor of this very special fish.

You could certainly use any canned or leftover cooked salmon you have.

Salmon Patties
Makes 2 servings

• 6 ounces canned salmon
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• zest and juice from one fresh lemon
• 1 egg white
• 2 Tbs raw oats
• dashes of salt and pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Divide into 2 patties and saute in non-stick pan that has been lightly sprayed with olive or canola oil, 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
3. Remove from pan and serve hot.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 158; Protein 23g; Carbohydrate 7g; Fat 4g; Fibre 2g.

Fabulous wild Pacific Sockey salmon, canned in water.

Patties in the pan.

And plated, ready to eat.

Printable Recipe

Salmon and Potato Cakes with Horseradish Sauce

Recipes for salmon and potato cakes are plentiful.  This particular one is my own, based on several ideas I have come across.  I think it works best with cold, leftover mashed potatoes.  If you are going to cook potatoes in order to make these cakes, make sure you refrigerate them for a couple of hours before using them.

I have calculated the points values for the cakes and the sauce separately, and then together.

Salmon and Potato Cakes
Makes 2 servings of 2 cakes each

• 1 can salmon (approx. 7 ounces)
• 1-1/2 cups cold mashed potatoes
• 1 egg white
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Dashes of salt, pepper, dried parsley

1. Drain salmon and break into chunks.  Discard skin and bones or mix into meat.  Set aside.
2. Mix potatoes with egg whites and parsley until smooth and well-combined.
3. Gently fold salmon and green onions into the mixture.
4. Divide mixture into fourths; form 4 patties, and saute 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown, in a pan coated with non-stick spray.
5. Serve with Horseradish Sauce, if desired.

Horseradish Sauce
Makes 2 servings

• 1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt
• 1 Tbs horseradish
• Dashes of salt, pepper, dried dill weed

1. Combine all ingredients and spoon over Salmon and Potato Cakes.

Per Serving, cakes only.
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories ; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 24g; Fat 11g; Fibre 2g.

Per Serving, sauce only.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories ; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 9g; Fat 0g; Fibre 0g.

Per Serving, cakes and sauce.
Weight Watchers P+ = 8.
Calories 334; Protein 21g; Carbohydrate 33g; Fat 11g; Fibre 3g.

Note:
The add'l gram of Fibre in the combined calculation comes from rounding.

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An Old Childhood Favorite

The Captain and I both recall this dish from our childhoods... and our Mothers made it in a very similar fashion - mine used canned peas and his used frozen.

I have decreased the amount of butter that they used, I am sure, but it remains comfort food just the same, and we like to have it from time to time, especially on a rainy day.

Creamed Salmon on Toast
Makes 2 servings

• 2 tsp butter
• 2 Tbs white flour
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (213g) salmon, drained
• 1 cup peas (frozen or canned, drained)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices bread of choice, toasted

1. Place drained salmon in a bowl and mash bones into the meat, and set aside. You can either discard the skin or mix it in as well.
2. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add onions and saute til transparent.
4. Add flour and whisk until paste is formed.
5. Pour milk slowly into the paste, stirring continually until a white sauce is formed.
6. Add salmon and peas, and stir gently.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Meanwhile, toast 4 slices of bread and place on 2 plates or in shallow serving bowls.
9. Remove salmon mixture from heat and ladle over toast.

Per serving, not including bread.
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 286; Protein 23g; Carbohydrate 22g; Fat 11g; Fibre 3g

After mixing in the flour to form a paste.

Add the salmon and peas to the white sauce.

A generous portion, and so creamy and tasty.

Printable Recipe

Salmon Loaf with Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

I have had a large can of Pacific Red Sockeye Salmon sitting in my cupboard for a few weeks, just gathering dust.  I wanted to use it today so I went looking for a salmon loaf recipe that uses oats instead of bread crumbs, and also a yogurt based sauce to serve with it.

I found the loaf recipe on a web site called caloriecount.about.com, and I found the sauce recipe at the Jewish in St. Louis web site.  I thought they looked like they would go well together.

And I was right.  I made only one change to the Salmon Loaf recipe.  The original had parsley in it, but I subbed cilantro so it would compliment the cilantro in the sauce.  And then I added details to the instructions, to relate how I made it.  I didn't change the Lemon-Yogurt Sauce at all.

I also have calculated Weight Watchers Points Plus values for the loaf and the sauce separately, and then combined.

Salmon Loaf
Makes 8 servings

• 1 large can salmon (418g/14.5 ounces)
• 1 cup raw oats
• 1/4 cup fat free milk
• 2 fresh eggs
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 Tbs cilantro
• 2 Tbs chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Open the can of salmon and pour contents into a bowl. Remove skin but mash the bones into the meat.
3. Add other ingredients and mix until blended.
4. Pour mixture into well-greased loaf pan. 
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes till knife inserted comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into 8 pieces and serve.

Per serving without sauce.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 174; Protein 15.4g; Carbohydrate 7.9g; Fat 8.5g; Fibre 1.0g

Lemon-Yogurt Sauce
Makes 8 servings

• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1. Mix and keep at room temperature till ready to use.

Per 2 Tbs serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 0.
Calories 11; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 1g; Fat 0g; Fibre 0g.

Per serving of Salmon Loaf, topped with 2 Tbs Lemon-Yogurt Sauce.
Weight Watchers P+ =  5.
Calories 185; Protein 16.4g; Carbohydrate 8.9g; Fat 8.5g; Fibre 1g.

This all came together very quickly and easily for a busy day dinner.

Printable Recipe

Sassy Salsa and Sumptuous Salmon

I never turn down the opportunity to enjoy a feast of wild Pacific salmon.  It is not only very good for us, it is delicious.  I love the texture of just cooked fillets.  My very favorite variety is Sockeye.  The rich red color and the flavor is far superior to the rest.

We have had this orange cranberry salsa on grilled salmon fillets a couple of times now and really enjoy it.  It makes a festive plate and citrus always pairs well with fresh seafood.

The original recipe came from Thrifty Foods but I changed it a bit.  It calls for cilantro or mint, neither of which I particularly like.  Here is my version, to accompany salmon fillets grilled on your barbecue.  It also goes nicely with grilled prawns.

If you would rather not use the barbecue, bake the salmon in your oven.  You could easily multiply this recipe a few times to go with a whole baked fish, as well.  Lovely.



Orange Cranberry Salsa
Makes 2 servings

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 medium orange, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into small cubes
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3 or 4 drops Tabasco sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add salt to taste and toss to combine.
3. Cover and refrigerate the salsa until needed.
4. Grill or bake salmon fillets.
5. Plate the salmon, top with salsa and serve.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.  This doesn't include the salmon.
Calories 86; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 2g; Fibre 2g

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