Spring Salmon + Roasted Red Potatoes

Apr 7

Apr 7 Spring Salmon + Roasted Red Potatoes

This plate was inspired by a salmon, boiled potatoes, watercress, and horseradish vinaigrette meal listed in the “Spring” category of one of my oft-used cookbooks, Real Simple: Easy, Delicious Home Cooking.

Another cookbook I recommend for your collection — good for beginners and advanced home cooks!

Even without social distancing, I often choose to use similar ingredients I have on hand instead of running to the store to save money and to improvise recipes based on our tastes and preferences.

The most obvious changes are roasted potatoes instead of boiled, kale in place of watercress, and because I don’t currently have plain horseradish in my pantry, I used a horseradish sauce from IKEA as a base for a lemon-horseradish dressing.

Lemons and red potatoes (left), garlic and herb rub next to IKEA horseradish sauce (right)

While the oven preheated to 425 degrees F, I prepared the potatoes by washing them and cutting them into bite-sized chunks. In a medium bowl, I tossed them in grapeseed oil and the Garlic & Herb Rub from Pampered Chef. Using a 1/2 size baking sheet (sometimes called a jelly roll pan) covered in parchment paper, I spread the potatoes in single layer and placed them in the oven.

While the potatoes were roasting, I moved on to my horseradish dressing. In a small bowl, I mixed approximately two tablespoons of Sås Pepparrot with one tablespoon of lemon juice and one tablespoon of white wine. I whisked all three ingredients together into a thin pourable dressing and set it aside. I tore the kale leave off their stems and set them aside, undressed.

Lastly I pulled my thawed Atlantic salmon (part of my last Imperfect Foods delivery) out of the fridge and sprinkled it with coarse black pepper and Himalayan pink salt. After preheating a frying pan on medium heat, I added a few squirts of avocado oil spray to it and gently placed the salt and peppered filets in the pan, skin-side down. When they were cooked halfway through, I reduced the heat to low and covered the frying pan with a lid. I let the filets cook until almost completely cooked through —then turned off the heat and replaced the lid.

At this point I went to check on the potatoes (about 30-35 minutes after putting them in the oven) and stabbed a larger potato chunk with a fork. It was a little difficult to tell if it was cooked through so I pulled it out of the oven and cut it in half with my fork. It was perfect — seasoned and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I placed a cooked salmon filet on the plate, then a serving of roasted potatoes, and filled the empty space with raw kale leaves. I drizzled the lemon-horseradish dressing over the kale and the salmon to finish the presentation.

I hope this inspires you to experiment with recipes in your cookbooks and be creative using ingredients you already have. Stay safe and let us know what ingredients you may have that you need ideas for!

Love and taste,