Pan-Roasted Salmon with Citrus-Balsamic Vinaigrette (Salsa Verde)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 anchovy filets, very finely minced
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 6oz. fillets of salmon
• 2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine all the sauce (first list) ingredients in a glass jar, cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Reserve.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste. In a skillet large enough to hold all the salmon, heat the olive oil over high heat. Place the salmon in the pan with skin side down. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until medium rare, or longer, if desired. Transfer the cooked salmon to a serving platter and keep warm while finishing the sauce.

Pour off any olive oil in the skillet. Pour in the sauce. Heat through for a few seconds over high heat, spoon the sauce over the salmon and serve. Serves 6. MSR (Recipe adapted from THE UNION SQUARE CAFE COOKBOOK by Danny Meyer and Michael Romano)

Mixed Grain Pilaf with Almonds

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup wheat berries (or brown rice)
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 2 cups chicken (or vegetable stock)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 oz. whole almonds, with skin, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbs. butter

Directions

To make the pilaff, cook the onion in the butter with half a teaspoon of salt in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Stir in the wheat berries and wild rice and coat in the onion mixture. Stir in the white wine and the stock with a sprinkling of salt and bring to a boil stirring. Cover, lower the heat, and gently simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the grains are tender.

In a small saucepan, cook the scallions in the butter until soft. Stir in the almonds, and heat through. Add this scallion-nut mixture to the cook grains and season to taste. Serves 6. MSR (To make ahead, add some extra liquid and keep warm, covered.)

Warm Greens

Ingredients

• coarse salt
• 1 lbs. clean baby spinach or baby kale

Directions

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Throw in a sprinkling of salt. Toss in the greens. When the greens are half wilted, remove them with tongs (or a small strainer), and place them in serving size piles on a pan lined with paper towels. When the fish comes out of the oven, put this tray of spinach in the oven for 5 minutes to warm. Serves 6.  MSR