Weekday Dinners – Omega-rich Salmon with Pomegranate and Cranberry Quinoa
Weekday dinners can be stressful occasions, but only if you make them so.
Here’s an incredibly easy and nutritious dinner idea to begin the week with – omega rich salmon steamed in its own juices, accompanied by organic quinoa embellished with ruby jewels of pomegranate and cranberry brimming with antioxidants. I can make this recipe with my eyes closed (figuratively!) but really, it’s that simple. You can get dinner on the table in 20 minutes, and it’s so good for you, unlike the empty calorie-filled, MSG laden takeout you were contemplating.
With this recipe, you can literally eat your way to better health!
What you’ll need (serves 2):
For the salmon
- 400g salmon fillet (I prefer organic / wild caught)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- herb seasoning (rosemary, sage)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 lemon
For the quinoa
- 1/2 cup quinoa (preferably organic)
- 2 tbls dried cranberries
- half a pomegranate
- 1 tbls red onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
First, pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
While the oven is heating, rinse and dry the salmon fillets. Place them in the middle of an aluminium sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and herb seasoning on all sides of the fillets.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the fillets and grate some lemon zest on top.
Now fold the aluminium over the salmon to form a little packet. Once the oven reaches 200 degrees, pop this into the middle rack. The salmon will be cooked in 18-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash quinoa well. I rinse for at least 3 times to remove a natural chemical that can make quinoa taste bitter. I mix 1/2 cup of quinoa with 1 1/4 cup water, and cook this on medium heat for 15 minutes. You can add the salt and cranberries at the beginning but make sure to reserve the onion and pomegranate for only when the quinoa is fully cooked.
When the quinoa is fully cooked, turn off the heat, and allow it to cool for a couple of minutes before adding the finely diced red onion and pomegranate.
By now the salmon should also be ready.
Assemble and it’s Dinner Time!
Bon Appetit!
