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| Spice Rubbed Wild Salmon Over Buckwheat Soba with Avocado Sauce |
The recipe for this pasta dish was given to me by one of my
loyal readers (the number of which I can probably count on one hand). It is
simple, smooth, and scrumptious, and tastes decadent despite its healthful
ingredients. Whipped avocado becomes a creamy and dreamy sauce and was the
perfect foundation for my spiced rubbed salmon.
Spiced Rubbed Salmon Over Buckwheat Soba with Avocado Sauce
Recipe emulated from Joy Belamarich
Serves 2
1 Avocado
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice from ½ a lemon
¼ cup of pasta water
pinch of salt
½ package of buckwheat soba
¼ cup parm
½ tbsp lemon zest
Black pepper
Chili flakes
Cook soba noodles or any long whole-wheat pasta as package
indicates. As the pasta cooks, blend avocado, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice,
and salt in a blender. Transfer to a serving bowl and mix in pasta water and
gently add the cooked soba, insuring adequate sauce distribution. Finish with
freshly ground black pepper, lemon zest, parm, and chili flakes. (The soba was
a tad sticky, but adding olive oil to the cooking water should help)
1 lb wild salmon filet
½ tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
½ tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
½ tbsp black pepper
pinch of salt
Canola Spray
Mix spices, salt, and pepper together on a plate.
Clean and thoroughly dry the salmon and coat the top with a
layer of the spice blend.
Heat a cast iron pan with canola spray and sear salmon for
5-8 minutes a side depending on thickness of filet and temperature preference
(I like my salmon on the medium rare side). Serve on the avocado pasta or on
the side.
For my vegetable accompaniment, I roasted some cauliflower
with whole cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil for 20 minutes. Prior to
placing my cauliflower in the serving bowl, I made a mixture from the juice of
½ a lemon, chili flakes, black pepper, and a little parm and tossed in the hot
florets.
This protein rich meal was loaded with the bountiful benefits of mono and
polyunsaturated fatty acids. The benefits of monounsaturated fat and omega 3
and omega 6 from polyunsaturated fat help reduce total and LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), in
particular when substituted for saturated fat in the diet (1). Studies have
also demonstrated that MUFA intake decreases the risk for coronary heart
disease, increases HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and improves gylcemic control in diabetics
(2). Avocado, which is a monounsaturated fat, also contains vitamins E, C, B6,
folate, potassium, and soluble fiber, nutrients that aid in vision and are
cancer protective.
Salmon is well touted for its omega 3 rich qualities, which
are essential for the diet and are needed for brain function and proper growth
and development. Salmon is also one of the few foods that contain vitamin D,
which promotes calcium absorption, helps maintain adequate calcium and
phosphorus levels, as well as reduces inflammation.
In essence this meal was loaded with healthful attributes,
it tasted delicious, and was super simple. Thanks for spreading the “Joy”!
I look for inspiration everywhere...so feel free to send me a recipe!
1) Lada A, Rudel L. Dietary monounsaturated
versus polyunsaturated fatty acids: which is really better for protection from
coronary heart disease? Current opinion in lipidology. 2003;14(1):41-6.
2) Lunn J, Theobald HE. The Health Effects of
Dietary Unsaturated Fatty Acids. Nutr Bull 2006;31(3):178-224.
