A fantastic pan-seared salmon with cucumber dill sauce and chilled orzo salad with homemade pesto sauce, caramelized vegetables, mozzarella balls, pine nuts, and peas. It's a wonderful summer dinner idea if you are tired of all your quarantine recipes and feeling a bit of the summertime blues.
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PAN-SEARED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE AND DILL WITH ORZO PESTO SALAD
Serves 4
GET PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE bit.ly/2V2iqnj
INGREDIENTS:
4 -6 oz salmon filets (169grams each) skin on if possible
salt and pepper
2 tbsp (30g) coconut oil
For the Cucumber Sauce
¾ cups (180ml) plain, whole Greek yogurt
½ tsp (2.5ml) lemon zest
1 tsp (5ml) lemon juice
1 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp (15ml) fresh dill, minced
1/3 cup (80ml) grated cucumber
Garnish:
2 tbsp (30ml) grated radish
4 sprigs of fresh dill
For pesto:
2 cups (475ml) basil
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp (45ml) pine nuts
½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
½ cup (120ml) olive oil
¼ cup (22g) parmesan cheese
For Orzo Salad:
1 lb (450g) of dried orzo
1 cup (150g) frozen peas
2 cups (300g) diced shallots
2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
2 cups (300g) diced zucchini
8 oz (230g) Mozzarella pearls in water
⅓ cup (80ml) pine nuts
METHOD:
FOR THE ORZO SALAD:
In a large non-stick skillet heat the olive oil. Then add the shallots on high heat and cook until translucent. Add the zucchini and allow it to sit in the pan until browned and caramelized as well, stirring occasionally. Season both with salt and pepper. Allow to cool and then set aside.
Boil the orzo according to package directions, cook until al dente. In the last minutes of the orzo’s cooking time, add the peas to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then drain both through a colander and set aside.
FOR THE PESTO:
In the bowl of a food processor add the basil, garlic, pine nuts and salt. Pulse until minced, scraping down the bowl in between processing.
Slowly add the olive oil, scraping down the bowl to ensure the oil and the basil mixture is incorporated. Continue to add the oil and pulse until a pesto forms.
Remove the bowl from the machine, and remove the blade from the bowl. Stir in the cheese. Transfer the pesto to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Transfer the pasta and peas to a large mixing bowl, toss with the full amount of pesto until well coated. Stir in the shallots and zucchini, mozzarella balls and pine nuts.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
FOR THE CUCUMBER SAUCE:
To prepare the cucumber sauce combine the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, pepper and dill in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine. Then grate the cucumber with a box grater, and fold it into the yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve.
FOR THE FISH:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Season the flesh side of each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tbsp of coconut oil in two 12” non-stick, skillets.
Once the pan is hot and the oil is shimmering. Place 2 fillets, flesh-side down, in each skillet. Sear the fish until the bottom ¼ inch of the filet turns opaque. At this point gently flip each fish and place both skillets in the oven.
To fit both skillets in the oven at the same time, place one skillet in the back of the oven with the handle going to the right and the other skillet in the front of the oven, with the handle going to the left.
Bake the salmon until the internal temperature registers 145F-150F, about 5-7 minutes. Then remove the skillets.
Place each fillet on a plate. Dollop the cucumber sauce over the middle portion of the fish, allowing it to spill over the sides. Grate 1 tsp of fresh radish on top of the tzatziki, along with a sprig of fresh dill. Serve with the Orzo pesto salad.
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Hi! I'm Beth Le Manach and I believe food tastes better when shared. Subscribe to my cooking channel, Entertaining with Beth, to learn holiday recipes, party planning tips and easy recipes for weeknight meals! New recipe videos post every Saturday! SUBSCRIBE HERE! bit.ly/BethsEntertaining.