Spicy Salmon with Olive-and-Lemon Quinoa

Spice up your dinner with this delicious salmon and quinoa recipe. Salmon is one of my favorite fish dishes because it’s a fish which even people who don’t like fish can enjoy.

It’s firm enough to grill, can be cooked in many different ways, and doesn’t dry out as easily as many other fish. It comes fresh, frozen, smoked, and canned.

Plus, salmon is extremely nutritious–high in protein and the “good fats.”

A 4 oz serving of wild salmon provides a full day’s requirement of vitamin D. It is one of the few foods that can make that claim. That same 4 oz serving contains over half of the necessary B12, niacin, and selenium, and is an excellent source of B6 and magnesium.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• Small pinch red pepper flakes
• Pinch salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound thick skin-on salmon fillet
• 1 cup quinoa*, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons pitted, chopped black olives
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the scallions and red pepper with the salt and 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil.
2. Spray a small roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray and lay the salmon in it skin side down. Cover the fish with the scallion-and-red-pepper mixture. Roast the salmon in the top third of the oven until it is barely opaque at the center of the thickest part, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the quinoa; cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining olive oil and the pine nuts, olives, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Serve the salmon over the quinoa.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving: 472 calories, 31g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 26g fat (4.9g saturated), 3g fiber

* Technically a seed, quinoa is packed with protein and magnesium, a nutrient that lowers blood pressure. Light and fluffy, quinoa is perfect for salads and side dishes.