Smoked Salmon Salad

This salad always gets attention. It is beautiful when layered into a platter, on an Asian dish or in a clear glass bowl. 

 Try to buy WILD salmon, and never farmed salmon (which are fed a GMO diet). Costco often sells wild smoked salmon, but not always. They also have another brand of smoked salmon but it has been GMO-ed (Genetically Modified).

 Peel off each slice as thin as they come.

Break them into smaller bitesize pieces. Place them into your serving bowl or dish as the bottom layer.

 Thinly slice sweet onions (Pictured: Maui onions) and spread them on top of the salmon for your second layer.

 Next, add thinly sliced tomatoes (These are Roma's).

 I absolutely love these! Radish sprouts are on the bitter side with a spicy-fresh kick. It goes very well with this dish since the salmon brings in the salt, and the tomatoes, onions and ponzu sauce brings in the sweet. 

 If you wash these, make sure to completely dry them. You can squeeze them into a paper towel then pat dry with another clean one.

 Cut the radish sprouts at the roots. 

 You won't need them.

 Place the beautiful green radish sprouts right on top of the tomatoes.

 Cut some lemon slices to garnish if desired. 

 Here is the key to this salad, PONZU! It is a sweet citrus substitute for soy sauce type of dishes, though this is not salty at all. I use ponzu anywhere I use soy sauce. It is great for tofu salads as well. The ponzu is perfect just as it is. Pour 1/4 cup into the side of the dish so that it sinks down to the bottom layer.

Finally, add tobiko (or a cheaper version, masago). Tobiko is a type of caviar, it is basically fish roe. You might recognize it from your California sushi rolls. Look in the meat section by the fresh cuts of fish in a grocery store or in an Asian store. 

Add about a tablespoon full and place it like a garnish.

A lot of the tobiko will eventually end up in the ponzu sauce which is also really nice.

And here we go! 

You can also make individual bowls to ensure everyone gets a little bit of each ingredient. I made two of these individual servings while making the platter. Enjoy!

UPDATE!

I found my original smoked salmon pictures...

Simple. Fun. Delicious.

My Printable Recipe

The Most Refreshing Quinoa Salad

I recently discovered quinoa from a co-worker who asked me if I knew any good quinoa recipes. As a result, I spent a few days reseaching quinoa and finding interesting recipes that I could give to her. 

You can find quinoa at most Safeway and Times as well as Sam's Club and Costco. You can find a simple recipe or two on the package or google some images for ideas. For this recipe, I took an old enchilada-related recipe and cooked the quinoa in chicken broth instead of water. I hope you like it and I hope you try it out for yourself.

• FOR THE QUINOA:

• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Quinoa, Rinsed

• FOR THE DRESSING:

• 5 Tablespoons Lime Juice, Freshly Squeezed
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Cumin, Ground
• ⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper

• FOR THE SALAD:

• 1 can Black Beans, Rinsed, Drained, 15 Ounce Can
• 1-½ cup Corn, Rinsed, Drained
• 1  Jalapeno, Chopped
• ¼ cups Cilantro, Chopped
• ¼ cups Green Onions, Chopped
• 1 cup Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Chopped

For the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the quinoa and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the quinoa to sit for another 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Set aside.

For the dressing: Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or shake them up in a mason jar.

For the salad: In a large bowl, add the quinoa and all of the salad ingredients. Gently mix to combine everything together. Add the dressing and fold to combine. Refrigerate until chilled. For the best results, chill overnight.

I usually make this ahead of time, pack them in little to-go containers and store them in the fridge. They are perfect for my 30 minute lunch breaks at work. 

My Printable Recipe