Thursday, January 7, 2010

Salmon and Broccoli Rabe

I'm excited to introduce to you the first ingredient of the monthly installment entitled "Foods I've Never Cooked Before." Yes, that is the name I chose for this project. I actually chose it just now. January's food is....(drumroll please)

broccoli rabe


Broccoli rabe is also known as Rapini or Italian broccoli. I'm sure many people have cooked broccoli rabe before and I've seen it around for several years but had no idea what to do with it. I researched a bit and found there are two camps when it comes to cooking broccoli rabe: those who boil and those who saute. Those who boil claim that boiling removes most of the bitterness associated with this vegetable. I decided to make the best of both worlds and boil and saute. Maybe next time I will try one or the other and decide which I like better. But for today, compromise it is. Also, some only eat the leafy greens while others eat leaves and stems. I didn't want to waste so I trimmed the very end of the stem but cooked the broccoli rabe with both leaves and stems.



Salmon and Broccoli Rabe

Salmon:
4 salmon (or steelhead) filets, deboned and skin on
lemon pepper seasoning, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine soy sauce, honey, maple syrup, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle salmon filets with lemon pepper seasoning and black pepper. Lay filets, skin down, in a shallow glass baking dish and pour marinade over. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F. Create a foil packet for each salmon filet. Place one filet in each packet. Place packets side-by-side in a clean, shallow baking dish and bake for 12-15 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork and is still pink in the center. Be careful not to overbake.
3. Remove salmon from packet and place on the bed of broccoli rabe. Serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Rabe:
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place broccoli rabe in pot and cook until slightly tender but not mushy, 3-5 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and saute for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Serves 4

1 comment:

  1. Very tasty and healthy dish with good combination of vegetable and omega 3 rich salmon. Some of us had to have second serving. Love it...

    ReplyDelete