A week ago I was snowed in and unable to leave the house without trepidation. Today, the sun is out, it’s dry and a relatively warm 46 degrees. What a difference a week makes. The world in general looks different than it did and not just in regards to the weather. I feel like I am at a crossroads, that the choices I make now will affect my life in unexpected ways. Do you ever feel that way?
I feel like I am at a crossroads, that the choices I make now will affect my life in unexpected ways. Do you ever feel that way? Since I started this little project on January 2nd a few things happened. I have found a rhythm and focus on my days that was lacking. Working on the blog every day has made me adhere to a schedule and forced me to make compromises. In the past, if I wasn’t happy with the way a dish turned out or dissatisfied with the photos I could scrap it and start over. Posting on a daily basis has made that much more challenging but allowed me to let go a bit and just accept that what I did was good enough. It’s also forced me realize that I should share more of our daily meals with you instead of trying to make something specifically for the blog.
This pan-roasted salmon with citrus cabbage salad is an excellent example of dinner in our house. Salmon and avocados are my son’s two favorite foods by his own declaration. The lovely thing about this is that I can prep the salad, cook the fish and make the dressing in the afternoon so that when we have a late night getting home, all I need to do is add the avocado.
If you make this recipe be sure to tag #scalingback on Instagram – I love seeing what you create in your kitchen! You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat (username: jeffers.tina)
- For the dressing:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated Meyer lemon zest (from one lemon)
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons water
- 4 4-oz. salmon fillets, preferably wild, skin on, pin bones removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ savoy cabbage, cored, very thinly sliced
- 1 large red grapefruit, peel and pith removed, cut into segments
- 1 avocado, pitted and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- Cover the cashews with cold water and let sit for 4 hours or overnight. Alternatively, you can cover them with boiling water and let soak for 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the cashews and place in a high-speed blender. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, rice vinegar, salt, oil, and water. Process on high until creamy and smooth. Taste and add additional salt or lemon juice if desired.
- Score the skin side of salmon and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon skin side down in skillet. Cook until skin is browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Flip fillets, reduce heat to medium, and cook until fish is barely opaque in the center of each fillet, about 2-3 more minutes; set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the cabbage, red grapefruit, avocado and 3 tablespoons of the dressing.
- To serve, divide the salad between four plates and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
- Note: If making ahead omit the avocado and fresh parsley and store the salad and salmon separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.
do you recommend any alternatives for cashews, as they are quite expensive?
Hi Kelsey,
You could replace the cashews with almonds, you may need to add some additional water to the dressing to thin it out. Avocado would also make a good substitution, it will look very different but would be delicious. I’d start with half a ripe avocado to replace the cashews. I hope the recipe work out for you if you give it a try!
Thank you so much! Looking forward to trying it!
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