Herbed Almond Orange Salmon Over Spinach

This recipe packs a double dose of omega-3s, by combining salmon and almonds, and has the added brain boosting benefits of spinach. Cooking over low heat ensures a silky-textured salmon that’s never overcooked.

Ingredients- serves 4

  • 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each)
  • Zest and juice of 1 large juicy orange
  • 2/3 cup almonds, chopped or flaked
  • 4 tablespoons flat leaf parsley or dill, chopped finely
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chilli flakes to taste
  • 1-2 large bags spinach

Preparation

For The Salmon

  • Bring salmon to room temperature by leaving it out on the counter for approximately 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 135C. Cover a small dish which can hold the salmon and its juices and place onto an oven sheet pan.
  • Combine orange zest, orange juice, almonds, parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Put salmon fillets skin side down into the dish.
  • Drizzle/brush each fillet with about 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pan in oven and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Pat almond and orange mixture onto salmon, along with the herbs, and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes, until nuts are lightly toasted but not burned.
  • Salmon should be cooked through, although colour will remain vibrant and flesh will be soft.

For The Spinach

  • In the meantime, add the spinach to a pan/wok (don’t worry it will wilt to a tiny fraction of the volume it is when raw), add 1 tsp salt and 1-2 tablespoons of water (but not too much as the leaves will release water)
  • Cover with a lid and stir from time to time to get all the leaves evenly cooked
  • Drain thoroughly in a sieve, pushing down with a spoon to remove excess water
  • Return to pan and add 1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, chilli flakes to taste, a bit more salt if needed, and mix thoroughly
  • Cover to keep warm.

To Serve

Pile spinach onto each plate and then top with the salmon and its juices.

Adapted from Brain HQ