Wild Caught Salmon/Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Salad

Wow, I just tried this recipe and LOVED it! A great light and healthy dinner to have on a warm day, it takes no time to fix. This Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Salad is a variation of a recipe I found in Coastal Living Magazine - one of my favorite magazines not only for recipes, but for the beautiful coastal water photos and the great design ideas for coastal (or non-coastal) homes if you desire a relaxed beachy feeling. But I digress. Here is my recipe:

Serving Size: for 2; Prep: 8 minutes; Cook: 11 minutes

Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Salad

Two 6-7 oz Alaskan salmon fillets
6-8 leaves of romaine lettuce
1/2 lb. asparagus spears
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 Vidalia Onion cut into a couple "chunks"
Salt and pepper to taste
A Lite vinaigrette dressing of your preference
(I used Ken's Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette)

Brush salmon and toss asparagus with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill salmon over medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees) for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness. Grill asparagus and onion, turning occasionally, 3-5 minutes, or until tender.

Divide chopped Romaine evenly on two plates, top with flaked salmon, asparagus, onion and tomatoes. Serve with vinaigrette dressing.

This is not the clearest picture I've ever taken! I blame the 2 glasses of wine I had before we even started eating. Won't do that again..... But you get the gist.

The recipe from Coastal Living used arugula instead of romaine, yellow cherry tomatoes, and didn't include the onions. They also left the asparagus spears whole, but my friend chopped them up before I had a chance to stop him. (Guys aren't too great about reading directions or, in this case, even looking at the picture.) No matter, still came out pretty darn delicious!

Health Benefits of Salmon
First and foremost, go for the salmon labeled Pacific or wild caught, as opposed to Atlantic or farm-raised. One store I went to for this salmon had only "Color-infused, Chilean farm raised Salmon".  Nothing about that sounded good, nor did the $10.99/lb price tag. I went to another grocery and found wild caught salmon on sale for $5.99/lb. Wild caught salmon have fewer toxins than farm raised, as they are not kept in confined pens and are also leaner as they get more exercise in open waters through their migration patterns.

Salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids which protect against heart disease and reduce inflammation. They are a rich source of niacin, magnesium, and vitamin B12. One serving contains more than the daily requirement of selenium, said to regulate thyroid function and boost the immune system.

Global 5.5-in. Fish Bone Tweezers This is a really cool gadget if you eat fish often, and especially if you have a fisherman in your household who brings you fresh fish to fillet. These fish bone tweezers are the kind used by many sushi chefs. The fish bone tweezers will help you quickly and easily remove pesky bones and such from whole fish. The textured handle that makes it extra easy to grip and maneuver. It's made of stainless steel so it will remain new looking forever. This is a great gift for a kitchen aficionado or even for the fisherman who will clean his "catch" for you. (Available from Cooking.com. Coupon offers of this page!)

In my continuous quest for less stress, gardening is one of my solutions, so I will try to start a trend here, following up on my post with the dahlia photo. Here is my first hibiscus bloom of the season.

Hibiscus flower