I was looking for a new twist for my go-to salads, which tend to be a variation of kale salads, shaved Brussels sprouts salads, or salmon salads. Naturally, this Furthermore recipe incorporating all three caught my eye, but also added in some new flavors for me, like grapes. As per usual, I found myself incapable of following their recipe, but I really like the tweaks and simplifying that I ended up with below. Enjoy!
BEST FOR – Upping your work lunch game, or having friends over for a detox dinner. Also great for avid Trader Joe’s shoppers (their shaved Brussels and shredded kale made this very easy).
MUSICAL PAIRING- “Texas Sun” by Khruangbin & Leon Bridges
Ingredients {Serves 2 aka makes 2 lunches}
Dressing
- 1/4 cup or 2 oz lemon juice (about 3 small lemons)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 tsp honey (unless using Meyer lemons)
Salad
- 2 salmon fillets (I had .85 lbs total)
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper
- 5 oz kale
- 10 oz shaved Brussels
- ~10 baby carrots or 2 long carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup nuts or seeds (I used pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc. would also work)
- 1/4 cup red grapes, quartered
- 2 tbs parmesan cheese, shredded for topping (optional)
- Salt, pepper, and preferred cooking oil
Directions
A note before starting. This recipe is all about maximizing your timing to do your prep around the oven. Start this while the oven is preheating. Get as far as you can. If you get to step #4 (putting the salmon in) and the oven hasn’t preheated yet, simply advance to #5, then come back to #4 once the fish is in. If you’re still on #2 (the dressing)- no problem! Skip to #4 once the oven preheats, then go back to the dressing. Don’t worry if you’re not naturally stopping and starting when my breaks are.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil (or parchment paper) and lightly oil (I use a canola oil spray). Place salmon on top, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- While the oven is preheating, begin your prep. Start with the dressing. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender (I use my Magic Bullet for 5-10 seconds) until combined. If you don’t have these appliances, you can mix by hand with a fork or whisk. Set the dressing aside until step #6.
- Next, slice your grapes, shave or thinly slice your carrots (for me, shaving sounded far too time intensive), and grate the cheese if you’ll be using it for topping. If your oven preheats in the middle of this step, don’t worry. Simply pause, skip to step 4, then continue the prep while your salmon is in the oven.
- Once the oven preheats, put the salmon inside and bake for about 10 minutes until the salmon appears just cooked through. Do not overcook. It’s far better to take it out too early and have to put the salmon back in, than to have overcooked salmon. If your oven has not pre-heated yet, skip to step #5 and come back to this step once it has.
- Time to put your salad together! Start by massaging the kale in a large bowl with a sprinkle of salt. As if you were kneading bread (or balling your fists together and squeezing), massage the kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes. It should start to turn a bit darker and soften. Do not skip this step. I think part of the reason kale gets such a bad rap is that it’s tough if not massaged. Once finished, add the Brussels sprouts, grapes, your preferred nut/seed topping, and Parmesan.
- It’s your call if you’d like to shred the salmon or not. If so, take two forks to shred the salmon into pieces. Add to the salad, and dress if serving immediately.
The Carmel Kama'aina 