Garam Masala Roasted Salmon with Spice Grapes

Garam Masala Roasted Salmon with Spice Grapes

Garam Masala is a popular spice blend used in Indian cooking. It usually includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and peppercorns, but the ratio and spices used will vary from region to region and household to household. The combination of spices delivers the warm flavors found in most seasonal baked goods, with just a touch of intrigue from citrusy, earthy cumin and coriander.

A good garam masala recipe has a mix of sweet, hot, and savory ingredients. Cumin, coriander, and bay leaf provide savory notes. Cinnamon and clove provide sweetness. Black peppercorns provide heat while cardamom, fennel, and nutmeg provide fragrance. In addition to flavor, spices provide potent anti-inflammatory phytonutrients to make your meal more nutritious.

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD
Serves: 4
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Garam Masala Roasted Salmon with Spiced Grapes and Winter Salad with Roasted Squash, Shallots, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

4 5-6 ounce wild-caught Salmon filets
1 teaspoon garam masala (store-bought or homemade)
1-2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon ghee (or more olive oil)
1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in quarters
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (Use 325 degrees if using a convection oven). 

2. Heat a large cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Brush each salmon with olive oil and season with salt and garam masala. 

3. Place the salmon skin side up in the skillet. Sear for 4 minutes. Flip the salmon and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until the salmon is medium rare or approximately 120-125 degrees. (Estimate a total cook time of 10 minutes per inch thickness.)

4. While the salmon bakes, heat a second smaller skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the ghee, cinnamon and grapes. Sauté the grapes until they are hot and starting to soften, approximately 3-5 minutes. Season gently with a pinch of salt. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar. 

5. Serve the salmon on a bed of grapes. Drizzle the pan sauce over the salmon prior to serving. 

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Garam Masala 

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD
Makes: Approximately 1/3 cup
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

8 grams coriander seeds
8 grams cumin seeds
4 grams green cardamom pods
2 grams cloves
2 grams peppercorns
1 gram Ceylon cinnamon (approx. ½ stick)
2 grams fennel seeds
2 medium dried bay leaves
½ gram nutmeg (approx. ¼ small nutmeg)
1/8-1/4 star anise (optional)

Directions:

1. Inspect your spices for dust, mold, or impurities while pre-heating a pan over low heat. 

2. Gently toast the spices to enhance their flavor. I recommend toasting each spice individually or toasting similarly sized spices together. Toast each spice for 30-60 seconds or until they start to become fragrant. Place the toasted spices on a plate to cool completely.

3. Grind the spices together in a clean coffee or spice grinder.

4. Store in an airtight glass container. 

Rainbow Pad Thai Salad with Chicken Satay

Rainbow Pad Thai Salad with Chicken Satay

Serves: 3-4
Adapted from Oh She Glows and NomNomPaleo

Ingredients:

For the dressing and dipping sauce:

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 1/4 cup almond butter, peanut butter or sunbutter

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

• Optional: 2 teaspoon Maple syrup (omit to make Whole30 compliant)

For the salad:

• 1 medium zucchini, julienned or spiraled

• 2 large carrots, julienned

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

• 3/4 cup shelled edamame (omit to make Whole30 compliant)

• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

For the chicken:

• 1½ pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts, sliced in 1/2 inch strips

• Wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes prior to use

• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

• 1 large Medjool date, pitted and finely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

 Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade: Combine the coconut milk, curry paste, date, garlic, fish sauce and turmeric in a large bowl. You can blend the ingredients in a blender if you prefer a smoother finished product. Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate up to 12 hours.

2. Prep vegetables. Add the zucchini, carrots, pepper, and cabbage into one or two large bowls. Toss to combine.

3. Prepare the chicken: Using one strip of chicken at a time, carefully skewer the meat on the pre-soaked wooden skewers. Skewer the meat in an accordion-like fashion ensuring that the meat is roughly the same thickness on each skewer. This will ensure that the meat cooks evenly. Grill the chicken over high heat for 3-5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. The skewers can also be roasted in a 425 degree oven (400 degree convection) for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked through. Broil for an additional 1-2 minutes for additional color if desired.

4. Prepare the dressing: While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dressing/satay sauce by combine all the ingredients in a small glass jar. Whisk to combine. The dressing will thicken as it sits.

5. To serve, toss the veggies with the dressing. Top with chicken and garnish with green onion, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds.

Simple Arugula Citrus Breakfast Salad

The perfect breakfast is low in sugar and contains protein, healthy fats and plenty of fiber. The combination of these macronutrients ensures that our blood sugars are stable helping to keep us appropriately fueled for our day. Give this simple salad a try. The citrus provides sweetness and acidity to balance the bitter greens. I like to serve this salad with a piece protein to round out the meal.

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Simple Arugula Citrus Breakfast Salad

Arugula with grapefruit and breakfast sausage

Ingredients:

• 1 orange or grapefruit, peeled and sliced

• 1 large handful baby arugula

• 1 generous drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

• Pinch salt

• 1/4-1/2 avocado, diced

Directions:

• Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss. Gently stir in avocado.

Sheet-Pan Roasted Fish With Sweet Peppers

This quick and easy dinner strikes all the right notes. Sweet, caramelized peppers with salty olives and garlicky parsley dressing that nicely complement the mild, flaky fish. The gorgeous colors of this sheet pan are a feast for the eyes.

This dish is versatile and can be made with many types of mild, white fish like cod, trout, tilapia or flounder, or even shrimp, though you may have to adjust the roasting time to accommodate the different options. The thicker the fillets, the longer they will take to cook.

Seafood not your thing? Try roasting the peppers and olives with the dressing per the instructions and topping them on pan-seared chicken cutlets.

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Sheet-Pan Roasted Fish With Sweet Peppers

Adapted from Melissa Clark at NYT Cooking
Serves: 3 to 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp dried thyme
1 1⁄2 pounds white fish fillets like lake trout, tilapia, cod or hike
Sea salt and black pepper
3 large bell peppers, preferably 1 red, 1 orange and 1 yellow, thinly sliced
4 1⁄2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1⁄4 cup pitted and sliced, Kalamata, green or black olives (or a combination)
1 teaspoon sherry or red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1 garlic clove, grated
1 cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Not a fish fan, try using chicken cutlets instead.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Season fish all over with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp thyme leaves. Let rest at room temperature while you prepare the peppers.

3. Spread peppers on a rimmed sheet pan, and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper to taste. Top peppers with the remaining thyme. Roast, tossing occasionally, until peppers are softened and golden at the edges, about 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Push peppers to the edges of the pan, clearing a space in the center. Lay fish out on that empty space and drizzle with oil. Scatter olives over the top of fish and peppers. Continue roasting the pan until the fish turns opaque and is just cooked through, about 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.

5. While the fish roasts, make a vinaigrette by combining the vinegar, garlic and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, then whisk in the parsley. Taste and add more salt or vinegar, or both, if needed. Serve fish and peppers drizzled with vinaigrette.

6. Serve with roasted potatoes, rice, cauliflower rice or side salad.