Slow-baked salmon with cumin-cayenne dust
Green beans with red and green relish
Spinanch salad with orange-chipotle dressing
Warm flour tortillas
Mango sherbert
Margaritas
Cinco de Mayo falls on Sunday this year, and although you may not plan a full-scale celebration to toast this Mexican holiday, it presents a great opportunity to prepare a meal with Mexican accents.
Margaritas are the obvious place to start. And while you’re sipping those slyly potent coolers, you can put together a simple menu that centers on fresh salmon.
The cooking method is unique, calling for a very low oven rather than the high temperature usually associated with fish cookery. Cooked this way, the fish is extraordinarily moist and succulent. The flavorings are simple–just a dry rub of a few spices that you can tailor to suit your taste.
We’ve added green beans and a sassy spinach salad, both of them perked up with Mexican ingredients. Finish the meal with your favorite sorbet or ice cream.
SLOW-BAKED SALMON WITH CUMIN-CAYENNE DUST
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
For even cooking, select boneless fillets of equal size.
2 cups rock or kosher salt, about
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
4 salmon fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
1. Spread salt in a shallow roasting pan that’s just large enough to hold the salmon. Put in oven; heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine cumin, brown sugar and ground pepper. Sprinkle over salmon fillets, gently patting it onto surface.
3. When oven is heated, reduce temperature to 225 degrees. Carefully arrange salmon over salt, placing it skin-side down. Bake until cooked in center, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from salt bed with a spatula; carefully remove skin.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories……….310 Fat……………16 g Cholesterol……..125 mg
Sodium……….94 mg Carbohydrates……1 g Protein…………..39 g
SPINACH SALAD WITH ORANGE-CHIPOTLE DRESSING
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chili with adobo sauce, see note
1 teaspoon honey
Salt, freshly ground pepper
Salad:
12 ounces baby or salad spinach
1/2 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
1 navel orange, cut in segments
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1. For dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Dressing can be made in advance and refrigerated up to 5 days.
2. For salad, combine spinach, onion and orange segments in a bowl and toss with dressing to taste. Divide among four salad plates and sprinkle with cheese and sesame seeds.
Note: Use canned chipotle chilies packed in adobo sauce, available in the Mexican food aisle of some supermarkets. Remove chili from can and smash with the flat side of a knife. Add a small amount of sauce from the can and measure 1 tablespoon, or to taste, for dressing.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories…………250 Fat……………20 g Cholesterol……..8 mg
Sodium………..135 mg Carbohydrates…..14 g Protein………….7 g
GREEN BEANS WITH RED AND GREEN RELISH
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
We were thrilled to find bags of trimmed fresh green beans in the produce aisle. Although trimming a pound of beans only takes a few minutes, there are times when even that is too long.
1 bag (14 1/2 ounces) trimmed green beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon minced hot chili, or to taste
3 tomatillos, husk removed, cored, chopped
Salt, freshly ground pepper
6 cocktail or cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1. Cook beans in boiling water until crisp/tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain well and set aside in a serving bowl.
2. Heat oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and hot chili; cook and stir until shallot begins to soften, 1 minute. Add tomatillos and salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add chopped tomatoes and cilantro. Toss with beans and adjust seasoning.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories………..80 Fat………………4 g Cholesterol…..0 mg
Sodium……….10 mg Carbohydrates…….11 g Protein……..2.5 g
