Now that the Halloween candy is gone, it’s back to eating healthy
For this colorful fall dinner, salmon fillets are baked and topped with a black olive and shallot sauce. It’s served with black beans and orange carrots. Shallots are part of the onion family. They are small and teardrop-shaped and are milder than onions.
The trick to cooking this salmon in the oven is to make sure the oven is at temperature before adding the salmon.
To save time, the shallots and olives can be chopped and mixed with the oil and vinegar dressing in the food processor. Remove the sauce and set aside. Do not wash the bowl, and add a slicing disk to the processor. Slice the carrots for the side dish.
HELPFUL HINTS
› Any type of vinaigrette dressing can be used.
› Red onion can be used instead of shallots for the salmon sauce.
SHOPPING LIST
› To buy: 3/4 pound salmon fillet, olive oil spray, 1 container black pitted olives, 1 bottle low-fat oil and vinegar dressing, 1 can reduced-sodium black beans, 1 shallot.
› Staples: olive oil, carrots, ground cumin, salt and black peppercorns.
Roasted Salmon With Black Olive-Shallot Vinaigrette
3/4 pound salmon fillet
Olive oil spray
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 pitted black olives, coarsely chopped 1/2 medium-size shallot, finely chopped
(about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons low-fat oil and vinegar dressing
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. and spray with olive oil spray. Place salmon on the foil. and spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place salmon in oven. and bake 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix olives and shallots with the dressing. Set the vinaigrette aside at room temperature while salmon is baking. Spoon the vinaigrette over the salmon while it is still warm.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 296 calories (49% from fat), 16.3 grams fat (2.2 grams saturated, 6.8 grams monounsaturated), 98 milligrams cholesterol, 34.1 grams protein, 3.1 grams carbohydrates, 0.4 gram fiber, 206 milligrams sodium.
— Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
Festive Black Beans
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups canned reduced-sodium black
beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add carrots and water to a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Add the beans, and cook 2 to 3 more minutes. The carrots should be cooked and the beans warm. Drain, leaving about 2 tablespoons water on the beans, and add the olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 195 calories (7% from fat), 1.5 grams fat (0.3 gram saturated, 0.5 gram monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 11.5 grams protein, 35.5 grams carbohydrates, 14.1 grams fiber, 189 milligrams sodium.
— Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
Linda Gassenheimer is an author of over 30 cookbooks. Her newest is “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.” Find her on Facebook (FoodNewsandViews) and Twitter (LGassenheimer), and listen to her podcasts at www.880thebiz.com.