Quinoa Salmon with cilantro, ginger and spinach

We had our traditional Canada Barbecue on July 1st but since it's based on my husband's Uruguayan parilla (grill) heritage - thus blending our two cultures - there was no salmon on the barbecue. I mean, after all, that would have meant moving over the chimichurri sausages (garlic and parsley flavoured which we bought at The Markt, hand made by Ryan and his talented crew of charcuterieists if such a word exists) and all the short local beef short ribs we bought at Piper's Meats.

Because when Uruguayans grill, it's all about the beef, pork and other red meats so poor old salmon had to take a back seat this time around. However, my sister-in-law Roxanne brought a quite lovely quinoa salad. I'd had bits of quinoa before but it was served as a sort of side-dish, like potatoes but without any real flavour. I was much surprised and impressed therefore at Roxanne's salad with its bits of veggie and lots of yummy flavour. And, since I'd been reading lots about how very nutritious quinoa is (the Quinoa 365 cookbook is on my to-buy list: http://quinoa365.com/whyquinoa.html), I thought this would be a great time to try to make it myself and incorporate salmon for a nutrition-packed meal that, as it turned out, tasted great.

And with all the fresh sockeye swimming its way into the stores these days, hey, it was a natural combination and we're very glad we gave it a try. This recipe is definitely on my list to make again, maybe trying variations on the herbs ... I think the possibilities might just be endless.

And since it's quite a simple dish but looks nice and colourful, I think it would make a great dish to take to potlucks, hot or cold.

Quinoa Salmon with cilantro, ginger and spinach

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
3 teaspoons canola oil
3 big handfuls of fresh baby spinach
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro
1 sockeye salmon fillet (8 ounces/250 grams)
kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Combine the quinoa and the water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until done.

Put 2 teaspoons of oil and the chopped cilantro in a shallow dish. Put the dish in the oven for 5 minutes. While the dish is in the oven, rinse and dry your salmon fillet. Remove any obvious bones, and sprinkle it with the tiniest pinch of kosher salt. When the oil and cilantro are sizzling hot, place the salmon fillet skin side up in the pan, and let it cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take it out of the oven and peel the skin off (I'd suggest with a pair of tongs, I stupidly tried to get it started with my fingers - ouch!). It should peel off easily, if it doesn't, bung it back in the oven for a couple more minutes, and try again.

Once you've removed the skin, sprinkle it again with a pinch of kosher salt, and the ginger, then flip it over. Bake for 4-5 more minutes, or until its done (flakes easily with a fork).

While the fish is baking, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a big frying pan and sautee the garlic for one minute. Add the spinach and toss for 1-2 minutes, or until its good and wilted

Combine the quinoa, salmon, and spinach in a bowl, and enjoy.
Makes about 2 servings