Eating Green for Spring
Comfort food does not have to always be heavy. This delicious dish combines fresh green and colorful veggies, refreshing pasta, and grilled salmon. It is perfect for a lunch or dinner and uses fresh ingredients easy to find here but are also ones that the Irish would love as well.
Lemon Vinaigrette Salmon with Orzo and Veggies
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 6-8 ounce pieces of Salmon
- 1 Box Orzo Pasta
- 1 bunch Fresh Asparagus
- 1 bag Frozen Sweet Peas
- 12 ounces Fresh Spinach
- 2 pouches Sun-dried Tomato Halves
- 1 bottle Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
- 6 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon Black Pepper
- 6 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1 carton Vegetable Broth
- Zest of one lemon
- Lemon Wedges
Directions
- Prepare pasta according to direction on the box. Use the whole box. Leftover pasta works great for leftovers or another dish. TIP: heavily salt the water 2-3 tablespoons and you can substitute half of the water for the vegetable broth.
- On a large baking sheet, lay out the cleaned and trimmed asparagus. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons of salt, and ½ of the lemon zest.
- Roast in a 350* oven for about 10-12 minutes until cooked and slightly browned.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté the peas, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes until cooked through. Cut the asparagus into butter sized pieces and add to the veggie mixture at the end. Keep warm.
- Season the salmon generously with salt and pepper and little lemon juice.
- In another large skillet, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter and cook the salmon – 4 minutes a side until just done. Be sure not to overcook.
- Remove the salmon from the skillet.
- Fill a bowl or plate with the orzo, top or mix in the veggies, pour a few tablespoons of the lemon vinaigrette on top and then top with a piece of the salmon. Serve with lemon wedges.
This can be served as a hot entrée or a cold or warm salad.
Enjoy.
