Salmon with Zesty Citrus Salsa

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm not sure what the weather is like your area now, but it is a dark and gloomy day here in Indy. Somehow this seemed like the perfect recipe to share, since it's so bright and colorful, and all the fresh produce really makes me think of summer. 

So in addition to getting back into the blog recently (yay!), I've also gotten back into Pinterest and all the visual inspiration that comes with it. This recipe is one of those gems, and we went crazy over all the flavors. It felt light and refreshing, and came together in a flash. I will definitely be making it again!

Salmon with Zesty Citrus Salsa
Recipe adapted from Self
Serves 2-4, depending on how much salsa you use

Salsa Rossa

This happens to be the best salsa, sauce, whatever I've...well, ever, eaten. Or ingested. Whichever is more appropriate for what I did to the salsa. I practically drowned my dinner in this sauce. Well, not practically, I really did. As I write this my lips are tingling (from the crushed red pepper and roasted red pepper) like I put Victoria's Secret lip plumper on. Mmm, maybe I should just keep eating this instead of paying $22 for a tube. Hmmm...

When I read the recipe for this salsa, in The Newlyweds' Cookbook, it claimed, "Salsa rossa is one of those divine Italian sauces that transforms simple meat and fish dishes into food nirvana." I thought the authors were exaggerating. False. They. Were. So. True.

I made this with Chicken "Paninis" with Basil & Mozzarella. It absolutely made this dish. Which, honestly, is one of my new favorites. Make this. Just do it. And use my shortcuts. Or look up the book's long version online. I don't have the energy to type it up.

Ingredients:
*1/2 jar roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
*2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
*2 large ripe tomatoes, skinned (check out my How-To: Easily Skin Tomatoes) and coarsely chopped
*a small pinch (which I somehow read as 1/2 teaspoon...yikes! tingling lips explained!) of crushed red pepper flakes
*1 tbsp dried oregano
*1 tbsp red wine vinegar
*salt and pepper

Preparation:
*Heat some evoo gently in a skillet, then add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes.

*Add the tomatoes, pepper flakes and oregano and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

*Stir in the chopped roasted red peppers and vinegar and simmer for a further 5 minutes to evaporate any excess liquid.

*Transfer to a blender and puree until fairly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

peeled tomatoes ready to be chopped

tomatoes and spices...lots of crushed red pepper but it was still amazing. John says he doesn't want to try it the regular way.

Hmm...spend lots of time broiling a red pepper, cooling it, cutting it, seeding it and removing juice...OR buy a jar of this. Um, yeah. I'll take "things that make my life easier" for $500, Alec.

All the ingredients. Just wait for the liquid to reduce before you blend it!

Planned to fill this jar...after drowning our chicken this is what was left. Must double, no triple, no quadruple the recipe next time.

Served with some of the most amazing chicken ever! (and easiest, score!)

Creamy Dill Sauce

This sauce is fantastic. I made it to go with the Easy Salmon Cakes, but it was so good I decided to make it a post by itself, because I'll definitely make this again to go with several types of dishes.

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
*1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
*2 scallions, thinly sliced
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
*1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, or parsley
*Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:
*Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, dill (or parsley) and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

*Spoon over Easy Salmon Cakes, another dish, or even serve with veggies! 

Mixing ingredients up

Last ones are in!

Perfect amount of lemon flavor

Simply delicious over salmon cakes!

 

Garlic Avocado Aioli

 
I made this to go along with the Seared Ahi Tuna I made for dinner. It was so full of flavor and creamy that it perfectly matched the spice and seasoning of the tuna. I will definitely make this again, as it is a bit different than the previous Avocado Aioli recipe I posted.

Ingredients:
*1 avocado, peeled and seeded
*1 tsp garlic powder
*drizzle of soy sauce
*lime juice (about half a lime)
*1 tsp scallions
*salt and pepper

Preparation:
*Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve on the side or on top of Seared Ahi Tuna (or any dish you want!). 

Topped on the ahi tuna! Yum!