Caramelized Vegetable Salmon Salad offers you the combination of lightly caramelized vegetables (cherry tomatoes, fennel, and snap peas) and easy pan-seared salmon.
Hello everyone! How are you doing? Ready for the weekend? I am absolutely ready, especially considering the fact it’s a very short week for me. Yay to my extra day off tomorrow. I am planning to make Khachapuri to update photos. (Also because cheese bread on Friday should be a mandatory thing!) Perhaps, something sweet too. Most likely, with dulce de leche. (Of course!) What would you choose – this Russian Anthill Cake or these Walnut-Shaped Cookie? Or both?
Blogging and Planning
Before we jump to today’s recipe, let me ask you one question guys. As food bloggers, are you good at planning? Certainly, I don’t meant your grocery list (However, my experience has showed many times it’s important too! But I often have a chaotic style for our groceries). Generally – planning your recipes and most importantly getting them on your blogs.
I would say, I am good at it, but in my own way. With a touch of havoc in the kitchen haha! For instance, I am doing well in recipe development and planning even though there are many recipes and ideas have been waiting for months (years?) But I have notes on my phone (Not to mention dozes of ideas in my head). Occasionally, I bookmark Google or YouTube ideas, too.
Also, I love to have some ready-to-be-published recipes ahead of time (At least enough for 3-4 weeks – 6 to 8 recipes). And I am good at this, too. This approach has few practical reasons. For instance, when my camera broke in 2017 (And it took almost a month to fix it), it was great to keep my blog running. This approach is convenient when you have only weekends being available for cooking due to various reasons. Personally, I often cook 2-3 dishes within one day! It makes sense in my case because I (And especially my husband!) cannot deal with havoc (in the kitchen) every day! lol
There’s a Little Problem Though!
However, everything changed last year! You probably can guess what happened? Even though our office continued working from homes, there was so much more time to cook. No commute, no gyms (That was a bad part, though!), much less of entertainment (Not like we had it too often before 2021, but anyway). Basically, I could cook almost everyday. And what’s the main problem of most food photographers? If you’ve made a dish – don’t waste it and grab your camera! Can you relate?
With the currently alternating schedules now (One week in the office and one from home), it’s still more time than normally. Besides, with the days are getting longer, I can now photograph even after 7 pm. That’s really awesome.
What’s not awesome? Dozens of folders – hundreds (thousands?) of unsorted and unpublished photos. Remember my rule – recipes enough for at least 2-3 weeks (6 to 8 recipes)? I have enough for many months! There’s an example. Most of recipes I’ve been posting now were photographed in February. There’s another example. I have quite MANY recipes form last spring, summer, and fall.
Unfortunately, I will probably not post most of them. There’s a thing. Your style (Skills, perspective, etc.) isn’t a steady thing. So often, when you come back to your photos taken a long time ago, you just don’t like them any more. Did you ever happen to you? Anyway, that’s a part of the process. Also, it’s a good reminder to follow me on my Instagram as I often post pictures and recipes not intended for the blog.
Caramelized Vegetable Salmon Salad
Why did I share this story? Does it have any connections with this Caramelized Vegetable Salmon Salad? Absolutely!
I made this salad over two months ago, when Andrew and I celebrated our (15-year) anniversary. Initially, I planned to share it with you in March, but you know. New favourite recipes appear (No passion to wait!), then Easter. So I figured out if I don’t post it now, I will probably never do it. I have more than 10 recipes suitable for the blog, and with the warmer days are on the way, there will be many summer ideas, soon. Competition is strong!
What’s in this Caramelized Vegetable Salmon Salad? Cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and fennel, lightly caramelized in olive oil, balsamic, and maple syrup. With a touch of chipotle powder and smoked paprika. Already scrumptious! And with the addition of pan-seared salmon, that’s a perfect main course for your lunch or dinner. Daisy approves!
I hope you like like idea, and you’ll give it a try. And don’t forget to tell me about your cooking and planning style!
Cheers for now.
Caramelized Vegetable Salmon Salad
2
servings10
minutes20
minutesCaramelized Vegetable Salmon Salad offers you the combination of lightly caramelized vegetables (cherry tomatoes, fennel, and snap peas) and easy pan-seared salmon. 2 servings as the main course.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Pan-Seared Salmon:
2 nice salmon filets (about 120-150 gr. each), skins on or off as desired
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
~ 1/2 tsp. pink peppercorns, crushed
a pinch of salt, to taste
- Salad:
about 1 cup of arugula or other baby greens of your choice
1/3 fennel bulb, shredded
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup sweet snap peas
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. maple syrup
~ 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tsp. dried herbs (like Italian seasonings)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
a good pinch of chipotle powder
Directions
- Pan-Seared Salmon:
- Dry out the salmon on paper towel. Season with salt and pink peppercorns, from both sides. Heat the olive oil with the butter in a non-stick thick pan over medium high heat. The oil should shimmer.
- Place the salmon in the pan, skin side down. Cook for around 5 minutes or until golden brown crust. Carefully flip and cook for another 40 seconds – up to a few minutes, until the fish is flaky. The time will also vary depending on the thickness and the desired level of doneness (Some people prefer less flaky and tender but crispier and drier.)
- Off heat, transfer to a paper towel to absorb the excess of oil and keep warm.
- Salad:
- In a separate pan (a wok is an excellent choice) place the shredded fennel, without any oil. Cook over high medium heat, occasionally stirring, for about 5 minutes or until charred.
- Add the tomatoes and snap peas and continue cooking few minutes.
- Decrease heat to low-medium. Add the olive oil, balsamic, and maple syrup along with the seasonings and cook for about 5 minutes or so until juicy and glossy.
- Combine warm vegetables with arugula and divide between plates. Arrange the salmon and serve right away. Enjoy!
Hi Ben, thanks for commenting on my blog, it’s nice to meet you. I am a huge planner, I make a meal plan every week, grocery shopping always goes with a list, travel always has a packing list, I keep notes on the houses we rent in Europe and Arizona as to what they have and don’t have in the kitchen and the blog always has about two months of recipes ready to publish.
The salad sounds and looks delicious, you must have an awesome selection of seafood living in Nova Scotia. We haven’t had a good salmon in a very long time. I used to get Pacific wild caught salmon because I love how rich and flavourful it is but the last few months haven’t been great for them so I haven’t bought them in a long time. I’m going to have to keep a lookout from now on so we can try this scrumptious salad.
Happy anniversary! We will be celebrating our 35 this year (I was a child bride 😉)
Hi Ben, thanks for commenting on my blog, it’s nice to meet you. I am a huge planner, I make a meal plan every week, grocery shopping always goes with a list, travel always has a packing list, I keep notes on the houses we rent in Europe and Arizona as to what they have and don’t have in the kitchen and the blog always has about two months of recipes ready to publish.
The salad sounds and looks delicious, you must have an awesome selection of seafood living in Nova Scotia. We haven’t had a good salmon in a very long time. I used to get Pacific wild caught salmon because I love how rich and flavourful it is but the last few months haven’t been great for them so I haven’t bought them in a long time. I’m going to have to keep a lookout from now on so we can try this scrumptious salad.
Everything about this salad is so up my alley. You had me at caramelized! Such a delicious combination of veggies and I’m always up for salmon. I definitely need to improve my planning. I was much better about it in the beginning and have totally regressed (in spite of being home more this past year)! New goals for 2021 I suppose. And, happy belated anniversary!
It’s good to have so many recipes in the wings, Ben! We plan out our whole following year in the fall and add and change as necessary then ‘capture’ in bursts. There’s so much that goes into food blogging, right?
This salad of yours has my mouth watering! Like David, I love burst tomatoes, but never think to use them in salad. And your salmon is cooked to perfection! Looks like Daisy approves. ;)
I guess we are all the same, not only because of covid but generally speaking: I belong to the group of bloggers that cook for the blog during our week ends and, yes, while we had several lock outs and isolations and so much more, I cooked to heal and comfort. So, yes, I have list of dates and food to publish for the whole year.
This salad is absolutely amazing for my office lunch if going to work. If not, perfect lunch or dinner to enjoy. I wish you have a pleasant week end and stay safe !
I love the combination of flavors in this salad, Ben! I also happen to really love burst tomatoes like that – I’ve never used them in a salad before, though. Great idea!
As far as planning, I keep a calendar just for the blog. I have recipes written on the days I want to publish them. Once the recipe is made and written, then I highlight that recipe title in yellow. When I’m planning the week’s recipes, I just go down the calendar to the first section of non-highlighted recipes. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but it does keep me pretty organized! Isn’t it nice knowing you’ve got some recipes ready and waiting??
Daisy is too cute! and happy anniversary. I did a lot of cooking during hard lockdown and at one stage had recipes for months. But like you I want to have enough for a month. I schedule posts a month in advance so that when we are away I don’t have to think about my blog. Lucky you to get salmon where you live, In South Africa it is imported and thus expensive. So two no-no’s for me.
Those caramelized veggies look AMAZING and I love salmon so much. You definitely made for this! How about you have a helping of my creamy gnocchi and then trade me for this!?