A super healthy protein packed Mediterranean inspired bowl loaded with veggies and honey glaze wild salmon with quinoa and homemade tzatziki sauce. A nutritious bowl you will love any day of the week.
Where do I begin? Let’s start with this gorgeous wild sockeyed salmon I purchased from Costco. Yes, they are frozen and in my part of the world, it is rare to find fresh fish and seafood and if you do, it’s a matter of questioning where is came from, is it farm or from across the pond. I have had fish that wasn’t wild-caught and I will be honest, it doesn’t taste the same. I marinated the salmon with good quality extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper and allowed these great ingredients marinade for 15 minutes. Using quality ingredients can make such a difference in the flavours.
INGREDIENTS AND TIPS
MARINADE includes good quality extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, dill, salt and pepper. A super tasty marinade, so much so that I used some of it to drizzle over the veggies.
VEGGIES adds lots of crunchy texture, colour, flavour as well as nutrients. I added cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, olives and organic baby spinach.
QUINOA is my all-time favourite gluten-free whole grain. I love the flavour and the fact it is high in protein. You can substitute with couscous, brown rice or jasmine rice.
FETA AND OLIVES are both a perfect blend of flavours to add to the Mediterranean style bowl.
HERBS I added were dill and parsley, both work really well with this recipe.
SALMON will always be one of favourites to add to salads, bowls or with roasted veggies. I especially love the wild sockeyed salmon that is imported from Alaska. You can substitute with Atlantic salmon fillets.
TIP: Wild Sockeye salmon is much leaner salmon and can dry out during cooking process. It requires lower temperature and possibly less cooking time depending on the thickness. I made my homemade Easy Tzatziki Sauce as a dip along side the salmon.
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS BOWL
Make the marinade.. using a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, dill, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400℉. Remove the salmon fillets from the refrigerator and check for any bones, then place them in a baking dish (I left the skin on since it literally falls off once cooked). Pour half of the marinade over the salmon fillets. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Then place the salmon in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Fill a small sauce pot with water and bring to a boil, then add a pinch of salt. Cover and adjust theheat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, remove lid and using a fork fluff the quinoa and set aside.
Meanwhile, prep the veggies and place the spinach in 2 bowls and drizzle a litte of the marinade over the spinach and gently toss. Then continue adding the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onions, half the olives and feta in each bowl with the quinoa. Drizzle the remaining marinade. Place the salmon fillets over the veggies with the remaining olives, feta, dill and parsley.
Now that Spring is here, I start looking for fresh produce to add to my salads. Here is Canada, some vegetables start in the greenhouses and I have to admit, they do have flavour, however, nothing beats the garden fresh vegetables! With that said, this salad is made with as fresh as you can get produce and I love quinoa, it is probably my favourite grain, well it is eaten as a grain but is actually a seed. Love it’s nutty flavour and all the benefits it offers!
GOOD TO KNOW..
Let’s look at what additional ingredients I added to this bowl…The greens are organic spinach and I often use organic greens for a better taste and nutritional benefits. The cucumbers, cherry tomatoes were also organic. Some of these ingredients are local. I love Greek feta and for me quinoa is my all-time favourite!! Can easily substitute some of veggies to your preference, green beans, zucchini, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, carrots to name a few.
Let’s make life easy and convenient…I added half the marinade to the veggies and quinoa. It worked really well without needing another dressing.
This salad is rich in antioxidants, thanks to quinoa, spinach and all the vegetables in this salad. How I look at it, is our bodies need a break from those meals we so crave for something comforting, which I love to indulge as well. I so appreciate how my body feels once I eat something like this that is so healthy, helps to support our gut health, gluten-free that helps with digestion, great source of protein and reduces inflammation…the list goes on.
Salmon is a oily fish that contains good fats. Rich in omega 3 which important for heart and brain health. In addition to many vitamins and minerals which supports our joints to reduce inflammation and immune system. If you don’t have access to wild salmon, coho salmon, Atantic salmon, pink salmon, canned salmon or any other types of fish such as cod, haddock, tuna or halibut.
STORE
IF you happen to have any leftovers, store it in an airtight container with a lid for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
DID YOU MAKE THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE….
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND RATING, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK. 🙂
Honey Garlic Wild Salmon and Quinoa Bowl
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
Ingredients
Marinade
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dill, chopped, extra for garnishing
- salt and pepper
Salmon bowl
- 2 4.5 oz (128g) wild sockeyed salmon fillets
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 2 cups spinach, or other greens
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 pickled red onion
- 1/4 cup feta, cubes and crumbled
- 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup parsley
- Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Instructions
- In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, dill, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Remove the salmon fillets from the refrigerator and check for any bones, then place them in a baking dish. Pour half of the marinade over the salmon fillets. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Then place the salmon in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Fill a small sauce pot with water and bring to a boil, then add a pinch of salt. Cover and adjust theheat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, remove lid and using a fork fluff the quinoa and set aside.
- Meanwhile, prep the veggies and place the spinach in 2 bowls and drizzle a litte of the marinade over the spinach and gently toss. Then continue adding the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onions, half the olives and feta in the bowls with the quinoa. Drizzle the remaining marinade. Place each salmon fillet over the veggies and quinoa with the remaining olives, feta, dill and parsley.
- Serve salmon warm with Tzatziki dip on the side. Enjoy!
