Salmon and Rice: Elimintation Diet Meal

So this meal is really simple, but a great example of how quality ingredients really only need simple cooking and seasoning to turn into a noteworthy feast.

 Of course jasmine, basmati or brown rice are just dandy on their own, but a good medley is great to have on hand.  Mixing many types of rice it gives a dynamic texture and bursts of nutty flavor.  Follow the directions on packaging. In this case it was about 1 part rice to 2 parts water, and took about 45 minutes to cook (don't worry, for most of that you're not actually doing anything).

 The trick to great rice is using the recommended time as a benchmark but making sure that A. all the water gets evaporated (listen for bubbling and watch for steam) and B. the rice is taken off as soon as the water is gone. This usually means about five minutes where you really have to watch the pot. Oh, and make sure the pot has a vent, if not then leave a gap like in this picture. For more flavor use chicken bouillon instead of water in any rice, or with white varieties (jasmine, basmati) use a canned coconut milk instead of water.

 We get this fabulous package of frozen Salmon steaks from Costco that has individually wrapped pieces. So great to keep in your fridge and pop out for an easy meal. They thaw very fast in water, then just open them up season. 

Invest in good olive oil if you haven't already.  It will change your life. You may have to find an Italian market to really get some good stuff.  Either way, use the best olive oil you have on hand and brush some onto both sides of the salmon, then simply grind some salt and pepper onto both sides. Or you can season with a fish herb blend or dill or whatever you please. But really, a good salmon will be fine with just salt, pepper and olive oil.


Broccoli is another item that though plain can just sing when cooked right. Here I used fresh broccoli, steamed it with boiling water (with a simple insert that goes into any pot) covered for about 10 min or until very soft but not mushy - don't worry, it's hard to over-steam broccoli. When its done just sprinkle a touch of sea salt on top. I swear if you cook it this way it tastes like there's butter on it. I have no idea why.

 I heart my George Foreman grill, if only because it cooks salmon perfectly in 4 minutes. No flipping or anything required. Now that's easy salmon.

All this meal used was salmon, rice, broccoli, water, oil, salt and pepper. There's so much potential to dress this meal up using fresh herbs or sauces. But really, this is probably the easiest meal because I always have it on hand.  The salmon steaks are waiting in the freezer, the rice is in the cupboard (quinoa's great with this too), and most of the time I have broccoli kicking around when its in season but if not I usually have it my freezer as well. 


If you or others you're cooking for can have it, drizzle the whole plate with a bit of teriyaki sauce or throw some soya sauce on the rice. Taste it first though, you might be surprised how good it is with nothing!