Maple Salmon with Grilled Fries

This meal is a throwback to a simple classic while mixing it up to avoid getting bored in the kitchen... or when eating. Maple Salmon hits the sweet spot while providing a thick, meaty fish and the grilled fries add some starch while still getting in some nutrients through the delicious skins. They also take the "fry" out of fries to significantly "health" up this meal. I rounded out the dinner with some good ol' broccoli with cheese - a sure crowd pleaser.

This is another great meal to make when you don't have a ton of time. But keep in mind that you *do* need a fair amount of grill space. I ran into this problem with the fries since my Foreman grill is sadly no real challenger in space to a true, outdoor grill. So be prepared to make fewer potatoes, grill in shifts, or simply live in a house with a yard rather than an apartment! (Or have a grill on your roof... :::cough::: :::cough::: old apartment....) But, alas, let's get to it!

Grilled Fries
We'll start with these since they take a little longer to prepare, mostly due to prep work. You'll find the recipe I used shown here with steak. Obviously I skipped the steak part but went straight for the delicious carbohydrates! I especially enjoyed these because they mix together sweet potatoes with regular potatoes and I'm a big fan of sweet potato fries.

This recipe is very straightforward - cutting up some potatoes, putting on some spices, and grilling until soft. Definitely err on the side of cutting your fries thinner. While everyone enjoys thick steak fries, they do take longer to cook and you might end up with a hard/still raw bit in the middle. If your fries DO end up sized differently keep in mind that you can always take the small ones off the grill first.

I skipped the chili powder due to that whole "not liking spicy food" thing, but used the rest of the spices. Once again, as usual, I recommend substituting fake salt in here. Unless you need salt for its rising properties I always prefer to go with the sodium free version.

Enjoy these with ketchup or just munch on them plain. But remember, while they may not be fried you still don't want to overeat on the potatoes!

Maple Salmon
To go with the saltiness of the homemade fries I prepared a sweeter entree. Truly, maple and salmon are meant to go together!

Ingredients:
rice wine vinegar
maple syrup
orange juice
salmon
black pepper
olive oil

Put 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons orange juice in a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce reduces and slightly thickens.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle your salmon with black pepper and put in the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until the fish is cooked to your taste. By now, the sauce should be done as well. With the skin side down and the thick salmon meat showing, pour the sauce over the fish. Cook for 1 more minute and serve.