Maple-Lemon Glazed Salmon and Polenta with Zucchini Ragout

Ready for a nutritious and easy-to-prepare meal? This dinner combines some fresh, delicious, and of course sustainable Alaskan salmon prepared with a honey and lemon glaze with a tantalizing polenta dish complete with peas, zucchini, and fresh tomatoes. Everything comes together in under an hour yet still provides a healthy, affordable, homemade meal.

While the ragout I present includes zucchini, onion, tomato, and peas, you can easily swap out other favorites. You can include mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, summer squash, even forms of winter squash. If you come up with something that tastes wonderful, let us know in the comments.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 45 min
Cost: $12.52

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!



Maple-Lemon Glazed Salmon
Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
1 lb wild Alaskan (sustainable!) salmon fillet
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp black pepper

Get your broiler pre-heating.

Put the salmon in a ziploc bag with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, and maple syrup. Let the fish marinate for 10 minutes, flipping midway through.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add the fish to it, skin-side up. Saute for 3 minutes. Flip the fish over, so the skin-side is down. Sprinkle the black pepper over the top of the fillet and cook for 1 more minute.

While the fish is cooking, pour the remaining marinade into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute on high.

Brush the cooked marinade evenly over the fish. Put the pan and fish into the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes or until salmon is cooked to its desired degree.

Servings: 2
Serving size: 1/2 lb
Nutrition: calories 396; carbs 22g; fat 13g; protein 52g; sodium 268mg; iron 1mg

Polenta with Zucchini Ragout
Time: 40 min

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 c red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 c zucchini, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 c tomato, diced
1 c peas
1 tbsp butter
lemon juice
1 tsp basil, dried
1 cup instant polenta, uncooked
1/2 c pecorino romano, grated

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the red onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.

Put the zucchini, black pepper, and parsley in a pan. Add 1/2 cup of water. Stir and then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the squash is tender. Add in peas (if frozen, they should be nearly thawed at least) and tomatoes. Add another 1/2 cup of water, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 7-8 minutes.

Add the butter, lemon juice, and basil to the pan. Stir well, cook for another 2 minutes, and remove from the heat.

While the ragout is cooking, prepare the polenta according to the directions on the package. Keep it warm if it finishes before the ragout.

When everything is ready divide the polenta in four portions. Spoon a quarter of the ragout over each serving. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of freshly grated pecorino romano on top of each serving. Serve hot.

Servings: 4
Serving size: about 1 cup polenta and about 1 c ragout
Nutrition: calories 279; carbs 45g; fat 7g; protein 8g; sodium 291mg; iron 16mg