Etruscan Salmon over Millet with Sauteed Spinach

I didn't know what Etruscan Salmon even was when I first came across this recipe, but I'm quite happy I found out. This recipe, making a delicate tomato broth sauce, and poaching the salmon in it, is fabulous. The salmon is richly infused with flavor and stays tender and moist. The sauce is delicious and will leave you soaking up every last morsel. If this is what Etruscans ate, no wonder Italy has such good food still today!

I served the salmon over millet, a whole grain native to Africa and Asia. It's a small grain rich in protein, fiber, and a number of vitamins and minerals. When cooked it leads to a creamy texture, almost like oatmeal or mashed potatoes. In this case it was a great vehicle with the Etruscan sauce, but other whole grains would work well as substitutes. Use brown rice, cous cous, or quinoa in it's place - or go find millet to branch out to a new varietal!

Time: 30 min

Black Bean-Butternut Squash-Corn-Quinoa Casserole with Enchilada Sauce

This deceptively simple vegetarian slow-cooker meal manages to imbibe layer upon layer of flavors for a cool-weather dish that hits the spot. I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out (I wasn't even entirely sure what 'enchilada sauce' was until I looked at the ingredients) but it was absolutely delicious, hitting all of the right spots. It provides tons of veggies, filling protein from the beans and quinoa, cheesy goodness, and lots of warmth as the weather begins to get cooler. It also takes all of 10 minutes to prep if you use frozen ingredients like I did, making this super fast to toss in the slow cooker before heading off to work. Bonus? You can assemble it the night before, put the slow cooker in the refrigerator, and just plop on to cook as you head out the door the next morning.

I chose to use frozen veggies (corn, butternut squash) for this meal, but you can certainly use fresh as well if the ingredients are in season. However, keep in mind that if you are choosy about your frozen veggies you may just end up with more nutrients. Look for flash-frozen veggies that are frozen on the spot and double check the ingredients to make sure nothing else (like salt) is added. There should only be one ingredient in a bag of frozen butternut squash...butternut squash! By flash freezing the produce all of the nutrients are retained. That fresh butternut squash you buy, however, might have been picked a week or more before and then sit on your counter for another week or two. By then, sadly, nearly all of the nutrients will have disappeared. Frozen is actually good in this case! So stop feeling guilty and go the easy route with this tasty meal.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 7.5 hours

Tom-Tom Shrimp (or Tofu) with Garlicky Bok Choy

Stop whatever you're doing and make this right now. It comes together shockingly quickly, is healthy, and is absolutely delicious. I was a little hesitant at first since the Tom-Tom sauce advertises that it's spicy (I'm not a fan of spicy) but it's barely spicy at all. I suppose this is bad news for some, but if you're like me, it means you can take advantage of this incredibly flavorful meal without worries.

I served the shrimp over fonio, an ancient whole grain, but any other whole grain would work equally as well. Go with some simple brown rice (buy pre-cooked, like the boil in the bag kind, for fast prep) or get creative with cous cous, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, or any other grain you have sitting in the cupboard. If you are feeling creative, though, the creaminess of fonio was very good in this recipe.

Time: 20 min

Mint-Pistachio Pesto Tilapia with Cherry Tomatoes

Mint? Pistachio? In pesto? I know, it's a bit odd to consider if every time you think pesto, you think basil, but while I'm a huge fan of basil pesto you'll be missing out on all sorts of delicious flavors if you don't branch out. In this case, mint replaces basil and pistachios come in for pine nuts. The combination produces an incredibly flavorful topping that would pair well with a variety of proteins and vegetables. If pistachios are too expensive toss in pine nuts instead, but if you can spring for the pistachios they are quite delicious with mint.

I paired this with some roasted potatoes with Cajun spice to round out the meal, but let me know in the comments if you find a delicious alternative that can't be missed.

Time: 20 min