#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Best of 2011: Salmon and White Bean Salad

Pin It
Tuna in the can doesn’t bother me in the least bit. I frequently pick up cans of it when I’m grocery shopping because I know I can turn it into an easy meal (like red onion and kalamata olive tuna sandwiches or waldorf tuna salad).

Canned salmon, on the other hand, kind of freaks me out. !). I’ve used canned salmon in the past, for these Asian-inspired salmon burgers that we loved, so I knew I could suck it up and do it again. The scent is stronger than tuna and I always want to close my scream a little when I open a can of salmon and see some of the skin on there. I did some research and it turns out you can buy skinless salmon in the can, so maybe I’ll go that route next time…

The Twelve Best Foods Cookbook has a number of recipes featuring salmon, both canned and fresh. I opted for canned because I was in need of a quick recipe that could be made ahead of time (which appears to be the theme lately). In about 5 minutes, I had a meal thrown together—that could be eaten on top of salad greens, on a bun or sandwich bread, or by itself. I didn’t have tarragon vinegar and didn’t want to buy it just for this, so I instead used white wine vinegar, which worked fine. Next time I’d maybe add some pecans or walnuts for an additional crunch!

According to The Twelve Best Foods Cookbook, salmon is included on the list because:
-It is considered the healthiest seafood choice, with an abundance of omega-3 essential fatty acids
-A portion size is just 3 oz, maybe it easy to fill up on a small amount
-Canned salmon is rich in calcium (when it comes with the bones)—the book recommends just crushing up the small bones and eating; they aren’t noticeable and the nutrition benefits are worth it!

And with that, I wrap up the book portion of the Best of 2011 challenge. We’ll visit one last restaurant in December to wrap up the other portion of the challenge and I’ll do a final wrap-up post outlining my thoughts on the challenge!

One Year Ago: Pomegranate Spinach Salad with Persimmon and Turkey


Salmon and White Bean Salad
from The Twelve Best Foods Cookbook


Ingredients:
-1 can salmon, drained
-1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
-1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
-1 tbsp tarragon vinegar
-1/2 tsp salt
-pepper
-1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Combine the salmon, beans, onion, vinegar, and salt. Toss with a fork to combine. Season with pepper.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add parsley just before serving.