Fresh Salmon with Rice and Spinach
A light and balanced one-dish meal—nothing particularly fancy, I know, but as often happens the most obvious combinations turn out to be winners.
Continuing the dietary path we’re following with my family, which involves preparing balanced one-dish meals complete with carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables and little fat, today I propose this fresh salmon recipe accompanied by good rice – not a risotto – and spinach.
An easy and quick dish with a delicate flavor, perfect for both lunch and dinner.
You can use either fresh or frozen ingredients: I preferred fresh salmon but frozen spinach because even though fresh spinach is definitely tastier I always have a bag in the freezer since it’s more practical.
This dish, as mentioned, is certainly light and balanced since it’s nothing more than salmon marinated and pan-cooked, accompanied by good rice and vegetables: a few simple ingredients with a delicate taste.
If you want to make the dish more flavorful and you’re not watching your diet, you can add grated Parmesan and crispy bacon to the rice—a little extra touch that can make a difference.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 710.60 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 64.23 (g) of which sugars 4.88 (g)
- Proteins 38.44 (g)
- Fat 32.89 (g) of which saturated 7.35 (g)of which unsaturated 13.39 (g)
- Fibers 4.48 (g)
- Sodium 1,718.36 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 375 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 11 oz salmon (fresh fillets)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- garlic (1 clove)
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste black peppercorns
- 2/3 cup Arborio rice
- 4 1/4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 11 oz frozen spinach
Tools
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Pot
Steps
First, prepare the marinade for the salmon.
Finely chop a bunch of parsley together with a clove of garlic and grate the lemon zest (set it aside).
In a bowl pour the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped parsley with the garlic and the peppercorns. Mix until you obtain an emulsion.
Take the salmon, rinse it quickly and pat it dry with paper towels, then transfer it into the bowl with the marinade, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to marinate for one hour.
Meanwhile, put a pot of vegetable broth (or plenty of salted water) on the heat; when it starts to boil add the rice and cook it for the time indicated on the package.
Once ready, drain it and set it aside.
Cook the frozen spinach for about 10 minutes; after that time drain them as well and keep them warm.
Now you are ready to cook the salmon. Heat a non-stick skillet and pour in the salmon marinade, let it sauté for a few seconds then add the salmon, placing the skin side down first.
Cook the salmon fillets over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, turning them halfway through with a spatula so as not to break them.
When finished cooking, remove the salmon, leaving the cooking juices in the pan.
Pour the rice and spinach into the skillet (where the salmon was cooked) and let them absorb the flavors for 2 minutes. If the cooking juices dry out too much, add a tablespoon of vegetable broth or water.
Create a base on the plate with the rice and spinach, place the salmon fillets on top and serve immediately, sprinkling with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
TIP
I recommend not overcooking the salmon fillet; cooking should be quick, otherwise it will become dry.
The marinade can also be made with another citrus like lime, and parsley can similarly be replaced with fresh cilantro or chives.
If you don’t feel like preparing vegetable broth, you can buy ready-made broth available in supermarkets, or simply boil the rice in plenty of salted water.
If you are not following a diet, I suggest flavoring the rice with grated Parmesan and crispy bacon.
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STORAGE
Once cooked, the salmon fillet with rice and spinach keeps in the fridge for up to one day in a food container.
