Rania's Recipes: Poached Salmon Fillets & Quinoa Salad

Rania Harris stopped by Pittsburgh Today Live to show off some recipes that would be perfect for a bridal shower or for lunch with the girls!

Poached Salmon Fillets with Lemon Mint Sauce

• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 2 lemons, unpeeled, sliced
• 6 – 5 ounce salmon fillets with skin left on
• 1 scallion, top only, thinly sliced
• 1 cup Lemon Mint sauce recipe follows

Lemon Mint Sauce

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 English cucumbers – peeled, seeded and chopped
• Generous dash of olive oil
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste (I use about 1 – 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Zest of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Put the wine, water, bay leaves, parsley and of the sliced lemons into a large deep skillet and bring to a simmer.

Add the salmon, skin side down. Add more water, if necessary, to cover the salmon. Cover the skillet and simmer over a low heat until the fish is just cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the fish to a platter, cover it and chill it completely in the refrigerator, about 3 hours.

To serve, peel the skin from the fillet and scrape away any brown flesh. Put the fish on a serving plate, garnish with scallion and the remaining lemon slices. Serve with Lemon Mint sauce.

Lemon Mint Sauce:

Blot the diced cucumber with paper towels to get out most of the moisture In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, sour cream and olive oil. Stir in the cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, zest and mint. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Yield: 2 cups

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cherries

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 -tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• ¾ cp dried cherries
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 oranges, peeled and coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Directions

In a strainer rinse the quinoa under running water and drain. Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all the of the water is absorbed. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the quinoa and mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves: 6