Rania's Recipes: Grilled Salmon Or Poached Chicken With Quinoa & Brown Rice
Rania Harris stopped by PTL to put a healthy twist on two easy dinner recipes!
Grilled Salmon with Quinoa and Brown Rice
Salmon:
- 4 – 6 ounce salmon filets (skin left on)
- Olive oil for brushing salmon
- Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
- Apricot Glaze (see recipe below)
- 8 ounces of Crimini Mushrooms – chopped coarsely
- 1 bunch of asparagus – ends trimmed and diced
- Hodgson Mill Quinoa and Brown Rice (Mediterranean)
Directions:
Heat a grill pan to medium high. Lightly brush the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the salmon, skin side down until the skin turns very brown and is crisp. Flip the salmon carefully and grill for just another minute or two until it is just cooked through. I prefer my salmon grilled to a medium rare, so I grill the salmon for about 4 minutes on the skin side and about two minutes on the other side and am very careful not to overcook the salmon.
Apricot Glaze:
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients together and add more red pepper flakes, if needed.
Quinoa and Brown Rice:
In a medium skillet, sauté the Crimini Mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil. When they start to brown, add in the asparagus and cook for just another minute, keeping the asparagus bright green. Remove to platter and then prepare the Quinoa and Brown Rice according to package directions. Add in the mushrooms and asparagus and toss gently to combine.
To serve: In each of four shallow bowls, ladle the Quinoa and Brown Rice and place a piece of salmon over each. Drizzle a nice amount of the apricot glaze over the salmon and serve immediately.
Serves: 4
Poached Chicken with Quinoa and Brown Rice
Chicken:
- 4 – 6 ounce Kosher boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Pesto (see recipe below)
- 8 ounces of Crimini Mushrooms – chopped coarsely
- 1 bunch of asparagus – ends trimmed and diced
- Hodgson Mill Quinoa and Brown Rice (Mediterranean)
Directions:
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in pot large enough to poach the chicken in an even layer. Add the chicken, cover the pot partially and poach gently just until the chicken is cooked through – about 7 - 10 minutes. Check for doneness and do not over cook, as the chicken will dry out.
Pesto:
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cups loosely packed basil
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
To make the pesto, put the garlic in a food processor and pulse to a fine chop. Add ½ cup pine nuts, 2/3 cup cheese, the basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow and steady stream, blending until well combined. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Quinoa and Brown Rice:
In a medium skillet, sauté the Crimini Mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil. When they start to brown, add in the asparagus and cook for just another minute, keeping the asparagus bright green. Remove to platter and then prepare the Quinoa and Brown Rice according to package directions. Add in the mushrooms and asparagus and toss gently to combine.
To serve: In each of four shallow bowls, ladle the Quinoa and Brown Rice. Slice the chicken and shingle four to five pieces over each. Drizzle a nice amount of the pesto over the chicken and serve immediately.
Serves: 4
