Flavors in Love

When I go grocery shopping in the winter, the bright colors of the citrus fruits just seem to leap out at me!The contrast of the vibrant oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruit against the dull gray of winter, call out to me.. Buy me! Buy me!!!  So I did.   Cold weather brings about the peak citrus season and that is what inspired me to create today’s recipe: Roasted Salmon with Blood Orange Salsa.

This dish is healthy, delicious, and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Fresh wild salmon is roasted simply and topped with a beautiful citrus salsa (which can be made the day before to save time!)

Salmon is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, due to the high levels of Omega-3s (which are fatty acids needed for a healthy heart), and Vitamin D (a vitamin that most Americans are deficient in!). Combined with the Vitamin C in the salsa, this recipe can’t be beat!

(And don’t forget to store all your citrus fruits at room temperature so that they can produce the most juice!)

ROASTED SALMON WITH BLOOD ORANGE SALSA

Serves 2 people

2 fillets of wild salmon, about 7 oz each

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Juice of 1 lemon

½ garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon agave syrup

Blood Orange Salsa:

2 chopped blood oranges (peeled, separated into segments, and halved)

Juice of 1 blood orange

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced red onion

Juice of 1 lime

1 grapefruit (peeled, separated into segments, and halved)

1 chopped lemon (peeled, separated into segments, and halved)

1 teaspoon agave syrup

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish and marinate with the cumin, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, and agave. Let the fish marinate about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the Salsa: Combine in a glass bowl the following; chopped blood oranges, blood orange juice, white wine vinegar, minced red onion, lime juice, grapefruit, chopped lemon, 1 tsp agave, and the cilantro. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

When you are ready to roast the salmon, simply put it (in the same pan it’s been marinating in) into the oven for 15-20 minutes (25 minutes if you prefer your salmon a little more well-done). Then turn the broiler on, and broil your salmon for 4 minutes to create a nice caramelization on the top of the fish (this last step is optional).

When your fish is done, plate it on your individual dinner plates over a bed of arugula, and top it with the delicious salsa. Garnish it with the fresh cilantro and serve.

Products I recommend:

Le Creuset Baking Dish

Organic Blue Agave

This is one of my all-time favorite chicken recipes, and I’ve been making it for years. Once you make it, you will never go back to plain roast chicken!

I am almost always in the mood for roast chicken.. when I’m happy, when I’m sad and when I want to entertain family and friends.   I love this recipe because it really dresses up a simple dish.   I stuff goat cheese and Herbes de Provence under the skin which adds so much flavor and tenderizes the breast meat.  You can also roast other winter vegetables like parsnips and butternut squash.  Especially on a cold winter day, it is the ultimate comfort food.

Please watch my video and learn exactly how to make this delicious chicken!

MY FAVORITE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GOAT CHEESE AND HERBS STUFFED UNDER THE SKIN

Serves 4-6

2/3 cup (about 6 ounces) soft, fresh goat cheese, at room temperature

½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

3 ½ tablespoons roasted garlic puree

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, crumbled

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lemon

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large roasting chicken, about 3 ½ pounds (preferably organic)

1 bag peeled baby carrots, pinch sugar

1 cup good quality chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

6-8 large whole unpeeled garlic cloves

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

To make the garlic puree, tightly wrap a whole head of garlic in foil and roast for about 30 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, unwrap it and squeeze the garlic out of each clove into a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the goat cheese, parsley, butter, shallot, garlic puree and 1 ½ teaspoons each of the rosemary and thyme and ½ teaspoon each of the Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.

Pat the chicken dry. Remove all visible fat. Loosen the skin over the breast meat, thighs, and as far down the legs as possible by gently sliding your fingers between the skin and the meat, avoid tearing the skin. Stuff the cheese mixture under the skin of the breasts, thighs and legs, using it all. Squeeze the juice from the lemon all over the chicken. Put ½ of the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. Rub the remaining ½ teaspoon each of rosemary and thyme and herbs into the skin of the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil. Set chicken on a rack in a roasting pan or a baking sheet. Add the broth, wine and whole garlic to the pan.

Place the carrots in a separate bowl and add to them a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper. Place carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Cover the roasting pan with foil and put the chicken in the oven for 1 hour. Take the foil off and continue cooking until chicken skin is crispy and the meat is just cooked through while remaining juicy, 20-30 minutes.

After you remove the chicken from the oven, pour off the pan juices into a gravy strainer. Pour the juices into a saucepan on top of the stove. Boil until gravy is thick and reduced. Transfer to a gravy boat. ( You can also just strain the gravy and serve it immediately)

Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter with the carrots, garlic and herbs. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.