Recipe: Salmon with Bean Salsa

I try to eat 4-6 ounces of salmon usually twice each week.   Here's a great recipe that also uses black soybeans in a great salsa recipe.   It's like *triple dipping* as this recipe provides various cancer fighting compounds such as the omega-3 fatty acids from the salmon, the phytoestrogens and fiber from soybeans and other beans, along with lycopene and vitamin C from the tomatoes and additional phytochemicals too numerous to count from the additional vegetables and herbs.

• 1-1/2 # salmon fillets
• 1-16 oz. can of black soybeans (Eden Foods), drained
• 1-16 oz. can white navy beans (Eden Foods), drained
• 1-1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh, locally-grown)
• 3/4 cup chopped sweet peppers (mix red, green, orange, yellow, and even purple)
• 1/3 cup red onions, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh herbs (mix parsley, cilantro, and summer savory)
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic (1-2 cloves)

Directions:

• Combine the beans, tomatoes, other vegetables, garlic, and herbs in a small bowl. 
• Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in a bowl and whisk together or in a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until blended.  Pour over beans and mix together.
• Bake or poach salmon until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  A good rule of thumb is to cook ~10 minutes for each inch of thickness of the fillet.
• Cook some pasta.  (My family loved the many varieties by Eden Foods which are made by combining a whole grain flour in a 50-50 mixture with a refined flour.  These are much higher in fiber than normal pasta without being as chewy as 100% whole wheat pasta.  Look for them in your grocery store in the health food section.)

To serve:

• On a large serving platter, layer the pasta, several spoonfuls of the salsa, the salmon, and a small amount of the salsa on Top of the salmon.   I would serve this with a fresh green salad and a large cantaloupe slice.

Serves: 4-6

If there is any leftover salsa, here are some ideas for incorporating it into lunch meals during the coming week:

1. Layer in a large bowl the following items: 1 cup of whole-wheat cous-cous, brown rice, or other whole grain (leftover from a previous meal), ~1/2 cup of the salsa, and a spoonful of guacamole.  Eat cold.

2. Add some of the salsa to a bowl of home-made gazpacho soup for some extra zing.  Yum, yum!  August is such a wonderful month since we finally have *real* tomatoes to eat straight from our garden.

3. I made a hot pasta dish by tossing 12 oz. of cooked pasta with ~1 cup of left over salsa, ~6 oz. of left over salmon (cut into chunks), ~8 oz. cooked frozen broccoli, and 1 Tbsp. of olive oil - all tossed together and served.   This is a very flexible recipe - use whatever you have and whatever appeals to you.