Salmon with Swiss Chard

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Today has been a full day. 
After about 2 and 1/2  weeks, the temperature rose above 0C thus, I decided to go to the gym. My trainer, Ante, was quite judgemental concerning the pour state of my muscles but I chose not to listen. I know my body...I am not an athlete. Not so long ago I weighted 90kg (that is 198 pounds for my American friends) and now I fluctuate between 62kg and 64kg depending on how cold the weather is. 

But anyway, I completed my workout quite successfully and headed back home to get ready for a nice afternoon with a bunch of girls to watch a friend's of ours television début.   

In the meantime I cooked a light but quite tasty and filling meal for my husband to have in my absence. 

I love salmon (who doesn't right?) in all its forms: raw, smoked, poached, sheared or roasted. 
I also like spinach very much but for some strange reason I never seem to find it fresh in the market when I need it. So instead, I chose to use Swiss chard which, here in Croatia, is the main green leaf vegetable that people feed on year round. It took me some time to get used to its bitter, earthy flavour but being an equal opportunities advocate and with the added help of onions, garlic, lemons and olive oil, I managed to create a flavourful green bed for my foil roasted salmon fillet to sit on.

Herb Salmon with Swiss Chard
Adapted from  "The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet" by Ian Marber

Serves 1

Ingredients
300gr salmon fillet
A handfull of chopped dill
A handfull of chopped parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 clove of garlic, crushed
200gr washed fresh Swiss chard
1 medium onion cut into thin wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Lemon pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C. Rub the fish with the lemon juice and zest and coat it with the herbs.
Place it on a slightly oiled foil sheet and season with black pepper and the crushed garlic.
Fold the ends of the foil into a parcel and cook for 20 minutes. 
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick pan and sauté the onion for 3 - 4 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare an ice bath: Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes.
Boil the chard  leaves for 5 - 8 minutes (depends on the tenderness of the leaves). 
Remove from heat and immediately drop into the ice bath. This will help maintain the vibrant greenness of the chard. 
Strain and season with salt. Let it stand for 1 - 2 minutes so that most of the liquids that are released by the salt drain as well. 
Put the pan with the onions back on the stove and add the strained chard. Season with lemon pepper and salt and sauté them together for 2 minutes.
To serve make a nice bed of the sautéed chard and onions and place the salmon fillet on top.


This is what my husband ate today...as for me...well as I said earlier I was out with the girls and this can only mean one thing....Pizza and Wine!! 
I guess Ante is right to shout at me and my underachieving muscles...