apple cider glazed baked salmon with butternut squash quinoa pilaf_________________________I encourage you to marinate the salmon on the upper end of my suggested time period: the cider glaze infuses the fish with a sweet, tangy essence that only amplifies when the reduction is spooned atop once cooked.
Ingredients
cider glaze + salmon
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp white balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp each kosher salt & pepper
- 4 4-6 oz filets salmon
butternut squash quinoa pilaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 cup butternut squash, in 1/2 inch cubes
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water or stock
- 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
apple cider glazed salmon
- I suggest marinating the salmon in the glaze for at least an hour (I did two hours), but 20-30 minutes at a minimum will be adequate. Prepare your glaze by whisking apple cider, maple syrup, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper in a glass measuring jar. Place salmon in a gallon zip-top bag or a glass storage container with a lid. Pour half of the marinade over the filets, coating thoroughly. Place in the fridge until cooking time.
- Reduce the other half of the glaze. Pour into a small saucepan and heat to medium-high. Bring cider mixture to a rapid boil until the sauce reduces by half and coats the back of a spoon thickly without dripping. This took me about 10 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- When salmon is nearing end of marinating time, preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove salmon from fridge and place on the sheet, discarding any remaining marinade in the bag/container. Cook for 15 minutes until opaque and flesh flakes easily with a fork. Cover with foil to keep warm until serving time.
butternut squash pilaf
- While salmon cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until transparent and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, thyme, and a hit of salt and pepper and cook about 1 minute more.
- Dump in quinoa and butternut squash and toast for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice but watching to ensure the grain doesn't burn. Pour in broth and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until quinoa and squash are soft and most of the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
- Add kale into the pot and stir until wilted, about 2-3 minutes, then shut off the heat and toss parsley into the pilaf, mixing well. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- To assemble, place 1/4 of the quinoa mixture on a plate and top with a filet of salmon. Drizzle cider reduction overtop everything and sprinkle more parsley atop as desired.