Grilled salmon, cucumber-avocado relish, roasted carrots & onions

If you asked my 6-year old son what his favorite food is, there's a good possibility that he will reply with "fish!" My soon-to-be 4-year old daughter is not quite as enthusiastic but won't completely turn her nose at it. Well, sometimes. Going to the market together to buy the fish always helps to build the anticipation for a fish dinner. Often, we'll let our son pick out what kind of fish to have. He usually gravitates toward the whole fish. He likes the "fish with the face!" Yes, it's strange, I know. But, I think it's great that he's so excited about eating something so healthy. He will even request that the cooked head be on his plate. Yes, that's even stranger, I know. This time around, we went with Coho salmon. It looked really great at the store and tasted wonderful as well.

As a side dish, I roasted some carrots and onions that were from our CSA box. Carrots are so great when they are roasted. Kids also tend to like stuff that's roasted, caramelized, sticky and delicious. I guess us grown-ups do as well! The roasted onions actually outshone the carrots in this dish. They were amazingly sweet! 

As an accoutrement for the salmon, I put together a cucumber-avocado relish, knowing I had to use up a couple of cucumbers. I went with a green-colored theme for the relish, adding green onions, chives, and avocado for a bit of richness and textural counterpoint. The crunch freshness of the relish was a perfect foil for the rich and tender salmon.

GRILLED SALMON

Ingredients: 1.25 lb center-cut portion of Coho salmon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper

1. Preheat your grill.
2. Coat a piece of heavy-duty foil with some oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
3. Place the fish, skin-side down, on the foil.
4. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Drizzle with olive oil.
7. Turn off your middle burners or create a cooler spot on a charcoal grill to cook the fish with indirect heat.
8. Place the foil-lined fish on the grill, close the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes or until you reach the desired doneness.
9. Remove the fish and let rest when finished cooking.
10. Serve with cucumber-avocado relish and eat.

CUCUMBER-AVOCADO RELISH

Ingredients: 2 medium-large cucumbers, 1 avocado, 2 TB chopped chives, 2 TB chopped green onions, 1 lemon, salt, pepper

1. Dice cucumber.
2. Dice avocado.
3. Toss the cucumber, avocado, chives, green onions together and add the juice of half a lemon.
4. Season with salt & pepper.
5. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt & pepper as necessary.

ROASTED CARROTS AND ONIONS

Ingredients: 1-2 lbs small carrots, 2 medium onions, olive oil, salt, pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Scrub the carrots well and dry thoroughly.
3. Cut each onion into 8-10 wedges.
4. Toss the carrots and onions with enough olive oil to coat.
5. Season with salt & pepper.
6. Spread evenly onto a sheet tray and roast for 45 minutes to an hour until vegetables are tender and have become caramelized. 

Comments

[S S]

I may need to move closer to you - like next door - so you have someone to eat your leftovers. *If* you ever have leftovers, that is..... Looks delicious, every part of this meal!