Blackened Salmon and Lemon Dijon Salad Dressing

Tonight, we'll be having leftovers from Sunday's dinner with Bryant's parents. I had made two pounds of blackened salmon which turned out to be a lot...that's why we can get another full meal out of it! I had served the salmon with corn on the cob and a salad with homemade dressing. It was a great combination of flavors! As a side note, go to your farmers market for corn on the cob - it was some of the best corn we've ever had.

Unfortunately, no more corn tonight but we still have more salad dressing for another salad! This salad dressing is light and easy to make. When we came to CA two months ago, I immediately bought my favorite Trader Joe's balsamic vinaigrette. But after using it once, it's been sitting in our fridge untouched. Why? The amount of sugar in the dressing seemed overwhelming. Bottled salad dressings have added sugar or high fructose corn syrup that just isn't necessary (not to mention added preservatives!). Making your own dressing is not only tastier and so much better for you but it is also more economical, saving you money.

When you make your own dressing, a good rule of thumb is about 2 parts oil to 1 part acid. Lemon juice and vinegars (balsamic and red wine vinegars are both good choices) are great for the acid part of the dressing. Also, you can always adjust to suit your taste!

Finally, both of these recipes are really easy and won't take much time to make. Enjoy!

Lemon Dijon Salad Dressing
Taken from: Herbivoracious

• 2 Tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 Tb. canola or olive oil (canola is virtually flavorless and was part of the original recipe. However, I think I'll be trying this with olive oil next time!)
• **Add 1/4 tsp. honey, if the dressing is a little too tart for you.

-Combine the lemon juice, mustard and salt in a bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuosly.
-Taste and add more lemon juice, honey or olive oil as needed.


Blackened Salmon
Taken from: AllRecipes

• 1 tablespoon ground paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 salmon fillets, skin and bones removed (approximately 1 lb)
  
• 1/8 cup olive oil (more as needed)

-In a small bowl, mix paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, basil and oregano.
-Remove skin and bones from salmon.
-Brush salmon fillets on one side with some of the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the spice mixture (pressing into fish). Brush over the mixture with olive oil again.
-In a large, heavy skillet, heat over high until skillet is hot. Cook salmon, spice-side down, until blackened, 2-5 minutes. While the first side is cooking, brush uncooked side with olive oil, sprinkle with rest of spices and brush again with olive oil. Turn fillets and continue cooking (2-5 minutes) until blackened and fish is easily flaked with a fork.