How do I know when the salmon is cooked?

The best way to tell when salmon is cooked is by using a meat thermometer and checking the internal temperature for 135F. You can also tell if the salmon is cooked by touching for firmness or flaking off a tiny piece to see if it easily comes off.

What are the benefits of kefir?

Straus Family Creamery Organic Lowfat Kefir is packed with different beneficial live, active cultures, considered a good source of protein and high in calcium.

Kefir Green Goddess Warm Salmon Salad

Description

This week, I’m making a kefir green goddess warm salmon salad with orzo and lots of veg. I’m using Straus Family Creamery Kefir, and it’s truly the best dairy. Shiping actually exclusively gets his cream on top, non-homogenized whole milk from there because of it’s taste, and their kefir is just as good in quality!

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 lb salmon, portioned into 4-6 ounce pieces
1 cup orzo
2 cups of snap peas, cut on a bias
1 bunch of lacinato kale, chopped into 1” pieces
1/2 small fennel, thinly sliced on a mandolin
1 zucchini, thinly sliced and cut into 2” long pieces
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

For the kefir green goddess:

2 scallions
1 clove garlic
Juice 1/2 lemon
Black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 basil leaves
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup Straus Family Creamery Organic Lowfat plain kefir

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Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water up to a boil. Once it’s up to a boil, add a big pinch of salt and the orzo. Cook according to package instructions, then drain and rinse the orzo.
Prep all the vegetables and aromatics – thinly shave the fennel and zucchini, chop the kale, slice the snap peas on a bias, and trim the scallions for the green goddess.
Make the kefir green goddess – add all the green goddess ingredients into a food processor or blender. Taste, adjust seasoning to your liking, and set aside half of this for the dressing.
Portion the salmon and then with the remaining half of the green goddess, pour this into a bowl with the portioned salmon. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
While the salmon is marinating, heat a large pan on medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the kale. Give everything a mix, then add the fennel. Cook for another 2 minutes, then add the snap peas and zucchini. Cook for just one more minute, then season with kosher salt and black pepper. You will start to see the kale wilt down and some light browning on the fennel.
Add the cooked veggies into a large bowl. Add the cooked and rinsed orzo into the same bowl along with the juice of half a lemon, another big pinch of salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Give everything a toss, then taste, adjust seasoning, and set aside.
Now, sear the salmon on medium heat – you can cook the salmon however you usually like to cook salmon. Here, I’m searing it for ~ 3-4 minutes per side, flipping occasionally to prevent burning. You could also roast the salmon at 425 for 8-10 minutes.
Assemble the bowls by adding a few large spoonfuls of orzo salad to each bowl. Top with the salmon, a couple tablespoons of the kefir green goddess, and enjoy.

Equipment

2 qt pot

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Global Vegetable Knife

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Notes

Tip 1 – Sear the salmon on medium heat. The kefir will create a really nice crust on the salmon, but it will also tend to burn more easily. Flip the salmon after just a couple minutes, and continue to check and flip the salmon every couple minutes until the inside reaches 135F.

Tip 2 – Start by cooking the lacinato kale for a couple minutes before adding the fennel and zucchini. Add the snap peas last and cook for just a minute on the heat before removing from the heat. You want the snap peas to still be crisp tender in the orzo, and cooking them for just a minute will prevent them from getting mushy.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American