I am so excited to share this straight-up delicious (and easy) recipe from Nicki Sizemore’s latest book, Build-a-Bowl! As someone who adores food in bowls (as evidenced here, here and here), these recipes speak to my soul. And because I’m all about easy weeknights, many of the ingredients (like grains and sauces) can be prepped ahead, then assembled into bowls later (or kept separate on plates with sauce on the side for the kiddos). WIN-WIN!
Curry-Roasted Salmon with Tomato-Braised Chickpeas
25 MIN
Ingredients
Minty Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, grated on a Microplane
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (preferably 2% or whole-milk)
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bowls:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced or whole baby Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on wild salmon fillets
- 1 batch cooked grains
Directions
- Combine the lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes (this will mellow out the garlic). Add the yogurt, oil, mint, and cilantro, and season with salt and pepper. Taste and add additional lemon juice or olive oil as needed, depending on the tartness of the yogurt.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the oil into a large skillet and add the garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 teaspoons of the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds. Pile in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is mostly wilted. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes (with their juices), and 1/8 teaspoon of the sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- In the meantime, mix the remaining 1/2 teaspoon curry powder with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar. Place the salmon fillets on the baking sheet, skin side down. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the curry mixture. Use your fingers to rub the seasonings evenly over the flesh of the fish. Roast the salmon until the fish flakes easily with a fork but is still slightly pink in the middle, 8 to 15 minutes.
- Spoon the grains into bowls, followed by the tomato-braised chickpeas. Using a spatula, transfer a piece of fish to each bowl, leaving the fish skin behind. Top with a dollop of the minty yogurt. Serve with additional yogurt sauce at the table.
Excerpted from Build-a-Bowl © by Nicki Sizemore. Used with permission of Storey Publishing.
Recipe Notes
To make the bulgur wheat:
In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Stir in 1 1/4 cups uncooked bulgur wheat, cover, and turn off heat. Allow bulgur to stand for 1 hour. Remove lid and fluff with fork. Makes about 3 cups.
I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a copy of Build-a-Bowl by Nicki Sizemore for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
