Pesto Salmon with Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Wow, I'm late in posting this. My laptop was misbehaving last night and I got so frustrated I decided to postpone posting Wednesday night's recipe until this morning and watch "American Idol" instead. After last season's disappointing finale and the departure of my favorite cranky Brit, I'm not watching for any other reason than Steven Tyler.

Meanwhile, J. Lo can jump off a cliff.

Anyway ... I think this is the week for some good home cooking! Nothing fancy, but every bit delicious. Tuesday night was Mom's turkey meatloaf. Last night, a very excellent recipe courtesy of a lovely lady named Cate Doyle.

Cate and I know each other from a message board that we both frequent, on which members often share recipes. When Cate posted this, I could not wait to try it. It incorporated so many of my favorite foods - salmon, pesto, black beans - into one easy dish.

Cate, who got the recipe from her mother, who got it from a friend, calls it "quick gourmet":

"...It seems so fancy to serve to people, sounds impressive, but is incredibly easy and 'beginner cook' friendly."

I tried this "quick gourmet" recipe and immediately told her how much we had enjoyed it. Two more girls then sampled it and also sang its praises! Now, with Cate's permission, I am bringing it to Cogito Ergo Nom.

As a lot of you know, I link the most recent blog post on Facebook. When I posted my fish and chips recipe, a friend of mine from high school commented on the post, telling me that she had only recently started enjoying fish. I promised her that there would be more fish recipes on the way, and I kept my promise!

Many novice cooks are apprehensive about cooking fish, but I guarantee this is so easy it will help you overcome your fears!

Salmon is my favorite fish ever. Not only is it a great color (it's the new black), but it's high in protein, vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids. Don't let the word "fatty" make you backpedal! Omega-3 fatty acids are extracted from the tissues of oily fish and they have tremendous health benefits. It can improve your immune system, lower the risk of breast, prostate and colon cancers and reduce depression and anxiety. Also, regular intake of fish oil may even reduce the risk of heart attacks.

Plus it tastes amazing on a bagel with some shmear.

Yum yum yum.

Paired with hearty black beans, refreshing pesto and tangy salsa and lime, this dish is definitely one to impress your friends with.

This dish is topped with pesto. Pesto is one of my favorite condiments ever. It is an Italian sauce that is traditionally made from ground-up basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese. It tastes amazing on pasta (which is called "pasta alla genovese"). Unfortunately, I did not have any basil on hand. Fortunately, however, I have a fantastic recipe courtesy of Marie Simmons (author of my favorite cookbook, 365 Ways To Cook Pasta) for parsley pesto.

CATE'S PESTO SALMON WITH BLACK BEAN & CORN SALSA
YOU WILL NEED:
Salmon (1 pound is enough for 2 people)
Pesto
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 container of your favorite salsa
Cilantro
1 lime

mise-e-n-place

In terms of equipment, all you will need is a mixing bowl and a 9x13 casserole dish.

If you have a blender, I strongly recommend making your own pesto. You can purchase it ready-made from the grocery store, but it can get a little expensive. Plus there is nothing better than making it fresh. Try making it yourself once and you will never go back.

Simmons' parsley pesto recipe makes one cup (8oz) of pesto, but if you decide to make a bigger batch, it can be frozen for future usage. However, once you defrost pesto, do not attempt to refreeze it. Use it all up once you unfreeze it or else it will oxidize.

PARSLEY PESTO, courtesy of 365 Ways To Cook Pasta
YOU WILL NEED:
2 cups of packed Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Chop the parsley and the garlic in the blender or food processor. Add the salt and the pine nuts and process until finely chopped.

2. Add the oil, blend until well mixed.

3. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze.

Now you know how to make delicious, fresh pesto and you will never have to waste money on it at the supermarket again! YAY!

Onto our main course! If your salmon has skin, it would be imperative to remove it. Don't worry, this is easier than it sounds. Put the salmon meat-side down on a clean cutting board. Take the tip of a very sharp knife and run it under the skin.

You can either use the knife the entire way, or sometimes the knife can aid in peeling off the skin. Try not to take any of the meat with it! But be forewarned, this is a slow process. Take your time.

Once you've got your salmon skinned, you can get on with preparing the actual recipe!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drain corn and black beans, mix with salsa and pour over the bottom of a deep baking dish.

2. Lay the piece of salmon over the top, cover it with a a decent layer of pesto. Squeeze lime juice over the whole thing; top with a sprinkling of cilantro.

3. Bake for 45 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

And there you have it: "quick gourmet"! A great fish recipe for beginners! Tasty, healthy and, most importantly, simple but impressive! Thank you for sharing this recipe, Cate - it is much loved here, and hopefully in homes everywhere else!

I was planning on not being home for most of this week, but that turned out to fall through. So, I think...I THINK...there might be one more recipe to be had. Someone recently shared a recipe for Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken that I am intrigued by, but I'm not entirely sure I have the energy to cook it. I'm not having a great week. I think I'm calling a leftovers night.

Until next time...eat well, friends!