Salmon on a Bed of Lentils with Lemony Sauce

This one is so good for you I can feel my arteries clearing out as I type this.  It has got so many "superfoods" in it that it almost shouldn't taste so good!  Plus it is relatively quick and easy to make.  I recently started experimenting with lentils for recipes other than soup.  My experience with them was of something mushy or soupy.  However, I discovered that if you don't boil them for too long, they have a nice texture with just a little bite to them.  So, I boiled them and seasoned with salt and pepper, simple as that.  Then, of course, to make it better I sauteed a little spinach and arugula in a pan with just a drop of olive oil and salt until wilted, then added them to the lentils.  So the bed was done, next I prepared the salmon and sauce.

I crushed a couple of cloves of garlic and softened them in about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan.  Then I added about a half cup white wine and cooked it down a bit, and the same amount of chicken broth.  I added one tablespoon of butter - oh, come on, it's just a little, how clean do you want your arteries anyway?- and the juice of one lemon.  Seriously, you can do without the butter, but it gives a little body and richness to the sauce and it really was the worst thing I had eaten all day.  Finally, I tossed in some capers, salt and pepper, and let the whole thing cook down a bit more.  Meanwhile, I seared the salmon in another pan with a little dill, salt and pepper, and then moved it to the pan with the lemony sauce to finish.  It really plated beautifully, with the lentils on the bottom and the salmon topped with the sauce and garnished with fresh parsley on top. 

I know not everyone is a fish-eater, but if you can fit salmon into your eating plan at least once a week, you are benefitting your health greatly.  There are so many delicious ways to prepare it, too, and it is almost always quick and easy. More ideas for salmon to come...