Salmon on Kale with Lemon and Thyme--One-Pan Dinner

 I'm a firm fan of the frozen salmon that comes in the individual or duo vacuum pack.  It's delicious, less expensive than fresh, and sometimes fresher than the fish in the seafood case.  I've been buying packages  all summer long at a price of about $4 and change per approximately 6 oz. serving.  (This is a quote from my blog, DINNER PLACE-- THE SOLO COOK.)

What I didn't say was that I've been shopping at Whole Foods for this fish.  And it. is. lovely. While we've been taught to beware of frozen fish, places like Whole Foods (or mail order Alaskan salmon companies) truly have incredible frozen fish.  That information comes straight from one of their fishmongers.

This is a fun one-pan meal.  You cook up some onions, garlic, and kale with lemon and white wine...top with salmon, put a lid on it and call it dinner.

Just for grins, read through this method before cooking. I don't think you'll need to refer back every other blink to the "recipe."

Try it:

salmon on kale with lemon and thyme  serves 2

Heat a 12-inch, deep skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add a chopped large onion and sauté  for about 5 minutes with 1 /8 teaspoon crushed red pepper.  Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook another minute. Season with a pinch each of kosher salt and pepper and a teaspoon of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme), chopped.  Stir.
 

 Add 5 ounces chopped kale (2-3 cups) and let cook down, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes.  Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, the juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup white wine, and season liberally with kosher salt and pepper.

Add 2 salted and peppered salmon filets (about 6 ounces each) skin down.   Reduce heat to low.   Cover and steam about six minutes or until salmon is just barely firm, but still moist at center.

Spoon greens out onto a plate and top with salmon.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Wine:  My friends, if you drink wine:  please buy yourself a case of Sineann  (Oregon) Red Table Wine ....  and have them ship it to your house.  Not only do you not need a wine opener (German-style glass topper you  open with your fingers), you have a lovely dinner wine for less money than many of the less expensive Pinot Noirs (not worth buying) in the stores.    Make the plunge.  Order yourself some wine.  Of course, Sineann makes some of my favorite Oregon Pinot Noirs (and a few other things)...at a bit steeper price...and they need a little (not a lot) cellaring.  The red table wine, on the other hand, is imminently drinkable.  Sineann makes a variety of wines that are all nearly perfect, but I must mention they also do a white table wine...I  have a case of that arriving Tuesday.  Winters are long in St. Paul.  Not that I'd know since it's still seventy something  *$%&## degrees and dry as a bone out in my yard.  I may have wine, but my lilacs are almost dead.

Sing a new song,
Alyce