Maple Dijon Salmon Fillets on Spinach Salad

The Perfect Summer meal.

Yeah...

We call anything over 65 degrees "Summer" in Seattle, at least the meal made me happy, because the weather certainly does not.

I bought the double pack of Grey Poupon dijon mustard at Costco the other day, just about the world's biggest bargain at $6 for two BIG jars. This little recipe booklet was tied onto one jar. So, of course, I had to look at it... after finding my reading glasses.  Jeez, it was small.  Of course, I changed it, but I was inspired by it. 

Looking at other versions of this recipe online, I noted that some used  balsamic vinegar and some used Soy Sause.  The balsamic vinegar is like everyone's favorite ingredient these days, but I will admit that it's not always my 'go to' item.  It adds another level of sweetness to the marinade, but I think I will use soy sauce next time I make it, or even the Soy Sauce Tabasco I have in there.  Either way, I really loved this dish and you can't beat it for simple, and easy to make.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or Soy Sauce
1/4 cup green onions, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

4 salmon fillets 
Cooking spray 
2 10oz. bags of fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
Other chopped veggies as you like (sliced mushrooms, red bell peppers, red onions)

Preparation

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; remove half to another small bowl, add the remaining marinade to a ziploc bag and add salmon. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 20-60 minutes.

In the small bowl with the remaining marinade, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and whisk until emulsified.  Add 1-2 Tbsp of water until you have a good salad dressing consistency.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Remove salmon from bag, reserving the marinade. Place salmon on a foil "boat" for your grill or use a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. You could do this right on the grill, but the marinade is going to make a mess, and because of the sugar content, it could burn.  Make your life easier and just make a little foil pan....

Cook for 6-10 minutes until the fish starts to flakes easily when tested with a fork; baste salmon occasionally with the reserved marinade.

Toss the spinach greens with the reserved dressing. To serve, make a bed of the spinach on each plate and top with a hot fillet of salmon.  If the salmon wilts your salad... so much the better!

Enjoy!

Here's some other great ideas for salmon:
Crispy Lemon Tilapia -  Just use Salmon instead for this recipe.
Halibut with Bagna Cauda Citrus Sauce  - Just use Salmon instead for this recipe.
Salmon, Spinach & Garbonzos baked in foil