Roast sweet potato and spinach couscous salad with crispy skin salmon

I love this time of year. Summer brings the warmer weather we’ve all been dying for, if we ever get more than two days in a row of over 30 degrees Celsius! It’s time to get out of the house after hibernating all winter and start enjoying outside, either playing basketball with the nephews or walking around Albert Park Lake, checking out the swans. It’s also the perfect time to start experimenting with new salad ideas.

Eating more salads, grilling meat on the BBQ instead of using the slow cooker and eating outside while watching the sun go down is what summer is all about for us. Throw in family & friends and we’re set for perfect summer evenings. Enjoying a glass of champers never goes astray either  😉

I have to say that this has become one of my favourite salads to eat. By adding avocado, as my sister does, this salad not only looks pretty but has some staying power to keep you going throughout a busy day at work. It’s low GI so will keep you fuller for longer, without any cavings.

And with Christmas just around the corner, why not add this colourful little dish to the salads as part of your festive spread. It’s the perfect accompaniment to any protein, no matter if you’ll be enjoying a roast or BBQ feast. This salad doesn’t require a lot of time to put together. It can even be prepared a day in advance.

Trust me when I say that if you make this salad and place it on the Christmas table, you’ll see just how much everyone will love this salad. You won’t be disappointed.

TIPS:
Keep the oven temperature around 180°C. Any higher and you could burn the sweet potato.

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Always put the salad dressing on as you’re about to eat. Soggy salad =no friends.

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To get crispy salmon skin, pat the salmon skin with paper towel. Scrape any excess moisture from the skin with the back of a butter knife. Season the skin liberally with sea salt flakes. Add oil to the pan, not the skin, making sure the pan oil is hot before placing the fish in. Hold fish, skin side down, in pan to stop the fish from curling for one minute. Cook fish 5-6 minutes skin side down, then turn. Gently tap the skin. You should hear if it’s crispy or not. If it doesn’t make a noise, you can remove the skin from the fish and fry in the pan for another couple of minutes. Place skin on cooling rack to help crisp up. Or see Gordon Ramsey do it.

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If you don’t have a microwave proof bowl with lid for the couscous, use any medium sized bowl and cover with gladwrap or cling film.

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You could also flake the salmon over the salad instead of having one large piece of fish on the plate.

PREP: 35 minutes     COOK: 50 minutes     MAKES: enough salad for 2 mains + lunch the next day
INGREDIENTS:
SALAD:
500 grams sweet potato, cut into 2½ cm cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
1 cup couscous
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
90 grams baby spinach
100 grams feta, crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons Paul Newman’s light honey mustard dressing

SALMON:
2 salmon fillets, total 390 grams
Sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

SMOKY SPICY GLAZE:
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ tablespoon smoky paprika

METHOD:
Heat oven to 180°C.

In a baking dish, toss the sweet potato in the olive oil and salt. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Turn halfway. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.

In a microwave safe bowl with lid, add the couscous, chicken stock and EVOO. Cover and let stand for 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid and gently fluff the couscous with a fork. Set aside until needed.

In a jar or small jug, mix the smoky spicy sauce ingredients together. Set aside for the salmon.

While the sweet potato is roasting, prepare the salmon. See TIPS ↑ above on how to get crispy salmon skin.

15 minutes before the sweet potato is roasted, start frying your salmon, skin side down, for 5-6 minutes. Just before turning the salmon, brush the glaze on each salmon piece. Turn and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, or as desired. Remove from the pan and place on a plate. Allow to stand while preparing the salad.

In a large bowl, add the sweet potato, couscous, lemon zest and juice, baby spinach, feta, parsley and salad dressing and gently toss to combine.

Place the salad on the plate and top with the crispy skin salmon. Bon appetite xx