Dinner Cheat: Salmon Kebabs with Pesto Quinoa Salad

I don't know how the weekend flew by as impossibly fast as it did, but here it is Monday morning all over again. While the weeks have been whizzing by this year as well, I am especially excited for this week-it is EXTRA short because we are leaving for Honolulu on Thursday morning, hazzah! We are long overdue for a holiday.

That being said, between the nonstop weekend and the fact that we are about to be gone for 10 days, I didn't go too overboard or stock up too much at the shops during my weekly run, although I did buy a zillion pounds of greens. We'll be heavily salad based for the next few days, even though I should probably be doing a juice cleanse; somehow that didn't seem sustainable for crossfit.

I went through a phase in the winter where I would make a little more elaborate Sunday dinners since I had the time and it was colder out. Now that it is a zillion degrees and sunny, we've been taking advantage of our drinking pool and had some friends over to enjoy a lazy Sunday; unfortunately Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell couldn't make it. Regardless, this was a pretty lazy dinner.

I bought pre-made salmon kebabs from WFM, which were actually really good value for money at $6.99/each. I whipped up a quick batch of pesto quinoa (grains! for the first time in a long time!) and a dijon vinaigrette for the salad and we were off!

For the salmon kebabs, they really only needed a few minutes on the grill, maybe 7 tops. This was fresh atlantic salmon and the fat content is a little higher, making it more forgiving on the grill. Put them on after you've started your quinoa, since you can kindof ignore it while it bubbles away.

Once you've got your quinoa and your kebabs on, you can make your salad dressing too and throw together your salad. I used mixed greens, golden cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and toasted almonds in mine, but throw in what you like and what you have around. Honestly you could easily do this meal during the week as well; it came together in about 30 minutes.

Pesto Quinoa Salad

3/4c quinoa, rinsed

2tbsp pesto

1/2 bell pepper, any color, diced

fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the quinoa to remove the saponins, which tend to make the grain a bit bitter. You can toast the quinoa in a dry pan before you start to cook them, if you like but I skipped this step.

Add the quinoa to a saucepan and add 1.5c water (the ratio for water to quinoa is 2:1 for future reference) cover, and bring to a boil. Give a quick stir once the grains are boiling, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally as you want the quinoa to be fluffy.

Once cooked, toss with pesto, bell pepper, parsley, and salt and pepper.

Basic Dijon Vinaigrette

Inspired by Jane

2tbsp dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1tbsp honey

2tbsp red wine vinegar

1tbsp black cherry balsamic vinegar

2 to 3tbsp good olive oil

1tsp fresh or dried dill

freshly ground black pepper.

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. This dressing is nice and tart from the vinegar but is mellowed out slightly by the honey and dijon. If it's too tart, add more oil, but I prefer to go easy on that condiment and always consider what you'll be dressing.