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- Hey, Munchies!
Welcome to the channel.
If you're new or if you're not, I'm Alyssia
and I'm so glad you're here either way.
Today, I have got 15-minute meals coming your way,
because I know we are all busy.
But the truth is, even when I have the time,
I don't always wanna spend it cooking,
especially day after day.
So these salmon dinners are well-rounded, nutritious meals
that are quick to throw together on a weeknight.
This video was sponsored by Mowi.
I am using their salmon in today's recipes,
and I'm stoked about it because their product is unmatched.
They share high quality salmon,
based on 50 years of experience,
but it's also super convenient
because of the way it's packaged.
Their products can be found on Amazon Fresh
and in select Target stores.
I will include links in the description box.
Let's get started with the first super quick meal,
a pesto salmon.
I have decided to make a homemade cilantro pesto
to mix it up.
You can really use any herb in a pesto,
so why not have fun with it?
To a food processor,
I add my cilantro, pine nuts,
or you could use walnuts or almonds,
but I am a huge pine nut fan, and garlic cloves.
Pulse that up and then slowly add
in extra-virgin olive oil while the processor is going,
just until smooth.
Then in goes freshly grated Parmesan and salt and pepper,
and allow that to mix just until integrated,
seasoning to taste, of course.
Then it's ready to use or store.
If you do store it.
I recommend adding a layer of olive oil on top.
That is going to help prevent it from oxidizing
and turning brown
so that it can stay that really nice, vibrant green.
I personally think this pesto tastes better after sitting
for a day.
So if you can make it the day before,
it will be even more flavorful
and it's one less thing for you to do during the week.
Next, let's make our side and actual salmon.
I get some rice going on the stove.
I am using instant rice to keep it quick on a weeknight.
Feel free to use white or brown.
Follow the directions on your package,
but for the brand I use,
I just boil water and then add the rice.
Now for additional flavor,
I am adding some butter.
It's optional,
but a small bit can really add to the texture
and flavor of the rice.
I also add some garlic powder.
I stir that, remove it from heat,
and then just let it sit for five minutes.
Once the liquid is all absorbed,
I'm adding rough chopped spinach.
Now this is one of my favorite ways
to get veggies in on a busy weeknight.
I don't have to cook anything else.
I just add the spinach, cover the pot,
and it's gonna wilt to practically nothing
in just a minute or so.
Then, add a squeeze of lemon juice, coconut aminos,
and season with salt and pep to your preference.
Stir that up and your side dish is done.
At the same time, we can begin cooking that salmon.
This is a basic salmon.
I make this multiple times per week
because I can add any sauce I'd like.
Part of why I love Mowi salmon is
that many of their choices are pre-cut into filets.
So you can see what you're getting.
The color is appealing and it just makes it easier.
So I simply season both sides
of the salmon with salt and pep.
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Add a drizzle of the oil to the pan over medium heat.
I use avocado oil.
And then on goes the salmon.
If there's a skin on your filet, keep it skin side up.
Try to resist the urge to move your salmon around
on the pan.
We want a nice golden crispy restaurant-style crust,
and that sear comes from letting it sit.
It's only gonna take about four minutes
and then you can flip it and reveal the beautiful browning.
Turn the heat down to medium
and let it finish to your liking.
I go closer to four minutes or so.
Less is my preference for flakiness.
If you prefer it more well done,
you might go up to five minutes.
Beautiful.
So in less than 15 minutes,
I've got my spinach rice,
nutritious and satisfying carbs and veggies with the greens,
along with my seared Mowi salmon,
a nice, lean protein filled with omega-3s
and essential vitamins and minerals.
And it's topped
with a nutrient-dense fresh and flavorful cilantro pesto.
I mean, come on,
it looks like you could get it at a restaurant, right?
But it took just over 10 minutes total.
That is my kind of weeknight meal.
The rice is light and satisfying,
extra flavorful from that little bit of butter.
The cilantro pesto is a nice change
from a traditional basil version.
Cilantro is almost like a stronger parsley
but it's very distinct.
It's got like a tangy citrus flavor.
It's sort of peppery.
It's really unique, which makes it fun here.
It adds so much flavor to the seared salmon,
which was refreshing and mild.
And I think salmon is a great way
to get seafood into your diet
if you're someone who doesn't typically love it
because it's not really that fishy.
It's subtler and the truth is,
the way it's cooked makes a huge difference.
Pan searing is my favorite way to prepare salmon filets.
Okay, next up is a sweet bourbon salmon
with a homemade slaw.
I love slaw and I have shared it on my channel before.
I mix mayo, and I often use an avocado oil mayo or homemade,
which I've linked below, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard,
lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pep.
Then I add in some tri-color coleslaw mix.
This one has shredded cabbage and carrots in it.
And I coat that completely, seasoning to taste.
That's it.
Now this too gets better as it sits.
So you can eat it now and it's great,
but tomorrow it's gonna be even better.
The salmon on this weeknight meal is even easier
because it's pre-seasoned and ready to go.
Mowi's Sweet Bourbon Salmon,
like the rest of their offerings is fresh, never frozen.
And unlike many pre-seasoned filets,
this one is not loaded
with ingredients I'm not familiar with.
There's only one gram of added sugar total.
And even if I made
a homemade sweet bourbon salmon seasoning,
there would probably be more sugar than that.
So that was cool to see.
I simply portion the filet into multiple servings
and pan sear them as before.
A little bit of oil on the pan, skin side up.
Do not touch it!
Let it brown on its own before flipping
and cooking to your liking.
The flavor is delightful.
It's balanced, sweet and savory,
complimented with tasty spices and smokiness.
And with the slaw on the side,
it's almost like a weeknight barbecue meal,
except with way more nutrition.
This one actually took less than 10 minutes to make.
Oh yeah.
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Let's finish off our meals with a Tuscan herb salmon
with Greek orzo.
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For the orzo, I cook my pasta, drain.
And then it's so easy.
You just add olive oil or butter, if preferred,
lemon zest and juice, chopped cherry tomatoes,
Kalamata olives, fresh parsley,
and salt and pep.
That is it.
Are you kidding?
No, no, I'm not.
And at the same time, you can cook your salmon.
Mowi's Tuscan Herb Salmon is also pre-seasoned
and ready to cook.
Again, the ingredients are all things I'm familiar with
and there's no added sugar at all in this one.
This time I took portioned filets
and decided to cook it on the grill pan.
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You could use an actual grill too, of course.
I cook it just the same as I did in the skillet,
but I start with the heat a little bit higher
because I want those char marks.
So remember, skin side must be up
if you wanna see those markings.
Then turn the heat down
when you flip to cook to cook it through.
Look at that final meal!
I love the colors of the salmon and the salad.
The flavors go so well together.
The preseasoned Tuscan herb salmon is full of flavor
from the seasoning, but also just the fish itself.
The crispness of the sear on that was just perfect.
Now, this entire meal is super balanced
in texture and flavor.
And also, heads up, this pasta is really tasty leftover
as a cold pasta salad, too.
What a win!
I hope you enjoyed these recipe ideas.
When it comes to weeknight meals,
there's no reason that it needs to take forever.
There are ways to get delicious, healthy meals
in less time,
and it doesn't even take that much creativity.
I encourage you to take these,
make them your own,
mix and match and swap ingredients.
You know, do whatever you need to do
to make these work for your family.
I hope you can give Mowi salmon a try.
It's really a delicious product
and it's available on Amazon Fresh and Target,
linked in the description box below.
I really appreciate the quality of Mowi
and all that they do to have a low impact
to their surroundings.
Their convenient filets make it easy
to fit healthy and lean protein into your diet.
And the pre-seasoned items do so much of the work for you
while still letting you enjoy elegant, healthy, adventurous,
and conscious meals.
Let me know what your favorite way to prepare salmon is
in the comments.
I will see you next time for a brand new episode.
And remember, it's all a matter of Mind Over Munch.
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