Za’atar Roasted Salmon with Turmeric Cauliflower Rice
Za'atar Roasted Salmon with Turmeric Cauliflower Rice
An exotic take on my go-to sheet pan salmon! Seasoned with the Middle-Eastern flavors of za'atar and turmeric and served with cauliflower rice for a healthy spin!
Ingredients
- 3-4 filets of fresh salmon
- 1 TBSP Za'atar seasoning (or substitute, see notes below)
- 1 tsp salt
- Pre-made cauliflower rice or 1 head cauliflower (florets only)
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 2-3 tsp water if necessary
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 300. Grease a sheet pan lightly. Season salmon fillets with za’atar and salt and place on the sheet pan. Roast for about 18-20 minutes until cooked through.
- Step 2 If you’re making your own rice, follow this step: wash and cut cauliflower into florets. Remove the stems. Process cauliflower florets in a food processor until you get a rice-like texture. You may need to process the florets in small batches.
- Step 3 In a large skillet over medium heat, add a knob of olive oil. Add in cauliflower rice and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes (until tender). Sprinkle ground turmeric and pepper over the cauliflower rice. Mix until spices are evenly distributed.
- Step 4 For tahini drizzle: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and honey. Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, thin with a few teaspoons of water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Step 5 Serve salmon alongside the cauliflower rice and bok choy (from below). Drizzle with tahini sauce.
I’m still reeling from a weekend of food poisoning over here (don’t ask!) and haven’t regained an appetite quite yet, but at least I can look at food again! I promised I’d get this recipe up this weekend and a promise is a promise. This was the highlight of last week’s menu and such an easy weeknight dinner, so you should def add it to your lineup! Speaking of lineups… tonight is the Super Bowl and I am SO disappointed that I’m not making my favorite chili for tonight. I’ll be lucky if I can choke down some saltines and ginger ale! But if you’re looking for a good chili (and fastest recipe ever!), look no further than this post: Pressure Cooker Beef Chili.
Now back to this post! Sheet pan salmon is a regular in our rotation, but I like to mix it up when I can with different flavor profiles; this recipe was no exception. For those who don’t know, za’atar is a Middle Eastern seasoning blend of herbal, earthy, savory, tangy and salty flavors. I used my Spice Revolution Za’atar blend for this recipe (def check out the online shop for all of their awesome blends!), but I recognize you likely won’t have the seasoning on hand since it’s a bit more eclectic, so I wanted to offer an easy substitution. Sprinkle your fish with even parts sesame seeds (the Everything Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joes would be a good bet) and ground sumac – those are the most essential flavors. Or you can go all out and make your own homemade blend, courtesy of Fine Cooking: To make about 1/2 cup of za’atar, put 3 Tbs. dried thyme, 1 Tbs. lightly toasted sesame seeds, 1 Tbs. ground sumac, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano or marjoram, and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt in a spice grinder. Pulse a few times to mix and break up some of the seeds—there should still be many whole seeds visible. Store in a cool, dark place for up to six months.
Completing the meal with my Turmeric Cauliflower Rice and the Pistachio Bok Choy (see below) was such a nice compliment to the smokiness of the fish. The turmeric elevates the rice so nicely and gives the plate a nice pop of color. I could also go on and on about how much I love the Bok Choy, but you can always just read my post about that instead. For now, I hope you’ll enjoy this post and let us know what you think below!
Pistachio Bok Choy
In less than 10 minutes and one special ingredient later, you’ll have a tasty side dish that’s full of nutrients and anti-inflammatory health benefits.
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch Baby Bok Choy leaves, stem removed
- 1/2 cup shelled crushed pistachios (I threw my pistachios into a mini food processor to do the heavy lifting!)
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP sesame oil
- 1 tsp salt
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Step 2 Add the minced garlic and fry until golden, about 1-2 minutes.
- Step 3 Add the bok choy and use tongs to turn and saute the bok choy until crisp-tender, about 5 more minutes.
- Step 4 Add the sesame oil to the pan, toss the leaves in the oil and cook for one more minute.
- Step 5 Remove from the heat, season with salt and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
