After a long day of work, I used to take the easy way out—boiling a pot of pasta with the reckless abandon of someone who had no concept of portion control. That was then. Now, I can’t even remember the last time I pulled that stunt. These days, I try (emphasis on try) to eat healthier and more balanced meals, at least from Monday to Friday. The weekends? Well, let’s just say they remain a glorious free-for-all.
Quinoa has become one of my go-to ingredients because it’s like a culinary chameleon—you can tweak its flavor depending on what you add, and it pairs well with everything from fish to chicken to whatever mystery meat is lurking in the freezer. My favorite way to cook it is with chicken broth, which gives it a lovely, salty depth of flavor. This skillet salmon dish takes things up a notch by combining quinoa with bold feta and peppery arugula, creating the perfect balance of flavors. Even better? It comes together in under 20 minutes and tastes just as good the next day as a cold salad—because who has time to cook lunch from scratch?
Salmon with Hill Family Estate Albariño 2016
Salmon with Hill Family Estate Albariño 2016
To elevate this dish even further (because why not?), I paired it with a fabulously crisp and citrusy Hill Family Estate Albariño. This refreshing wine, bursting with flavors of melon, peach, and honeysuckle, is the ideal companion for salmon’s rich, buttery texture and the salty bite of the quinoa. It’s the kind of pairing that makes you feel like a sophisticated adult—at least until you remember you ate the leftovers straight from the container at 10 a.m.
Skillet Salmon with Quinoa, Feta & Arugula
Ingredients
- 4 6-oz skin-on salmon filets
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola vegetable, or light olive oil
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup pre-washed or rinsed quinoa
- 1 ½ cups baby arugula
- 2 scallions white and light green parts, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese about 4 ounces
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed juice from 1 lemon
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the salmon skin-side down and cook without moving until skin is crisp, 2-3 minutes. Carefully remove salmon with a thin metal fish spatula and set on a large plate skin-side-up.
- In the same skillet, bring 2 cups of chicken stock to an active boil, add quinoa and cook for 10-11 minutes or until quinoa has softened.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, stir in the arugula, scallion, feta and place the salmon back on top, skin-side up, cover and cook until the salmon is barely cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Portion out the quinoa and salmon and drizzle with fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
