Salmon Power Bowl with Creamy Peppercorn Dressing

It's flavor time

Ok guys, I am thrilled with this recipe! I wanted a salmon bowl with a lot of different textures & flavors, and this combination is exactly what I was hoping for.

You’ll be roasting the squash and salmon together while simultaneously cooking the quinoa on the stove. The kale gets blistered in a hot pan right at the end. (Cooking kale on the stovetop gives you a little bit more control — it’s easy to over- or under-cook something as fragile as kale in the oven, plus opening the oven door to check on it multiple times can disrupt the cooking process for everything else.)

We’re using my version of the Creamy Peppercorn Dressing from Taste of Home.

You’ll be making your own dressing for this recipe— a rich peppercorn ranch— though I think it would also taste delicious with the lemon vinaigrette from our Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad if you wanted something lighter!

For little ones, you can serve the elements individually (which I recommend if they are being exposed to any of these foods for the first time). And if they don’t touch the quinoa or the squash, try adding a piece of bread or some other “safe” carbohydrate!

Noah’s plate… he was a little weirded out by the quinoa, but the salmon was a huge hit.

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Salmon Power Bowl
Cook time = 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Flex Meal Note

Freeze salmon & kale; dressing ingredients & butternut squash will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Quinoa is shelf-stable.

For Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten free: This recipe is gluten free

• Dairy free: Omit the sour cream (double the mayonnaise).

Kids Can Help

• Peel butternut squash, measure quinoa & water, measure and mix ingredients for the dressing

Ingredients

For the bowls:

• 1-1.5 lb fresh salmon filet

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Garlic powder

• 1 bunch Lacinato (Tuscan) kale

• 1 small butternut squash

• 1 cup red, white, or tri-color quinoa

• 1 avocado

For the dressing:

• ¾ cup mayonnaise

• ¾ cup sour cream

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1½ teaspoons coarsely ground pepper

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

Tools

Vegetable peeler
Cutting board
Chef knife
Large baking sheet
Large spatula for flipping
Medium-sized saucepan with a lid
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons

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Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2

Peel the butternut squash, remove seeds with a spoon, and chop into ½ inch cubes. Toss with olive oil and salt and spread out on a large baking sheet.

Step 3

Place salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet and sprinkle with an even layer of salt and garlic powder. (If the salmon has been divided into small portions, roast the squash alone for 10 minutes and then add the salmon to avoid overcooking it.)

Step 4

Roast salmon and butternut for about 25 minutes, flipping the butternut squash halfway through. Remove from the oven when squash is tender and salmon registers 135 degrees in the thickest portion. While the butternut and salmon are cooking, move on to step 5.

Step 5

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan with a lid. Once water is boiling, add ½ tsp of salt and 1 cup quinoa. Stir, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 18-20 minutes, then turn off heat and leave covered for 5 minutes more. While quinoa is cooking, move on to steps 6-8.

Step 6

Using a whisk or a fork, mix dressing ingredients until smooth.

Step 7

Slice the avocado; wash and chop the kale into thin strips.

Step 8

Heat a bit of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Once hot, quickly blister the kale, tossing to cook evenly until it is bright green and tender.

Step 9

Layer quinoa, kale, butternut, and salmon; top with dressing and avocado slices.