Fall is often listed as a favorite season for many reasons, likely with the changing of seasons and that feeling of a fresh start (which I believe came from the “new school year” feeling every August), leaves changing beautiful colors, and the local Farmers Markets are flourishing with seasonal vegetables which colors are brilliant, flavors are rich and sweet and earthy, and there is an endless amount of cooking to be done in preparation for the shift indoors.
In the ovulatory and luteal phases, you really get to take advantage of this. But if you are newer to cooking, like my lovely friend, you might be scratching your head thinking “what on earth do I do with an EGGPLANT?!” That’s fair, it’s not commonly used. However, don’t let that deter you. There is plenty to be done with that beautiful, deep purple colored vegetable. So let’s go ahead and stick with the Ovulatory Phase for the purpose of this meal. You might be thrown by some of the seasonings I’m using, but it’s just one meal… give me a little bit of trust!
This phase usually lasts you about 5 days, and I am a planner. So I cook in bulk, and then can pack my lunches for the next day or just reheat the dinner the next day. So the veggies will be in BULK and last up to 5 days. Salmon, however, I prefer fresh and juicy right out of the oven. You can also use another of the fishes listed on the chart, but salmon has a nice flavor that pairs well with these.
Ingredients:
1 Wild Salmon fillet (4-5 oz’s is enough to be a serving, the meal is quite filling)
1 Cup Quinoa (eat only ¼ C cooked with each meal)
1 Cup Fat Free chicken or vegetable broth
1 Cup water
15 Brussels Sprouts, halved
2 Red Bell Peppers, cut in chunks however you like
24 Asparagus spears, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 Eggplant, 1-inch cubes
4 cups of baby spinach
12 cherry tomatoes halved (or use can of no sodium added diced tomatoes, drained)
1 onion cubed
1 bulb of garlic, peeled and diced (or 2 T of minced garlic)
Spices: Sea Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, cinnamon, basil, rosemary, thyme. If you have another you love, use it, just keep the sodium to a minimum.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After rinsing and chopping, use the Brussels sprouts, asparagus, red bell pepper, eggplant, onion, and half the listed amount of garlic as recommended above. Lay them out on a deep cookie sheet/pan, either spraying with PAM or drizzling with Olive Oil (healthy fats are GOOD, do not be afraid of olive oil!). Season with a few shakes of sea salt, pepper, and the rest of the seasoning. Cinnamon is a surprising addition here, but it really brings out the flavors being used. Stir all of the veggies up in the tray so the flavors are spread around and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, stir the vegetables to make sure they are all getting cooked evenly.
In a pot, pour in the quinoa and liquids, ½ T of garlic, the cherry tomatoes, and season with a touch of basil. Let this simmer on medium heat until it begins to boil, then reduce to low heat. Add the baby spinach to this pot and stir occasionally.
Blot the salmon with a paper towel, and place on a cookie sheet that is lined with foil. Drizzle a little olive oil over the salmon and sprinkle with the remaining garlic, pepper, basil, rosemary. If you like lemon on your fish, put two slices of lemon on the top. This can be added to the oven at the same 400 degrees when there are 15 minutes left on the vegetables, and rotate the trays so the salmon is on the top rack for the remaining 15 minutes.
When everything is done, measure out ¼ C of the cooked quinoa mixture, 1/5 of the tray of vegetables in a bowl, mix together. It’s like a warm side salad to your beautiful piece of salmon.
My girlfriend tried this just last week and said the cinnamon was a surprising addition, but that is was delicious! Try variations, and be brave to try new vegetables! Please leave any comments or questions for me and I will try to respond to them all!
Happy “fresh start” Fall meal!
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