Grilled Salmon with a Wilted Spinach Salad and Crispy Oven-Baked Potato Fries

During the summer, we can only buy small tri-colored potatoes, because none of the other kinds will fit in the fridge.  Now obviously you wouldn't want to mash tri-colored potatoes, first that would be a waste of their individual colors, and second the mashed potatoes would come out a horrible color.  So throughout most of the summer, when we have potatoes we coat them in olive oil and bake them in the oven so they get nice and crispy without being fried.  You can absolutely make these fries with another kind of potato, but I always use the tricolored because they come out so pretty!

Before you read the ingredients list and totally freak out, let me just tell you that I've separated it and the instructions into 4 parts; the potato fries, the salmon, the salad, and the dressing.  Many ingredients are listed multiple times, but it's much easier listed this way, trust me.

Salmon
4 pieces salmon from Trader Joe's (about 1 pound)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
⅛ cup balsamic vinegar

Potatoes
2.5 lb small tri-colored potatoes from Trader Joe's, or potatoes of your choice
olive oil
1 TBSP dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lemon, juiced

Salad
16 oz. green beans, topped and cut into thirds (I used organic green beans from Trader Joe's and they were delicious!)
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz. baby spinach
2 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

Dressing
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 boiled egg, peeled
10 Kalamata olives from Trader Joe's
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar

For the salmon and potatoes:

Drizzle the salmon with the ⅛ cup balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Let marinate for at least 4 hours.

Wash and quarter the potatoes, then toss them in enough olive oil to coat them completely, along with the thyme, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Now I know these are called Crispy Oven-Baked Potato Fries, but I decided to try them in a grill basket on the BBQ this time.  Normally I bake them in a large pan with the oven at 400* until they have turned a golden brown and are crispy on all sides (you have to toss them occasionally).

But anyway, if you are making yours on the BBQ, cook them in a grill basket until they are golden brown and crispy all over.

When the potatoes are almost done, put the marinated salmon on the BBQ and grill it in a slotted dish until it flakes easily and the skin is crispy.

For the salad:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the green beans until they are tender.  Mine only took 5 minutes, but they can take anywhere up to 15 minutes.  Once the beans are cooked, drain them into a colander and cover with ice to help them cool.  When they are completely cool, remove the ice and let them finish draining.

Preheat a large pan coated in olive oil.  Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown and meaty in texture.  Turn off the heat and let them cool.

Add the green beans, spinach, and eggs to the cooled mushrooms, then thoroughly mix until all the ingredients are combined.

For the dressing:

Blend together the vinegar, oil, egg, olives, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar into a creamy dressing.

Serve the grilled salmon over a bed of wilted spinach salad alongside some crispy oven-baked potato fries, then drizzle with the creamy dressing.  If desired, add some capers for garnish.

 

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.