Recipe for One: Grilled Lemon Butter Salmon with Orzo Salad

In honor of Lent and the return of fish on Fridays, the star of this recipe for one will be grilled salmon!

Individually packaged fish steaks and fillets are available in the freezer section at most grocery stores. Usually they are much cheaper than buying fresh and they work just as well, if not better. You can do this recipe with a salmon steak or fillet, either fresh or frozen. Both of these recipes take about 15 minutes. So if you are more skilled in the kitchen, you could easily prepare both simultaneously. Otherwise, the salad is good at any temperature - so I recommend starting with the salad.

Orzo Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:


4-5 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup baby spinach
1 Lemon - cut into halfs
1/3 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1/2-2/3 cup chicken broth (approx. 5 broth cubes)
Olive Oil, approx. 3 Tablespoons
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Kitchen Utensils Needed:


1 Mixing Bowl
1 Small or Medium Saucepan
A Spoon
A Whisk
A Serrated Knife
A Cutting Board


In a small or medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth until boiling. Add the orzo, cover and reduce heat to low. It should take approximately 10-15 minutes for the orzo to have absorbed all of the broth and be soft.

Meanwhile, mix the juice of half a lemon (the other half the lemon will be used in the salmon dish below) with the olive oil in the bottom of a mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Cut the cherry tomatoes into bite sized pieces (halves or fourths depending on the size). Roughly chop the spinach. Toss the cherry tomatoes and spinach into lemon-olive oil mixture.

Check the orzo. If it is done, fluff with a fork and add it to the bowl with the tomatoes and spinach. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Place on a plate, top with Grilled Lemon Butter Salmon (Recipe Below).


Grilled Lemon Butter Salmon

Time: 10-15 minutes(cooking time will vary slightly depending on the thickness of the fish, and whether it was fresh or frozen at cooking)


Ingredients:


One ~4 oz. Salmon Steak or Fillet
The remaining lemon half from the orzo salad
1 Tablespoon of Melted Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
Olive Oil or Nonstick Cooking Spray

Kitchen Utensils Needed:


George Foreman Grill: 1) a George Foreman allows you to cook meat and fish directly from frozen with no need to thaw, 2) it allows you to grill, and even get grill marks on your food, anytime of year.
A small-medium sized mixing bowl
A whisk
A knife
A cutting board/surface
A spoon


Preheat the George Foreman Grill following the directions on the package. When it is heated, spoon or pour a small amount of olive oil onto the grill or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the salmon on the grill and allow to cook until cooked through - approximately 10-15 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix the the juice of the other half of the lemon and the melted butter in a mixing bowl. Beat sauce with a whisk until incorporated. After the salmon has cooked thoroughly, remove from the grill and place onto a bed of the orzo salad. Spoon the lemon-butter mixture over the salmon. Serve.