Author Notes
French green lentils, spinach, and salmon--it sounds like the perfect French bistro-inspired meal, especially when served with a crusty baguette and something bubbly to drink. But it's healthy, too. I developed this recipe--which is rich in folate--for an article I wrote for Pregnancy & Newborn magazine about how to eat healthily during pregnancy, even when cravings threaten to derail sound nutrition. My recipe originally appeared in the magazine in 2012. —Daytona Strong
Ingredients
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1/2 cup
French green lentils, rinsed and debris removed
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2 cups
water
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1
bay leaf
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1 1/2 tablespoons
sherry wine vinegar
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1 teaspoon
Dijon mustard
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1/2 teaspoon
plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
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4 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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1 1/2 tablespoons
minced shallot
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1/4 cup
chopped Italian parsley
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2
wild Alaskan salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
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1/8 teaspoon
pepper
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1/8 teaspoon
ground fennel seed (or fennel pollen, if available)
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2 cups
baby spinach
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6
cornichons, for garnish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Prepare lentil salad. Combine lentils, water, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, until lentils are tender. Drain and discard bay leaf. While lentils are cooking, make the dressing: Stir together sherry wine vinegar, mustard, and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Gradually add 3 ½ tablespoons olive oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. While lentils are still hot, add shallot, parsley, and ¾ of the dressing, and toss to combine. Keep warm until ready to serve.
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Cook salmon. Wipe salmon dry with a paper towel. Brush an ovenproof baking dish with a little of the remaining olive oil, and set salmon fillet inside, skin side down. Brush salmon with the remaining olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel seed. Bake until just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
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Assemble and serve. To serve, divide spinach between two plates. Top each with lentil salad and a fillet of salmon. Drizzle the remaining dressing on the spinach and garnish with the cornichons.
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