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Serves
about 6 for lunch or dinner and more if served as part of a buffet
Author Notes
They say that if you live in Michigan and aren't happy with the weather to wait a day...it'll change. And because of this, weather forecasts have not always been accurate. Well, I've been waiting my one day, two days, three days and more and we've had NO change in the weather. It's downright Hot here...temps in the 90s and no relief in sight. These are salad days and this one does force me to use the oven for a short time, but I do it in the morning before everything really heats up. And I'm sure I could poach the salmon on top of the stove. Rich,creamy and with a hint of mint, this pasta salad has everything you need for dinner —inpatskitchen
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Ingredients
- For the minted dressing
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3/4 cup
sour cream
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1/2 cup
homemade mayo or a great quality comercial one
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1 cup
unpeeled grated English cucumber (grated on the large holes of a box grater) juices and all
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1/2 cup
thinly sliced green onion
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1 cup
loosely packed sliced mint leaves
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1 tablespoon
fresh lemon juice
- For the salmon and salad
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1 1/2 pounds
boneless skinless salmon filets
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Olive oil
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Salt
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6 thin slices of lemon
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12 ounces
small size pasta (shells, orriecchiette, etc) cooked according to package directions and then rinsed and drained
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2 cups
diced English cucumbers (1/2 inch dice)
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1
fresh lemon, halved (more lemon if needed for each serving)
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The dressing
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Salt and white pepper to taste
Directions
- For the minted dressing
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Combine all ingredients and refrigerate while preparing everything else.
- For the salmon and salad
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Drizzle a little olive oil on the bottom of a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the fish. Lay the fish in the pan and drizzle a little more oil over, sprinkle with salt and lay the lemon slices over. Roast in a 425F pre heated oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. You want the fish just cooked through and not dry. Remove from the oven and cool. Remove the lemon slices and discard.
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Once the fish has cooled to room temperature, place the pasta in a large mixing bowl and stir in the juice from 1/2 of the lemon. Break the fish into medium size chunks and add it to the bowl. Add the diced cucumber and then gently fold in the dressing stirring to coat everything. Chill for a couple of hours.
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When ready to serve, taste and season with the salt and white pepper. Serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze over each serving.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
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