Salmon with Mango and Chickpea Salad

The inspiration for today’s Cooking with Kids! recipe comes from my cousin’s friend Annette Harvey. Both Annette & my cousin live in Australia, where they’re presently enjoying gorgeous summer weather. While on the other side of the world where we live (Portland, Maine), presently snow is falling. Crazy! Whereas Annette and my cousin need refreshing fare to beat the heat, I long for a dish that’ll transport me to a tropical paradise. Funny how well this recipe works both ways! Annette suggested a simpler version of this salad, served alongside seafood. I thought the mango sounded particularly good paired with salmon, so I took the idea and ran with it. My older daughter (a salmon junkie) thought that sounded marvelous, and other than peeling and seeding the mangoes, she made both. While I sat dreaming of fruity umbrella-laden drinks – hah! The salad is a zesty medley of sweet and savory, with garlic and red onion, cilantro and chickpeas, lime juice, mango and a touch of agave nectar. The vibrant colors and flavors play hopscotch with the senses. I just love it! The salmon can be prepared several ways, but for simplicity my daughter baked it. When cooking with kids, less heat = less risk of overcooking + less risk of skin burns = happy!

Yields 4 servings.

SODIUM CONTENT: 169 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS:

Salad and dressing:
2 mangoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 15-oz. can no salt added garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 T. fresh chopped cilantro
juice of 1 fresh lime
2 T. olive oil
1 T. agave nectar
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salmon:
1 lb. fresh salmon, cut into 4- 4-oz. portions
2 T. olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
no salt added seasoning blend or fresh herbs, your choice

DIRECTIONS:

To make the salad, place the mango, onion, garlic, chickpeas & cilantro in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Measure the lime juice, oil, and agave nectar into a small mixing bowl and whisk well. Pour the dressing over the salad, add freshly ground black pepper to taste, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate an hour or more to allow the flavors to mingle and develop.

When ready to prepare the meal, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon fillets in a baking dish. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste and seasoning of choice. We used Sunny Spain Salt Free Seasoning Blend from The Spice House and it was fantastic.