We’ve made Salmon Sundays a pretty regular tradition here.  Usually Matt fires up the grill and makes Cedar-Planked Salmon, but this was a good change of pace and worked great on my grill pan.  This was delicious meal that came together easily.

Cuban-Style Grilled Salmon
Food Network Magazine, July/August 2011

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of two lemons or limes
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin (we omitted this)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
4 6-oz center-cut salmon fillets, skin removed
1 14-oz can hearts of palm, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Vegetable oil, for brushing
2 cups mixed salad greens

Preheat a grill to medium high.  In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of one lemon, the garlic, shallots, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and half of the cilantro.  Add the salmon and turn to coat.  Let marinate 15 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, toss the hearts of palm and tomatoes in a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of the remaining lemon, and the rest of the cilantro.  Season with salt.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil.  Grill the salmon round side down until marked on the bottom, about 4 minutes.  Turn and continue grilling until marked on the other side and cooked through, 2 to 3 more minutes.  Divide the salmon among plates.  Serve with the greens and hearts of palm salad; drizzle the juices from the salad over the greens.

This was a good, easy meal that was a little different from our every day cooking.  It was great left over for lunch the next day too.  I recommend a spicy sausage.

Cajun Rice with Sausage
Food Network Magazine, June 2011

2 slices bacon, chopped
12 ounces spicy chicken sausage (I used spicy pork sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup long grain rice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped frozen okra, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Add the sausage, onion, celery and bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and the sausage begins to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the skillet, then stir in the rice.  Add the chicken broth and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.  Stir in the okra, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes.  Add the bacon and parsley and fluff with a fork.