Trader Joe’s is a wonderful place. So many delicious snacks, chocolate covered nuts, easy and tasty frozen meals for nights when you don’t have time to spare and all at really great prices! I did my meal shopping there this week and bought some really nice looking salmon that was labeled as “southwestern salmon”. It was seasoned already, and it inspired me to make a healthier Mexican meal.
Last night, I cooked up the salmon with some quinoa, and a strawberry, corn, and spinach salad. Here is what I did:
FOR THE SALMON
Ingredients
2 Trader Joe’s southwestern salmon filets
1/4 lemon
2 tbsp Trader Joe’s chunky salsa
salt and pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a glass baking pan with aluminum foil, place salmon filets in the pan. Squeeze the 1/4 lemon over the top of each and top with 1 tbsp of salsa, each. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
FOR THE SALAD
Ingredients
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup fresh strawberries, cut into pieces
1/4 cup cubed farmer cheese
1 ear of corn
2 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
garlic clove, pressed
Directions
Shuck the corn, then wrap the corn, seasonings, and butter into a tight foil pouch. Bake in the 450 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. Let it cool a bit, then cut the kernels off and reserve the butter and seasoning mixture. Pile the salad with spinach then layer on the strawberries, cheese, and corn. Pour the butter mixture over the top.
FOR THE QUINOA
I used Trader Joe’s white quinoa and prepared it in a rice cooker. 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water. Next, I seasoned it with a little cumin and a little cayenne pepper. To top it off, I poured a little leftover cheese dip on top (we were doing pretty well with the healthy thing until that part, weren’t we?)
Plate it all together and enjoy! If I may say so, it was quite tasty and satisfying and I did not feel like I needed to be carted away from the dinner table in a wheelbarrow like I normally do after eating Mexican food.
What is your favorite way to enjoy Mexican while keeping the calories down?
