Wild Salmon (Chicken) Kebabs with Asian Pesto [HMC]

Sometimes it's just fun to play with your food. I want people to eat omega-3 rich wild salmon--it's great for heart and brain health--and this recipe is a blast. The salmon is cubed, threaded onto skewers, baked for a few minutes, and voila: instant salmon kebabs. The Asian pesto, with ginger, cilantro, and mint, makes the skewers a kick to eat. I like this dish served with Watercress, Purple Cabbage, and Edamame Salad with Toasted Sesame Seeds. Talk about a color blast!

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place bamboo skewers in a bowl of water for a few minutes, until soaked through.

Step 2

To make the Asian pesto, put the ginger, garlic, scallion, anaheim pepper, cilantro, mint, parsley, oil, salt, lime juice, and maple syrup into a small food processor. Blend until smooth, about a minute.

Step 3

Place the salmon on a cutting board and cut it lengthwise, then crosswise into 8 equal pieces. Put the fish on the prepared baking sheet. Insert a 6-inch bamboo skewer into each block of salmon so it looks like a rectangular lollipop. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over each piece. Using half the pesto, spread it on all sides of each piece of salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 5

Remove the salmon from the refrigerator, uncover, and slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake just until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the salmon registers 120 degrees F, 7 to 9 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. The flesh should be just opaque and beginning to flake.

Step 6

Transfer the kabobs, skewers and all, to a serving plate. Add a dollop of the remaining pesto each piece of salmon and serve immediately.

Step 7

To get pieces that are of even thickness, purchase the center cut of the salmon rather than the tail.

Step 8

Cut the baked salmon up into smaller pieces and stick in toothpicks. Serve with the additional pesto on the sides for great little appetizers.

Step 9

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Calories: 266 per serving.