Family Meals by Michael Smith

It has always been a goal of mine to have family dinners together as a family each night.  While we tend to do our best, we could up our game in terms of healthier meals.  I am working on finding simple meals that everyone in our family will enjoy.  I met Michael Smith at Blissdom a few years ago and was amazed at his talents to combine healthy and tasty.  He made us chocolate chip cookies with chick peas!

Michael Smith is here to help all of us create tasty meals for all the picky eaters.  After looking through it, I love that he doesn’t use a lot of fancy, hard to find ingredients.  There are plenty of items I use ALL the time, a few new things to try, but mostly easy to access ingredients.  I love the emphasis on the family, and I love that its food that I recognize.

I am so excited to share a recipe from the book (used with permission, of course) for Chili Cornmeal Crusted Salmon With Avocado Salsa.

Chili Cornmeal Crusted Salmon With Avocado Salsa

(reprinted with permission)

Serves 4 to 6

For the salsa:

• 2 avocados, scooped and diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1 pint (500mL) cherry tomatoes, halved
• A big handful of chopped fresh cilantro, a few sprigs reserved for garnish
• The zest and juice of 2 limes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon (2mL) of salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon (2mL) of your favorite hot sauce
• 1⁄4 teaspoon (1mL) of toasted sesame oil

For the crispy crusty salmon:

• 1⁄4 cup (60mL) of fine yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) of chili powder
• 2 tablespoons (30mL) of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5mL) of salt
• 4 to 6 fresh skinless salmon fillets (5 to 6 ounces/140 to 170 g each)

Preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.  Make the salsa first. In a medium bowl, combine all the salsa ingredients. Toss and stir, evenly distributing the bright flavors. Set aside.

Move on to the salmon. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, chili powder, brown sugar, and salt. Dredge the salmon through the crunchy coating, evenly and thoroughly coating each piece, shaking the excess back into the dish for the next piece. Position on the baking sheet and roast until cooked through, tender and juicy, 10 minutes or so.

Scoop a generous mound of the salsa onto each plate. Top with a piece of crispy crusty salmon and a festive sprig of cilantro. Serve and share!

Family Meals by Chef Michael Smith is available on Amazon!