Creamy Salmon and Rice

     Recently I posted a recipe for lemon garlic salmon. Although this recipe is super delicious, it made me realize how not filling a small fillet of salmon is. So, I decided to create a more filling version while keeping it as healthy as possible. While I was researching salmon meals I found a salmon orzo recipe that looked super tasty but not quite what I wanted. The main thing I had to change was that I didn't want to use orzo. I have never had orzo before but as far as I know it is a type of pasta. I liked the added carbs to make the meal more filling but pasta is so heavy so I decided to make something similar but with rice. Now, I will admit that I only saw an image of the recipe I was inspired by and I saw it while scrolling Pinterest, I couldn't even find it in my saved pins. So, I will not be sharing the recipe this was inspired by because both I have no idea how to find it again, and I also do not know how similar my recipe ended up being! 

    I started off my recipe by putting about three tablespoons of butter in my pan and searing three room temperature salmon fillets for two minutes on each side. I did three salmon fillets instead of four because I was only trying to feed me, my husband, and my baby and one of the fillets was very large. That being said, we did end up having leftovers that we ate the next day. I like to use skin-on fillets because I think that adds a little extra jush to the flavor and it makes me feel fancier but you do not have to. If your salmon does have skin make sure to sear the skin side first. 

    With the salmon I also start caramelizing a few lemon slices, half an onion, and a few cloves of garlic. That allows the flavors to seep into the salmon and when I start my rice, those elements are already cooked. When my salmon is done, I remove it from my pan (you can also remove the lemons and add them back in later with the salmon or you can leave them in) and put it on a separate plate for later. So that my garlic and onions don't burn, I immediately pour in two cups of chicken broth while my pan is still hot and bring it to a light boil. I then pour in about a cup of rice and cover my pan with a lid. I let it boil for 15-20 minutes for white rice ad 20-25 for brown rice. About 10 minutes into my rice cooking I like to stir it to make sure the bottom is not burning and add extra chicken broth or water if needed. My lid doesn't perfectly cover my pan so I ended up adding another cup of water but if your lid fits better you may not need to. 

    Once my rice was cooked it had absorbed most of the liquid. I stirred everything up with another tablespoon of butter to let the rice brown a bit before I added my heavy cream. Depending on the current consistency of your rice and how thick you want it to be when finished you can either add a full cup of heavy cream or you can do 1/2 cup of heavy cream with 1/2 cup of water or milk. With the cream I also add a healthy amount of sea salt, pepper, basil, rosemary, oregano, tomato paste, and a squirt of lemon juice. You probably do not need the lemon juice if you left your original lemon slices in your pan when you removed your salmon. 

    I stirred everything in until it was incorporated before I turned my stove to low and added two handfuls of spinach and about a half cup of parmesan. You can either stir your spinach into your rice until it is all wilted or you can set it on top and cover for a few minutes to make it easier to stir in. Last but not least I like to cut up my salmon and add it in! You could also serve the salmon with the rice on the side however it is probably room temperature at this point and if I do that my family will only eat the salmon and not the rice. When I mix the salmon in it is harder to pick out. 

    This meal was so delicious and so filling! This was even thoroughly enjoyed by my baby who doesn't really enjoy rice. The salmon, spinach, and lemon offer amazing nutritional value while the cream and rice fill you up without having to feel super guilty. This is honestly an awesome alternative to pasta and I definitely will be making this all the time now! 

    How did this recipe work for you? What should I make next? Leave me a comment!