CK's KITCHEN: Sweet and smoky salmon bowls with cilantro rice

Who doesn't want "effortless recipes for a full life"? That's the culinary promise from health food enthusiast Olivia Adriance, a full-time recipe content creator who shares gorgeous and nutritious meals all over the internet. I was hooked when I saw this smoky salmon looking all full of yummy protein and omega fats on top of chipotle-like cilantro lime rice. I always have a bag of salmon fillets at the ready in my freezer, black beans and rice in my cupboard so I only needed to find the accessory ingredients of pickled red onions, avocado and fresh cilantro. Pickle me, I'm Irish Once at the grocery, I lucked out by finding a ripe avocado, but I left with limp cilantro and no pickled red onions because there were none to be found by the other pickled items such as beets. But this could have been shopper error on my part. It wasn't until I sat down to write this column that I actually search for them online where you'll find plenty of easy homemade recipes if you plan better than me, as well as a handful of store-bought options including one from my local fave, Cleveland Kitchen. I never thought to look in the refrigerated section where fermented foods also live. Duh! Undeterred and hangry Pickled red onions or not, I was making these salmon bowls for my Saturday night dinner. I wasn't deterred when I found that my daughter had replaced our garlic powder with garlic salt. I was that determined and that hangry. I opted to bake my salmon on parchment paper to limit the cleanup and it worked great. The skin didn't get crispy but I was giving it to my doggos anyway. My rice cooked up quickly and I did my best to season it with my lackluster cilantro. I cannot wait until summer when I can pluck my own fresh herbs from my garden. Honestly, from start to finish, these salmon bowls took about an hour of prep and cook time. I would cook my salmon less next time because I prefer my salmon medium rare and it was cooked well done, but not dry thanks to the oil and maple syrup. These bowls are as advertised: sweet, smoky and completely divine! I made this for myself and was thrilled to have days of leftovers because I could eat this all the time. It's healthy, light and packed with protein and great ingredients. I felt full for hours after eating and it was almost better the second day. If you like salmon, you want to make this recipe stat! Contact Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@sbcglobal.net. Sweet and smoky salmon bowls with cilantro rice Makes four servings For the cilantro lime rice: 3/4 cup white rice 1½ cups water ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon olive oil ¼ cup fresh lime juice ½cup chopped fresh cilantro Salt and pepper to season For the salmon: 1½ pounds salmon Avocado oil for drizzling ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon onion powder 2 tablespoon maple syrup For serving: black beans, pickled red onions, avocado slices, chopped fresh cilantro Preheat the oven to 375. To a medium-sized saucepan, add the rice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes or until nearly all of the moisture has been absorbed. Set aside for 5 minutes. While the rice cools, make the salmon by greasing a 9x9 baking dish with avocado oil and adding the salmon to the baking dish skin-side-down. Drizzle the salmon with about 1 teaspoon more avocado oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and spices evenly onto the salmon and drizzle with maple syrup, rubbing the spices and syrup into the salmon with a spoon or your hands, ensuring that you coat the sides as well. Bake for 20 minutes. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and add the olive oil, lime juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the salmon has baked, assemble the bowls with a couple scoops of cilantro lime rice, a serving of salmon, black beans, pickled red onions, avocado slices, and more chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy! Source: oliviaadriance.com