This isn’t going to be a fancy post. I mean, let’s face it, it’s a post about leftovers! There’s nothing fancy about leftovers.
But still. However uninspiring they may sometimes be, they are a reality that we have to deal with. And they can be a great lifesaver, too.
So let’s not be too hard on them, alright?
When I made my cedar plank salmon, I’d made 2 individual fillets, even though I was eating alone. Now why did I go do that? Hmpft. Do you really want to know? Truth is I thought my pictures would look much better with 2 fillets instead of just one poor, single, lonely looking piece of fish. So one was actual dinner, the other one was just a “prop”.
How’s that for dedication? 
I wasn’t too sure what to do with that leftover fillet. The old me would’ve no doubt taken the creamy pasta route. But I don’t do pasta much anymore.
A sandwich?
Bah! Boring… Plus, I eat so little bread now that it’s a bit of a turnoff for me to buy an entire loaf of bread when I know full well that I’m only going to have one or 2 slices and chuck the rest a few months down the road. I don’t care for frozen bread, see? I keep putting my “leftover” bread in the freezer, only it never gets eaten. I always end up tossing it in the trash a couple of months later.
And of course, you all know how much I despise wasting food. So a sandwich was not even an option.
I really wanted to keep it simple and also wanted to avoid reheating the delicate flesh of this perfectly cooked piece of fish.
Well, there was but one option left, I’m afraid: A SALAD!
Seriously guys, tell me… what am I going to do when summer is over and I can’t have my daily salad anymore?
Oh, how I’m gonna miss them. Guess I’ll have to start making soups and stews instead…
But for now, since I can still enjoy my salads, I will do just that. I just can’t get enough of them.
This particular one here isn’t necessarily what I would call a light meal because it has quite a “healthy” portion of salmon on it. If you wanted to keep it on the lighter side, you could always use less salmon and/or omit the kalamatas.
Or better yet, you could double up the amount of greens and veggies and share it with someone you love, why not?
They sure will thank you for it.
The combination of ingredients was really nice and fresh and made for an awesome summer day feast, but honestly, I would’ve preferred a creamy yogurt dill dressing to go with that. The problem is, I had absolutely nothing on hand to make the creamy dill version, so I had to settle for a tangy balsamic.
Don’t get me wrong, though. It wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was delicious. I just think it would’ve been GLORIOUS with the dill.
So hey, next time you have leftover salmon in the fridge, give that one a try.
I’m sure you won’t regret it.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 leaves Romaine lettuce, shredded
- 3 white mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ red bell pepper, sliced
- 10 kalamata olives
- 150g leftover cedar plank salmon
- 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp unpasteurized liquid honey
- 2 tbsp unsweetened apple juice
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all the ingredients of the dressing to your small blender or food processor and process until smooth and well incorporated. Set aside.
- Lay the shredded lettuce at the bottom of a serving dish. Add mushrooms, bell peppers, kalamata and leftover salmon.
- Drizzle vinaigrette over your salad when ready to serve.
Way, way back in time when I was married to a rather spoiled foodie, there did not seem to be any leftovers, ’cause he did not like them and thus they usually ended in the bin. Older and wiser I now shake my head!! I LOVE LEFTOVERS!! I love the fact that the main ingredient of whatever dish i want to make is already there and cooked and I just have to ring the changes, different each time, around it
! And it’s not just the time but the expense [almost a free meal it seems!] and one more day ‘done’ with a lovely homecooked meal!! Love your salad and want to try your vinaigrette with the apple juice and honey!!
YIKES!!! First off, a big BOOOO to your former partner. NEVER throw good food in the bin. NEVER!
There. Now that I got that off my chest… Love the way you think, Eha. Leftovers are meant to be eaten. They are meant to give life to a whole new dish. Or just plain reheated (or not!) and eaten as is. And sometimes, you get some leftovers that truly deserve respect, as was the case for this piece of salmon… no way that one would’ve ended up in the bin. EVER. Pffft… over my dead body!
If I may just put my tuppence in for the second time! I am sorry: I have read that the calorie content of this simple and delightful dish is suppsedly too high! May I vehemantly disagree. I presume this was not prepared as a snack, but a main meal – I have just perused each and every ingredient: I would not omit one of them or lessen the portion. Hunger would soon lead one to an interim snack, which would be considerably worse. I don’t believe in calorie counting anyways: what a boring way to be a foodie, taking the fun out of one’s own life and that of the people one lives with! of course one should know the food ddensity of wht one eats, but simple things like not frying or deepfrying, not having sugars, steaming much of what one uses, and the visual art of plating on an entree and not main course plate are all useful. Add active excerciese, like you biking, and you can easily affod and should the kilojoules in this salad! Still think it a nice recipe
!
I totally agree with you, Eha, but it also depends on how one distributes their calorie intake throughout the day… 650 is not much if you’re on a “standard” 2000 calorie diet and that you eat 3 times a day. However, if one is on a weight loss regimen and allows a reduced calorie intake of say, 1500 calories and distributes them between 5 or even 6 meals a day, then it becomes a tad on the “heavy” side.
While calorie counting shouldn’t be pushed to the extreme and completely rule one’s life (as in, take the fun out of eating!), I think that it’s a very good thing for one to have a certain notion of how many calories are in the foods that they eat, as well as how much fat, carbs and protein. It helps to keep one’s weight in check!
I’m shocked by the number of calories in this salad! All healthy ingredients, but that’s almost two meals..
I totally hear you, Hayley, I felt the same after I crunched in the numbers. Salmon is a tad calorie dense, due to its higher fat content (all good fat, of course, but still, fat is higher in calories than carbs and protein…)
That’s why I said that it could easily be made into a salad for two if one wanted to keep it on the lighter side.
Mind you, 650 calories could be a very decent number of calories for a single meal, depending on what one’s daily allowance is… let’s just say it would be a bit on the high side for me now, considering my current allowance is at 1400-1600.
YUM. I have salmon i have to use up at lunch today. Would love to have the recipe for the creamy dill dressing, but couldn’t find it on your recipage.
Do you have it handy?
Unfortunately, I haven’t created one, Barb. I’m just saying that it’s the kind of dressing I thought would’ve went super nicely with this salad…
Your “leftover” salad looks better than some salads you purchase at restaurants, can I book a table of two at your place?
Why thank you so much! Geeez, that is so nice of you to say! Of course, you can book a table. Not only that, but the meal will be on the house! What date and time did you say the reservation was for?