As promised, here is a step-by-step how to recipe for Pan Seared Salmon w/ Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Mash and Brussels Sprouts, so you can make this delicious meal at home! I posted this dish on my Instagram account @cook2lean earlier this week. It is gluten-free, high protein, with moderate carbs and fat. Perfectly balanced and a great post-workout meal option after a big lift!
Macro Estimates per Serving: 73g protein, 30.5g carb, 24.5g fat
Note: I say “Estimates” because I do not own or use a food scale – I based the estimated macros on a combination of the Macros app that I use and trusty ol’ Google. Okay, that being said, let’s get started!
What You’ll Need (Serves 2):
For the Cauliflower Mash:
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (if you’re not sure how to do this click here)
- 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3-4 cloves garlic, depending on garlic-loving preference
- Olive oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp parsley flakes
- Large food processor
- Steamer/steam basket/or creative alternative
For the Brussels Sprouts:
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, halved and stems trimmed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Garlic powder
For the Salmon:
- 16 oz salmon fillet, sliced in half (or two 8oz fillets)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin (optional)
- Olive oil
Making the Cauliflower Mash:
Fill about a quarter of a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill a steamer/steam basket with the cauliflower florets and cover to steam for 15 minutes.
Note: If you don’t have a steamer, you can try creating a makeshift steamer like I did. I used a large pan filled with water topped with a vegetable grilling pan, and covered with a pan cover to make up for the lack of kitchen inventory.
While the cauliflower is steaming, smash 3-4 garlic gloves, remove skins, and saute in a bit of olive oil for about 2-3 minutes until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat.
Once cauliflower is done steaming, transfer (in small batches at a time) to a large food processor.
Once all cauliflower is blended, add your 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, and parsley flakes. Blend until smooth. Scrape sides of food processor down with a spatula to get an even consistency in between blends. Once it looks closer to the bottom right picture, it is ready to serve!
Cooking Brussels Sprouts:
Heat olive oil in large pan on high heat, add butter.
Once butter is foaming, evenly distribute the butter around the pan and add your brussels sprouts – stir and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and give it another stir at the end of the 2-3 minutes (the goal is to try to get them slightly browned even though my picture below doesn’t reflect that lol).
Cover pan and set flame to low – allow to cook for 12-15 minutes and then remove from heat. They are ready to serve!
Cooking the Salmon:
Run salmon fillets under cold water to rinse away extra “fishiness.” Pat dry with paper towels.
Season the salmon with salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin (optional).
Heat olive oil in a large pan using medium heat – enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I initially didn’t add enough oil and had to add a little extra after I had already put my salmon fillets down.
Once oil is HOT – place your salmon fillets skin side down in the pan and hear that nice SIZZLE!
Let it cook for about 6 minutes, and then turn the salmon to cook the other side for another 6 minutes.
If the skin isn’t looking as crispy as you’d like it, do another flip and let cook for an extra 1-2 minutes and then remove salmon from the pan. It is ready to serve!
Now put all your ingredients together on a dish and enjoy!
Let me know what you guys think! Do you think you’ll try this recipe out? If so, let me know how it turns out for you 🙂
Since this was my very first step-by-step recipe post, I would absolutely love any feedback about the format of the recipe to help me improve the next post for you guys. Do you feel like you got all the information you needed or would more/less detail work better? Leave me feedback in a comment on this blog post, my Facebook page, or my Instagram! I’d also love to know what other types of recipes you guys would like to see. My Instagram is full of my past creations which I’d be happy to recreate for you guys!
I will be sharing my workouts from this week in my next blog post as well as what has worked for me this past year when it came to losing weight, keeping it off, and staying relatively consistent with fitness and health. I hope you guys will find it helpful if you’re just starting out your journey or are looking for ideas to help you stay motivated! Until next time!
Cook2Lean 