When to eat this salad:
- When it's too hot to cook.
- When your boyfriend is taking the bar exam the next day.
- When you're at home and you don't want to pretend that you like tortillas when you order tacos.
My brainy salmon salad is sorta studious, sorta beachy. It's a dish that could have a million different variations, but only one was right for today.
RECIPE: Preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees. With a paper towel, pat dry 1 lb of salmon fillets and smear with canned chipotle. Leave the chiles themselves on the side of the roasting pan, and the chipotle paste on the fish itself. Cook salmon until just cooked, about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, add chopped romaine, watercress, cilantro, radishes, tomatoes, and red bell pepper in whatever ratio you like. Add juice of 2 limes, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt. I also like Worcesteshire sauce for sweetness. The funk of black bean or shrimp paste would not be unwelcome.
Mash the cooked chipotles with a fork and add to salad. Mix, then plate. Add salmon on top. Serves 2.