By incorporating versatile ingredients into your holiday cooking, you can make a vast array of tasty seasonal goodies.
For example, California grapes are abundant throughout the holiday season and add taste and visual appeal to dishes of all kinds, such as Seared Salmon with Spinach and Grapes, Grape Caprese Salad Hors d’ Oeuvres, Grapes in Rosé Wine Sauce and Wild Rice Stuffing with Grapes and Hazelnuts. Plus, they’re an easy, fresh, healthy snack to keep on-hand for hungry guests waiting for the meal. With their natural beauty, grapes can also be used to create tablescapes and centerpieces for festive holiday settings.
Find more holiday recipe inspiration at grapesfromcalifornia.com.
Seared Salmon with Spinach and Grapes
Servings: 4
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 salmon steaks or fillets (6 ounces each)
2 teaspoons honey
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 large bunch spinach, washed and stemmed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups red California seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup dry red wine
Heat oven to 325 F.
In small bowl, combine salt, mustard, thyme and pepper. Drizzle salmon fillets with honey and sprinkle with seasoning. Reserve any remaining seasoning.
In nonstick skillet or saute pan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil. Brown both sides of salmon fillets over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side.
In baking dish, toss spinach and garlic with remaining olive oil. Place browned salmon on bed of spinach, cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 8-10 minutes, or until salmon is just cooked through.
In skillet used to brown salmon, over medium-high heat saute grapes 1 minute. Add wine, bring to boil and reduce quantity by half. Season sauce to taste with remaining herb mixture.
Serve salmon on wilted spinach topped with grape and wine sauce.
Nutritional information per serving: 449 calories; 36 g protein; 20 g carbohydrates; 23 g fat; 45% calories from fat; 4.3 g saturated fat; 9% calories from saturated fat; 100 mg cholesterol; 730 mg sodium; 1,120 mg potassium; 1.6 g fiber.