Ingredients
• 2 pounds salmon, patted dry
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 avocados, sliced and juice of 1/2 a lime squeezed over the top
• 1 head butter lettuce, chopped
• 1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) roasted and salted
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste (for the salmon and as you layer the salad)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Yogurt Dill Sauce
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 4 ramps, washed and soaked, trimmed and finely diced (you can use green onions if ramps aren't in season)
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, washed and chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
I have a guilty pleasure when I'm staying in a hotel room. It might sound silly, but I love to blow dry my hair in bed. I get back in the bed after my shower, put on the tv, and blow dry my hair because I'm allowed to be lazy! While on our family vacation in Mexico, I was drying my hair and watching the local cooking channel. It happened to be a show about nuns who cook. Since I don't speak Spanish, and the dryer was loud, I watched the segment without any sound. The lack of sound did not stop my mouth from watering as I watched this nun create a delicious meal. I just had to recreate it once we came home.
This salad happened to be just what we needed after a week of sun, surf, chips, salsa, and margaritas aplenty. The nun used fresh salmon and chives in her salad. Since we don't have fresh salmon in Charleston, I opted for the freshest fish I could get and gave it a quick two minutes per side sear. When I saw that Whole Foods had ramps, I decided to use them in place of the chives in the yogurt dill sauce. When in ramp season, use ramps!
This is a layered salad with such simplicity, but has lots of depth in flavor! I added lettuce, lime, and pepitas to make this salad my own. It is perfect for a weeknight dish and can be elevated for your most discerning dinner guests!
Instructions:
- In a bowl mix together the yogurt, diced ramps (or green onions), dill, and lime juice. Set aside until ready to use.
- Boil the potatoes over high heat in a pot with just enough water to cover them. Boil until fork-tender. Do not overcook them. Strain from water and set aside.
- Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook 3-4 minutes on both sides until golden brown and crisp. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. Wipe out the skillet.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Liberally salt and pepper the salmon. Place salmon skin side up and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the desired temperature is reached. Remove from skillet. Let rest for 5 minutes and then cut into one- inch pieces.
- To assemble the salad, drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper on the bottom of a serving platter. Layer the potatoes first, then the avocado, bibb lettuce, yogurt sauce, salmon, and roasted pepitas on top. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil in between each layer.
- Serve immediately and Enjoy!
