HONEY ORANGE GLAZED SALMON WITH QUINOA and ASPARAGUS WITH ZESTY CITRUS DRESSING

We had a lot of asparagus in the house - my husband had purchased a large bunch for a recent dinner party. I didn't want it to go to waste, but needed a change from plain steamed or roasted. I found the recipe for asparagus with zesty citrus dressing, and was thrilled to have all the ingredients on hand - pairing it with honey orange glazed salmon, resulted in a wonderful, tasty dinner - perhaps enjoyed more by the adults in the family than the kids.

HONEY ORANGE GLAZED SALMON WITH QUINOA

4 salmon fillets
salt and ground black pepper to taste
juice and zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots

Heat oven to 400F.
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, whisk together orange juice, orange zest, honey and cumin. Add salmon and turn to coat (I left mine to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes). Transfer salmon to prepared baking sheet and brush on any remaining marinade. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until fork tender.
Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions. Add curry powder, onions and carrots, warm through, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve salmon with the quinoa on the side.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Shape, September 2003
www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes

ASPARAGUS WITH ZESTY CITRUS DRESSING

1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch fresh asparagus

Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce, mustard and sugar in a small bowl.
Steam asparagus until crisp tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Place steamed asparagus on a platter, pour dressing over asparagus.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Arkansas Democrat Gazette, April 2005
www.arkansas.com/dining/recipes/