Salmon and pineapple slice with salad.

Entrees Grains, Greens, and Protein

A little advanced planning is needed for this dish, which requires an overnight prep of wheat berries. A full bran version of bulgur wheat, the berries are actually the unground form of whole wheat flour. Used in fruit-featured salads like this one, as a hearty breakfast cereal, and even for dessert in Italy and Poland, there’s a sweet, almost nut-like flavor, high nutritional value, and a crunchy texture even when soaked and cooked. Combined with slightly spicy pineapple salsa, the grains serve as a tangy and sweet base for baked salmon accented by dark maple syrup and mustard.

Prep Instructions

  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 60 minutes

Recipe Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup wheat berries
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup pineapple, diced
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons of pineapple salsa
  • 3 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
  • 18 ounces fresh salmon fillet cut into 3-ounce pieces (6 servings)
  • 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
  • 1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cups pineapple, diced
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 2 small jalapeno peppers, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Place the wheat berries in a bowl filled with cold water and let them soak overnight. Rinse them thoroughly and drain the water. Place them in a pan with water and bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and let it simmer for about 1 hour, until the grains are tender and chewy. Drain and cool completely
  2. Combine the pineapple salsa with the wheat berries and the arugula.

For the salmon:

  1. In a small skillet whisk together the maple syrup, mustard, diced pineapple and jalapenos. Simmer on low heat until pineapples are tender. Remove from the stove and set aside.
  2. Season salmon with salt and pepper, brush some of the glaze on the salmon and bake at 350 degrees for twelve minutes. Remove from the oven.
  3. Serve fish over pineapple wheat berry salad and drizzle remaining glaze. Garnish with green onions.

Nutritional Data

Calories: 280
Fat: 5.7 g
Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
Cholesterol: 38.3 mg
Sodium: 432.7 mg
Carbohydrates: 33.6 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sugars: 9.2 g
Protein: 22.1 g
© AdventHealth