The ground is covered in snow and the wind is icy cold, but spring is here and I am going to enjoy it one way or another! One of my favourite things about spring is the food and fortunately, I don’t need to wait for sunshine and warm weather to indulge in fresh spring flavours…even if I can’t head outside to barbeque just yet!
Asparagus, rhubarb and spinach are just a few of the classic spring foods but my personal favourite spring flavour is maple syrup! Since trees are traditionally tapped right around the beginning of March, early spring is the time when many families indulge in their favourite maple recipes. And luckily for me, the Kraft What’s Cooking website had plenty of tasty ideas using this delicious Canadian concoction!
What I love about maple syrup is that even though it is sweet, it adds amazing flavour and complexity to savoury dishes. And since I was in the mood for fresh spring flavours, I decided to create the ultimate spring feast: Maple-Balsamic Salmon Fillets with Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad!
Maple-Balsamic Salmon Fillets
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 4-1/2 tsp. creamy Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 4 skinless salmon fillet s 1 lb./450 g
Instructions
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Mix all ingredients except fish. Reserve 1/4 cup dressing mixture; pour remaining over fish in shallow dish. Turn to evenly coat both sides of each fillet. Refrigerate fish, along with reserved dressing mixture, 30 min. to marinate.
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Heat oven to 450°F. Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish in single layer in shallow foil-lined pan.
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Bake 8 to 10 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork. Meanwhile, bring reserved dressing mixture to boil in saucepan; simmer on medium-low heat 2 to 3 min. or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
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Serve fish topped with sauce.
The sweet and tangy glaze was the perfect accompaniment to the fresh, meaty salmon fillets. In fact, I was a little surprised at how well the sweetness of the maple syrup shone through in this delicious glaze. I substituted classic creamy Dijon mustard for the grainy variety as I really wanted the glaze to be rich and smooth. I also used classic Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing instead of the Kraft Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fig Balsamic Dressing variety that was recommended so that the sweetness of the maple would be highlighted instead of having to compete with the sweetness of the fig.
But while the fish was delicious, the Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad was even better. I loved the way it used the classic maple walnut combination to add sweetness and crunch to the fresh spring ingredients of spinach and strawberry. Since I was using the Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing for the fish, I used it for the salad as well to tie the meal together. The sweetness of candied walnuts and strawberries combined with the tanginess of the goat cheese and dressing resulted in a salad that even my picky boys adored!
No matter what your favourite spring flavours are, the Kraft What’s Cooking website has easy and delicious meal options that will have you feeling warmer even if your yard is still covered in snow. Celebrate the return of spring with this tasty spring-themed meal or one of your own and cross your fingers for warmer days soon!
beth says
Im not a big seafood fan, but the salad looks amazing !
Heidi C. says
I love salmon. this sounds delicious!
Lynda Cook says
This is the perfect healthy dinner and it looks so good I can almost smell it
Anne Taylor says
This sounds like a meal I’d like to eat outside during the summer! Thanks for the recipe!
Shannon Gnocato says
Sounds delish! My husband is a huge salmon fan – I will have to try this one out.
Gord says
Unfortunately I don’t like fish or maple flavour, Looks good though.
Treen Goodwin says
Sounds awesome , i love salmon ! thanks for sharing a must try 🙂
Rick F says
Love maple & balsamic. never thought of combining the 2 of them.
Erika B says
oh my god, seriously, this looks so good!! I love salmon, and I love salad with strawberries and goat cheese!!
angela m says
This looks delicious and very healthy. Thanks for the recipes.
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
looks good, I have salmon in the freezer good recipe to try.
Kate Niven says
Usually I like just maple syrup on my salmon, I think I will try it with this recipe next time.
Luisa says
Thanks for the recipe. Really looking forward to trying the salad!
kristen visser says
oh wow!! thanks for the awesome recipe. I need to start eating more fish so i will definitely try this
Stephanie LaPlante says
I absolutely love salmon. This sounds extra delicious.
Vivian D. says
interesting combinations, I will have to try it out
JoAnne Pfoh says
showed this to my son.. he ran away screaming lol but the salad looks awesome ty for posting
mrdisco says
looks like a wholesome meal for the family
kathy downey says
this salad looks so good
ZAINAB says
Sounds delicious!
loriag says
That looks like a nice salmon recipe, only problem, I don’t live near the coast anymore and salmon just does not taste the same when you have had fresh ocean salmon.
Maggie C says
healthy and delish!! I love salmon!
Victoria Ess says
This looks like a great, healthy dinner! Thanks for the idea on how to cook salmon!
Robyn L says
thanks for sharing; I am sure Maple Syrup would add so much to the salmon
Florence C says
The recipes look delicious. I love food especially seafood.
Tanis says
I’m not a huge fan of salmon, but have found maple syrup with salmon to be really good!
Fan R says
Looks great, seafood is always our fave.
nikki robak says
this sounds so yummy my dad loves salmon I will give to him to try
sarah sar says
I love everything about this recipe……you nearly had me licking the screen. 😛
Christina Ferguson says
We are gifted quite a lot of salmon in the summer and I am always looking for new recipes. I haven’t tried a Maple-Balsamic combination yet so I am looking forward to trying it. Thanks so much for the recipe. Salad looks and sounds fabulous too
Debbie W says
I’m in for the salad, but sorry, no to the salmon. Not a fan for some reason.
Jennifer P. says
Oh my gosh, the whole meal sounds delicious, thanks for posting! We’re on the West Coast, so definitely salmon lovers! Will use maple syrup sent from my husband’s family farm in Quebec and it will be extra delicious!! 🙂
Clifford says
The plate of food looks really good, I am a recent convert to eating salmon and I must admit that it’s quite tasty…love when we bake it with a maple syrup.. also the salad in your posting is right up my alley, love spinach salads.
Robyn B. says
My family loves salmon, I am definitely going to try this.
mrdisco says
If you like fish, this looks like a great recipe
Viv Sluys says
Mmmm, I’m always looking for new salmon recipes! My whole family loves fish!
Jenny says
looks delicious!
Cheryl Grandy says
I hadn’t thought of using a maple glaze with salmon. It looks good. (And so does the salad)! Thanks for the recipes.