Ancho Marmalade Butter Glazed Wild Alaskan Salmon & Fresh Berry Caprese Salad (Cordova Inspired)

This evening I was in the mood for salmon again (imagine that). Both our Sprouts Farmers Market and Publix still have fresh wild Alaskan sockeye salmon available for a few more days but said this will probably be the last of it. So, I picked up a large fillet (about 1-1/4 lbs). I wanted to make a glaze to change it up a bit. It was so very simple to put together. I mixed 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 rounded tablespoon organic no sugar added marmalade, 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder, dash of garlic powder and about 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. I heated it together in the microwave for about 30 seconds and blended it until nice, thick and sticky. I first brushed the fillet with olive oil and placed it on a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for about 5 to 7 minutes; pulled it out and brushed it with about half of the glaze, then baked it an additional 5 minutes. I added another very light layer of glaze and ran it under the broiler for a few minutes until it began bubbling and very lightly browning. I removed it from the oven and allowed it to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. If you plan to use any glaze when serving the salmon, do not dip your brush into the bowl of glaze and cross contaminate it; simply pour some on and then brush over the fillet.

While the salmon was baking, I put together an easy peasy Fresh Berry Caprese Salad that was inspired by my recent visit to Cordova, Alaska. In Cordova, they are blessed with an abundance of wild blueberries, strawberries and salmonberries (salmonberries look like raspberries but are not as sweet and can be either yellow or reddish colored). Click here to see what a salmonberry looks like: Salmonberry. Unfortunately I don't have access to wild berries like they do in Alaska, but I did happen to have fresh strawberries and blueberries in the fridge along with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil; so I decided to make a Cordova inspired Fresh Berry Caprese Salad. I tossed the berries in a bit of white balsamic vinegar (similar to many strawberry and balsamic recipes that are out there) and then right before serving, tossed in fresh mozzarella and torn fresh basil. I included the easy peasy recipe below as well as a couple of photos. Enjoy!

Here is a red salmonberry growing outside the Orca Adventure Lodge

Here's a yellow salmonberry growing right outside my window at the lodge

Fresh Berry Caprese Salad (Cordova Inspired)

Fresh Berry Caprese Salad (Cordova Inspired)

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 to 3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
3 to 4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
2 fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss strawberries and blueberries with balsamic vinegar and set aside. Add mozzarella and fresh basil; toss together with berries immediately before serving.

*Note: If a slightly sweeter salad is desired, add sweetener, to taste (I added 1 teaspoon Swerve sweetener).