This is a favorite standby dinner because it’s fast, easy and you just can’t beat it for a healthy, fast meal.   The salmon provides an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, the spinach is full of vitamins and minerals, and the beans & parsley add more to that and are just darn good!   All of it’s loaded with garlic, and we all know garlic cures all!

This will feed 2-3 people with a little leftover.

For dessert, we made Spiced Pecan Butternut Squash Bread with Yogurt Cheese Frosting.  I won’t feel bad if you go directly to the dessert because it’s absolutely wonderful!

First, start on the White Bean Salad.  This is a fabulous recipe from Emeril Lagasse.  I saw him make it on TV, tried it and have made it often ever since.  I take it to dinner parties all the time and everyone who tries it wants the recipe – it’s just that good!

Cannellini Bean Salad with Parsley Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onions
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne
• 1/3 cup very finely grated Parmesan, or crumbled goat cheese
• 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Place the beans in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the drained beans, 4 teaspoons of the lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until softened and warmed through, 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a decorative platter. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

In a blender or bowl of a small food processor, combine the parsley, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a blender or small food processor. Process on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1/3 cup oil with the motor running and process until smooth. Adjust seasoning, to taste.

Drizzle the parsley pesto over the beans.  Refrigerate until everything else is ready.

The Salmon

I buy frozen, Alaskan, wild caught fillets of Salmon.  Thaw them in a pot of water (in their package) for maybe 10 minutes and then just grill them on a grill pan (or regular frying pan if you don’t have a grill pan).  I just gave my man a grill pan (an Emeril special grill pan) for Christmas.  Pretty clever, heh?  Add a little salt & pepper to taste and grill the fillets about 10 minutes – about the same time as it takes for the spinach.

The Spinach

• 1 16 oz package of frozen organic spinach or fresh spinach.
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tblsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat and add the garlic.  Saute just an minute until fragrant and add the spinach – still frozen is okay.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally, and then uncover and cook out any liquid for maybe 2-3 minutes.

Your friends will want the recipes too!

Oh, and we used more of our butternut squash in a Spiced Pecan Butternut Squash Bread with Yogurt Cheese Frosting..  Uh huh, gooooood!!!