Late Summer Vegetables and Salmon

It’s September and I’ve officially got a child in school. Sure it might only be pre-pre-kindergarten, but nonetheless she’s gone four days a week and we are getting up much earlier than we did during the summer months. With the new schedule at the forefront I’m doing everything I can to prepare breakfasts and dinners every single day, which means I need easy, quick, and delicious. I know that being a chef, my easy, quick delicious dinners may take up to an hour and not 30 minutes. I can’t help myself, I always take pride in what I am serving and I want my family to enjoy it as much as I do. Making breakfast can be challenging, but nothing feels like you are in a rut like making dinner over and over again. Breakfast can have cereal or shakes, but when you are eating chicken for dinner for the 10th day in a row it gets old fast. Nothing has helped me diversify my menu like Bob’s Red Mill. The assortment of grains, flours, and meals have assisted me in changing things up all the time and for that I could not be more thankful. I also love the fact that everything they make is so nutritious and you can 100% trust the source of all the food made there. In addition, I also get to learn about new food items that I’ve never heard of before, like the Bob’s Red Mill Orca Beans. Orca beans are small heirloom beans that are grown in the Pacific Northwest specifically for Bob’s Red Mill, and you guessed it they are black and white like orca whales. They are actually quite beautiful when you see them, and the great part is that they hold their color even after they’re done cooking. Since I wanted them to be intact and not get mushy, I simply followed the instructions on the back of the bag for a nice tender bean. From there I drained any water and set aside. September is sort of that last month to get good in-season sweet corn, zucchini, and tomatoes, so as one last hurrah I made a tasty little roasted vegetable medley to go underneath the salmon.  Of course I started by crisping up some chopped bacon and then sautéing all of the vegetables until they were browned and cooked through. After it’s done I folded in the cooked orca beans gently to make sure they stayed intact. For the salmon I was wanting to make a simple rustic rub consisting of smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Simple and delicious. Instead of seasoning the salmon with it, I mixed the rub with olive oil and coated the salmon in it and let it sit for 30 minutes. Doing this will help get a little more flavor into the salmon before cooking it. The end result is perfect. Tons of nutrient loaded vegetables and legumes, as well as omega-3-packed seared salmon that was easy to make and so tasty for my family to enjoy on a weekday night.

Late Summer Vegetables and Salmon

For the Vegetables:

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Orca Beans
• 6 slices Bacon, chopped
• 3 ears Corn, shucked and trimmed
• 2 cups Butter Beans
• 1 seeded Serrano Pepper, small diced
• 1 Zucchini, small diced
• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced
• 1 Tbsp fresh Bbasil, chopped
• Kosher Salt and fresh cracked Pepper to taste

For the Fish:

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Ppowder
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 10-oz fillets of Fresh Salmon, skin removed

Serves 3 to 4 Vegetables: Cook the Bob’s Red Mill Orca Beans according to the instructions on the back of the package and set aside. In a large saute pan on medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it becomes brown and crispy. Remove the bacon and roast the corn, beans, pepper, and zucchini until browned and cooked. Next, fold in the drained cooked orca beans, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper, and keep warm. Fish: On a large plate combine the spices and olive oil and mix until combined. Add the fish and coat it in the rub mixture on all sides and marinate for 30 minutes. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add in the salmon and cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout. Serve the fish overtop the roasted vegetables.

Hello, I’m Billy Parisi, but to some I’m known as “Chef Billy Parisi.” I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but for the most part I’m a Food & Content Creator, Sometimes TV Host, Digital and Social Strategist, Influencer, Picture Taker, Coffee Drinker, Daddy, Husband, College Sports Enthusiast, Fashionisto, Film & Music Lover!

I’ve been in the kitchen since I started washing dishes in a restaurant at the age of 13, and during that time I knew immediately that I wanted to be a chef. I graduated from Arizona’s Scottsdale Culinary Institute and the University of Missouri, and have logged several years as line cook, sous chef, and executive in some of the Midwest’s finest restaurants. I currently live in the city of Chicago with my wife Lindsay and daughter Olivia and cook up new inventions, mash-ups, fusions, and twists on old classics. I’m incredibly spontaneous and outgoing, and run two small businesses, BPMVC, and my latest venture, 5 Loaves 2 Fish!