Greek Salad With Blackened Salmon

The spot where Greece meets Louisiana. A cast iron skillet works best. It retains the heat from the stove-top flash browning.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Greek Salad

• 1⁄2 cup kalamata olive
• 1⁄2 cup green olives
• 2  tomatoes, sliced
• 1⁄2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1⁄2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup  sliced  pepperoncini pepper
• 1⁄2 cup  thinly sliced cucumber
• 12  large romaine leaves
•  seasoned croutons (optional)
•  artichoke heart (optional)
•  viniagrette  salad dressing (homemade is best)

• Blackened Salmon

• 4 (6 ounce)  salmon fillets
• 2  tablespoons olive oil or 2  tablespoons  grapeseed oil
• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1  tablespoon dried parsley
• 1  tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 2 -2 1⁄2 tablespoons  blackening seasoning (many recipes on food.com or store-bought)
•  juice from one lime, divided
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon  vinaigrette dressing (homemade is best)

Directions

1. To Make The Greek Salad: Chop lettuce. Using a large bowl, add each of the above ingredients in reverse order topping with olives last. Toss and serve with vinaigrette to taste. Refrigerate.
2. To Make The Blackened Salmon: Rinse salmon with water and place in a medium sized bowl. Pour orange juice and 1/2 freshly squeezed lime juice over salmon. Cover and allow salmon to sit in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
3. In another bowl, mix spices for the blackening rub by combining all dry ingredients and freshly chopped garlic.Remove salmon from bowl and excess liquids. Apply blackening rub to both sides of salmon fillets.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until very hot ; coat with olive oil. Flash fry salmon for about five minutes until browned on both sides.
6. Remove skillet from heat, add unsalted butter and sprinkle salmon with brown sugar and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Put skillet with salmon in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.Remove and cool. For added zesty flavor, squeeze remaining lime juice over salmon, if desired.
7. Serve salmon with salad.