Pair succulent glazed salmon with sweet butternut squash in this power food healthy dinner of Gluten Free Worcestershire Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon with Roasted Butternut Squash. Quinoa and spinach leaves add extra nutrition and a balance of flavors.
Well what do you know??? My husband decided to reappear after 5 weeks of working on the mainland. Hidey-ho, it’s nice to have a husband back!
Okay, actually he’s kind of been a cranky pants. I’m not gonna lie, this “having an actual husband living in the same house as you” business is going to take some getting used to again. I have my routine down pat. I’m not really one to throw pity parties for myself or expect a whole lot out of other people, so I just kind of rolled with the single mom status this past month.
Don’t get me wrong, when Ben is home he is probably close to, if not the, most helpful husband in the world. He does so much that I often find myself wondering if I could even do it all without him. This past month has taught me that yes I can do it alone, but there is much patience, peace, and sleep sacrificed to accomplish it all.
I’m pretty sure Ben has already done 2 loads of laundry in the past two days as well as caught up on all the bills. But hey, I at least put the mail on his desk, waiting for him to get back, so I get some credit there, right? Eh, it was worth a try.
BUT, if someone could find the easy going, kind-hearted, loveable, patient husband of mine that left 5 weeks ago and replace him with this jet-lagged, ornery, short-tempered, stressed out man that showed up on our doorstep yesterday afternoon, it would be greatly appreciated. K, thanks.
Although, I do have some tactics up my sleeve to change his attitude. Let’s not beat around the bush. C’mon, we all know number one. I mean, he’s been gone for 5 weeks. What do you expect people???
Now moving on to numero two: FOOD! This man loves his food. Even though I’m determined to use only what’s in my fridge, freezer, and pantry, I’m pretty confident I can bust out some delicious meals before he heads back to Arizona and the girls and I fly out to Utah for a few weeks.
Ben always says that if he had to choose one thing to eat every day for the rest of his life, it would be fish. He raves about all the amazing fish platters he’s eaten at different restaurants throughout his life. He can tell you every detail about their texture and flavor and how they were prepared. He’s become a sushi and poke bowl connoisseur since living in Hawaii, and I know he will go through fresh Ahi withdrawals when we move away for good.
Now even though I’m not a fish expert, I am pretty confident in my salmon serving skills. That’s one fresh water fishy I can get a pretty mean flavor on. I love salmon in tacos, over rice, with mashed potatoes, in salad, you name it. Salmon is probably my favorite fish of them all.
But back to Ben. I forgot we were focusing on him. Silly me, trying to steal the spotlight with my love of salmon. It’s just that I think salmon is the way to get my friendly Babe back. And if I’m going to pull out the big guns and make my man some salmon, it’s most definitely going to be this Gluten Free Worcestershire Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon with Roasted Butternut Squash. It’s a mouthful indeed, both in words and in flavor.
This salmon is dressed in a lightly sweetened Worcestershire glaze that is made in the same pan you cooked the salmon. This gives the sauce some added richness and flavor from the fat of the salmon. It’s delicious.
This sauce!!! You guys, this sauce is just too darn good. It has a smokey, barbecue-y flavor from the Worcestershire sauce, but then it’s toned down with a little sweetness from the brown sugar. Plus it has a tangy undertone from the addition of lemon juice and a splash of white wine. I’m telling you, it’s just that good.
And to make it even better, you return the salmon to the pan with the glaze once it’s thickened to create a sticky crust. Oh how I love a sticky crust on my fish. Licking lips, licking lips.
This salmon pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of roasted butternut squash and onions. You could even sub sweet potatoes if those are more readily available or cheaper in your area.
You could also serve this salmon and veggies alongside or on top of a bowl of quinoa and spinach for an extra power food boost. That’s how we ate them in these pictures, and they were absolutely delicious. My kids pounded their quinoa bowls and then obliterated the rest of the salmon. There were no leftovers that night.
So if I decide to be a real good wifey, you can bet I’m going to make my hubby this salmon dish in the next few days. But if reality gets the best of me during this crazy stressful week of moving, a can of tuna fish from my sad pantry of minimal food storage is going to have to suffice his fish cravings for now. But hey, I do make a pretty mean tuna salad!
Are you a fish fan?
- For the salmon:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1¼ lb. salmon steak
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- juice of half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder)
- For the roasted veggies:
- 2 cups diced butternut squash
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried crushed sage, rosemary, or thyme leaves
- Additional:
- 4 cups prepared quinoa
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- lemon wedges
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Roast veggies by placing butternut squash and onion on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt, pepper, and herb of choice. Toss with hands to coat. Roast at 400 until squash and onion are browning and tender, about 25 minutes.
- Once veggies are in the oven, prepare quinoa according to package directions.
- Begin cooking salmon by generously seasoning both sides of steak with salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet or large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Once pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles, place salmon (skin side up if it has it) in pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side depending on thickness. My 1" thick salmon takes 5 mins per side.
- As salmon is cooking, whisk together in a small bowl the white wine, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and garlic. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
- Remove salmon from pan and set on a plate. Pour sauce mixture into pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Return salmon to pan, skin side down, and with a spoon, spread mixture on top as it reduces. Cook like this for 1-2 more minutes until glaze is thickened and then place salmon back on plate. Pour remaining sauce on top of salmon.
- While quinoa, veggies and salmon are still warm, assemble bowls by scooping quinoa on bottom, adding spinach leaves, then scooping roasted veggies over spinach, and topping with a serving of salmon. Spoon extra glaze on top if desired, squeeze with lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
