Jul 30, 2011

Rainbow Blueberry Salmon

What do crushed pineapple, brown sugar, anaheim chilies, green onion, red grapefruit, limes,  blueberries and chili powder have in common?  They make an amazing salmon entree - so good,  in fact,  that it won an Oregon blueberry  recipe contest some years ago.    I  once served it  as part of a red, white and blue-themed menu for the 4th of July.    It's an incredibly unusual  & good-for-you entree.

1 cup  fresh blueberries
2   salmon filets, 6-8 oz. each
½ fresh ruby red grapefruit  ( I've also  used both  refrigerated sections, and canned section successfully, and find the canned much less expensive  but just as good in the finished product)
½ cup crushed pineapple  -packed in juice, not syrup
Fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 small Anaheim chile  - these are not hot.   They're pointed, curved, lime green , available
        everywhere and they're important  to the  flavor
2 fresh limes
2 tablespoons butter
¾ cup brown sugar  - I use  Brown Sugar Twin or brown Splenda

Generously butter a glass baking dish and spread pineapple in the dish. Sprinkle liberally with fresh ground black pepper. Slice the chile into very thin rings and arrange over the pineapple. Squeeze the juice of two limes over the chile slices, then  slice the limes & place over  the chile, then lay the salmon fillets over the sliced chile  & lime. Peel and trim the grapefruit, and cut it into bite-size chunks and arrange those over the salmon.   Top with  blueberries, sprinkle with brown sugar, and season generously with chili powder. Bake at 425°  till top is bubbly and salmon is opaque.  Serve with all the fruit.. because the pineapple will be tinted slightly blue-ish purple - it's as colorful  a dish as it is flavorful.