Easy Festive Side Dishes for Salmon?

June 13, 2024 8:12 PM

I need a couple of dishes for Father's Day that minimize chopping and weight bearing, etc.

I am making dinner for my elderly dad and my spouse on Sunday. The only menu item that has been decided so far is salmon, which will be brined and pan seared. I am looking for a couple of side dishes. I cook infrequently. But the main complication might be that yesterday I injured my shoulders, elbows and wrists. Luckily, my dominant side is doing better than the other side. But I would still like to minimize arm and hand use. Yet, I would also like to make something nice. Who knows; I might be recovered by Sunday.

Restrictions: No eggs, peas or mushrooms.

posted by NotLost to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Best answer: Corn and black bean salad? Can literally just combine a can of corn, rinsed can of black beans, and perhaps pre-diced onions if they have them at your grocery store for a couple more bucks. Halved cherry tomatoes if it isn't too much pain. Crumbled goat cheese or chopped mozzarella if you want to beef it up with a fatty component. Generous lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper. Goes great with another easy side like simple sauteed spinach or string beans.
posted by windbox at 8:26 PM on June 13 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Rice, pilaf or steamed. Keep warm in rice cooker or keep the lid on the pot on the stove, no heat.
Asparagus, trim the ends off, microwave in 1" of salted water for a minute or 2 (until not quite done) drain, hold (for up to an hour) then throw in salmon pan after the fish is done. A bit of butter, simmer for a minute, Vermouth or a dry white wine(or not, skip if it's not your thing) after about a minute, reduce by half, a bit more butter. Plate with rice, salmon to one side, asparagus on the other, pour the buttery pan juices over. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper.
posted by winesong at 8:27 PM on June 13 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Asparagus! Good fresh asparagus barely needs the tips trimmed - you can either snap any woody ends off or just trim the ends with a knife depending on your dexterity. Can you lift a sheet pan okay, or would that be dangerous with it being hot and all? Get help with that if you have any doubts. Toss the asparagus in a little oil, salt, and pepper, and spread it out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 425F, and pop the asparagus in there for 5-8 minutes. If it’s super skinny, go closer to 5, if it’s very thick, closer to 8. Take them out and while still hot, squeeze some lemon on there and optionally add a pat of butter, mixing them around as it melts. You could also add some fresh herbs once they are out of the oven, dill plays particularly well with asparagus and salmon, but you want to minimize chopping. You could also serve a wedge of lemon to each diner to squeeze onto the food as desired, but the heat mixing the juice with just melted butter makes a wonderful glossy sauce that clings nicely with minimal work. If you don’t want to do butter, finish with the tastiest olive oil you have instead.

I think some store bought rolls would probably be the easiest starchy side. If you have a nice bakery nearby, go for it. If your oven or toaster oven has a warm setting, use that, or just choose the lowest heat option you have and stick them in there 5-10 minutes before dinner so you have lovely warm rolls. Or if you don’t find rolls, a crusty baguette or loaf that you tear at the table is nice too. If you don’t have much sauce from the fish and any side dishes, have nice oil and balsamic vinegar with some pepper and salt to dip it in, or whatever combination of dipping stuff you or your dad prefers.

I love the idea above of the corn and black bean salad. You could change the kind of beans you use depending on personal taste - it would be great with chickpeas or navy beans too I think, and bulk it up with cooked rice if you want to do carbs that way. You could toss it with some prewashed arugula to add a leafy green component you don’t need to cook or chop. You could season it all with a store bought salad dressing if you’re more confident with that. Make it a day ahead of time so the flavors have time to mingle in the fridge and take it out about an hour before dinner so it’s a little less cold when you serve it.

Good luck and remember cooking does not have to be fancy or elaborate to make a wonderful tasty meal.
posted by Mizu at 8:48 PM on June 13 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Get some small potatoes, boil them, drain them, then toss them in a little butter, salt, and pepper. It'll look more special/festive if you're able to also toss with some chopped chives or parsley, but that will require either a little bit of chopping, finding decent frozen pre-chopped herbs, or using dried herbs and letting them soak in the butter a bit before serving (which will have a little less flavor than fresh, but still look nice).

Steamed or roasted broccolini also goes well with salmon and requires very little chopping -- you may just want to trim off a bit on the bottom. Squeeze a lemon over it just before serving.
posted by rhiannonstone at 12:36 AM on June 14 [2 favorites]

1:1 green beans makes the perfect complement, cut to the same length as that asparagus and cooked together.
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:49 AM on June 14 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Roasted asparagus. Coat with olive oil, add salt, roast at 420F for 15 - 25 minutes, depending on size. A liberal squeeze of lemon is nice. Trim the ends, which will still sometimes be too chewy.

Wheat pilaf - bulghur wheat, saute in some butter, then add broth (water and chicken better than bouillon).

Good bread or rolls is a reasonable option. And/or deli potato salad or tabbouleh.
posted by theora55 at 8:45 AM on June 14 [2 favorites]

I almost always make couscous to have with salmon, and it can be super easy. Instant couscous that you just add hot water to; season as you wish and add in some fresh or frozen pre-diced veggies (I add carrot, zucchini, red bell pepper, and peas, plus a bit of chopped spring onion white and green parts). Add some raisins, dried cranberry, and chopped or sliced almonds, if you like. Dress with a mix of half fresh orange juice and half olive oil (around 3 Tbsps of each per cup of instant couscous).

Very festive and tasty!
posted by taz at 10:13 AM on June 14 [1 favorite]

I am a 70 year old Dad that always orders the same thing at Texas Roadhouse: 8 ounce grilled Salmon with Steamed Broccoli "and for my 2nd side I would like before the meal a cup of plain chilli". However I suspect I am one in a thousand.
posted by forthright at 12:27 PM on June 14 [1 favorite]

Orzo! Get a pat of butter (maybe 1 tbsp?) bubbling in a saucepan and throw in a cup of orzo pasta. Stir/toss the dry orzo in the pan until it gets toasted and brown. Add a can of chicken broth to the whole thing, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until basically all the chicken broth is absorbed. Takes maybe 15ish mins total from start to finish.

You can add a sprinkling of fresh herbs, or a little parmesan, or little blobs of goat cheese actually work great, but honestly the pasta by itself is delicious and feels fancy. (We mix in par-steamed chopped broccolini for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking, but I'm mindful you don't want to chop.)

You can also make (fake?) a super simple wilted spinach salad by putting several handfuls of baby spinach in a bowl and microwaving for 30-45 seconds, and then tossing with a pre-made vinaigrette (ones related to balsamic, mustard or red wine work great).
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 10:44 PM on June 14 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for all the ideas. I decided on asparagus and potatoes. The corn-and-bean salad was a good idea, too, but I had just made that recently.
posted by NotLost at 9:37 PM on June 15 [2 favorites]