From Erik's Kitchen: Salmon, Spinach, and Beans!

Ever want to make a simple dinner that only takes five minutes to cook?  Well, now you can!

More after the jump.


Here's what you need:

2 tablespoons of canola oil (or other oil if you don't have it, but I'd recommend nothing other than canola, vegetable, or olive, but not the extra-virgin stuff)

1 pound fresh salmon fillet, skinless, cut into 2 pieces (not very thick, and if you can when you buy it, ask your fish monger to trim off the flappy "skirt" part so it's even)

1 can of black beans drained

4 cups fresh spinach (make sure it's clean)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

sour cream if you want to garnish it

Plus, you'll need blackening spice, which can be made up ahead of time and stored.  Measure the pieces however you want, just make sure to use the same measurements:

Five parts kosher salt, 5 parts paprika, 1 part dry thyme, 1 part ground black pepper, 1 part garlic powder, 1/3 part garlic powder, 1/6 part cayenne pepper, 1/6 part white pepper.

In case you're trying to figure out how to measure 1/6 of anything, remember that 3 teaspoons go into a tablespoon, so 1/6 tablespoon is 1/2 teaspoon.

Get everything ready.

Put the oil in the pan, turn on the heat, let the oil get hot.  I mean really hot, like almost smoking hot.  Coat the fish fillets with the blackening spice (don't be shy) and gently put them in the oil.  Sear on one side for two minutes, turn fish over.  Dump the can of beans into the pan around the fish.  Dump the spinach on top of everything, put the butter on top of it, allow to cook for two more minutes.

With my stove, I find I have to put a cover on the pan I'm using sometimes to properly wilt the spinach and trap the heat so the fish cooks completely.  Your cooking methods will vary.

Make sure the fish is properly cooked through (you can either temp it out with a thermometer like I do, or remember that if you can flake the fish, it's cooked), put the spinach in the center of a platter, place the fish on top of the spinach, surround with the beans, serve what looks like a complicated gourmet meal.

(This recipe stolen and the cooking method tweaked from Food Network, specifically George Stella)