Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Basmati rice and broccoli

I found this recipe in "Bon Appetit" magazine, the ingredients sounded like an interesting combination and the picture of it looked yummy so I decided to try it. As for how it actually turned out is a little bit of a different story. It tasted good but I'm not necessarily in love with this recipe. I think there are tastier ways to prepare salmon. It has a zesty lime flavor but I found the cilantro and soy sauce to be a bit overpowering (although I'm not a huge fan of cilantro, so maybe that was more of a personal issue.) I didn't dare change the recipe at all since the flavor combination was slightly unusual, and although I was skeptical....cooking everything in one pot turned out splendidly, but not a pretty as the picture in the magazine. So the final verdict? If the combo of ingredients sound appealing to you than I would suggest giving it a try but if you're a little unsure than pass on this one and maybe the next recipe will be a surefire winner.

Prep time: 35 Min. Total time: 55 Min. Serves: 4

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large)

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

3 1/4 cups low salt chicken broth

4 (5 to 6 oz) salmon fillets

1 bunch broccoli cut into long stalks

Preheat oven to 450. Whisk together lime juice, lime peel, honey, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons cilantro in small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skillet or casserole dish (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 min. Stir in rice, then broth and bring to A boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid and place in oven. Bake for 10 min. (rice will be almost cooked and most of the broth will be absorbed, if the rice looks dry add 1/4 cup water)

Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon fillets with salt and pepper and arrange on rice pressing in lightly. Tuck broccoli in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Spoon 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each salmon fillet. Cover skillet and return to oven. Bake until salmon is opaque in center and broccoli is crisp tender, about 8 to 10 min. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice, sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet.

As for the skillet the recipe refers to I used my cast iron dutch oven (Pictured below). This is my favorite pot because it is so versatile. I use it for everything. I highly recommend acquiring one of these pots for your kitchen. The bad news, they are expensive. A good dutch oven can run anywhere from $50-$150. The good news, if you hurry the R.C. Willey outlet store (on 90th South and Redwood Road) has them on sale for 25 bucks until the 7th of November. So hurry up and go get one :)