I was reading Eating Well magazine the other day and came across a recipe for Salmon Perok, an Alaskan comfort food. The idea of it reminded me of one of The Hubs favorites, shepherd’s pie, so I thought, “why not combine the two?”Â
It actually turned out really great, and by substituting the rice with quinoa, I bumped up the health factor a bit. (Ok it got bumped back down by the addition of mashed potatoes, but whatever) It really sparked my imagination on what other kinds of potato topped pies I could create. My mom makes this thing she calls “chili beef”. To be honest, I’m not really sure what cut of meat it is, but I absolutely love it. I think that would maybe go well in a shepherd’s pie. What else? Any ideas?
Salmon Shepherd’s Pie recipe adapted from Eating WellÂ
- 3/4 cup prepared quinoa
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 pound wild Alaskan salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or three 6- to 7-ounce cans bone less, skinless wild Alaskan salmon
- 4 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
- 2 cups prepared mashed potatoes, about 1lb
- Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F.
- Stir thyme into prepared quinoaÂ
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until the onions are golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more. Add a few tablespoons of water, if needed, to release any bits that are sticking to the pan. Stir in peas. Remove from the heat.
- To assemble the pie: Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with cooking spray. Spread the quinoa in the pan. Layer the caramelized onions and peas over the quinoa. Toss salmon and vinegar in a medium bowl. Layer the salmon on top of the peas.
- Spread mashed potatoes over the top of the salmon, all the way to the edges
- Bake the pie until golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Vincent Duckworth says
Thanks Betsy! Was delish. We used leftover (cooked) wild salmon, yogurt, and rice vinegar. Still worked out perfect. We are on no gluten, no dairy, no sugar Whole Life Challenge. This dish, with the yogurt, was totally compliant. Yum!
betsy says
awesome!