Detox Pesto Salmon with Pesto Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli
Detox Pesto Salmon with Pesto Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli is a flavourful way to support the liver and the body’s detoxification system. It is so easy to dress up salmon and quinoa with a flavourful pesto. I use homemade pesto for this recipe but if you are short on time, you can buy it pre-made. This meal is perfect for weeknights because it is ready in under 35 minutes if you are making everything from scratch. Keep reading to learn why this recipe is awesome for detox and how to make it kid-friendly.
Detox Themed January Corporate Cooking Classes and Lunch and Learns
With the new year comes new years resolutions. I want to help your team achieve their health goals. During the month of January, I’ll be teaching virtual corporate wellness lunch & learns and team-building cooking classes that focus on detox. This month’s lunch & learn is Easy Detox Tips which includes practical ways to gently detox on a daily basis. My virtual cooking classes are a great way to bring teams together. My first cooking class option is Eat and Drink your Greens. This one is back by popular demand and we make a Winter Kale Salad and Pear Smoothie. During my UnBEETable Detox cooking class, we embrace the detox properties in beets and make Roasted Beet Hummus and Kale Beet Salad.
Check out my Virtual Corporate Wellness Page for more info or email info@jesselanewellness.com.
Detox Pesto Salmon Recipe with Pesto Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli
gluten-free recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 4 cups basil, packed
- 1/4 cup + 4 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup + 1 1/3 water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 large filets of wild salmon
- 2/3 cups quinoa
- 6 cups broccoli, cut into florets
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add the pine nuts, basil, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth.
- Check salmon for bones, rinse under cold water then pat dry. Place salmon on a square of parchment paper and spread a 1cm thick layer of pesto on top. Fold the parchment paper around the salmon creating a pouch. Seal the top by folding it over and twisting the ends to create a seal. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flaky.
- Add 1 1/3 water to a pot and bring to a boil. Stir in 2/3 cup quinoa and cook covered for 5 minutes. Top with a steamer basket filled with the broccoli and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the broccoli is a vibrant green and the quinoa is fluffy.
- Drizzle with 4 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper on the broccoli.
- Stir the remaining 11/3 cup pesto into the quinoa.
- Serve the detox pesto salmon with pesto quinoa and steamed broccoli and enjoy.
How to make Detox Pesto Salmon Recipe with Pesto Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli kid-friendly
As much as I would love to say that my kids (2 & 4) would eat this, that would be a lie. They aren’t big fans of pesto no matter how many times I serve it to them on different things. Honestly, I don’t get it because I think pesto is the best sauce ever and put it in everything! I make it all the time in the summer when the basil is bursting from my garden. But I digress, my kids will not eat pesto. If your kids are anything like mine, this is an easy fix. Leave the pesto out of the portions you give your kids. Luckily my kids love buttered quinoa, plain salmon and buttered broccoli. I serve them the undressed version with a side of pesto with the hopes they will one day share my love of this yummy sauce.
Why is Detox Pesto Salmon good for detox?
There are a few ingredients in the recipe that are great for detox because they support the liver. The liver is one of the most important organs when it comes to removing toxins from the body. The number one ingredient for detox is garlic. This recipe contains 4 garlic cloves! Some of the pesto is cooking over the salmon, however, the pesto in the quinoa can be considered raw. A study with over 24,000 men found that those who consumed raw garlic more than 7 times a week had up to a 29% reduced risk of developing fatty liver disease. Another study found that if you eat raw garlic two or more times a week you have a 23% reduced rate of developing liver cancer when compared to those who eat it less than twice a week.
Looking for more detox recipes like this one?
- Thai Green Soup (pictured above) is one of my favourite detox recipes. It contains cilantro which has heavy metal detox properties. This aromatic soup is perfect for the winter months and if you follow the link above, it comes with a video showing you how easy it is to make it.
- Detox Green Hummus is a filling snack that is delicious with veggies or your fav seed crackers. It contains parsley which has liver and kidney cleansing properties.
- Liver Detox Smoothie is extremely refreshing, it has a warming spiciness from the ginger, a sweetness from the beet and sourness from the lemon. Beets have amazing detox properties. This is a yummy drink that will start your day off right.
- Cranberry Apple Detox Juice is tart, sweet and bursting with nutrients. It will give you an awesome energy boost in the morning or during your afternoon slump. It is another great way to drink your detox.
Want more salmon recipes?
- Honey Garlic Salmon with Lemon Green Beans and Garlic Quinoa is a filling meal that hits all the right flavours being savoury and sweet at the same time.
- Creamy Salmon Salad is a satisfying salad that makes an excellent lunch or dinner.
- Kale Oregano Pesto Salom is pretty similar to this recipe but I swapped oregano for basil in the pesto recipe. I also use sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan making it nut free, dairy free and paleo!
- Salmon Cakes are a fun way to eat salmon! They can be enjoyed as the main course with a veggie side or in between two buns for lunch.
- Maple Pecan Salmon is one of my original recipes that is stood the test of time. I make it again and again and love it every time.