Maple & Ginger Glazed Salmon

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Trim off and discard the roots of the scallions; thinly slice the scallions on an angle, separating the white and green parts. Peel and slice the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger. Using a peeler, remove the rind of the orange, avoiding the pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Halve the orange. Juice one half into a bowl. Cut off and discard the pith and peel of the remaining half then cut into bite-sized pieces. Place 1/3 of the white parts of the scallions into the bowl of orange juice. Peel and cut the parsnips into thin matchsticks.

Heat a large pan (nonstick, if you have one) on medium-high until hot. Add the sunflower seeds and toast, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Transfer the toasted seeds to a small bowl and set aside as you continue cooking. Wipe out the pan. To make the vinaigrette, season the orange juice-scallion mixture with salt and pepper then slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined.

Pat the salmon dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan used to toast the seeds, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned fillets, skin side down first, and cook, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the skin is crispy and the fish is cooked through. Transfer the cooked fish to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan used to cook the fish, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium until hot. Add the garlic, ginger and remaining white parts of the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant. Add the maple syrup, orange zest, soy sauce, sesame oil and ¼ cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until well combined and slightly thickened.

Add the cooked salmon to the pan of glaze, skin side down. Cook, spooning the sauce over the salmon to completely coat, 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce is reduced in volume and thickened. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside as you dress the salad.

Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the watercress, chopped orange, parsnip and all but a pinch of the toasted sunflower seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Add in enough vinaigrette to coat the greens (you may have extra vinaigrette) and toss to thoroughly mix. To plate your dish, divide the glazed salmon and salad between 2 plates. Top each fillet with a spoonful of glaze. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions and remaining sunflower seeds. Enjoy!