First of all, I love pesto on everything. Second of all, I got a new food processor for Christmas. So it makes perfect sense that the first big cooking project with my new machine would involve some delicious variation of pesto.

Recipe: Salmon with Pistachio-Parsley Pesto & Scallion Rice Pilaf

Source: Rachael Ray Magazine, May 2017

Get the recipe here!

Modifications, Testing and Recommendations: The pesto was basically the star of the show. The lemon juice and parsley give it a light and fresh flavor that complements the rice pilaf and the salmon.I made a 1.5x recipe to make sure there was plenty of pesto for everyone, plus some left over.

The rice pilaf was surprisingly easy, and toasting the orzo before adding the rice and cooking in vegetable broth. I first tried toasting dry rice while making Pescado Al Mojo De Ajo last year, and it’s definitely become my new favorite way to make plain rice more exciting. Cooking the salmon in a pan on the stove way okay, but in the future I would cook it on the grill using a wet cedar plank.