Recipe: Red-Chili-Rubbed Salmon (blender)

RED-CHILI-RUBBED SALMON

"Red chili rub may be made with any favorite dried red chili peppers. This rub is extremely easy to make in a blender and may be kept in the refrigerator for weeks. Red chili paste is burgundy in color and has a chocolate-like, spicy aftertaste. It may be used on seafood, red meat, and poultry. You may also brush it on tofu or tempeh steaks before broiling them. Try roasting a whole unsliced side of salmon fillet, especially for gatherings. Place a line of thinly sliced limes down the center of the salmon before baking for an impressive presentation. Try a slice of chilled salmon on top of Caesar salad or field greens."

3 large dried red chili peppers
1 1/2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or
1 tablespoon fresh
1 tablespoon salt
3 pounds salmon fillet, cut into
6 pieces
2 limes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil
Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish

Soak the chili peppers in enough warm water to cover them for 30 minutes, until soft. When the peppers are soft, remove the stems and seeds.

Place the chilies, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic, oregano, and salt in a blender, and pur e until you have a pastelike consistency. If the mixture isn't pastelike, add a little of the soaking liquid, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon fillets side by side, touching, so it looks like one whole side of salmon. Spread the pur e evenly over the tops of the salmon to completely cover the fillets. Lay 2 overlapping slices of the lime on each portion of the salmon, lining up the lime slices so they make a strip down the center of the "whole" fillet. Lightly brush the lime slices with the canola oil.

Bake the salmon uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the salmon is golden brown and fully cooked through.

Carefully remove the salmon fillets to a serving platter, re-creating the "whole" shape. Serve hot from the oven, at room temperature, or chilled.

When ready to serve, garnish the "whole" fillet with fresh cilantro sprigs.

Serves 6

Per serving: calories 680; calories from fat 160; calories from saturated fat 35; protein 85 g; carbohydrate 40 g; total fat 18 g; saturated fat 4 g; cholesterol 195 mg; sodium 117

Excerpted from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook by Steve Petusevsky and Whole Foods Market Team Members
Copyright 2002 by Whole Foods, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.