Salmon Steaks (mock filets), polenta squares, wilted spinach and yellow tomatoes

Dutchie has finished her work for her Master in Business, so I wanted to cook something special tonight.

I've seen this mock filet technique on the food network (I forget who did it, maybe Alton Brown).

I've been waiting to do this, but haven't found any good looking salmon steaks.

Until now.  They opened up a Kroger Marketplace (in Little Elm) near our house.

That place is massive and a bit overwhelming, but they have a great selection of everything.

So armed with the knowledge that I was going to do these salmon filets, I headed up there to see what else jumped out out me for the meal.

I saw yellow tomatoes so I knew that would be added to the plate simply, then I saw some bunch spinach and some bulb onions.  I knew the wilted spinach with bulb onions and garlic would go perfectly with the salmon, so that was the main veg.

Another thing I've been anxious to try is grilled polenta squares.  It took a LONG time to find the polenta, and the 3 people I asked didn't even know what it was.

Have you ever tried to describe polenta?  It was harder than I thought, and didn't help them know where it would be.  I thought, being made from corn meal, that it would be next to the corn meal.  No.

Maybe near the grits.  No.  Pasta?  No.  We finally had to page a manager, and he took me directly to it no where near anything that seemed similar.  Oh well, I had my meal.

Here is a before and after pic of the salmon steaks.  The basic process is to take the bones out, and trim a little of the skin off of the belly portion of one side.  Then wrap it around itself until it resembles a filet.  I used a string to hold it together.

I cooked the polenta and added some aged cheddar cheese and poured it into a cookie sheet, then let it cool in the fridge.  After the salmon was almost done, I cut it into squares and grilled it on the cast iron grill top along with the salmon. 

The wilted spinach is hidden under the filet, as I was trying to get fancy with the plating.

A delicious and healthy meal was shared by the Reid's and the adults had some champaign to celebrate Dutchie's accomplishment.

With both thumbs up from Zachary, I can say the the flock was successfully fed!!!