Lemon Salmon and Bacon Greens

I love salmon with a lemon kick… but sometimes it gets old.

So, lately I’ve been mixing it up with the rich flavor of bacon and greens to make things interesting. This awesome meal takes some planning because the squash has to bake for about 45 mins, but each part of the dish compliments each other so well 🙂

Lemon Salmon and Bacon Greens

• 1 Lb. Uncured Bacon (best straight from a butcher to avoid sugar)
• 1 Bunch Fresh Kale
• 1 Lb. Wild Caught Salmon
• Spices: Parsley, Black Pepper, Sea Salt
• 1 Fresh Lemon
• Olive Oil
• 1 Acorn Squash
  

Start by marinating the Salmon in black pepper, olive oil, and the juice of 1 lemon for 2-3 hours. Then, cut the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Add black pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in each half for some bonus flavor. Bake it in the oven @ 400°F with the cut side up. Set a timer for 30-minutes and move on to the next step.

The bacon and greens

Cut the uncured bacon into small squares and sauté them on low-medium heat in a large frying pan, stirring often. While the bacon is cooking, strip the Kale leaves off the stem and wash them. Fry the bacon until it gets close to being done (roughly 15 mins) and drop the kale right on top of the bacon. Now, keep stirring on low-medium heat for another 20 mins or so, or until the Kale shrinks down in size and looks like it’s about to get crispy.

The lemon salmon

When the 30 min timer on the acorn squash goes off, place the salmon on a baking sheet with some parsley and black pepper and add it to the oven with the squash… they both need to bake another 12-15 minutes. The squash is done when it’s soft to the touch of a fork and the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.

That’s it. If you can tolerate honey, it can be a very tasty topping for the acorn squash… but use it sparingly. Also, spinach works just as well as kale – so if you can’t tolerate kale or haven’t tried it yet, just stick with spinach.

P.S. – Leave any ideas you have to make this meal better in the comments. Enjoy 🙂