Grilled Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Potato Puree

My poor, neglected blog! I have a pile of recipes waiting to be posted, if ever I have the time! This one I came up with tonight, and just loved it, so I'm making the time to post it, damn it! I apologize for the lack of picture. It was really a very pretty plate!

Grilled Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Potato Puree
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 red bell peppers, cored and cubed
1 large bulb fennel, cored and chopped
2 Tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tbsps. safflower oil
6 6 oz. fillets of skinless
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk or hemp milk
2 Tbsps. butter or Earth Balance stick

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine the garlic, potatoes, peppers, and fennel in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Toss with oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil, and roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes, stirring twice along the way.

When the vegetables are nearly done, pre-heat a large cast iron grill pan (the kind that goes over two burners) or your outdoor grill. Once hot, add the safflower oil to the grill to keep from sticking. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper, and then add to the hot pan, reducing the heat only slightly. Grill for 5 minutes, seasoning the top with salt and pepper. Flip and grill for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan.

Once the vegetables are done, transfer to a blender, adding the milk, butter, and additional salt and pepper, if desired. Go easy on the milk, using only enough to make the blender do its job and to make the puree smooth.

Place a large dollop of the puree on a plate, and top with a salmon fillet, garnished with some fennel fronds. Serve with a simple green salad (we did escarole and grape tomatoes with fennel fronds and scallions dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper).

The puree serves as both a sauce for the fish and a side dish. It is thinner than mashed potatoes, and thicker than most sauces. Happy food for toddlers ... my son was covered in it from head to toe!

This dish may take a little time in the oven, but it's very hands-off. The oven and the blender do most of the work, and you can give yourself a pedicure in the meantime.

Serves 6