Ingredients

1 cup wheat berries

1 quart vegetable stock

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 sprigs parsley, finely chopped

2 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped

1 avocado, diced into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Sea salt and white pepper milled (to taste)

1 lime, zested (to taste)

1 cucumber, pickled in liquid (recipe below), cut lengthwise into thin half moon slices

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 4 4-ounce portions

Pickling Liquid

1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 cups rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons Kosher salt

1 fresh bay leaf with 1 notch torn every 1/2 inches

Chef notes

From the salmon to the wheat berries and avocado, all the ingredients in this delicious dinner from chef George Mendes is packed with nutrients.

Preparation

To pickle the cucumbers:

In a small skillet, heat the peppercorns and coriander over medium heat, tossing occasionally until toasted and fragment.

In small saucepan, bring the vinegar and 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the sugar, salt, bay leaf and toasted spices. Boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat after steeping for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and pour hot over the prepared vegetables or fruits in a non-reactive container. This amount of liquid can pickle up to 6 cups.

Let cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 1 week. The pickling flavor gets stronger over time. Strain the pickles and reserve the liquid. You can re-use the same pickling liquid twice.

To make the salmon and salad:

Combine the wheat berries with the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and let simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours until the berries are tender and chewy.

Place the cooked wheat berries, onion, parsley, cilantro, avocado, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper lime zest and pickled cucumber in a bowl and toss to combine.

Add extra virgin olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Add salmon pieces and cook two minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from pan.

Place each piece of salmon on a plate and top with the salad. Serve.

Seared Salmon with Wheat Berry and Avocado Salad