Pan Seared Salmon with Grilled Asparagus & Endive in a Dill Cucumber Sauce

On Sunday R and I went to Uva, an Italian wine bar whose atmosphere resembles many of our favorite east village spots- lots of wood, low lights and a back patio for warm weather dining. While the portions are a little small for the price you pay, you can have dinner for 2 for about $100. I ordered seared salmon with asparagus and endive, which was really yummy but a bit dry so I thought I'd take a stab at making it myself.

Pan Seared Salmon with Grilled Asparagus & Endive in a Dill Cucumber Sauce

• 1 Salmon Fillet, skin removed
• Asparagus
• Endive
• Cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• Dill
• Mayonnaise
• Lemon Juice
• Dijon Mustard
• White Pepper

First I warmed up my broiler to cook the asparagus and endive. While the broiler warmed I mixed the cucumber dill sauce. I combined the cucumber, dill, mayo and mustard and blended until smooth. Then I added a squeeze of lemon juice and some S&P and blended again. Cucumber sauce...done! Next I tossed the asparagus with a bit of olive oil and S&P and popped under the broiler for about 5-6 minutes- until browned but still crisp. While the asparagus cooked I heated up a saute pan with olive oil and butter. When the butter began to brown I placed the S&P seasoned salmon skin side down in the pan and cooked for 2 minutes, then flipped and cooked for another 2 minutes. This will give you a rare temperature. I removed the salmon from the pan and let rest. When the asparagus was done, I popped the endive (no dressing) under the broiler and cooked until just browned at the edges. I then tossed quickly in the salmon pan to soak up the yummy juices.

To plate, I sliced the asparagus in half and layered them alternating face down-face up to create a nice pattern on the plate. I then layered the endive, a strip of the cucumber sauce, placed the salmon on top and drizzled with pan juices.

This was seriously delicious and guilt free! I couldn't believe how quickly and easily this dinner came together. Cucumber dill is a must, it brought all the summery flavors together. I would recommend this for entertaining because you can cook everything in just about 10 minutes, and the cucumber dill can be made about 2 hours in advance.