Broiled Salmon with Chris' Spring Rice

I've always liked salmon, but I refined my appreciation for it while working on The Columbia Queen cruise ship in the Pacific Northwest.  I had some of the most amazing salmon you could imagine up in that part of the country.  Thankfully, Whole Foods carries some pretty damn good salmon as well.  And last night, that was what I was craving.  And my absolute favorite way to cook salmon is under the broiler - the top gets just a touch "crunchy" and the middle stays fantastically soft, flaky and luscious.

One of my favorite toppings is usually a pile of dill.  I got home and my dill had dulled...so I changed things up.  I had this massive 1 1/2 pound piece of salmon - so I laid out some thin slices of lemon (that I liberally sprinkled with salt), and on top of the salmon I tore up some fresh thyme.  Lemon & thyme - classic!

Side dish was easy - I adore my rice cooker.  And I love making rice mixes - they aren't fried rices, or stir fries, because I just steam the rice and then mix things with it.  Great, light and filling.  This time it was a mixture of onion, bok choy, lightly roasted almond slices and capers - great combination!

Salmon
1 large piece of salmon (mine was about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 lemon, sliced thin
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Fresh thyme, roughly torn up by hand

Lay the slices of lemon on a baking sheet (make sure the sheet has edges - you don't want any juices dropping to the bottom of the broiler).  Liberally sprinkle salt over the lemons.  Place the salmon on top of the lemons.  Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the salmon, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Tear up the thyme and drop it over the salmon.  Place the salmon under the broiler for 10 - 12 minutes (depends on the thickness of your salmon) - the salmon should be cooked through.


Rice
Steamed rice (in a cooker: 1 part rice, 2 parts water)
1 white onion, chopped
1 large bok choy, chopped (including the bitter green tops)
1 cup lightly toasted almond slices (toast in a dry pan over medium heat)
2 Tbl. capers
Salt
Pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Toss like a salad to incorporate all of the ingredients.  Serve.