Salmon with tequila-cumin quinoa and sweet potato-pear chutney with chipotle pomegranate syrup

i was challenged by my boss to come up with something wintery for the restaurant the other day. i instantly thought pomegranate, sweet potato and quinoa. knowing that pomegranates are fairly tart, i thought that something like the smokiness and heat of chipotle would be a great addition (as well as a bit of sugar for balance). for the quinoa i thought something with onion and cumin was for sure. the addition of parsley, a touch of lime juice and some tequila finished it off. still wasn't sure what the main protein would be until i went to the store and saw that salmon was on sale, so i with that, and a simple, but always delicious salt and pepper pan searing. i needed something else to finish the plate, but was at a bit of a loss; then i saw the sweet potatoes and squash next to each other. i grabbed one of each, along with a pear and diced everything and sauteed all of it with a small handful of brown sugar and some cinnamon. this sweetness really balanced out the tart and heat of the syrup and the savory flavors from the quinoa. garnished with pomegranate arils.



overall, not a bad dish for something thrown together at the last minute. not sure if it will ever be featured at the restaurant, but it's sure good enough for me to make again! only change for now would be fresh parsley rather than dried. it would add more flavor and some much needed color.

glossary:
arils- the "kernel" of pomegranate
chutney- typically fruit based chunky garnish or condiment, usually containing some type of sour element like vinegar, or onion.