Category: Salmon

Posted on

Healthy Trader Joe’s Dinner: Salmon and Asparagus

Our local Trader Joe’s sells Norwegian farmed salmon in several different packaging. Our favorite is the BBQ Cut which is typically two pre-sliced salmon pieces that can come right out of the package and into the pan.

Picking up some fresh asparagus to accompany the salmon makes shopping for this dinner really quick and easy. Cut off the bottom inch or two of the asparagus after washing to prepare for cooking.

I’ve watched a number of YouTube videos about cooking salmon but find the one I use most often is this one by Frank Proto.

The keys in Frank’s technique: oil in the sauté pan, high heat to start, USE TONGS!

Importantly, once the salmon is in the pan (skin side down at first) do NOT play with it – don’t move it around – just let it cook. The salmon will release its tight grip with the bottom of the pan when it’s ready to be turned over. This is typically 7-8 minutes or so in my experience.

After turning the salmon over, reduce the heat to medium/low and finish the cooking – typically another 5 minutes or so. While waiting, slice a fresh lemon to accompany the salmon and the asparagus.

Once the salmon is finished, remove it to a plate and put the asparagus into the same pan while turning the heat back up to high. Add a splash of water or white wine to the pan and cover it, cooking for 2 minutes. Remove the lid, add a couple of tablespoons of butter and a squeeze of lemon and saute for another 3-4 minutes so the stalks are still snappy. Remove and plate with the salmon.

Enjoy! If you’re extra hungry, you might want some white rice to accompany.

Ina Garten sauce: as an option, if you want a nice Asian-style sauce for the salmon, here’s one that Ina Garten recommends – combine these ingredients in a small bowl.

  • 1 tablespoonsDijon mustard
  • 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon very finely minced fresh garlic

You can optionally use 1/2 of the sauce to marinate the salmon 30 minutes before cooking. Use the other half on the salmon just before serving.

Here’s her video if you’re interested:

Posted on

Easy Oven Roasted Salmon

We’ve made this recipe twice this week – and it’s a hit in our house! It’s another one of Mark Bittman’s simple and easy recipes that just tastes so great! I happened to find it on his iPhone app – How to Cook Everything.

I won’t bother with the usual ingredients box – it’s such a simple recipe. Pick up a salmon fillet from your local fishmonger on your way home from the office (our favorite here in Menlo Park is Cook’s Seafood on El Camino). Cooks sells wild king salmon fillets roughly .75 lb in size – a perfect size for a dinner for two.

Put a couple of tablespoons of butter into a glass baking dish large enough to hold the fillet. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees – with the baking dish inside, melting the butter.

While the oven is coming up to temperature (and the butter is melting), season the salmon with salt and pepper.

When the butter has melted into the baking dish, pull it out and put the salmon fillet in – skin side down. It should only be a few more minutes until the oven is at full temperature. At that point, in goes the salmon in the baking dish.

Cook it skin side down for 6 minutes then take it out, flip it and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve – with whatever you’ve made as a side dish (our favorite is sauteed mushrooms with cherry tomatoes, shallots, a bit of garlic, white wine, and anything else we feel like throwing into the mix!). Slice the salmon in half and serve.

You’ll love it – and it doesn’t smell up the kitchen! Total time start to finish is about 20 minutes.