I just adore salmon! I think I could eat it every day and then some. There is nothing like a perfectly cooked flaky, fatty fish, crusted with delicious goodness atop a bed of fresh greens, black beans, and oranges. It sure is refreshing for summer! The one and only thing that I don’t adore so much about salmon is the price, boo. Oh yes and the other thing about contaminants, colorings added, and PCBs, major boo. I try my best to get wild when I can, but man, $18/lb + is sure a steep hill that I don’t like to climb that often unless I’m eating out for a special occasion. I’ll admit that I did buy farmed at Whole Foods this time because it was cheaper at $13/lb. They say that it is sustainable with no added hormones. It sure tasted good, you’ll see!
I also believe that the benefits of eating fish 2x per week far outweighs the risks, just avoid those that are known to be higher in mercury (shark, swordfish, King mackerel, tilefish, albacore (“white”) tuna). I wouldn’t recommend eating farmed salmon every single day either, as much as I’d like to. I have been trying to eat more fish and most of the time I have my canned wild salmon from TJ’s and then try to incorporate fresh fish if I can. I really want to get the cookbook Fish Without A Doubt to get even more ideas on sustainable fish recipes.
Let’s get on with this recipe! I can’t take all credit for this recipe, but I received the idea from a family friend and adjusted it a bit for what I had on hand.
Cumin-Crusted Salmon Salad
Serves:2 (this recipe can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, but I was on a budget)
Ingredients
For the Salmon:
- 2- 6oz salmon fillets
- 1.5 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- red pepper (if you want a bit of kick)
- salt and pepper
For the Salad:
- ~2 heads of romaine, chopped
- 1/2 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small can mandarin oranges, drain but reserve 2tbsp for the dressing
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- sprinkling of goat or feta cheese
For the Dressing:
- 3-4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp of reserved mandarin orange juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (we like our dressings tart)
- sprinkling of salt, pepper, cumin and paprika
Directions
Mix all the salad and dressing ingredients together separately and then divide each among 2 (or more) plates.
Place all the spice ingredients together in a large shallow dish, then coat the salmon fillets in the spices.
Gorgeous salmon!
Sauté over medium-high heat (careful the salmon doesn’t burn) for about 5-6 min per side depending on the thickness and your desired degree of doneness. I like mine with a slight pinkness in the middle, but not raw.
Then plate the salmon on the salad mmm
This was one of my favorite meals in a long time and it was so satisfying and fresh.
Look at that crust! A few seconds more in the pan and that would have been burnt, yikes. I love the pressure of cooking . . . one moment there is perfection and then 2 seconds later there can be disaster. I’ve done that a lot with the broiler, ha!
Well, there you have it, an easy fresh fish recipe for summer. Hope your week is going well!
What’s your favorite fish? Or if you don’t eat fish, what’s your favorite dish of late?
Any cooking timing disasters (i.e. forgetting about the broiler)???
oh this looks wonderful! I love salmon!
Comment by Lisa (Bake Bike Blog) — August 10, 2010 @ 9:05 pm
Great post! Great recipe! I love salmon, too. I feel so good about every bite of salmon I take because I feel like the benefits are so great. I feel the same way about avocados! 2 of my favorite foods. I always order salmon sashimi at sushi restaurants. And I love ceviche, too!
I forgot to flip my black bean burgers that were baking in the oven so they became like a black bean oatmeal cookie. Still tasty but unevenly cooker. 🙂
Comment by Dorry — August 10, 2010 @ 9:11 pm
salmon is definitely my favorite fish… grilled fish over salad is my staple in restaurants! 🙂
Comment by coco — August 11, 2010 @ 2:46 am
I love salmon. Lately I’ve been enjoying Whole Foods’ salmon burgers. They are MUCH better than Trader Joe’s (although TJs have fewer calories, so it does make sense that they wouldn’t taste quite as good). I also love to buy Trader Joe’s salmon and marinade it in low sodium soy sauce, and some lemon juice. PERFECT! Adding it on top of a salad is one of my favorite ways to eat it. In fact, I did that last night! We are definitely on the same page with food these days (eggs, salmon, salads….)!
Comment by The Candid RD — August 11, 2010 @ 3:57 am
I love how fresh and delicious your meals always look! Mahi might be my favorite, but salmon is right up there too! My mom makes it every year on my birthday with this delicious maple/soy sauce glaze.
Comment by Megan @ The Oatmeal Diaries — August 11, 2010 @ 5:17 am
Your salmon looks fabulous. I love salmon in salads or in the form of salmon burgers. I definitely don’t eat fish as much as I’d like.
I also love halibut that is dipped in pretzel batter and fried in coconut oil..definitely a treat!
Comment by Emily — August 11, 2010 @ 6:25 am
I developed an allergy to fish earlier this year, and looking at your pics I could almost *taste* the salmon. Oh, I miss it! I’m not really crazy about anything the way I loved baked tilapia with a spicy rub… but while unsophisticated, a thin-crust, oven-baked pizza is always a pleaser. 🙂
Comment by S @ extremebalance.net/blog — August 11, 2010 @ 6:36 am
salmon is my favorite…then tuna
your recipe looks yummy!
Comment by tanyasdaily — August 11, 2010 @ 7:33 am
This salad looks great! I have to say salmon has been my favorite fish lately. I love it prepared with Asian flavors and also poached with a Greek yogurt and chive sauce!
Comment by nutritioulicious — August 11, 2010 @ 8:01 am
This looks delicious, I love cumin on salmon!
My favorite fish is definitely salmon, or maybe shrimp…it’s a toss up 🙂 Salmon is the most flavorful and hearty of all the fish I’ve tried!
Comment by Lara (Thinspired) — August 11, 2010 @ 9:10 am
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Pingback by What are the staples in a Japanese diet? | tea house — August 11, 2010 @ 9:31 am
Salmon is most definitely my favorite fish of all times! Just wish it was a bit more affordable too. I will definitely try this recipe, cumin is one of my top three favorite spices.
Comment by Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather — August 11, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
Yum! I obviously and thankful that I eat fish now, which I only added back to my vegetarian diet after studying nutrition in school. And now, I am in a place where fish is done the right way, and fresher than you could ever imagine. But I know how tough it is in Vegas to get the good stuff, so I will stop mentioning my fish now 🙂
At the Philly FNCE I picked up a fish and seafood cook book by the Alaskan Dietetic Association, and I think that was a very clever idea for them to do.
Comment by Melinda — August 11, 2010 @ 12:59 pm
I always love fish – when other people make it. LOL For some reason, it doesn’t end up as flavourful when I make it, and I can’t figure out how to get rid of the fish smell that seems to permeate the whole house. However, looking at this pic makes me want to give home-made fish another try. Lately I’ve been making lots of pork tenderloin.
Comment by Joanne @ Mostly Fit Mom — August 11, 2010 @ 4:43 pm
I knowww…the price is outrageous! But I am right there with you…LOVE salmon! A lot! I could eat it every day, too! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Comment by Nicole, RD — August 12, 2010 @ 11:54 am
Oh my gosh, that looks amazing!
Comment by Simply Life — August 13, 2010 @ 4:38 am
Thanks for the suggestion! I love salmon, but I get tired of the 2 recipes I use to make it. This will work nicely. 🙂
Comment by Eunice — August 13, 2010 @ 2:23 pm
That looks delicious! I love salmon and redfish. I definitely have to be careful with my broiler.
Comment by Kasey — August 13, 2010 @ 6:11 pm
This looks delicious! I love that it is super light and fresh, perfect for summer.
I have had a few kitchen disasters. Just mostly from trial and error in the kitchen. Haven’t set the kitchen on fire yet so I am not that bad off. haha.
Comment by Kristen (swanky dietitian) — August 15, 2010 @ 6:37 pm