Repeat after me. Salmon is not scary. Salmon is not fishy. Salmon will not stink up my entire house when I cook it. If cooked properly, salmon is one of the most delicious and healthy meals you can make for yourself and your family. I could go into the benefits of the Omega 3s and healthy fats that come along with salmon – actually that is all I know, I am definitely not a nutritionist. But I have watched enough Food Network to know that salmon has many benefits for your overall health – including improving the appearance of your skin and hair. How can you argue with that?
This has been my favorite way of cooking salmon for years. And by the way, I promise that not EVERY recipe I make is a version (or straight up copy) of an Ina Garten recipe…I just can’t help myself! @inagarten…can we be friends?! If anyone knows her and wants to make an introduction, there are some delivery home cooked meals in it for you 😉
In addition to this being a constant in the rotation of meals in my household, I have pulled it out for dinner parties and it never fails to please. If you think you don’t like salmon or don’t like to cook it in your house, give this recipe a try!
When I am making this meal, I actually like to start with the side dish. I want to get the vegetables cooking while I prepare the salmon so they can get a nice roast and really caramelize and develop their flavors. Start by chopping all the veggies. Use any veggies you like! I love roasted onions and peppers, and I happened to have broccoli and zucchini so that’s what I threw in, but you can go in any direction – eggplant, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, tomatoes…any veggie goes. One note – you want all the vegetables to cook at the same rate, so making sure they are all cut to a similar size is key.
One surprise addition that I like to make to the vegetables are chickpeas. I think we all go through phases with different cravings. There was a period of time where I was baking trays full of kale chips every day to eat as a snack. These days, I am completely obsessed with roasted chickpeas. They are cheap, healthy, and easy to change up depending on your mood. Just drain and rinse the chickpeas, coat them with any spice mix you want and roast them for 20 minutes. They are the perfect crunchy snack for any time of day (also a great change to spiced nuts for an easy hors d’oeuvre at a cocktail party).
Once you have rinsed the chickpeas, dry them off and add them to your vegetables. In another small bowl, add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, mix together. Drizzle the veggies with 1 tbsp of olive oil and the spice mixture, mixing to coat.
Pour the veggies onto a lined baking sheet, spreading into a single layer so they all cook evenly. Put the baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven, and move on to preparing the salmon.
To prepare the salmon, start with the classics – olive oil, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the dijon mustard with the whole grain mustard. I wish they would just sell these two types of mustard already mixed together – for me its like when they started selling peanut butter and jelly in the same jar. It just saves a step. I always combine these two. The dijon has a tangy and spicy kick to it, while the seeds in the whole grain mustard give a crunch and a nice pop to every bite. Take this mixture and coat the top of the salmon filets. In another small bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs with the lemon zest. Spread the bread crumbs over the mustard, putting them down so they really stick to the mustard, creating a crust.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the salmon skin side down. Be careful! The moisture in the salmon can cause the oil to pop. Let the salmon sear for 2 minutes, and then place the pan into the oven.
If you are wondering about the third unadorned piece of salmon, that is a sneak peak into tomorrow’s dish. Yes, we are having salmon two nights in a row but trust me, these dishes are polar opposites. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my second salmon supper. Ole! (hint hint)
After 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish, remove the pan and the veggies from the oven and serve em up! If you want to add a little heat (which I always do) you can make a little dipping sauce by mixing Sriracha with some greek yogurt. I learned this trick while on Weight Watchers – it’s a 0 point flavor addition to any meal. Yum!
Mustard Crusted Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
*adapted from Ina Garten’s Panko Crusted Salmon
Ingredients
- 12 oz salmon
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 zucchini
- 1/2 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375.
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Cut the salmon into 3 filets.
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Drizzle Olive oil onto each filet and evenly salt and pepper.
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In a small bowl, combine the dijon mustard and whole grain mustard. Spread 1 tbsp of the mustard mixture onto each filet.
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In a separate bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs with the lemon zest and mix together. Use this mixture to coat the mustard the top of the mustard. Pat it down so it sticks and creates a crust. Drizzle the top with olive oil.
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Heat a pan over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil.
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Once heated, add the 3 salmon filets skin side down. Allow them to sear on the stovetop for 2-3 minutes until a crust forms. Then move the pan into the oven, cooking for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon.
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Once cooked, remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately.
Roasted Vegetables
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Preheat oven to 375.
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Chop all the vegetables to 1/2 inch cubes so they cook quickly and evenly. Once chopped, place all the vegetables in a large bowl.
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Drain and rinse 1/2 can of chickpeas and all to the bowl with the vegetables.
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In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
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Add 1 tbsp of oil and the spice mixture to the bowl of vegetables. Mix together to fully coat.
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Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet into an even layer.
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Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
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