Salmon is one of the best diet foods. I really don’t like the word diet and I hate thinking about foods that can help me stick to one. I know, I know, “it’s a way of life not a diet” but I do NOT find that kind of talk helpful when I’m trying to shed a few pounds. I don’t want to think about always eating fish and lean chicken and facing life without french fries forever.
But salmon is different. It’s actually delicious and it’s meaty and filling. And it looks good too. Besides it takes under 5 minutes to prepare and about 15 minutes to roast. A really quick-fix-dinner for during the week. Even my mother made salmon and she never knew a fish that she liked.
So here’s my recipe for an easy dinner dish. It doesn’t go well with french fries, so I won’t even miss them. But sauteed fennel and parsnip “fries” would work.
Roasted Pistachio Crusted Salmon
4 salmon filets, about 6-8 ounces each
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the salmon filets in a baking dish. Mix the olive oil, mustard and lemon peel together in a small bowl and spread this mixture evenly on top of the fish. Sprinkle with the nuts and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish (the center should still be slightly under done). Makes 4 servings