Salmon is a super food. It is chock-full of nutrients that help keep us feeling young and vibrant. One of the best sources of Omega-3, salmon and other deep-sea fish, are important in helping us battle the signs of aging and keeping us healthy. Eating Well magazine recently ran a fascinating article comparing the United States’ consumption of unhealthy omega-6 fatty acids today to that of our ancestors. “Today, Americans get 10 to 25 times more omega-6s than omega-3s, partly because we don’t eat as many omega-3-rich [foods], such as salmon and sardines … mostly our diets now contain processed foods that are packed with omega-6-rich oils, including oils made from soybeans, safflower and corn.” Capt. Joe Hibbeln, M.D. believes that this dietary change is responsible for our society’s increased rates of depression, ADD, stress, etc. He gives a list of ways we can increase our intake of healthy Omega-3’s … something we should all be aware of.
I am a strong believer in the power of food and nutrients in improving our overall health and well being. Buying organic products when you can, reducing the percentage of processed foods in our diet, eating fresh vs. canned fruits and vegetables, reducing sugar, and increasing our consumption of whole grains are all ways to help our bodies stay healthy. I’ve written this recipe using canned tomatoes so you can make it all year-long, but if fresh tomatoes are available, by all means, use them! Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze out seeds. Place cut-side down on a cutting board and roughly chop. Transfer to a bowl. If the weather is good, this is also delicious when cooked on a hot grill.
- Sauce
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained with juices reserved in a bowl
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, coarsely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 to 2 tsp Sriracha chili sauce, or to taste (optional)
- 1 to 2 tsp sugar, or as desired
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fish
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 4 center-cut salmon fillets, about 5 to 6 oz each
- Additional fresh thyme leaves and sprigs for garnish Lemon wedges for garnish
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a strainer or colander over a bowl; drain tomatoes, collecting juices in bowl. Reserve the juices separately from tomatoes.
- To Make Sauce: In a medium skillet, warm oil over medium heat and sauté shallots for 1 minute. Stir in the drained tomatoes, fresh and dried basil, Sriracha, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in olive oil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer slowly while fish is cooking, stirring occasionally. Add reserved tomato juice as needed to keep the sauce loose.
- To Cook Salmon: Arrange salmon fillets, skin side up on an oiled baking sheet leaving room between pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt. Sprinkle with onion powder and dried basil. Loosely tent with foil and place in hot oven. Bake until salmon is barely cooked through and lightly browned on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Alternately, prepare grill and cook salmon on one side to get nice grill marks. Flip and cook until fish is just barely done. Carry-over heat will finish cooking the fish as you plate and serve the meal.
- To Serve: Transfer to warmed plates. Spoon a dollop of the tomato sauce over the center of each fillet. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and use sprigs and lemon wedges to garnish the plates. Serve immediately.
Tes
Jane,
We love salmon. It’s so healthy. Our family doctor advises us to give our baby salmon at lease twice a week. He will love this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook
I love salmon too Tes. I’m glad to hear your baby will grow up strong with such healthy food to eat! I was just reading your recipe for Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry and thought your Thai Chili Paste would also be delicious on grilled salmon! I’m going to try that next week. The Internet has made our world a much smaller place.