Almond Crusted Salmon with Lemon Asparagus
Calling all omegas! This dish is flaky, nutty, and bright. I love making this during the weeknights. Fish cooks fast so it’s a great way to eat healthy and still get all your stuff done.
If you’ve been paleo long enough you’ve probably heard the phrase “fat is fuel”. It’s true. Salmon is one of the fattier fish so it’s the perfect combo of protein and good unsaturated fat. Fat. Protein. FLAVA FLAV (read:flavor). What’s not to love?
WILD vs FARMED
Wild salmon is a ‘must’. You probably won’t catch me fishing in Alaska because Brrr, but I will certainly overpay for someone else to fish Alaskan salmon. haha! Atlantic salmon is cool, I guess. But most of it is farm-raised and simply doesn’t have the true properties of salmon. Did you know farmed salmon isn’t even pink? They add that color to it. So nasty, dude. The real nutrients and health benefits come from wild salmon. You’ll be able to tell the difference at the market. Alaskan salmon has a deep pink, almost red color. Farmed salmon is dyed pink and has a grey hue. Peak season is May through summer. So bookmark this recipe and get ready for some healthy fat and protein.
OMEGA-3 and OMEGA-6 BALANCE
This omega combination promotes anti-inflammatory responses. Omega 6 fatty acids are beneficial on their own. So no worries if you omit the nuts on the fish. If you always get the numbers confused Omega-6 is nuts and Omega-3 is fish. Omega-3 is great on its own, but omega-6 works better when combined with omega-3. In fact, the over-consumption of omega-6 from things like nuts without omega-3 fat is what can create issues like poor brain function and wacky inflammatory responses. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are the good guys – the fatty acids with dietary fats with health benefits. Eicosapentaenoic…just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?
THE UC FACTOR
Many people I know with UC have a difficult time digesting certain meats such as red meat or pork. I find fish to be easier to digest. When it’s time to get my protein and I haven’t had fish in a while my go-to is always salmon. As many people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, because it’s so individual it is hard to say blanket statements like, “fish is better than red meat”. But red meat’s sulfuric level could be to blame among other factors. Additionally, there are mixed reviews about fish oil supplementation aiding with ulcerative colitis. One study suggests it didn’t show an obvious improvement but also didn’t hurt.
Asparagus is the king of all spring greens, in my opinion. It’s hearty and grassy which holds up nicely to the fatty fish. Toasting the pine nuts is key here… the brightness of the lemon is perfect with the nuttiness of the pine nuts. To be honest, I really don’t buy pine nuts too often because they are wicked expensive. Like… why?! But when I do buy them I make sure to use them in a recipe where I can really taste them. Asparagus complements it nicely. Smelly pee, here we come!
Okay. On to the recipe.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 4 oz portions | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 10-12 minutes |
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A light, bright, and nutty dish that's perfect for springtime. Fish is a great weeknight meal to sneak in your omegas because fish cooks rather quickly.
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- 1 pound wild salmon
- 1/4 cup almonds chopped
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bunch asparagus about 1 pound
- 1/4 cup pine punts
- zest and juice form 1/2 lemon
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Chop or food process slivered almonds to yield 1/4 cup. Toss almonds with sea salt, ground pepper, and thyme.
- Drizzle or paint honey on the salmon. Then sprinkle almond mixture on top of honey salmon to coat evenly.
- Place salmon on baking sheet in 400 degree oven. Bake for approximately 12 minutes.
- While fish is cooking, toast the pine nuts on medium heat in a dry pan for a few minutes. Stay near the pan and keep an eye on them as you stir. They burn easily. When toasted, remove pine nuts and set aside.
- While you're tending to the stove top, heat another pan with olive oil. Sauté asparagus on medium heat. Toss with lemon juice and lemon zest. When asparagus is tender (about 5-7 minutes) add pine nuts to combine.
Hey! Have you noticed something new in some of my latest posts? References! This way you can further address your curiosity of nutrition or IBD topics.
References:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/salmon-factory-farm-vs-wild
http://www.alaska.org/advice/best-time-to-fish-in-alaska
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2312/2
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774255/
http://advances.nutrition.org/content/3/1/1.long