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Let’s talk about salmon. Lots of people have an aversion towards fish with salmon being at the top of the list. And if people aren’t averse to the idea of salmon, many are reluctant to prepare it at home.
Yet salmon is one of the easiest, healthiest and tastiest foods to make at home and takes such little time to prepare.
I’m going to share one of my very favorite ways to prepare it, but let’s talk about the amazing health benefits of salmon first.
For the sake of clarity, I am talking specifically about Alaskan Salmon (King, coho, chum, pink and sockeye) as opposed to farmed raised salmon.
The health benefits of Alaskan Salmon, and I would argue the taste, is far superior to that of farm raised salmon.
Farm raised salmon generally contain harmful compounds including antibiotics, heavy metals, pesticides and a variety of other things you’d rather not include in your food. Honestly, I don’t think farm raised salmon or Atlantic salmon, for that matter, tastes that great either.
I’ll admit, I’m pretty finicky when it comes to fish and the only salmon that I have never been disappointed in is Alaskan Salmon. In my opinion it is worth every penny and the trip to whole foods!
Alaskan Salmon has many incredible health benefits.
Perhaps its number one health benefit is how it impacts heart health.
Alaskan Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids which fight inflammation and are so good for managing cholesterol. The cholesterol benefits are immense. Consuming Alaskan salmon is helpful in increasing HDL (good cholesterol) while decreasing triglycerides and LDL (bad cholesterol).
In fact, regularly eating fatty fish like salmon improves cardiovascular markers across the board.
Omega-3’s from fatty fish like salmon has an anti-inflammatory effect which reduces both risk and severity of inflammatory conditions and diseases. For instance, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, eczema, and psoriasis.
Wild Alaskan Salmon is also a Huge Source of Selenium. Selenium deficiency can lead to a wide range of health problems like poor immune function, fatigue and tiredness, dull and damaged skin, hair and nails, as well as hypothyroidism.
Another benefit worth mentioning is that Alaskan salmon is a good source of astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is difficult to get from diet and it is so helpful in fighting oxidative stress and inflammation which makes it another good reason to enjoy Alaskan Salmon.
So before you give up on enjoying salmon and cooking it at home make sure it’s Alaskan salmon and give my easy and scrumptious recipe a try.
Blackened Salmon with Cilantro and Lime Butter Sauce
For the Salmon:
Ingredients:
4- 6-8oz Alaskan Salmon filets
1 tablespoon avocado oil
3 tablespoons Mary’s rub-recipe follows (or rub of your choice)
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
For the Lime Butter Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 ½ teaspoons lime zest
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Mary’s Rub:
Ingredients:
½ cup paprika ( ¼ regular and ¼ smoked)
1-3 T cayenne pepper (to taste)
3-5 T black pepper (to taste)
6 T garlic powder
3 T onion powder
3-5 T pink Himalayan salt (to taste)
2½ T dried oregano
2 ½ T dried thyme
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together and store in an air tight container.
Will stay fresh for several months.
Directions:
Pat salmon dry. Even coat each salmon filet with rub, gently patting to help mixture adhere to fish. Heat avocado oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the salmon to the pan, with the coating side down.
Cook for about 3 minutes and then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until salmon is just cooked through.
As the salmon cooks combine all of the sauce ingredients.
To serve: Remove salmon to plates and spoon the lime butter over the salmon and liberally sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
This dish pairs well with roasted broccoli with garlic and baked sweet potato.
Enjoy!!
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