Issue 19 / Recipe! Healthy Salmon With A Decadent Coconut Sauce

by Pooja Rao

Recipe! Healthy Salmon With A Decadent Coconut Sauce

Oct 10, 2015

Don't let fish freak you out. This healthy recipe will make you a rockstar in the kitchen.

With work and children back in school, we hardly have any time to prepare a gourmet meal after a long, hard day. This salmon recipe is super simple, delicious and takes under 20 minutes to prepare. And it's healthy! Salmon is loaded with protein and the two blockbuster omega 3s — DHA and EPA — that make us happy, smart and pain-free. It's also an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium. This recipe is perfect for a dinner for two, a family or even if you have company. Serve with a side salad and you’re set. Enjoy!

^{Salmon with coconut sauce.

Photo Credit: Pooja Rao}

Ingredients

Salmon:

2 salmon fillets (I use wild salmon but you can use Atlantic as well)

A pinch of coriander powder

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Coconut Sauce:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon grated ginger

14 to 15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

Red chilli flakes, to taste

1/2 to 3/4 cups coconut milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Salmon:

Season the salmon fillets with salt, freshly crushed pepper and coriander powder and set aside.
Heat coconut oil in a pan.
Once the oil is super hot (but not smoking), place the salmon fillets skin-side-down and allow them to cook for about 4 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy.
Flip over the salmon and further cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the salmon is fully cooked through. I like my salmon cooked medium so you can leave it longer if you prefer well-done.

Sauce:

Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan.
Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and allow them to pop and crackle.
Add the fennel seeds, grated ginger, red chilli flakes and coriander powder and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook until the skin of the tomatoes starts to wrinkle. Make sure you don’t overcook the tomatoes as you want them to retain their shape.
Add coconut milk to the mixture, stir and allow to boil.
Once the mixture starts to boil, stir until the sauce has thickened nicely and is not runny.
Pour the sauce over the cooked salmon fillets and serve with a side salad or grilled Brussels sprouts.

^{Main Image Photo Credit: Pooja Rao}

Pooja Rao

Author

A self-taught home-cook with a passion for what cooking really stands for…Pooja believes that food really feeds the soul not just the stomach. Realtor by profession but a foodie at heart, Pooja’s love for food earned her a spot as one of the Top100 on MasterChef Canada. Follow h...