Roasted Salmon with Fresh Garden Salsa

Adapted from 12 Best Foods Cookbook: Over 200 Delicious Recipes Featuring the 12 Healthiest Foods by Dana Jacobi (Rodale Inc., 2005)

Roasting is a technique for cooking fish that chefs often use. Searing the surface, then finishing the fish in a hot oven gives it good color and keeps it succulent. Just remember that the pan will be very hot when it comes out of the oven—and make sure that it doesn’t have a rubber or plastic handle.

(4 servings)

• 1 teaspoon canola, grapeseed, or olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet with skin, cut in 4 pieces

• 4 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1 small roasted red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 roasted poblano chile pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup diced yellow squash
• 1/2 cup diced zucchini squash
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• For the salsa:
• 1. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, bell, and poblano peppers, onion, squash, and zucchini.
• 2. Mix in the oregano and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Let salsa sit 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the salmon:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Season each piece of fish with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
• 2. Heat the oil in an ovenproof medium skillet. When a drop of water dances on the surface of the pan, add the pieces of fish, skin side up. Cook until they are seared and have a golden crust, 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn the fish skin side down. Slip the skillet into the oven and roast until the fish is pearlescent in the center, 8 minutes for a 1 inch-thick fillet. Transfer the salmon to a serving platter or individual plates. Add 1/2 cup of the salsa to each plate and serve.

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 228
Fat: 15g
Carbohydrate: 0 g
Protein: 23g
Total dietary fiber: 0g

TIP: To roast a poblano chile, use tongs to hold it over an open flame. Keep turning the pepper until the skin is blistered and charred all over (about 6 minutes). Place the pepper in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set it aside to steam for 15 minutes. Slip off the thin peel. If not wearing plastic gloves, wash your hands immediately, scrubbing well under the nails. Slit the pepper lengthwise. Be sure to remove the stringy ribs as well as the seeds.

April 2005

Photographer: Maren Caruso

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