Salmon with Citrus Salsa

With Helene Spoto

Oven-roasted salmon is topped with a citrus salsa of orange, mint, scallions and capers for a light, healthy dish with a tropical flare. You can also pan-sear the salmon using a stove top grill pan or outside using your barbeque grill. Served with brown rice with chopped fresh parsley makes this dish a feast for your eyes and your taste buds.

It has been said that we eat with our eyes and are more likely to eat something that looks good rather than tastes good. Lucky for us, salmon not only tastes as good as it looks, but it is also good for you and easy to make.

For those of you searching for healthier food options, you need look no further than salmon. Know as one of the “superfoods” rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, it has a well-deserved reputation for helping lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. It is also low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein. In addition to all of the health benefits it offers, salmon has a mild flavor and flaky texture and can be roasted, poached, grilled or sautéed making it extremely versatile.

There are many ways to prepare it. One of my favorite recipes is Salmon with Citrus Salsa. Moist, flaky, oven-roasted salmon fillets are topped with a salsa featuring a variety of citrus flavors and beautiful colors. This video was filmed in the Doyon's Kitchen & Appliance Showroom at the Doyon's location in Gloucester, MA. You can obtain more information at their web site; www.doyonsappliance.com

Ingredients

For the Salsa:
2 large oranges
1/4 -cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½-teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salmon:
Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
4 (4 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets, (not skinned)
2 tablespoons Agave nectar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

For the Salsa:
1. Peel each orange with a paring knife cutting away the pitch.
2. Cut out the segments by running the knife between both sides of the membrane and put them into a bowl.
3. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes.
4. Toss everything lightly and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the Salmon:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the salmon on a foil-covered cookie sheet skin side down. Do not use oil on the cookie sheet. This will make it easy to remove the skin from the fish once it is cooked.
3. Brush each piece with Agave nectar and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the cookie sheet in the oven on the second rack from the bottom.
5. Roast the fish for 15 minutes. The salmon is cooked when it flakes easily with a fork.
6. Remove the pan from the oven. Cover the fish lightly with foil and let it rest for a few minutes.
7. To remove the skin: Slide your spatula between the fish and the skin to easily remove each piece. Transfer them to a platter.
8. Serve the fillets topped with the salsa. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Helene’s Custom Cuisine, 2010.

Proprietor & Cooking Instructor, "Helene's Custom Cuisine - Personal and Business Culinary Services."

Helene is still surprised how she became a cooking instructor. She always loved to cook, however, having a busy career as co-owner of Sentry Financial Planning in Burlington & Danvers; she didn’t have much time to spend in the kitchen. Looking for ways to simplify her cooking while still making great food, she learned to adapt recipes in order to make them quick, healthy and still taste great. Helene was so excited about her discoveries she began sharing them with family and friends. She had no idea that this hobby would turn into an opportunity to show so many people how easy this can be as a cooking instructor for the past six years.

With Helene’s Custom Cuisine, her goal, whether it’s a private or group cooking class, interactive dinner party, team building event or corporate on-site cooking demonstration, is to help people discover that preparing delicious food can be done quickly and easily with great results.

Still, the most important three words to describe my cooking are: Quick Healthy Delicious

She lives in Andover with her husband, John.