Roasted Salmon & Asparagus with Strawberry Relish
A completely from scratch dinner that can be made in less than 20 minutes (and gets enthusiastic thumbs up from the whole family) is a rare occurrence, one that is very welcome on those beautiful June days when we just can’t bear to come inside at 5 o’clock. When I know we’ll be out later than usual and cooking is the last thing I will want to tackle, I grab some salmon out of the freezer and plop it on my thawing tray in the fridge. When we get home, I can put the asparagus and salmon on the baking sheet and get the rice cooking. I can mix the salsa up while the oven preheats and dinner is done before I could even load the Chipotle app on my phone. Take that take out, you didn’t get us this time!
Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings
Salmon and asparagus:
4 filets, wild caught salmon
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch of asparagus, bottom ends cut off
1 tablespoon olive oil
Strawberry Relish:
2 cups of strawberries, diced
1 small shallot, diced
2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
a small drizzle of honey, depending on how sweet the strawberries taste
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the strawberry salsa. It will taste better the longer it sits, so it’s great to make it a few hours ahead of time or even the day before! Take a little taste and see if it needs a little sweetness to balance it out. If so, add a drizzle of honey and gently stir. Set it aside or in the fridge if it will be longer than an hour.
When you’re ready to cook the salmon and asparagus, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper and place on the baking sheet skin side down. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and place around the salmon. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily when a fork is gently inserted in the center and the asparagus is crispy on the ends. Remove from the oven and use a fork or spatula to gently separate the fish from the skin. Serve with the strawberry relish spooned over top.
P.S. if your kids aren’t feeling the strawberry relish, feel free to let them eat the leftover strawberries and use a little coconut aminos to season the salmon and rice!
