Here's an easy dinner to welcome spring. Wild salmon season is starting now. For this easy dinner, I added fresh asparagus and new potatoes to complete the meal.
Little, sweet creamer potatoes or new potatoes are a spring crop. They have a short season, from April to June. Look for the very small ones, about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter, which don't need a lot of cooking. You can use red or yellow potatoes instead. Cut them into 3/4-inch pieces.
HELPFUL HINTS
› When you buy the salmon, ask for the salmon skin to be removed.
› You can use any salmon fillet if wild salmon isn't available.
› You can find toasted sesame oil in the oil sections of the market, or you can use regular sesame oil instead.
SHOPPING LIST
› To buy: 1 pound new potatoes or creamers, 3/4 pound wild-caught salmon, 1 lemon, 1 container sesame seeds, 1/2 pound asparagus, 1 can olive oil spray, 1 bottle dried dill (optional), 1 bottle toasted sesame oil.
› Staples: salt, black peppercorns.
Sheet-Pan Sesame Salmon With Asparagus and New Potatoes
1 pound new potatoes
2 tablespoons water
Olive oil spray
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 pound wild caught salmon fillet, skin removed
1/2 pound asparagus
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons dried dill, optional garnish
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Wash potatoes (do not peel), and cut them in half. Add to a microwave-safe bowl with the water. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Potatoes should be soft; add another minute if needed.
Spray a rimmed sheet pan with olive oil spray. Place sesame seeds on a plate, spoon lemon juice over salmon and add salmon to the plate. Press seeds onto both sides of the salmon. Place salmon on one end of the sheet pan. Remove hard ends from the asparagus, and place on the sheet pan next to the salmon.
Place the microwaved potatoes next to the asparagus. Spray the asparagus and potatoes with the olive oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place sheet pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
Turn the oven on to broil. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes. The sesame seeds will start to brown and potatoes become crisp. Watch to make sure they do not burn. A meat thermometer should read 125 degrees for the salmon, and the asparagus and potatoes should be easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drizzle the sesame oil over the salmon. Divide between two dinner plates. Sprinkle dried dill over the potatoes, if using.
Yield: 2 servings.
Per serving: 619 calories (42% from fat), 28.9 grams fat (4.1 grams saturated, 11 grams monounsaturated), 96 milligrams cholesterol, 44.3 grams protein, 50.9 grams carbohydrates, 7.9 grams fiber, 79 milligrams sodium.
— By Linda Gassenheimer
Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, "The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook."