Recipe: Salmon with Avocado and Fresh Salsa

If you love salsa, you’re not alone: salsa recently kicked ketchup out of first place as America’s best-selling condiment! We have the Aztec lords to thank for this sauce. In the fifteenth century, they were the first to combine tomatoes with chili peppers and ground squash seeds, and used it as a topping for venison, turkey and fish.

This recipe combines delicious salsa with salmon and fresh avocado for a can’t-be-beat meal. Salsa may seem indulgent, but it’s actually a nutritious choice. Fat-free, full of vegetables and loaded with flavor, the sauce goes well with many other foods too. Even better, it’s an inexpensive option, with ingredients easily found in the produce section at your favorite grocery store.

When you make your own salsa, you get to control the spice factor too. Like it hot? Simply add more peppers. I like to add more for flavor and heat! Homemade salsa is far more nutritious than its jarred counterparts. I find that many jarred salsas are high in sodium. Fresh salsa has brighter, bolder flavors, which means you won’t even miss the extra, unnecessary salt.

This satisfying main dish takes some of the bite out of the salsa with fresh, creamy avocado. As a topping for fresh salmon, it’s a vibrant and delicious meal.

Salmon with Avocado and Fresh Salsa

Serves two

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped yellow or white onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 jalapeño or serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Grape seed oil
• 2 medium wild salmon fillets (about 2.5 pounds), skin on, scaled and deboned
• One fresh, ripe avocado, sliced thinly

Instructions:

1. Combine all salsa ingredients (tomatoes through sea salt) in a large bowl. Toss well, then chill while preparing salmon.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
3. Drizzle a baking tray with grapeseed oil, and place salmon fillets on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the salmon lightly with oil.
4. Bake salmon for about 20 minutes. Salmon is done when easily flaked with a fork. Let salmon cool for about five minutes.
5. Plate salmon fillets, then top each with several avocado slices. Scoop fresh salsa over the avocado.