New year, new you. Right?
So let’s get right down to it: If healthy eating is complicated and time-consuming, we will lose interest before Valentine’s Day has arrived. That’s why sheet-pan salmon suppers are so terrific — they take minutes to make, and yet the healthful fats in salmon are filling. This recipe features salmon alongside super-quick-cooking asparagus, which tastes sweet and less grassy when roasted.
Sheet-pan suppers are perfect for weeknight meals and versatile enough that you can swap out ingredients to match your tastes and your fridge.
Don’t have salmon? Use sea bass or cod, no problem. Just pay attention to the cook times, particularly as you swap out vegetables — you may need to pre-cook choices such as broccoli or cauliflower. (Tip: you can do a quick microwave steam to par-cook slower-cooking ingredients such as potatoes before placing them on the sheet pan.) You can even use frozen fish fillets for this recipe if you add a little cooking time. Use an instant meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Since my daughter is gluten-sensitive, I use almond flour for a bit of bread-less breaded texture on top of the salmon, but feel free to use crunchy panko bread crumbs if you prefer. Herbes de Provence is my go-to dried herb blend and is a worthy little splurge. Otherwise, use a mix of dried oregano, marjoram and thyme and the results still will be delicious.
You can prep this whole dinner ahead of time on your sheet tray and stick it in the fridge. Then, when you get home, pop the whole thing into the oven for a dinner that is even faster than microwaving a frozen lasagna.
Easiest Sheet Pan Salmon
Servings: 4. Start to finish: 20 minutes
4 salmon fillets, skin removed, about 5 ounces each
⅓ cup almond flour or almond meal (can substitute panko bread crumbs)
1½ teaspoons dried herbes de Provence (or dried oregano or thyme)
½ teaspoon
granulated garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and trimmed, about 1 pound
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
Lemon wedges for serving
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Gently pat the salmon dry with a paper towel.
On a small plate, mix the almond flour, herbs, garlic, lemon zest, half the salt and the pepper with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle or brush the lemon juice evenly on top of the fillets. Dip the top of the fillets into the almond flour mixture, gently pressing it into the top of the fillets, evenly dividing the almond flour mixture among the fillets. Place the fillets on the sheet pan. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and remaining salt. Place around the salmon fillets. Cook until salmon reaches 135 degrees internal temperature and asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Per serving: 293 calories; 133 calories from fat; 15 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 78 mg cholesterol; 357 mg sodium; 8 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 33 g protein.
