Berries bring color, contrast to light, lean salmon dish

Even though this meal is lean and light, it appeals to the senses with color and contrast.

Here are a few tips for cooking salmon in a pan on the stove top:

1. Start with fish that’s close to room temperature. Take it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes in advance, and season it before it goes in the pan.

2. Make sure the pan’s hot before you put in the fillets; in this case, they go in skinned sides up.

3. Turn the fillets over when they are mostly opaque but not yet firm when gently pressed.

4. Cook for a shorter time on the second side.

Fruity Salmon

2 servings

Serve with cottage cheese or with warm flatbread. Adapted from “Berries: The Complete Guide to Cooking With Power-Packed Berries,” by Stephanie Pedersen (Sterling, 2016).

½ medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla

2 tablespoons liquefied coconut oil or grapeseed oil

4 ounces fresh, ripe strawberries

3½ ounces fresh blueberries (about 1 cup)

6 ounces fresh sugar snap peas or snow peas

Two 4-ounce skinless salmon fillets, preferably center-cut and at least ¾-inch thick

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces fresh raspberries (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons orange or grapefruit juice

Cut onion into small dice.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until it is softened, with some golden edges.

Hull and slice strawberries. Rinse and stem blueberries. String the sugar snaps or snow peas.

Season salmon fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.

Use a spatula to push the onion to the side of the pan. Add salmon, skinned sides up, at the center of the pan, and the sugar snaps or snow peas. Cook for about 2 minutes, then invert the fillets; they should be lightly browned but not cooked through. Cook for about 1 minute on the second side, then add the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and citrus juice to the pan. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, gently stirring the mixture around the fish. The salmon should be cooked through.

Divide between plates; serve warm.