Last week I made Blackened Tilapia. So, it seemed only fitting to keep the seafood trend going and opt for salmon today! I'm particularly fond of baked salmon. So, it should be no surprise that it's the natural progression. I also still have a plethora of Salsa w/ Avocado, Cucumber, & Tomatoes and Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt, Tahini, & Lemon leftover in the fridge. That really makes this quite a quick and easy meal to toss together. It only takes about 15 minutes to bake a salmon and turn all of those leftovers into a new and interesting dish!
Salmon is an oily fish with a subtle buttery flavor. Cooked with some lemon wedges, it absorbs a nice citrus undertone. Avocados have a similarly rich and creamy flavor that fairs incredibly well with salmon in this respect.
Salmon is also a relatively easy fish to cook. It very visibly changes color, taking so much of the guess work out of whether or not it's finished. It gets the quintessential flaking where tapping it with a fork causes pieces to delectably break apart and "flake." The white protein lines in the fish also begin to expand as the fish cooks, giving it an overall paler appearance than the rosey pink that salmon begins as before it's baked. Slightly under and slightly overcooked salmon is also not catastrophic. Well-prepared and properly stored salmon is edible raw and salmon crisps and lightly chars when overcooked, rather than getting dense and rubbery like other types of fillets. Which makes it a great starter fish to experiment with.
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Variations of Avocado Salmon
I am incredibly fond of salmon. I grew up on the West Coast where it was practically a staple. It's incredibly versatile and goes fabulously in any range of Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean dishes. I'm particularly fond of giving it a Spanish or Italian flare as well.
This Avocado Salmon consists of grilled salmon; avocado salsa w/ cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, garlic, serrano peppers, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and avocado; as well as avocado dip with garlic, lemon, tahini, olive oil, and Greek yogurt. It's a great, quick and easy salmon recipe with a fresh fruit and vegetable salsa for a Mediterranean flare. I'm from the West Coast, so I'm partial to salmon. Although you can substitute any seafood of choice.
Place salmon skin-side down on a griddle or baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add a dash of salt and pepper. Slice a lemon and place evenly on top of the salmon.
Bake salmon for 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon begins to flake. Salmon tends to be cooked when it loses the bright color and you can take a fork and it easily separates. Larger cuts of salmon may take upwards of 20 minutes. Smaller, individual portions may take less time. It's best to begin checking after 10 minutes of cooking and adjust the cooking time to the doneness of your filet.
Avocado Salsa
Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.It can help to mix all of the other ingredients well and then gently add in the avocado. This will prevent the soft avocado from disintegrating into the salsa. But it is that easy! Just mix and voila.
Avocado Dip
Add all of the avocado dip ingredients to a food processor. Process for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides occasionally.
Assemble Salad
Place salmon on a plate and add avocado salsa, avocado dip, and a dash of salt and pepper.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For more information on baking salmon, check out my articles on The Fundamentals of Oven Baked Salmon and Barbecue Salmon. I'm particularly fond of cooking on a well-seasoned cast iron griddle because you don't need additional oil or foil to to keep it from sticking. But there are certainly ways around this if you don't want to dedicate an entire cast iron pan to fish! Cooking salmon is also more of an art than a science. No two filets are going to cook in the exact same amount of time and there are definitely some tips and tricks to nailing the cook on fish.
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