Salmon is one of my favorite dinner options. It's fast, easy, and healthy … but more than any of those things, it's absolutely delicious! And when I'm making it in price, I love sautéing fresh asparagus alongside it. In about a half hour, dinner can be on the table and I can be relishing the freshness of the season.
I like adding just a little butter to the asparagus before plating it because it adds a lot of flavor and helps the bright green of the dish pop. You can omit it if you'd like, of course. And because I like a little heat, I use Penzeys Outrage of Love - a pepper blend featuring a bit of fiery red pepper. It gives it a lot of oomph … but a lemon pepper seasoning would also work nicely if you aren't looking for extra heat.
I served this dish alongside a simple salad of spinach, green onions, shredded carrots, and sliced tomatoes. And, since I'd made them too, a single Chèvre Phyllo Packet got sliced in half and drizzled with hot honey. It was the perfect decadent treat to make this a perfect plate. Then I added a few fried onions to the top of the salmon and poured a glass of chilled white wine and called it dinner. Yum!
Sizzling Salmon and Asparagus
- 2 skinless salmon fillets
- ½ teaspoon Penzeys Outrage of Love seasoning or similar seasoning blend/li>
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
- 1 teaspoon butter
Season both sides of the salmon with the seasoning blend, rubbing it in slightly; set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the fish and the asparagus to the pan. Let the fish rest in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning it and allowing it to cook another 4-6 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of doneness. When you turn the fish, move the asparagus to make sure it is all cooking evenly.
Remove the fish from the pan, turn off the heat, and add the butter to the asparagus in the pan. Using tongs, keep turning the asparagus until it is crisp tender. Serve the fish and asparagus immediately.
- Yields: 2 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes