A few of our readers requested we review some meat-free recipes on the Fridays leading up to Easter, so we decided to start Fish Fridays! While on Mondays we try to following the guidelines set out by the various meat-free campaigns such as Meatless Monday, which excludes fish and seafood, we wanted to include fish on Fridays for our seafood-eating readers who are going meat-free for other reasons.Â
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, at least twice a week to make sure we are getting all the heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids that our body needs. Of course there are other sources of omega 3 fatty acids, but salmon, in my opinion, is definitely a delicious option!
When I buy salmon, I usually get it from my local Costco. I’ve always seen packaging that indicates “farm raised” or “wild caught” salmon, but never knew the difference….until now. In farm raised situations, the salmon are contained and their diet is controlled. This could mean they are given antibiotics and hormones. There are salmon farmers who are organic/sustainable farmers.  However, it appears that the USDA does not currently have any organic guidelines for seafood, so you wouldn’t necessarily know from the packaging if you are getting salmon from a conventional farmer or an organic farmer.  Many of my research articles were dated a few years back, but the fact that I couldn’t find any current articles on the whole USDA organic seafood guidelines movement makes me think it’s still a topic of discussion and something that has not yet been resolved. So, if the option is available, wild caught salmon seems to be the better choice if you are trying to avoid added antibiotics or hormones. Of course we all know the earth’s oceans have their own environmental issues, but I think that’s a whole different topic for another day (or two)!
There are so many ways to prepare salmon. I think it has a great flavor on its own and sometimes just cook it in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper and lemon herb seasoning. We’ve also grilled them using cedar planks which give them a nice smokey flavor. The following recipe is one I use when I want a sweeter flavor to my salmon and is a hit with the family, even my picky kids! Enjoy!
Maple Salmon
Ingredients
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon
Directions
1.In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2.Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
3.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4.Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.
