Sriracha Lime Fresh, Wild-Caught Salmon with Roasted Veggies

I was in Whole Foods yesterday and FINALLY found the unicorn of seafood (in my part of the world) shining within the refrigerated case: fresh and wild-caught salmon. YES! It typically doesn’t arrive until April (and generally avoid it if it’s not) so this was an exciting find about a week early. This happened to be coho salmon but you can read here about the many other kinds of wild-caught salmon coming up in May and June through September or October (depending on the type) to put on your grocery list.

I’m going to confess that it’s taken me a long time to get into seafood – it’s just not what I was raised on nor found appealing. That said, I know it’s one of the best proteins out there – in fact, I’ve also heard it’s powerful to eat a fish that swims upstream…which makes sense – so I’ve done my best to evolve my palate. I’m also very particular about fresh and wild vs. farm-raised salmon to keep it as healthy as possible and avoid fillers and contaminants that can be present in the farm-raised as I understand it. As such, it takes a pretty special recipe and premium ingredient availability to motivate my seafood consumption, so this, my friends, is the ticket!

I’ve paired it with some organic roasted veggies that were available this trip to the store (and I like roasting veggies so I can set-it-and-forget-it while I prepare and/or cook the main dish), but the possibilities on that front are endless. To that end, I recommend getting what looks fresh and organic in your area, while locally-sourced is always the best option as well when given the choice.

Sriracha Lime Salmon with Roasted Veggies

Serves 2 (adjust recipe as necessary)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Approx. 20-25 depending on your preferred doneness of the salmon and veggies

Ingredients:

1 piece fresh and wild-caught salmon for 2 portions (approx. 0.8 lbs.)
2 fresh organic limes, 1 sliced, 1 juiced
1/4 cup Sriracha
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp. organic, gluten-free Tamari soy sauce
1 clove organic garlic, minced
2-4 tbsp. Olive oil, divided
Salt/pepper to taste
1/4 cup organic cilantro, chopped or whole-leaf, to garnish (it’s very good for you!)
1 bunch fresh, organic asparagus (can substitute)
3 organic Japanese yams, sliced or diced (can substitute)
3 organic red potatoes, sliced or diced (can substitute)

Directions:

Preheat oven to bake at 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (paper = optional).
Cut yams and potatoes. Snap ends of fresh asparagus. Arrange vegetables on baking sheet, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast veggies for approximately 20-25 minutes or to desired doneness.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the juice of 1 lime, about 1-2 tbsp. olive oil, honey, sriracha, and garlic. Taste and adjust for preference – more spicy or less, more sweet or less, etc. and set aside.
In a baking dish, place slices of limes to help keep salmon skin from sticking to the bottom. Place salmon skin-side down on top of the limes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour about 2/3 of the marinade over the salmon to fully cover it. Reserve a little bit to use after it’s done cooking.
After the veggies are done roasting or in a separate oven, bake salmon at 400 for approximately 20 minutes or until preferred doneness (which can very depending on the thickness of your salmon piece.) I’ve been told it’s best to take it out before all the white goo starts coming out (sorry for that description) – which is coagulated protein and I’ve heard that it tells you you’ve cooked it too long. Here’s some helpful guidance on that front.
When salmon is done, cut 2 portions from the salmon piece, top with reserved marinade, cilantro, and serve with the veggies.

Here’s the visual overview below: