Sheet Pan Salmon

Posted on January 30, 2020 Updated on January 31, 2020

I will confess to you that there has been a veritable conspiracy of events keeping me from posting until now, not the least of which has been a discussion I happened upon on Facebook where the topic was on whether food bloggers should stick with the recipe and cut the chatter. I was dismayed at how many people seemed to feel that a blogger should “just post the recipe already!” Oh, and one person commented that one photo will do, please and thank you very much.

I thought about that conversation long and hard and juxtaposed it against the comments I’ve received from people who have told me they seldom (or never!) make my recipes but they love to read my stories. And the folks (especially inexperienced cooks) who have thanked me for pictures of the cooking steps and found them helpful. AND that my byline is “Telling the stories of the food we love to eat”.  I thought of how much of the food we eat is connected to memories. Throughout this soul-searching reflection, I decided that recipes without chatting are like a journal in which the entries are purely mundane. Like, “I got out of bed this morning, brushed my teeth, made breakfast and ate it, swept the floor, sent the hubby to work and the children to school, did the laundry, vacuumed the floor, welcomed said children and hubby home again, prepared supper and ate it, then everyone went to bed.”  Repeat the next day.  And the next. Exciting reading, is it not? I can’t wait to read it again in 25 years.

Disclaimer #1: You may be able to tell that this is a very traditional household.

Disclaimer #2: I do agree that the chatter should revolve around the recipe. Like this post does, haha.

SOOOO… onward and forward, at least for now. Into every blogger’s life a little rain must fall. Before we know it, blogging will go the way of the dinosaur, and I was barely even a toenail.

This recipe came to be after a conversation in which a newly-diagnosed celiac was despairing of ever having good food again. I recommended my Salmon, Sweet Potato and Apple Roast recipe to her as an example that she could still enjoy lots of great food and promptly felt like making it again myself. I added taco seasoning this time because we like spice and who doesn’t like taco seasoning? I changed up a few other things as well. One new convenience is that it all roasts in one pan, not separately. I’m not sure why I didn’t think that could work the first time. I used Atlantic salmon, which is less expensive but not as good. I have a nice red Coho salmon waiting in my freezer for the next time. That’s my favourite; it has a thinner skin and a less fishy taste.

Sheet Pan Salmon, ready to roast.

Sheet pan salmon, roasted and sprinkled with fresh kale.

There you go, chipped plate and all. Fit for a celiac king.

Next up: Apple Strudel for your Valentine!

This recipe is sponsored by Martin’s Family Fruit Farm. For better or for worse, the blog is all mine. 

All kinds of root vegetables, as well as greenhouse veggies like the spinach and sometimes kale are available at Martin’s, even in the dead of winter. You could use any combination you wish in this recipe.

Sheet Pan Salmon

• Servings: 6
• Print

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1/4 olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or concentrate)
• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I like grainy brown Dijon)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 – 3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (I mix my own)

Sheet Pan:

• 1 1/2 – 2 pounds whole salmon fillet or pieces
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 4 medium potatoes, unpeeled, washed and cut in chunks
• 1 medium red or cooking onion, cut into wedges
• 2 cups thickly sliced celery
• 3 cups fresh kale or spinach, washed and cut into pieces
• 3 apples

Directions

Preheat oven to 450° F or 232°C. Whisk or shake together all the sauce ingredients. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or foil. Lay the salmon in the centre of it, skin side down. Brush with half of the sauce. 

Toss the vegetables (except for the kale/spinach) with the remaining sauce in a large bowl. Surround the salmon with the vegetables, saving the kale/spinach for later. 

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily at the thickest part when you insert a fork and twist slightly and the vegetables are done to your liking. Sprinkle with the chopped kale or spinach to serve. Plate it with half of a sliced apple on the side for an attractive and easy meal, and healthful to boot!