A Healthy, Hearty New Year - Salmon Steaks in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Well, all the eating and merriment sure was fun, wasn't it? But all good things must come to an end, at least for the good of our waistbands. So often I think of healthy eating as solely being salads and other things that just do not satisfy, especially in the winter. This meal, taken from Bon Appetit magazine, is the perfect example of how healthy eating can actually be hearty and satisfying. I'm not generally a huge fan of  salmon but this sauce mitigated a lot of the things I don't like about it. The sauce is more spiced than spicy with its heat coming from cayenne pepper and a serrano chile. Sugar and cinnamon add some sweetness and lemon juice gives it a nice bright flavor.

Ingredients:
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 serrano chile, roughtly chopped with seeds (remove for a less spicy sauce)
2 Tbs caraway seeds
2 tps paprika
1 1/2 tsp cayenne (recipe called for a 1/4 tsp, I somehow read 1 1/2 tsp; it was delicious)
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 8 oz salmon steaks (we shared one 8 oz. steak between the two of us, which was plenty)
3 Tbs flour
8 Tbs vegetable oil
salt and pepper
2 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbs chopped cilantro

Toast caraway seeds in a small pan until you think, "mmmm, rye bread!" Let them cool and then grind, either in a spice mill or mortar and pestle.

In a food processor, combine garlic, serrano chile, paprika, cayenne, cumim, cinnamon and caraway. Add 2 Tbsp of oil and blend. You may need to add a little additional oil, a little at a time, until you have a paste.

Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large heavy skillet. Salt and pepper your salmon steaks on both sides and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Cook salmon until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and wipe out skillet.

 

Heat the last 4 Tbs of oil in the skillet over medium heat and add the garlic paste. Cook for about 30 seconds being very careful not to burn it.

 

Add your tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 seconds, then stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Add your steaks back to the skillet and bring it all to a simmer. Cover and cook for an additional 7-11 minutes (7 was perfect for me) until the fish is cooked through.

We enjoyed these over some brown rice with the chopped cilantro on top. Don't skip the cilantro - it added a lovely bright flavor to the dish. I will be baking some eggs in the leftover sauce for breakfast soon.