I usually don't eat seafood. Ever. The smell of fish makes me ill. I assumed that anything that came from the sea must taste as awful as it smells. I am yet again proven wrong.
A few months ago I saw a cooking show that discussed cooking salmon in a pan and the trick to avoiding the "fishy" smell is to cook it on one side until golden, flip it, put the lid on, turn the stove off and walk away. After about 8 minutes it will be done and there will be no noxious odor. I tried it for my husband (I've banned all fish from the house since we've been married) and it worked! No fish smell. He was happy to eat fish for the first time since being home from Kuwait and I was happy because my house still smelled nice. I even took a bite. It wasn't bad. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it.
So...when we were in Utah my lovely friend
Leta invited us to dinner and said she was thinking about making salmon. I agreed since I didn't mind it the last time I tried it, plus she mentioned pesto and sun dried tomatoes- so I couldn't resist. I was pleasantly surprised! I've determined to make some type of fish at least 2-3 times a month now until my tastebuds learn to LOVE it. Or at least desire it. It's such a healthier alternative to chicken and pretty easy to prepare. I'm sure I made it different from what she did, but this is what I could remember and my family loved it.
2 salmon filets
Basil pesto
Sun dried tomatoes
Angel hair pasta (or any kind!)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Top each salmon filet with a heaping spoonful of basil pesto. Bake in preheated oven until salmon is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.
While salmon is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Stir in 1/2 jar (or more to taste) of sun dried tomatoes until pasta is well coated.
Serve salmon over pasta and top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
If you're like me and prefer small pieces of salmon, or if you're feeding kids, you can shred it with a fork and stir it in the pasta. Healthy. Delicious.
