Recipe: Seared salmon with cilantro-cucumber salsa

Dietitian's tip: Here, a fresh salsa contributes color, flavor and texture to basic pan-seared salmon. You can make the salsa several hours in advance and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, halved lengthwise again and thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and cut into 1-inch julienne
2 tablespoons chopped shallot or red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander), plus sprigs for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
4 salmon fillets, each 5 ounces and about 1-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges for garnish

Directions

In a bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, shallot and chopped cilantro. Toss gently to mix. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 1 teaspoon of the canola oil, the honey, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Pour the lime juice mixture over the cucumber mixture and toss gently to mix and coat evenly. Set aside.

Sprinkle the salmon fillets on both sides with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the pan and cook, turning once, until opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Transfer the salmon fillets to warmed individual plates and top each with 1/4 of the salsa. Garnish the plates with the cilantro sprigs and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis

(per serving)

Calories	243	Monounsaturated fat	4 g
Protein	29 g	Cholesterol	78 mg
Carbohydrate	6 g	Sodium	654 mg
Total fat	11 g	Fiber	1 g
Saturated fat	2 g

MAYO CLINIC HEALTHY WEIGHT PYRAMID SERVINGS

Vegetables	1
Protein and dairy	2
Fats	1

DIABETES MEAL PLAN EXCHANGES

Nonstarchy vegetables	1
Meat and meat substitutes	4
Fats	1

Your diabetes diet: Exchange lists

DASH EATING PLAN SERVINGS

Vegetables	1
Meats, poultry and fish	4
Fats and oils	1

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Source: This recipe is one of 150 recipes collected in The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, published by Mayo Clinic Health Information and Oxmoor House, and winner of the 2005 James Beard award.

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Dec. 1, 2006

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