Roasted wild-caught salmon, asparagus, and baked potatoes!  This is my kind of meal–quick and easy but still nutritious and delicious.  You may have already noticed from previous What’s for dinner posts that I prefer easy-to-prepare combinations with basic condiments and seasonings.  This meal is typical of what I like.  The salmon takes about 10 minutes to cook and the asparagus about 5 minutes. Yes, the potatoes, if baked, take about an hour; however, the preparation is easy and there’s nothing more to do to them until they’re done.   Here’s how I made this dinner:

What you need:

wild-caught salmon fillet, 1 1/2 pounds will make about 4-6 servings
asparagus
potatoes
butter, room temperature or melted
sea salt
black pepper

For topping potatoes–whatever you like, any or all of the following:

butter, preferably raw and/or cultured
sour cream, preferably  raw (I used Stryk’s raw sour cream)
grated cheese
chives
salt and pepper to taste

First, start the potatoes.  Scrub them well and prick with a fork. Place them in a preheated oven at 400 F for about an hour depending on size.  I used a small toaster oven for the potatoes since I planned to cook the salmon in the full-size oven, but, since the temperature is the same, you could put both potatoes and salmon in the same oven, if your oven is large enough.

About 20-30 minutes before the potatoes will be done, prepare the salmon for roasting.  If you’re not using the oven for the potatoes, preheat oven to 400 F.  Butter both sides of the salmon fillet (I use room temperature butter, but you could melt it, if yours is cold.) with one to two tablespoons per side.  Sprinkle with sea salt (I use Celtic sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper.  Place skin side up on a shallow baking pan.  I use a large cookie sheet with sides.  Cook for about 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully turn the fillet over.  Return to the oven and cook for about 5 more minutes until the salmon flakes with a fork.  Be careful not to overcook.

Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus by snapping off the tough ends and rinsing well.  Place in a saucepan with a little filtered water.  Just after turning the salmon, bring the water to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 4-5 minutes.  As with the salmon, do not overcook.  I like my asparagus tender but not mushy.  Test with a fork after 4 minutes to check for doneness.  Drain, season with lots of butter, and sprinkle with sea salt.

Serve the baked potatoes with lots of butter, raw sour cream, sea salt, and pepper.  You can also add chives and grated cheese.

As always, whenever possible use local and/or organic vegetables, raw dairy, sea salt like Celtic sea salt, and wild-caught fish.