Dr. Igor’s Easy Baked Salmon with Roasted Castelvetrano Olives Recipe

Honey Dijon Mustard Mayo & Dill Sauce Glazed Whole Salmon Filet served with Hemp Oil Roasted Castelvetrano Olives, Crispy Brussel Sprouts & Sautéed Asparagus, and a dash of Citrus

DAIRY-FREE/GLUTEN-FREE/KETO/LOW-CARB/OVO-PESCATARIAN/PALEO

Salmon is absolutely perfect for any time of the day. Bake this ahead of time for a delicious addition to your meal prepping repertoire, or whip up something quick and tasty for your next dinner with this easy to prepare, healthy and omega fatty acid rich baked salmon recipe.

This meal is super nutritious with the added hemp oil to boost your omega-6 intake, is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber by utilizing crunchy green vegetables as a side, and is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids from the salmon.

If you love olives and haven’t had roasted ones, you are in for a treat! They are just as amazing roasted with herbs and aromatics as they are eaten straight out of the jar. Baking the salmon like this is a great way to keep all the fatty juices to stay inside while getting a caramelized glaze on top. Minimize prep and cleaning time while maximizing flavor with your new favorite salmon recipe! 

Ingredients

SALMON

• 1lb whole filet of wild or farm-raised salmon
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ lemon, squeezed to finish (squeeze this on the salmon when done)
• Fresh dill for garnishing

GLAZE

• 2 tablespoons of low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of hemp oil

OLIVES

• 1 cup of jarred castelvetrano olives, drained and patted dry
• ½ orange, sliced, skin-on
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 tablespoon of hemp oil

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

• ½ lb of brussel sprouts, cleaned and halved
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper

ASPARAGUS

• 1 bundle of asparagus, stems removed
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

Steps

1.) Pat your salmon dry with some paper towel, then lay it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and season with salt. Preheat an oven to 400F.

2.) Chop up the dill and then mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl.

3.) Cover both sides of the salmon with all of the honey mustard sauce and lay the salmon skin side down on the same baking sheet it was in. Set aside.

4.) Process all the ingredients for the olives. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, add the drained olives, sliced oranges, sprigs of rosemary and thyme, the sliced garlic and shallots, and the hemp oil. Toss together and set aside.

5.) Cut the brussel sprouts in half and toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay them on another sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

6.) Place the salmon, olives and brussel sprouts in a 400F oven. 

7.) Roast the salmon for 20 minutes and take it out to rest.

8.) The olives and brussel sprouts takes an extra 5-10 minutes (a total of 25-30 minutes). The olives could be a little shriveled and brown. The brussel sprouts might look charred on the outside and have a crispy texture to them.

9.) In a large pan, sauté the asparagus in olive oil on high heat for 3-4 minutes, while rotating the sides frequently. Turn off the heat when they are a little seared but have not lost they’re green hue. Your asparagus comes out crunchy in this short amount of cooking time.

10.) Transfer the salmon on a platter (or a cutting board which is what I used) and surround them with the roasted olives with the garlic, onions and oranges included, spread the asparagus spears and brussel sprouts around as well. Lastly, finish the salmon with the juice from half a lemon and some sprigs of dill. Serve hot!

Tips

• Use the best quality and freshest salmon you can find. Preferably from a local fishmonger or a reliable source instead of your local supermarket. Paying a bit more is worth the flavor and guarantees the freshness of your fish.
• If you don’t have oranges on hand for the olives, lemons work fine too.
• Fresh herbs are always best in my opinion, but if you don’t have any on hand, use dry but cut the amounts in half.

Q&A

• I’ve seen one-pan recipes for salmon, can I use that method for this? Absolutely! I ended up using more pans to ensure the even cooking for all my vegetables, but if you’re pressed for time, feel free to use one large sheet pan, bake at 400F for 25 minutes and you are done!
• Can I omit the honey for a diabetic friendly version? Sure you can. If you are missing the sweetness factor, add some monk fruit to the sauce for a more complete flavor profile.