Now that Thanksgiving pie season is over, you may want to try this recipe for sheet-pan salmon and brussels sprouts with citrus-soy sauce. It is the perfect antidote for over-indulging. Because, as you know, the next wave of holidays are about to begin.
Cooking sites are ready for the next big event. You've got it, Christmas, tiny bits of Chanukah, and other religious and pagan festivities. As a result, I am feeling inundated with cookie recipes. The most impressive being the NYT 12 Stunning Cookies That Will Impress Everyone You Know. The slide show of these cookies is truly "impressive". It left me feeling that I must make them all, and right now!
Not to mention 5000 cookie recipes on the Food52web site. The other night I made Amanda Hesser's recipe for Almond Biscotti. Then I proceeded to eat many biscotti while also binging on the new season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (spoiler alert re linked review).
As an antidote to overdoing, I decided to get back to the healthy side. So I cooked this recipe for sheet-pan salmon and brussels sprouts with citrus-soy sauce.
What I want to tell you about this recipe is this. Thinly slicing 1 pound of brussel sprouts is like engaging in mindful meditation. In contrast, a few comments in the NYT recommend using the slicer attachment for a food processor. Voila, the brussels prep would be dispatched in a flash. My feeling was, do I really want to dirty up the food processor? Therefore, I chose what I considered to be the more ecological and meditative method. I used my chef's knife to thinly slice the brussel sprouts. Loving kindness was in the air while making this recipe for sheet-pan salmon and brussels sprouts with citrus-soy sauce.
The other thing is this. Do not skip making the Citrus-Soy Sauce. I, myself, was scrolling through photos of an online sale of Seibert & Rice terra-cotta garden pots, when the timer rang and I realized that I forgot to make the last step of the recipe. The sauce calls for ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon, lime or tangerine juice. I highly recommend using lime juice.
During a recent NYC food adventure I discovered how much flavor lime juice can add to some foods. It was the day I ventured into a Dominican Restaurant in Washington Heights and ordered a bowl of chicken soup.
It took me a moment to notice the wedges of lime. They sat along the perimeter of the plate upon which the bowl of soup rested. I thought about it for a second. Then thinking, when in Washington Heights, do as the Dominicans do, I squeezed the lime juice into my soup. It was an OMG moment. Oh my goodness! What a difference that bit of acid made to that bowl of soup. And let me tell you this. The citrus-soy sauce will do the same for the salmon in this recipe for sheet-pan salmon and brussels sprouts.
Finally, do not skip using the thinly sliced jalapeño pepper, either. I tend to shy away from spicy hot dishes. But here, your mouth will transmit the feeling of a happy dance to your brain. The jalapeño is like a trumpet playing reveille at day break. That is how much it enhances the brussels sprouts part of this recipe.
So, like me, use this recipe as an antidote to overdoing it food wise, especially during the holiday season. Or simply use this recipe as an easy and healthy weeknight dinner. Try this recipe for sheet-pan salmon and brussels spouts with citrus-soy sauce, and enjoy!
Sheet-Pan Salmon and Brussels Sprouts with Citrus-Soy Sauce
Note:
You may want to roast the brussels sprout veggie mixture for ten minutes by itself, before then adding the salmon to the sheet-pan. The veggies will be crispier and caramalize more. I like to cook my salmon for a longer period of time than called for in the recipe, so cooking the ingredients together from the start was the way I chose to cook this recipe.
And one word of caution, do not rub your eyes with your hands after chopping the jalapeno pepper.
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (about 4-½ cups)
- 3-4 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame or extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 six ounce skin-on salmon fillets, abnout 1-inch thick
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon, lime or tangerine juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- honey to taste (optional)
Instructions
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Heat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts, scallions and jalapeno with 2 tablespoons oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper, then spread out on the prepared baking sheet.
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Pat the salmon fillets dry, then season with salt and pepper and nestle them, skin side down, among the brussels sprouts. Roast, stirring the brussels spouts occasionally, until the brussels spouts are tender and the salmon is cooked through, 12-14 minutes. (The salmon is done when a knife slides through it easily and the fih flakes, or when an instant-read thermometer reaches 120 degrees.)
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When the salmon's roasting, stir together the citrus juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water. (If you find it too puckery, add a little honey or more water.) Serve the sauce alongside the salmon and brussels sprouts for drizzing and dipping.
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