Southwest Salmon combines the flavors of the southwest, tropical fruit, fresh and healthy fish full of Omega-3 Fatty acids – and it preps and cooks so fast and easily that anyone can make it.

The beans and the fruit mixture can be made long in advance, bringing the total prep and cook time at dinner down to about 10 minutes. It’s also very versatile. You can substitute chicken breasts, steak, or pork for the salmon, as long as you adjust the cooking time. You can also substitute the papaya for mango, diced pineapple, or even peaches.

Southwest Salmon

By: Stacey Hudson

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. can of black beans
1 16. oz can of corn
1 small can of green chilies
4 salmon filets, skin on
1 chilled papaya (or mango, or a well-drained can of diced pineapple or peaches)
1 bunch of green onion
1/2 med. sweet onion, diced
tbsp. minced garlic
olive oil,chili power, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Drizzle the salmon filets with olive oil and some of the minced garlic, then sprinkle garlic, salt, pepper, chili power, cumin and coriander over the fish side. Rub the spices into the fish, and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the meal.

Drizzle olive oil into a saucepan, and simmer the sweet onion and tbsp of minced garlic until the onion begins to turn translucent. Then add in the black beans, corn, and green chilis. Add in chili powder, cumin, and coriander to taste. Let simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the salmon is done cooking.

Peel, seed, and dice the papaya; cut the dark and light green stalks of the green onion into slices no more than 1/2 inch long. Hand-combine the fruit and onion in a bowl.

Heat a pan on medium-high heat, and drizzle with olive oil. Place salmon filets skin side down, to cook for 4-7 minutes, until the filet is cooked half-way through. Flip one time, and cook until the outside of the fish is seared. It should be medium to medium-rare in the middle.

Spoon black bean mixture onto plates, and lay the salmon on top. Top with a generous amount of the fruit and green onion mixture, and serve immediately.

Stacey Hudson is an award-winning writer in Augusta, Ga. She is the former publisher of Metro Augusta Parent Magazine, and blogs at momnesia.blogspot.com

Tags: 30-minute meals, dining, dinner, family, food, friends, salmon, seafood, Southwest Salmon