Pan-Fried Salmon with Vegetables

“But aren’t you a vegetarian?” I sometimes get asked this question when people see me eating fish. And yes, I usually eat a vegetarian diet, but every now and then I’ll have some fish. The main reason for this exception is that fish contains a number of very healthy nutrients. I always make sure the packaging has an MSC certification label (a dark blue label). That indicates the fish was caught sustainably. In other words, enough fish were left in the sea to keep the ecosystem functioning, and the impact on the environment—such as on other animals or coral—was minimized.^{1 An} ASC certification (the light blue label) means the fish was farmed responsibly. You might pay a little more for this, but I’m definitely willing to pay that extra to get a fair product that involved as little animal suffering as possible. And you can definitely taste the difference on your plate.

Okay, let’s get back to those healthy nutrients I was just talking about. Salmon (and, by extension, all fatty fish) is rich in omega-3. It’s best known for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, but it’s also good for our immune system, for example. ² And that’s always a bonus. 🙂

1. What Is Sustainable Fishing? (n.d.). Netherlands – Dutch. https://www.msc.org/nl/over-msc/wat-is-msc/wat-doet-MSC/msc-biedt-een-oplossing/wat-is-duurzaam-vissen

2. Team, B. E. (n.d.).How Omega-3s Support Your Body’s Immune Response.https://blog.bioticsresearch.com/how-omega-3s-support-your-bodys-immune-response

Ingredients: (serves 2)

• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 300 ml canned coconut milk
• 1/2 head of broccoli (170 g)
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 pieces of salmon (374 g)
• salt and pepper
• 3 sprigs of fresh dill

Preparation: (30 minutes)

1. Chop the onion.
2. Sauté the onion in a little olive oil in a large pot.
3. Meanwhile, cut the garlic in half lengthwise and remove the cores. Then finely chop the garlic.
4. Add the garlic once the onion has become translucent.
5. Add the coconut milk—both the cream and the water.
6. Cut the broccoli into florets and steam until tender (5–6 minutes).
7. Meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters and add them to the coconut milk.
8. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into pieces.
9. Add them and wait (if necessary) until the broccoli is steamed.
10. Add the steamed broccoli and let it simmer for a few minutes over low heat.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Meanwhile, cook the salmon in a pan (4–6 minutes; turn them over halfway through).
13. Season the salmon generously with pepper.
14. Arrange the vegetables on the plates and place the salmon on top.
15. Garnish with fresh dill.

Enjoy your meal!

Tip:

With canned coconut milk, a layer of coconut cream usually forms on top, with a watery liquid underneath. For this dish, you can just use both. Nice and easy 😉