Wild salmon marinated in coconut aminos, ginger, and garlic, roasted on a sheet pan with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts

The active part of this recipe is short enough to do before you have fully decided you have the energy to cook: stir a marinade in one bowl, toss 2 vegetables on a pan, and the oven takes it from there. Salmon only joins near the end, so it never overcooks waiting on the rest. On a low day, that kind of sequencing is the difference between a real dinner and cereal for the third time this week.

Omega-3 fats show up in real quantity in salmon, tied to a body working to keep its inflammatory response from running hot, and it comes with a modest amount of vitamin D besides, useful in a season when you are not getting much sun. The squash turns sweet and caramelized at the edges, the sprouts crisp and a little bitter, and together they turn out a plate that reads as far more effort than it actually was.

A fish like this is worth using well, skin left on for the crisp, nothing wasted between the marinade and the pan. Pull it from the oven when the flesh just turns from translucent to opaque, spoon the pan juices over everything, and let what ends up on the plate, orange squash, green sprouts, pink fish, be part of what makes the meal feel like more than fuel.

Ingredients

• 4 filets of wild salmon, skin-on if possible, each about 5 ounces
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (marinade)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (marinade)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (marinade)
• 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce (marinade)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (marinade)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (marinade)
• 2-3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved if large
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method

In a small bowl, stir together the marinade: the coconut aminos, the tablespoon of avocado oil, the lemon juice, the fish sauce, the minced garlic clove, and the grated ginger. Lay the salmon filets in a shallow dish and spoon the marinade over them, turning to coat. Leave them to sit while you start the vegetables.

Heat the oven to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. On a sheet pan, toss the cubed butternut squash and the halved Brussels sprouts with the 2 tablespoons of avocado oil, the second minced garlic clove, and the sea salt. Spread everything in a single layer so the pieces roast rather than steam. Roast for around 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once, until the squash is tender and the sprouts have browned at the edges.

Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan to make room, and set the marinated salmon filets in the cleared space, skin side down. Return the pan to the oven and roast another 10 to 12 minutes, until the salmon is just opaque through the center and flakes with gentle pressure. Serve warm, with any pan juices spooned over the top.

Air fryer variation

You can run this in two stages in the air fryer. Air fry the squash and sprouts at about 380 degrees Fahrenheit, shaking the basket halfway, until tender and browned, then lift them out and keep warm. Lay the marinated salmon in the basket, skin side down, and air fry at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit until just opaque through the center. The fish usually finishes faster in an air fryer than in the oven, so check it early. These times are a reasonable starting point and untested, so watch the food, not the clock, the first time.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com*