Salmon Primavera with Zoodles

There are weeknights when the only realistic goal left is getting something real on the table before exhaustion wins outright. This is that dinner. One skillet, a bag of frozen vegetables, salmon straight from the freezer if that is what you have on hand, and about 25 minutes from pan to plate. It does not ask for anything you do not have to spare on a night like this.

Salmon is one of the richest everyday sources of the long-chain omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA, and current research keeps pointing to a role for these fats in settling down an immune response running too hot. That is worth having on a night when cooking real food already feels like enough of a win on its own.

Finish it with the lemon right at the end, straight into the hot pan, and taste before deciding it is done. That one move is what makes this taste finished instead of thrown together: bright, a little sharp, complete. Eat it warm, at the table if you can manage it, even on a night like this one.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
• 1 lb salmon, de-skinned and cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dried Herbes de Provence (use an AIP-safe blend free of fennel seeds and black pepper; or substitute 1 tsp dried thyme + 1/2 tsp dried rosemary + 1/2 tsp dried marjoram)
• 10 oz bag frozen California vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini - check the label to confirm no nightshades appear in the blend)
• 1 tsp sea salt, divided
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm and shimmering, add the dried herbs. Let them bloom in the oil for about 30 seconds - you will smell them open up immediately. This step takes seconds and makes a real difference to the final flavor.

Add the frozen vegetables along with half the salt. Stir to coat them in the herb-scented oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just tender and any water released from the freezer has cooked off. The pan should look relatively dry before you add the fish.

Add the salmon chunks and the remaining salt. Fold them gently into the vegetables. Salmon breaks apart easily, so use a light hand. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the fish is just opaque through the center. Do not overcook - salmon toughens quickly past the point of done.

Add the spiralized zucchini. Fold it through the pan with the fish and vegetables and let it warm and soften for 1 to 2 minutes. Zoodles move fast from pleasantly tender to watery and limp, so pull the pan off the heat as soon as they look just cooked.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the pan, give everything a final gentle fold, taste for salt, and serve immediately.

*Adapted from Phoenix Helix*