Love Thy Kitchen: Sweet Baked Salmon

Not everyone is crazy about fish, but I'm a pretty big fan... plus it's SO good for you, especially salmon. I grew up with my mom preaching the health benefits of salmon, and it just takes a quick Google search to find that she's absolutely right. It's high in Vitamin D and protein, but the real stars are the Omega-3 fatty acids. They do wonders for our bodies, helping to prevent heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and even depression. One thing you must do though - buy wild salmon, not farm-raised. They put dye in the farm-raised salmon to trick you into thinking it has just as much flavor (but it doesn't), and there's also less Omega-3 oil, so you're not getting the most that this fish has to offer.

Okay, nutrition lesson over. Let's get to this sweet salmon! I usually eat salmon seasoned with just salt, pepper, and few herbs, but that's boring and I needed a change. There are variations of this recipe on the Internet, but I'm pretty much in love with my version. The sweetness of the honey and crunch of the pecans goes perfectly with the soft, flaky salmon. Plus, this recipe is simple and quick!

You'll need:
Salmon (I used two 4-oz. pieces, but you could use up to 4 pieces.)
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Dash of Salt and Pepper
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and spray a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with cooking spray.

Defrost your salmon if necessary, and make sure it's clean. You can remove the skin if you want, but I like to keep it on... just be sure no scales sneak past you.

In a small bowl, stir together mustard, honey, butter, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Chop the pecans.

And combine them with the breadcrumbs in another small bowl.

Brush or spread about a teaspoon of the honey mixture onto each piece of salmon, and top with the breadcrumb mixture. Feel free to add more breadcrumbs or pecans to your mixture as needed. Don't worry too much about proportions - just follow your stomach.