Before moving to the South, we were fortunate enough to live a just few miles from the coast in Connecticut and had access to some of the freshest seafood you can find. This is were I developed my love of seafood.
There are so many health benefits to eating seafood I like to prepare it at least a couple of times a month. I would be nice to have fish more often but it is hard to get my kids to eat it. Only two of the five will eat seafood, except for stuffed clams which is a favorite of all the girls. But let’s be honest, there isn’t much actual seafood in stuffed clams and it’s not exactly a heart-healthy dish.
The American Heart Association recommends buying and preparing more fish. Enjoy at least two servings of baked or grilled fish each week, especially oily fish–fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon.
The one fish that I never really cared for was salmon. I’ve tried it several ways but found it to have a strong flavor that didn’t appeal to me. That is, until I tried this Pecan & Cranberry-Crusted Salmon with Cran-Apple Drizzle. It is delicious, and amazingly enough, all of my girls like it.
Each bite of this salmon dish has a perfect, sweet crunch and the Cran-Apple Drizzle gives the filet an added pop of flavor.
Fish rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids can also lower blood fats called triglycerides (triglycerides are the main constituent of body fat in humans and animals, as well as vegetable fat). Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.
The recipe is an example of a quick and delicious, heart-healthy dish. It’s so easy to make, my 12 and 16 yo will make on their own. Serve it with some brown or wild rice, some fresh asparagus and a nice fruit salad for dessert.
While any salmon filet will work, I used Aqua Farms Premium Atlantic Salmon that I found in the frozen foods section of BJ’s Wholesale. I love that it is vacuum-sealed in individually-portioned packets so I can pull out just the amount I need and nothing goes to waste.
Pecan & Cranberry-Crusted Salmon with Cran-Apple Drizzle
Serve on a plate topped with cran-apple drizzle and more parsley (if desired).
Pecan & Cranberry-Crusted Salmon
with Cran-Apple Drizzle
Pecan & Cranberry-Crusted Salmon with Cran-Apple Drizzle
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp. Honey
- 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
- 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 6 5-6 oz. Salmon Fillets
- Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste
- Cooking Spray
- 1 cup Fresh Cranberry Sauce (I used canned, whole cranberry sauce)
- 1/2 cup Apple Juice
- 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
For the Cran-Apple Drizzle
- Add (fresh) cranberry sauce, apple juice & vinegar into a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a small saucepan & bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer for 5 minutes; stir often.
- Remove from heat. Set aside.
For the salmon
- Mix mustard, butter & honey in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
- Mix bread crumbs, pecans, dried cranberries & parsley.
- Season the salmon on all sides with salt & pepper.
- Lightly brush or spoon flesh side with mustard mixture.
- Divide the crumb mixture among the salmon fillets & pat to coat.
- Carefully place the fish in a baking dish or a sheet pan lined with foil prepared with cooking spray. Bake it for about 10-12 minutes until golden-brown & cooked through.
- Serve on a plate topped with cran-apple drizzle & more parsley, if desired.
Do you like seafood? Here is another quick and easy recipe you should try, Shrimp Tacos. Want some more heart-healthy tips? Check out this post!
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That sounds amazing. I have never had anything like this before, but I am excited to try this.
We are big salmon lovers in my home. We eat it at least once a week. Delicious!
I’m such a seafood lover and salmon is one of my faves. I buy it fresh and it’s expensive but so worth it. I’m always looking for new salmon recipes and I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. Pecans and cranberries – yum!
This looks really good! Although, I’ll admit, I’ve never had Salmon before. So seeing different ways of making it an interesting dish is good. I’ll brave it some day!
Oh I love this recipe! It looks absolutely divine. I wish I could have as much fresh seafood as I can, but living far from the coast does not give that option. I will bookmark this recipe and get some frozen salmon tomorrow. I hope it would turn out to be as good as you made it!
My husband would love this. I am not a big seafood eater, but this sounds so good. Your Shrimp Tacos sound pretty amazing too.
This looks and sounds delicious. This is a salmon dish I think my whole family would enjoy. I can’t wait to try it.
Oh my goodness, this recipe sounds fantastic! I eat a lot of salmon but never thought to pair it with cranberries.
This looks so delicious! I love salmon and I love pecan. I just wish it is easier to find pecans here where I live. But would love to try to recreate your recipe at home. Yum!
Oh I bet this is tasty! My son just LOVES salmon, and I can’t wait to try this out on him.
I love salmon but I haven’t made it in ages. This sounds like he pe fact recipe to get me back into cooking it more often.
I love anything with pecans and cranberries! YUM!!
This Pecan & Cranberry-Crusted Salmon with Cran-Apple Drizzle recipe looks delicious and yummy. I will try it for sure.
This looks incredible. My whole family loves salmon so this would be a hit with everyone. It is simple to make also which makes this mom happy.
Pecans and cranberries go so well together, I would have never thought to put them with Salmon! I’m doing a brown rice salad using them for Christmas this year 🙂
Wow, this looks amazing! My mother loves eating fish. I’ll share this recipe with her.
Salmon is one of those foods that I could eat every single day. Not only is it good for us, it taste amazing. I can’t wait to try your recipe this weekend.
That cranberry apple drizzle looks delicious! I’ve never seen something like that – I’d love to try it out!! I bet it’d be awesome on other foods too! Yum!
This looks so good. I love salmon. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Salmon and cranberry are both my fave. I can’t wait to try this recipe.