Who’s ready for dinner?
This Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Broccoli Pesto is so good, you’d never know it was dairy-free, gluten-free annnnnd low sodium.
Speaking of sodium, my friend Jessica just came out with this incredibly gorgeous cookbook, Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low Sodium Cookbook. Right now, there’s several of us doing a “Love your Heart Recipe Rally”, which you can see all participants & delicious recipes here.
There’s more… She’s GIVING AWAY a VITAMIX to one lucky reader!! If you win, can I come over to play, please? <enter giveaway below>
You know how awesome this giveaway is, right? I’m still dying to get my hands on one. Enter for me, k?
Jessica’s story is truly inspiring – lupus to kidney failures, which took her on this mission to live the life she wants, thanks to a low sodium diet. Yep, we bonded over stories. Then when you meet her and see that she is the nicest woman you’ve ever meet, you’ll love her even more.
If you’re wondering why do we care about sodium, this is why – long story short. It can cause high blood pressure, which basically means there’s a lot of pressure on the walls of your blood vessels and arteries which can then cause a heart attach and stroke. Yep, big deal people.
Large amounts of sodium can be hidden in packaged foods, which is why I’m a HUGE supporter of fresh, whole foods. I’m not going to say I don’t eat salt. I would be lying. I love salt more than I love sugar. However, I don’t eat much, if any packaged foods and have a low intake of dairy and meat, that my blood pressure is at a healthy level. If I buy canned goods, I always go for the ”no salt added” and later add my own salt if needed.
If you have more questions or curiosities about a low sodium diet, I highly recommend you pick up (or order) her book, Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low Sodium Cookbook.
Okay, now lets talk about this salmon.
The texture, the flavor and the presentation is enough to swoon anyone. Instead of it being crusted with breadcrumbs, the nutty addition of pistachios is perfection. And also adds much more of a health benefit.
The best part, it’s SUPER easy. If you’ve been intimated to cook fish, then this is your recipe. I’m pretty sure you can’t mess this up.
Dinner for two or six, this just might become your new go to!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I edited this ever so slightly to make for 2 (vs. 4) people. If you decide to make 4 fillets instead of 2, no need to double the pesto – I kept that the same so there would be leftover. With this recipe, you’ll have a little bit of leftover pesto, which I later mixed with broccoli, roasted it for 15-20 minutes and sprinkled just a little parmesan (not low sodium) on top. Delicious!
Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Broccoli Pesto
Slightly adapted from the Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low Sodium Cookbook
serves 2
PRINT Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pistachios, shelled
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup broccoli florets, stems trimmed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 salmon fillets, pinbones removed – fresh and organic recommended
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Add pistachios to your food processor and pulse until chopped. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
Add garlic, broccoli, basil, olive oil, pine nuts and 1 teaspoon of water to your food processor and pulse until it’s blended and you have a thick (chunk-like) puree.
Line the salmon filets, skin side down on your prepared baking sheet. With a spatula or knife, spread the pesto sauce over the top of each piece of salmon. Don’t be shy. Then press (with your fingers) a good helping of pistachios on top.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the fish for 10-12 minutes. The salmon should be a nice coral pink color
Remove the salmon and serve over pasta, salad of a grain of choice.
*gluten-free *dairy-free *low sodium
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Winner must be a US resident in order to win. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim prize before another winner is chosen. The name of the winner will be announced on SodiumGirl.com and the Rafflecopter Widget once the giveaway has ended. In the event the Sponsor (Vitamix) fails to send the prize, the Host (SodiumGirl.com) and all Participating Hosts (Participating Bloggers) will not to be held responsible or liable in any way. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Twitter or Facebook. Complete terms and conditions can be found within Rafflecopter Giveaway Widge above and here
Print Recipe
