Pan-Seared Salmon with Capers and Baby Artichokes

Were you a picky eater as a kid? I was pretty much the worst. The only vegetable I would eat was broccoli, and it had to have cheese on top. Everything else I deigned to consume was white or golden brown in color: chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, french fries, and pizza without tomato sauce (read: dough with cheese). I wanted slices of American cheese melted on top of almost all my food. It was actually called "Becky cheese" over at my dad's, where no one else ate it.

I remained picky through high school, when I invented a white pizza with broccoli and two kinds of cheese at my favorite local pizzeria. My friends and I called it "Becky pizza", and it was fabulous (I still think something like it should be added to the menu).

I'm proud to say that things have really changed. Today I'll try almost anything, and there are very few foods I don't enjoy. However, until a couple of months ago, salmon was still on my "no" list. I found it too fishy, and something about its orange-pink hue didn't sit well with me.

Recently I worked on a project where I had to make several salmon recipes. To my surprise, I ended up loving them! The key for me is to really crisp up the skin (and brown the other side as well) and serve the salmon with a flavorful sauce.

Now that I've woken up to salmon, it's one of my go-tos when I need a healthy, quick meal. In this recipe, the salmon has lemon juice, shallots, and capers spooned on top, which gives the fish plenty of flavor. The rich salmon also pairs perfectly with the earthy, slightly sweet flavor of the roasted baby artichokes.

The best part? This recipe takes less than 30 minutes, start to finish--and that includes preparing the ingredients. Since I'm working on sharing more quick paleo meals with you all, I actually timed myself while I made this. I forgot to look at the timer right when I finished cooking, but I looked at it after my photo shoot--I managed to make everything AND take pictures of it in 35 minutes!

Do you have a favorite dinner that's healthy and quick to make? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Capers and Baby Artichokes
Yield: 1 serving
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lemon
6 baby artichokes
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons ghee or butter, divided
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
One (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillet
1 small shallot
1 tablespoon capers

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with foil or parchment.

Fill a medium bowl with cold water and one tablespoon of juice from the lemon. Cut the stems off the artichokes and trim about 1/2 inch off the tops. Peel off the tough outer green leaves and slice the artichokes in half, placing them in the bowl of lemon water as you go to keep them from browning too much.

Drain the artichokes, pat them dry, and place them on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, and then arrange the artichokes cut side down. Roast for 10 minutes, flip, and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

While the artichokes are roasting, prepare the salmon. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about a minute. Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Add one teaspoon each of ghee (or butter) and olive oil, and then add the salmon to the pan, skin side down. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned and the bottom half of the fillet appears opaque. While the salmon is cooking, cut the shallot in half and slice it thinly. Drain and rinse the capers. Flip the salmon over and cook for 3-5 minutes on the second side, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the salmon to a plate and cover lightly with foil.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallot and the remaining two teaspoons of butter or ghee to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, until the shallots are browned and softened. Stir in the capers and two teaspoons of lemon juice, or to taste. Spoon the shallots, capers, and pan juices on top of the salmon. Serve hot with the roasted artichokes and lemon slices, if desired.

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