This recipe for Baked Salmon with a Light Lime Jalapeno Cream Sauce is so easy to make. Sauteeing the jalapeno mellows their heat and adds a nice flavor to the lime cream sauce. A family favorite!
The making of Baked Salmon with a Light Lime Jalapeno Cream Sauce
Baked Salmon with a Light Lime Jalapeño Cream Sauce combines fresh salmon; that is baked and then topped with a mild jalapeño "cream" sauce. It is a quick, easy, and delicious way to incorporate more fish into your diet.
When cooking salmon, use wild or sustainably raised salmon whenever possible. It's better for you, it's better for the environment and oh, and it tastes better too! And do remember whenever working with fish don't overcook, you want it just opaque in the center. Overcooked fish = dry fish = not-so-good fish. Once a fish "flakes easily when tested with a fork" it's already overcooked. You want the layers of the fish to just separate when prodded with the tip of a knife. This is especially true with salmon.
Use wild or sustainably raised salmon whenever possible. It's better for you, and it's better for the environment. .
Jalapeños - Not So Hot
Jalapeños run from hot to mild but in this recipe sautéing the jalapeño mellows the flavors and takes away any heat leaving just great flavor. Still, I always check the heat factor prior to cooking them by taking a small taste. Just to be prepared. Whenever working with jalapeños, either wear food prep gloves or make certain you wash your hands well before moving on. There is nothing worse (well, maybe a few things are worse, but I would be hard-pressed to find them) than to touch your eyes with the oils from the pepper still on them. A good way I found to check to make sure all the oil is off my fingers is, after washing, I take a finger and put it on my gums, if I feel the heat, then I wash them again.
For this baked salmon dish, I used low-fat sour cream to keep down the fat and calories, but you could use whole fat if you prefer. I don't recommend you use non-fat, it just doesn't set up right.
I served this with some simply steamed broccoli that I toss with a little extra virgin olive oil and butter along with 5-minute brown rice (I used frozen). Dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Baked Salmon with a Light Lime Jalapeño Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 5 ounce Salmon filets (all bones removed)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 3 large jalapeno peppers seed and cut into a julienne
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- dash salt
- dash pepper
- Garnish
- Lime Wedges
- Snipped fresh chives optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish. Place the salmon in the dish, skin side down. Combine the lime juice and olive oil; brush over the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes. Place fish in oven and bake until fish is almost opaque, about 8 minutes for each inch of thickness. Remove the skin.
- While the fish cooks, prepare the sauce. Over a medium-low heat, heat the olive oil and butter; add the jalapenos and saute until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the sour cream and heat through, do not boil. Remove from heat; stir in the lime juice, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a plate, spoon sauce over, sprinkle with minced chives if desired.
becca rumsey says
Every time I make this dish for my husband, he falls in love with me all over again!! DELICIOUS! Thank you Lindy!
LindySez says
Falling in love again is a good thing...so glad to help you with that. Cheers ~ Lindy