Cooking seafood can be incredibly intimidating. That's why I always avoided it making it at home and because it made my poorly-ventilated apartment smell like seafood for days. Well, suck it up, crack a window, light a candle and turn on your stove vent. Because it is actually just as easy as making chicken or anything else for that matter.

Making fish is also how I discovered the magic powers of my oven's broiler. That perfectly crisp, toasted texture on top of the fish without having to soak it in grease on a pan? Yes, please.

Now let's talk about salmon. Oh, salmon, you wonderful fish. I'm sure you have heard the plethora of health benefits, but let me break some highlights for you.

• 4 oz of salmon can contain up to 2 grams of omega-3 fats (an essential fatty acid- your body needs to get it through diet and cannot make it itself). To put that in perspective, the average adult only really gets that much over 2 days of eating.
• Omega-3 fats can decrease risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and has anti-inflammatory benefits too- calms your GI system & helps joint health.
• In a 4-oz serving on its own, it contains about 230 calories, 12g fat, 0g carb, 24g protein, and 72g good cholesterol. Awesomeness.
• Nerd moment translated in English:
  • Your brain relies on things called neurons to pass along electrical signals to transmit information throughout your nervous system, telling your body to regulate your breathing, heart rate, and other essential functions. Each neuron has an axon that transmits the signal, and that axon is covered by a protective myelin sheath- the myelin sheath controls the speed/quality of a signal. Your myelin sheath is 80% lipid (fat). It's not a joke when people say your body is a well-oiled machine!

Okay, now onto the cooking! 

Spicy Chile Soy Garlic Salmon w/Black Sesame

*serves 2

Ingredients

2 Salmon Fillets (3 or 4oz)
3 tbsp Soy Sauce (Tamari if gluten free)
1.5 tsp Black Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Garlic Powder OR 1 clove fresh garlic
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Dash of Ground Cayenne Pepper
Sprinkle of chopped chives for garnish

Recipe

1. *30min- 1hr earlier: Combine all marinade ingredients with defrosted salmon fillets in an airtight container or ziploc bag. Leave in refrigerator for 30mins to 1 hour to soak up the flavor. Then remove from fridge and let it sit in room temperature as you prepare the other steps. 

*TIP: My favorite and easiest way to defrost basic seafood and chicken: make sure the meat or fish is in a waterproof/airtight plastic bag, then fully submerge it in a large bowl of cold water. It should take ~20 mins to fully defrost, and try to change out the water halfway through to improve efficiency.

2.  Turn oven on to the broil setting, setting the wire rack 6 inches from the broiler flame at the top of the oven. 

3.  Place marinated salmon on a foil-lined broiler pan, and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until top is slightly caramelized and dark brown.

4. Serve! I also like to top this guy with my cucumber-dill yogurt sauce to balance out the spice a bit, as pictured in the first photo.