Pan Seared Salmon

This is a simple dish, easy and quick to make. As with my pan fried steak, the idea here is to let the main ingredient speak for itself. I buy the salmon filets at Sam's Club. At home, I slice them into pieces like you see in the picture, and freeze them. If you live by yourself, the freezer is an invaluable tool. I also decided to experiment with a sauce to liven up the dish. Regular readers of No Free Lunch may know that sauce making really interests me; it's a way to be creative with flavors without using expensive ingredients. Today I have a yogurt-based mustard sauce. Readers may also notice recurring ingredients. The yogurt happens to be leftover from making the tandoori marinade.

Ingredients

Salmon

• Salmon fillets, cut into strips
• Handful of fresh spinach leaves
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• Olive oil

Sauce

• 2 TBS plain yogurt
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp mayonnaise
• Generous squeeze of lemon juice
• Sprinkle of dill weed

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. I prefer non-stick when working with fish, because the fillets break apart easily if stuck to the pan, unlike beef, pork, or poultry. Salt and pepper each side of the salmon. When the oil is hot, lay the fillets in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side, until the exterior is firm to the touch and well seared but the interior is not overcooked. Remove and set the fish aside. Using the leftover oil, cook down the spinach, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The spinach adds some nice color to the plate, as well as being tasty and good for you.

The ingredient amounts for the sauce given above are proportional and easily multiplied. Make as much as you need. The proportions can also be played with if you prefer a mustardier sauce. I also like making up words. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl, and stir thoroughly. Spoon over the salmon and garnish with a little extra dill weed. This is a sure way to make this simple dish look fancy.

I also had some white rice with the meal. As for a drink accompaniment, high quality lagers are the way to go for the lighter flavors of fish. I recommend Budweiser Budvar Czech lager. This tasty pilsner is known as "Czechvar" in North America, due to the rather obvious trademark dispute.