Update on this recipe: Because this recipe is mostly fruit and vegetables and because salmon is so low in smart points this recipe has gone from 7 WW points+ to just 3 WW SP per serving!!! LOVE IT!

It turns out, I am really not used to my fish looking like fish.

I told my husband after I made this, “I am used to my fish looking like a chicken nugget (fish sticks), a salmon patty, or a sandwich (tuna fish) but not like a real fish.” I know, I know…  I am supposed to like fish and salmon is extremely good for you and your body loves fish oil and all that, but the truth is I am just not that wild about it so I had really force myself to try this recipe. I knew I wanted to give it a try, and I wanted my husband and kids to try it too. I felt like this was a good salmon recipe to start with since it included fruit that my kids liked. It was still a stretch for my kids, but I didn’t feel bad because I knew I was modeling healthy eating even if they weren’t crazy about it.

WAIT! IT LOOKS LIKE A FISH!

This was not only one of my first times cooking salmon but it was also one of my first times picking out salmon from the store. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I think it turned out okay in the end but I really felt like a rookie. This recipe calls for skinless salmon. I found a bag that said “Salmon” and I bought it, but it wasn’t a clear bag so I didn’t see that there was still the skin on the other side of the salmon so when I pulled it out of the bag I was not prepared to see that it still LOOKED like a fish! I panicked a little and got online to try to figure out how to get the skin off the salmon. I read online that you can cook the salmon with the skin on so I did and everything went okay but my kids were not impressed. This is what salmon looks like if it has the skin on:

Once it was cooked it didn’t seem that bad and my husband and I liked it. The tough skin sort of softens and flakes a little so you can eat it if you want to. I was happy with the way the salty fish paired with the sweet mango-peach salsa. Even if my kids weren’t crazy about it I reasoned that they were at least exposed to it and took a few bites of it, so when they see it again they might be more prone to try it again and develop a taste for it. So, in that way I have done my mommy duty for the day!

Get over the fact that salmon looks like fish. CHECK!
Learn how to cook the salmon. CHECK!
Get your kids to try to eat the salmon. CHECK!

Okay, not it’s your turn! Give this one a try! 🙂

Here is what you need:

1 large peach
¾ c. mango
¼ c. red onion
2 Tbsp. cilantro
1 small jalapeno pepper
2 tsp. lime juice (I had a lemon so I used that instead)
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. honey
½ tsp. EVOO
1 tsp. ancho chile powder (I just used regular chili powder)
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried oregano
4 (1/2 lb.) skinless salmon fillets

Here is what you do:

1. To make the salsa, mix together peach, mango, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, pinch of salt, honey, and oil in a medium bowl. Set aside or refrigerate.

2. Spray grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat.

3. To make spice rub, stir together chile powder, cumin, oregano, and remaining salt in cup; rub over both sides of salmon. Place salmon in grill pan and grill until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Serve with salsa.

This recipe comes from the Weight Watcher cookbook, “One Pot Meals: 160 Fast, Fresh, and No-Fuss Recipes”.