Oven-baked salmon with roasted beets on a bed of rocket

This meal has been one of those our family comfort foods for several years now- packed with great nutrition, easy to make and one of those meals that your friends want to definitely try to repeat it at home. Ok, you need to love to eat fish though.

If I can remember the first time we had it was at my sister's house in Sweden. I loved the combination of roasted beets, salmon with goat's cheese topping, the bitterness of rocket and the subtle sweet taste of honey combined with crunchy pumpkin seeds. Since I am one of those who struggle following recipes, but rather approach meals with creativity, I won't be able to give you exact measurements. But you can't mess this one up, I promise you.

Oven-baked salmon with roasted beets on a bed of rocket

Ingredients

(4 persons)

• Salmon filee (the amount depends on how much people will be eating, but estimate 5cm wide salmon piece per person. It can be a filee with skin on one side as well, as you can easily discard it after baking and lifting the pieces on plates

• 4 beetroots (peeled and relatively thinly sliced)

• 1 pack of rocket (rucola)

• 1 box of goats cheese spread

• 3 tbs of sour cream

• 2 crushed garlic gloves

• A big handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted on the pan

• Salt and pepper

• Olive oil

• On a low temperature melted honey, 2tbs should be enough

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F) and line a pan with parchment paper or put a silicone oven mat on there.

2. Add the peeled and sliced beetroots to the pan. Add one crushed garlic clove, olive oil and a little bit of salt to beetroots. Mix well. Then lay them on the pan, so they don't cover each other. Put the beetroots in the oven to bake for 15 minutes

3. Cut 5cm thick pieces from the salmon filee

4. Make in a bowl a mixture of goats cheese, sour cream, one crushed garlic glove and a little bit of salt to taste.

5. Turn the beetroots in the oven the other way after 15 minutes and add to the same pan in the middle pieces of salmon. Top the salmons with the goats cheese, sour cream mixture. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Don't overcook the fish, it should feel moist and flaky.

6. While the fish is in the oven, toast the pumpkin seeds in the pan (no fat required)

7. Wash the rocket and if you have a salad spinner, use it to get the excess water out of the rocket.

8. If you don't have runny honey, melt thick honey in a very low temperature, so you are able to pour it with a spoon. Make sure you don't use too high heat or boil the honey since then you remove all the great enzymes, prebiotics and antioxidants from honey.

9. Take the beetroot and fish out from the oven.

10. Take 4 big plates and plate the food. First put rocket on the plate, then lift the pieces of salmon on top of the rocket. Remember to remove the skin from salmon, while lifting the fish gently with a spade from the baking pan. Then sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top of salmon. Pour with a spoon honey over salmon and rocket. If you have any sprouts left, sprinkle those for garnish. And serve.

Don't forget to light some candles to the table to enhance the mood. Enjoy!

Great if you can try the recipe and share your own experience with this dish here.