Salmon is a fantastic source of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that is crucial for brain health. DHA makes up much of your brain’s gray matter (which is involved in memory, emotions, and decision making, among other things) and contributes to cellular growth and neuronal function. For this recipe, you can bake or pan-fry the salmon.
Makes two servings
Prep time: five minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 4- to 6-oz. salmon fillets
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 slices uncured prosciutto or ham
- 1 tbs. ghee, macadamia-nut oil, or coconut oil
- 1 tbs. maple syrup
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F if you will be cooking in the oven.
- Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Wrap salmon in prosciutto or ham.
- Heat ghee or oil in a medium oven-safe pan on medium-high heat. Place fillets in the pan and cook for about two minutes on each side until the ham is light golden brown.
- If cooking in the oven, brush both sides of the salmon with maple syrup. Transfer the entire pan to the oven. Bake for five to 10 minutes depending on preferred doneness.
- If you choose to pan-fry, simply turn the burner down to medium; turn the fish every minute or two for five to seven minutes depending on preferred doneness. Brush the top of the salmon with maple syrup during the final two minutes of cooking.
- Remove from the oven or stove and transfer to a serving dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Shopping tip: Opt for wild-caught salmon that had lifelong access to its natural diet, rather than salmon raised on grain in fisheries.
From The Brain Warrior’s Way Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Ignite Your Energy and Focus, Attack Illness and Aging, Transform Pain into Purpose by Daniel G. Amen, MD, and Tana Amen, published on November 22, 2016, by New American Library, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2016 by Tana Amen and Daniel G. Amen, MD.
Why No Numbers?
Readers sometimes ask us why we don’t publish nutrition information with our recipes. We believe that (barring specific medical advice to the contrary) if you’re eating primarily whole, healthy foods — an array of sustainably raised vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel grains, and healthy fats and oils — you probably don’t need to stress about the numbers. We prefer to focus on food quality and trust our bodies to tell us what we need. — The Editors