Apolinaras kept popping his head in the kitchen last night while I was prepping dinner because he was so excited we were having salmon. Apparently he thought a little cheering from the sidelines would hurry things along because he kept doing little dances to amuse me. But his plan backfired because I couldn’t stop giggling, which just slowed things down! I didn’t have time to cook this weekend, so I was multitasking and things took a bit longer than usual to come together. I first made a baked pasta dish to enjoy for lunches this week and then went back and chopped a bunch of fresh summer veggies to make a sauce for the salmon. It was close to 11pm before the salmon made it on the table, but it was well worth the wait. I know Apolinaras was a huge fan because I got a text after he ate the leftovers today letting me know again how much he enjoyed it!
Cumin is a spice I frequently reach for since it’s so tasty and versatile. I rubbed the fillets with a mixture of cumin, salt, and chili powder and then topped it with a sauce starring fresh corn and red peppers. We had a bit of the sauce left over and have been enjoying it on chicken breasts!
Cumin Rubbed Salmon with a Fresh Corn and Red Pepper Sauce
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
Kernels from 2 fresh ears of corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of half a lime
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon hot chili powder
4 salmon fillets (ours were 7 ounces each)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and sauté red onion, jalapeno pepper, and red pepper for 5 to 7 minutes. Add corn and sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until all veggies are soft. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Place veggies, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse until a smooth sauce forms.
Meanwhile, mix remaining 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, and chili powder in a small dish. Sprinkle spice rub evenly over salmon fillets and lightly rub it into the fillets. Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet and sear the salmon fillets on both sides. Bake salmon for 10 to 12 minutes at 350˚F or until cooked through. Spoon sauce over the salmon. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition: 413 calories, 20.1g fat, 3.1g fiber, 41.8g protein per serving
Cost: $3.00 per serving
Cake, Batter, and Bowl features my original recipes for quick, healthy, and inexpensive weeknight meals and indulgent weekend treats. Enjoy!
Ooooo this looks divine, corn and pepper sauce sounds ssoo tasty!
Oh wow…this sounds awesome. I think I’d be a “peeper”, too!
Great job, I’m going to start using cumin in more protein/meat recipes. I think you are spot on when you mention how versatile it is. Love the corn and lime in there too
And party dances? Hilarious!
I love all of the ingredients in this dish, so together I’m sure they made an awesome meal!
A cumin rub must add so much flavor to the salmon and the corn & pepper sauce is awesome!
Kerstin, I am loving this!!!!!!!!
Those cumin and chilies combo are perfect together. Yum!
Love the idea of this sauce! I would never think to use corn! I’m glad I’m not the only one whose husband does little dances
The sauce would be so good over salmon, halibut or chicken. Nicely done.
Love salmon but its the sauce that’s the stand out with this! YUM! Thanks for sharing!
~ingrid
Wow, what a great sauce. I must try this. I eat salmon at least 1xwk.
We eat salmon weekly and I am always look for new recipes and fortunately I find them. I love this one because of the red pepper sauce. The ingredients are wonderful and I can imagine they will blend beautifully. If I get to make it this week, I will try to remember to get back here and let you know about it.
The pureed veggies sound great for salmon or chicken! That’s a nice, light, and flavorful sauce.
How delicious this is with the veggie sauce on top! Your husband seems so sweet – sounds like a winner of a dish!
I cook like that too! Try to make lunches for the week and dinner for that night at the same time.
That topping on the salmon looks awesome. My friend makes a roasted red pepper dip, and this reminds me of that. I’m sure dinner was fantastic!
Cumin and salmon go so well together! This looks delicious!
oooo – I love salmon, this looks terrific! I think it’s too cute that your husband was cheering on the sidelines while you cooked
Looks very appetizing,I’m always for such spicy sauces
This looks fantastic! So much better than plain salmon!
Your husband sounds like a cutie! I can just imagine him dancing in front of you as you were cooking dinner. Too much! The salmon looked incredible, like all your meals. Your hubby is one lucky man. BTW, your photos are amazing, too. If I didn’t see your post about your lightbox, I would have thought you had a professional photographer in your house. Keep up the awesome work.
This delicious sounding sauce must add so much to the salmon.. I wonder if the sauce would workl well with chicken? My hubbay isnt a salmon fan.. boo hoo.
Cumin is one of my favorite spices as well and it is featured in almost all of my favorite dishes. The smoky flavor with the salmon seems like a match made in heaven! I love this sauce. I bet it would be great on pasta as well!
The image of your hubby dancing around the kitchen is too cute! My dad likes to think he can speed the cooking process along by sticking his fingers into whatever I am cooking for constant taste tests. It usually doesn’t expedite the process at all.
I love cumin and don”t use it often enough. Thanks for the inspiration.
That sounds like one of our dinners
i bet it was delicious! We love cumin too & that sauce looks great!
I love salmon as is, but cumin and corn and pepper sauce? Oh my God, that sounds absolutely amazing!! And your photo is beautifulll! I can see why your husband was so excited!
Oh lady, your photo is delcious! I’d delight in cumin-rubbed salmon as it’s my favorite spice.
I love salmon and I love cumin and I’d never thought to put the two together before! Duhhhh. I’m saving this recipe to make the next time my husband’s away, because he would not do a happy dance for salmon. Alas.
We love salmon and cumin in this house! What a great dinner idea- it looks fabulous!
I love salmon too, what a great dish! Cumin is one of my favourite spices.
that looks so good, definitely something i’d make! thanks for the recipe.
I’m definitely trying this recipe. It might stink up my room with the salmon smell, but this is a MUST-TRY. Oh my lord That sauce is DIVINE!
Looks delectable … hey Kerstin, can you put up some tips for us amateur foodie photogs, on how u take your pics?? they’re very sharp and the lighting is always perfect!
vat a flavorful sauce you have made here!! yummm!!! salmon is one of my favorite dish. m definitely gonna try this way!!
ye blog looks so creative and beautiful. m loving every bit of it and most of all, the yummy recipes and the stunning photography!! keep it up!!
cheers!!
I am a SUCKER for cumin. I plan on making some Orange curd with Cumin….. yes Orange curd. 2 Christmases ago, I made it with carrots and orange. Then in coconut rice – frist dry roasted, slightly crushed and then fried in some butter/ghee with Basmati – Heerlijk (as the dutch would say!)
love the topping for the fish. Looks like a tasty and healthy dish, just what I need!
Mmm, I love the use of corn with this. Always looking for more salmon recipes…yum!
i don’t believe i’ve ever seen corn incorporated into a sauce, much less in combination with yummy red peppers! what a great, great recipe—salmon rarely looks appealing to me, but this is irresistible!
i’m laughing thinking of him dancing to make you hurry up for salmon
this sounds great!
I love eay yet so lovely flavour combinations!
A true winner meal! I think that sauce must taste lovely with pork & chicken too!
the sauce sounds lovely!
Thanks everyone, Apolinaras has already requested this one again!
Muneeba – I’m still working on my photography, but I think it’s slowly getting better! I have a cheap point and shoot camera that I put on the macro setting. I really think the trick is my light box (I’m never home when it’s actually light out)! I also use Photoshop, which I already had on my computer for work purposes.
I found this a few days ago and made it tonight. My husband had a heart attack about 18 months ago (he was 34 at the time), and it’s been a challenge to find *tasty* recipes rich in Omega-3′s to fit into our diet. Since he LOVES cumin, this one fit the bill perfectly! We’ll definitely keep this one in our regular rotation. Thank you SO MUCH!
Merrin – Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed the salmon! It’s in our regular rotation as well
This was delicious! My husband, who really isn’t a huge fan of peppers, loved this! The corn gave the sauce a really nice sweetness…it had so much flavor! I made this with couscous and ate the couscous for lunch today…with the extra sauce, of course! Thanks for a dinner recipe I’ll use over and over : )
Amanda – I’m glad it was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it
You are now officially a genius! Who would have thought that this mix of veggies would make such a delicious sauce (we had an ear of corn that had spent a little too long in the fridge). I served it with quinoa and oven roasted green beans. One suggestion, though, Kerstin – you might want to take your wonderful site to facebook if you have the time. You will find even more followers and we’d have an easier time following you
Marianne – I’m so glad you enjoyed it! No current plans for facebook, but I get that a lot, so maybe I should reconsider…thanks for the feedback