Sesame Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salad

Here's the second recipe from WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook. I used mini cukes (another term for cucumber) as I didn't find any of the bigger cucumbers.

Bursting with omega-3 fatty acids, all salmon is nutritionally beneficial. Wild salmon, however, has the highest amount of these essential fatty acids, so opt for it whenever possible.

Salad

3 hothouse cucumbers, peeled, quartered, and seeded
6 radishes, julienned
1 scallion, sliced
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Salmon

4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skinned
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with sides (jelly-roll pan) with cooking spray.

To make the salad: Slice the cucumbers at an angle into 1/2"-thick pieces. In a large bowl, toss together the cucumbers, radishes, scallion, vinegar, sugar, and pepper flakes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the salmon: Place the salmon on the prepared pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and soy sauce. Brush the vinegar mixture on the salmon and sprinkle with the black pepper and sesame seeds, pressing the seeds onto the fillets. Roast for 8 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. Serve with the salad.

Serve with steamed asparagus, if desired.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 200 calories, 92 calories from fat, 10 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 4 g polyunsaturated fat, 47 mg cholesterol, 314 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 21 g protein.