Donna’s Day: Honey-glazed salmon is fast, nutritious

Shopping for salmon at your local fish market or grocery store can be a real-life geography lesson for your kids, so be sure to take them along.

Alaska, Maine, Chile, Norway — the places of origin read like a world atlas as you check out the signs and labels. Spin a globe when you get home and discover together where your dinner was swimming.

Besides sharpening geography skills, this good-for-you fish — rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals — is also super easy to prepare.

All this makes a family hungry!

Here’s our favorite recipe, made with a sweet honey glaze that young sous-chefs can stir up. Top with chopped nuts or herbs from your garden and roast in a hot oven while the table is being set, napkins are slipped into rings and beverages are poured.

Honey-Glazed Salmon Fillets

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

Salt, to taste

4 tablespoons chopped pecans or 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, and 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme

2 lemons, cut into wedges or thin slices

Procedure

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray Place salmon fillets skin-side down on the prepared sheet. Sprinkle with salt.

Pour olive oil and honey into a small bowl, and stir to combine well. Spoon the mixture generously over fillets. Press nuts on top or sprinkle with herbs.

Bake in oven until completely cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes readily with tip of a fork. Use spatula to transfer to dinner plates.

Serve hot over salad greens that have been tossed with a light vinaigrette and topped with thin lemon slices, or set a lemon wedge to the side.

Tip: As summer approaches, serve with fresh grilled peaches for a tasty, sweet, modern side. To prepare, cut two almost-ripe peaches in half. Let kids remove the pits and brush the cut sides with the honey-olive oil mixture before coating the salmon. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray, and place halves cut-side down on medium heat on your stove for 5 to 7 minutes, or until grill marks appear. Flip over to rounded side for an additional minute. Set on dinner plates with salmon and salad.