This meal was definitely inspired by yesterday’s nonstop rain pour. While walking to and from class in the rain yesterday, I couldn’t help but dream of the dryer summer months creeping up on us. And growing up, summer meant salmon. What’s better than spending the day boating on the Columbia and going home to barbecue the huge salmon you caught that day? Absolutely nothing. Except maybe some steak or crab on the side of it. Mmmm.

I will admit, I was originally planning on grilling this salmon. But I reeeaaally didn’t want to get the George Foreman out and have to clean it. So my plans changed to blackened salmon at the last minute. This lazy choice was a very good one.

To make the pineapple salsa, chop up some pineapple, mango, strawberries, red onion, and jalepeno. Combine, and pour on a bit of lime juice. I wanted mine to be a very fine salsa, so I sent it through the food processor, too. Let it sit for a half hour or so before serving so it can get nice and juicy.

Cut the skin off of the salmon fillet. I am so bad at this. Someone needs to teach me some knifin’ skills. And get me sharper knives. Cut that brown meat off, too. I then cut mine into two smaller sized fillets, but you can do whatever you like.

Next, I rubbed the salmon with a cajun seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and paprika).

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high and melt a bit of butter on it. Once hot and the butter melted, cook fillets for a few minutes on each side, until blackened and crispy.

I felt like mine still needed a few minutes to cook at this point, so I put the skillet in the oven for a few minutes at 425 degrees. Cook until flaky.

Top with the pineapple salsa and serve with roasted veggies tossed with cajun seasoning.

Delicious!

Blackened Salmon with Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients
1 salmon fillet
1 tbsp butter

Cajun Seasoning:
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika
(Combine ingredients to create seasoning)

Pineapple Salsa:
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/4 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 red onion
1/2 jalepeno, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice

Directions
Mix together all ingredients for the pineapple salsa. If you’d like a finer salsa, process ingredients in a food processor until it’s reached desired thickness. Pour into a bowl, and let sit in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Cut the skin and brown meat off of the salmon fillet and chop into portion-sized pieces. Rub with cajun seasoning on both sides. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, melt one tablespoon of butter on the skillet and cook the salmon on each side for a few minutes, or until blackened. When both sides are crispy and dark, place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven for a 3-7 minutes or until cooked through and flaky (this will depend on the thickness of your fillet). Serve pineapple salsa over salmon.