Healing Foods: Steamed Salmon and Roasted Asparagus with Mustard Dill Sauce

I have done a fair amount of research about foods to eat while undergoing chemo to cook for friends as they go through it. During chemo, it is important to fuel your body with high protein, nutrient rich foods to help stave off the extreme fatigue and nausea that often accompanies the treatment. To strengthen the body to prepare for treatment, and to sustain the body in the days post treatment, healthy eating is essential (even when you feel that you can't tolerate more than a few bites). This salmon dish is a delicious, nutrient dense way to give your body excellent sources of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin K, niacin, selenium and tryptophan. Asparagus is an excellent source of folate for heart health, and potassium. This recipe is a gift from the World's Healthiest Foods website (reprinted with permission from George Mateljan, its founder.) I prefer roasted asparagus to steamed, which is in the WH Foods recipe, so I have adapted the asparagus dish here to roasted with olive oil and sea salt. This dish is wonderful hot or cold (for both the fish and asparagus). With gratitude to George Mateljan, and to my dear friend Glenn who enjoyed this dish, I am happy to introduce you to this wonderful healing recipe.....

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pound salmon filet, skin and bones removed and cut into 4 pieces
1+1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 bunches asparagus, bottom fourth removed
1+2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and white pepper to taste

Mustard Dill Sauce
4 oz. silken tofu
1 TBS prepared mustard such as Dijon
4 TBS fresh dill chopped
1 TBS honey
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Snap off tough asparagus ends. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spread asparagus stalks on sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes. Asparagus should be crisp tender. Remove from baking sheet to serving plate immediately.

Put all sauce ingredients except olive oil in a blender and begin to blend on high speed for about one minute. While blender is running, drizzle olive oil in a little at a time. Set aside.

Rub salmon with 1 TBS lemon juice and season with a little salt and pepper. Place salmon in a steamer basket over 2 inches lightly salted, boiling water. Steam until pink inside, about 3-4 minutes. Place salmon on a plate with asparagus and pour desired amount of sauce over it.