Salmon is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It's bursting with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It may help reduce the chance of developing heart disease and Alzheimers. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends eating some type of fatty fish at least twice a week.

Salmon is easy to prepare, easy to find, and so delicious. The mild, sweet flavor and smooth, buttery texture of salmon make it a favorite with kids and adults alike.

There is some controversy over contaminants in farm-raised salmon. Some of the feed that the captive salmon eat can be more polluted, while wild salmon eat a diverse diet. If you're concerned about this, try to find wild salmon. Look at food co-ops for organic salmon, and ask your grocer about the source. Even if you can only find farmed salmon, nutritionists say that its proven benefits, including reducing heart disease, outweigh the unknown risks from pollutants.

You can use salmon fillets or salmon steaks in any of these recipes. The steaks are larger than the fillets so they will take more time to cook. Remember the classic rule: fish cooks about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. And the doneness tests include: opaque flesh, flesh flaking when twisted with a fork, and flesh that springs back when pressed. Some people enjoy salmon when it's cooked to medium or medium-rare, but I like my salmon cooked well done. I'm concerned about food safety issues, even though when salmon steak or fillet is seared on the outside, the inside should be sterile. If you like your salmon cooked to medium or less done, reduce the cooking time in these recipes.

Enjoy these recipes for salmon. And you can learn more about cooking it to perfection in How to Cook Fish. Oh, and cook a couple of extra salmon filets or steaks. They're fabulous in recipes like Salmon with Fettuccine, Salmon Tacos, Salmon Patties, or any recipe that calls for canned salmon.

Salmon Fillet Recipes