I have a confession to make: No, I don’t dress up as Wonder Woman at night... or do I? But seriously, doing dishes is my worst nightmare. Like Freddy Kruger level nightmare, ya feel me? I do a LOT of cooking, and according to Kevin, when I cook it’s like the apocalypse has started and we had to evacuate in a hurry.

I always make a giant mess. I’m talking food on the floor, the dog is full from me dropping stuff, dishes for days and anything from mustard to flour to chocolate smeared all over my face and in my hair. I mean, I have to taste test the stuff! When I’m not creating new recipes for the blog, I still need to cook dinner for the fam. On the days when I’m strictly typing on the keyboard I don’t want to make a mess, but I do want to eat something simple and at least partially healthy. This one-pan salmon is perfect for those days. This recipe is simple, there’s minimal cleanup required and is extremely versatile. In the summer, you can use zucchini, corn and peppers; in the fall and winter, root vegetables; and in the spring, asparagus and peas.

I find the sage pesto is a nice change from the classic basil type, and it pairs beautifully with the root vegetables. But hey, you do you.  If you’re not a fish lover, you can use chicken breasts and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 (5- to 6-oz) salmon fillets

3 small beets, halved

2 carrots, chopped

1 small to medium sweet potato, diced

12 baby potatoes, halved if larger

12 Brussels sprouts, halved

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sage pesto:

1 cup fresh sage leaves

1 cup baby kale

⅓ cup toasted pistachios

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt

crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup grated Manchego cheese

fresh lemon juice, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425ºF. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, baby potatoes and Brussels sprouts with olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are slightly tender. Meanwhile, make the pesto. In a food processor, combine sage, kale and pistachios and pulse until finely chopped. Add Parmesan and pulse again. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Remove veggies from oven and push them to one side of pan. Put salmon on the other side. Rub a few tablespoons of sage pesto over each fillet. Return pan to oven and roast for 10 to 20 minutes more, until salmon reaches desired doneness and veggies are soft. Remove pan from oven and top each fillet with some Manchego to melt. If desired, squeeze a drop of lemon juice over salmon. Serve with roasted veggies and extra sage pesto alongside.