lightened up

My recipe for Sheet Pan Salmon, Bok Choy, and Sweet Potato Noodles takes only 20 minutes, start to finish. Tender, buttery, perfectly prepared salmon will make you salivate before it melts in your mouth.

Salmon is my favorite food.

For years, I’ve been telling people that my favorite food is Chocolate Chip Cookies. And maybe they are. I’m having trouble departing from that, but over the past year or so, salmon has slowly been inching its way in.

And maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe this is a sign that my sweet tooth is slowing down. Now that I find myself salivating over the idea of buttery, tender salmon, cooked so perfectly that it melts in your mouth… I guess my palate is maturing. I’m an adult now. Maybe.

The transition hit me by surprise. You see, I pretty much eat the same thing for lunch day in and day out, in phases. Months of arugula salad topped with quinoa, olives, broiled and chilled salmon. Then months of pan-seared salmon with a squeeze of lemon and a side of broccoli. Then back to the salad. Then back to the grill. I was eating salmon so much that I had to ask Google if there was such a thing as eating too much salmon. (If you’re wondering, the answer is no. You are not at risk of too many omega-3s or too much mercury exposure.)

And anyway, so then it hit me! If I’m not eating chocolate chip cookies every day, but I am eating salmon every day, could it be that salmon is actually my favorite food?

And now that I feel in full control of my salmon desires, and now that I know there’s no risk of eating too much, I’ve taken up making my own salmon at home. Starting with 20-minute Sheet Pan Salmon, Bok Choy, and Sweet Potato Noodles.

And for all the reasons I mentioned above for loving salmon, plus the fact that this recipe takes only 20 minutes to prepare, those are all the reasons I love this recipe.

Close your eyes. Lift a forkful to your mouth. Feel the way you anticipate that first taste, how it makes you salivate. Take a bite and let the feel and flavor slip over your tongue.

Here’s a pro-tip: You can pretty much swap in any other ingredients you want as long as you follow the cardinal rule of sheet pan suppers. (And I’m totally making up the fact that there’s a cardinal rule, but if there was one, it would be this.) The cardinal rule is 1:1:1 lean protein, non-starchy veg, and starchy veg. For example, fresh salmon, bok choy, and sweet potato. Or fresh salmon, broccoli, and butternut squash. Or pork loin, apples, and potatoes. (Actually, that’s kind of like starchy fruit + starchy veg, but the combo is outstanding, so I want to let you in on it anyway.)