I really enjoy playing with different flavours on salmon. It's such a versatile fish! This meal was inspired by the #meetyourmakers event of a few weeks ago. I wanted to try to layer flavours, and I'm happy with the result.

Marinade:
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/8 c. olive oil
1/8 c. apple juice
1/8 c. soy sauce
1/2 tsp mustard

Salmon Fillets, 6 (thawed)
fresh lemon (for garnish zest)
green onions (for garnish)

Mix well, and marinate salmon as long as possible.
Cook at 425*F on a foil and parchment lined pan until fish flakes easily with a fork. Top with maple butter-cream sauce, lemon zest, and green onions.

Maple Butter-Cream Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 c. skim milk, warmed
1/4 c. half and half
1/4 c. maple syrup

Melt butter in small pot, and add flour, stirring until combined. Add warmed milk, and stir until a pudding consistency is reached. Add cream and syrup, and continue to stir, until warmed and thickened. Be sure not to boil the mixture hard as this will ruin the cream and cause it to curdle. Once the milk had started to thicken I turned my heat down to low.

We served this with steamed carrots and roasted potatoes, and fresh vegetables. The only problem I had with the maple sauce was leftovers- my boys didn't want to try it, so I was basically left with maple pudding, which would have been great added to something else, maybe chocolate chip muffins? But I didn't feel like baking, and ended up eating it for dessert a day or two later as pudding.

One of the things I will be trying to incorporate in 2015 is adding nuts into our meals- not just a handful on the side or as a snack, but added into the actual meal.
Tonight was an experiment, and we're super happy with the results. I had some leftover ground hazelnuts from the hazelnut eggnog loaf I made earlier today, so thought I should play with those. This recipe made everyone except my second son very happy.

500g. package of salmon
1 tbsp of ground hazelnuts
1 tbsp of your favorite fresh herb blend- I used garlicky-dill topper from Victorian Epicure
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter.

Soften the butter, mix in the nuts and herbs, and spread over your fish. Pop into a 400*F preheated oven on a foil-covered baking sheet. and bake until the fish flakes easily- mine cooked for 20 minutes exactly.

We served this with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables, and for dessert ate sliced apples and eggnog loaf.

I'm a Canadian girl, raised on real maple syrup. I like it so much I thought I'd try it on my favorite fish. This recipe will feed our family of 4. Both my older son and my husband will have seconds. We're serving it with steamed broccoli and roasted potatoes. This recipe is a Meals Maven exclusive.

680 g Salmon Portions (6 pieces)
1/4 c. no. 1 medium maple syrup
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/8 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black sesame seeds
6 green onions

Mix syrup, sugar, soy sauce, and onion powder together. Place thawed salmon portions into marinade. Flip periodically, making sure all salmon gets the flavour steeped in. Marinade for at least 1 hr. Don't forget to practice food safety! Marinade in the refrigerator! 

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and lay salmon across the sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Slice green onions in half and lay across each salmon piece. Bake for 10 mins at 350*, then increase the heat to 425*.

Cook until salmon flakes, 20-30 minutes in total.

Verdict: First son said "Great!" Second son didn't give me any useful words, but did convey that he thought it was awful. I'm not surprised. Husband said "Really good. Almost candied".
So there you go. We'll be making this again.