Last year I had the amazing opportunity to cruise through the waters of Alaska. I saw whales and seals right up close, enjoyed the scenic views of the Tracy Arm Fjord and eating Alaska seafood! Of course I will always have my memories, but a great way to remind me of my experience is to whip up the occasional meal using delicious Alaska seafood. There's nothing quite like bringing the flavors of a place you've visited into your own home to keep the memories of a vacation alive!
Alaska provides a natural environment with cold water that produces seafood that is naturally lean, with a firm texture and superior flavor. Did you know that Alaska supplies nearly 60% of the nation's seafood, with 90% of North America's salmon coming from Alaska? Knowing that, I'm glad that the fishing methods in Alaska are practiced with strict conservation in mind as well as the State Constitution - this ensures that delicious Alaska seafood will be enjoyed for generations to come, and we can all enjoy it with a guilt-free conscience.
I know some people are often intimidated to cook seafood at home, for fear of not properly cooking it, but it's actually much easier than you'd think! Of course, it's pretty good for you too! Alaska seafood is full of high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, and oils that are essential to maintaining good health. Foods high in protein (such as salmon) help maintain healthy muscles, provide energy, boosts the immune system, and may even aid in weight loss. Alaska seafood is also low in saturated fat and sodium and one of the best sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids!
Alaska seafood is available fresh, frozen, and canned year round. With so many mouthwatering seafood options, there's sure a variety to suit every taste and cooking method. Alaska seafood offers five species of salmon, several varieties of whitefish including Alaska Pollock, Black Cod, Halibut, and more, and numerous shellfish species like King Crab, Dungeness and Snow crab.
Mmmmm. Sockeye Salmon. Yum! I headed out to buy some to make dinner for the family and had to go to three different grocery stores before I could find it! If you see "Atlantic Salmon" in the seafood section of your grocery store, RUN. Salmon don't swim in the Atlantic ocean. It's code for "farm raised," salmon and those fish don't have all the same nutritional goodness that wild caught Alaska salmon do.
Sockeye salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality protein, selenium, phosphorus and potassium. Sockeye salmon are so desirable not just because of the nutritional benefits, but their rich, red flesh and their distinctive, rich flavor.
I love buying smoked Alaskan Sockeye Salmon because it's so versatile. You can just open the package and eat it on top of crackers, throw some into am omelet, or flake it over pasta or rice. It's a great option for a quick and easy dinner on a busy night!
To make this easy Smoked Salmon Rice Dinner, follow this easy - and FAST - recipe!
Smoked Salmon Rice Dinner
Simple Sockeye Salmon Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 smoked sockeye salmon fillet
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus stalk ends cut off
- 1 cup quick-cooking white rice
- teaspoon olive oil
- garlic salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and add asparagus, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes. Once cooked, chop asparagus into bite sized pieces.
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Cook your rice according to package directions. Most take about 5 minutes to cook in a covered pot.
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Add cooked rice to a bowl, top with asparagus and add your smoked sockeye salmon on top!
Pretty simple, right? It's such an easy recipe and it's full of delicious, nutritious stuff!
If you're looking for a more elaborate dish, try cooking up a Sockeye Salmon filet with roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus. It's still quite simple to cook and the results are like what you'd expect from a restaurant dish!
Simple Sockeye Salmon Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 uncooked Alaskan Sockeye Salmon filet
- 1 cup of fingerling potatoes quartered
- 1 bunch of fresh asparagus chopped into bite sized pieces
- olive oil
- garlic salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
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Lay raw Alaska Sockeye Salmon filet in a baking dish, arranging potatoes and asparagus around it.
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Drizzle with olive oil, garlic salt and pepper.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
See how easy that was? It's a little more involved than the Sockeye Salmon rice bowl, but still takes under 30 minutes from prep time to eating time!
The Alaska seafood website goes into great detail for each of products they offer, and shares information on size and specs, harvesting methods, flavor and texture, and more. They also share recipes and preparation tips, so go check it out!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Robin (Masshole Mommy)
We're not a seafood eating family, but I know there are a lot of people drooling over this right now.
Cassie
This looks so good! I need to find this for our next seafood night 😀
vanessa: BriteandBubbly
That looks so tasty. We love Salmon. That's one of the few seafoods we eat. We'll have to try this.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle
That looks delicious. I love the taste of smoked salmon. It's got such a wonderful... something... about it.
Lindsey @ Redhead Baby Mama
Yum! And it's preseasoned, too! I love my salmon RAW - I get that from eating too much sushi. I love the way it tastes.
Dawn
I love smoked salmon. It's so good for so many things. I've even had it in dip!
Catherine S
I bet the cruise to Alaska was amazing. I would love to visit Alaska. This recipe looks really good, I can't wait to try it.
Theresa
My husband loves seafood, but since I don't eat it, I am never sure if it is cooked properly, so I don't make it often. It's good to know that it's really not that difficult to make without messing it up!
Liz Mays
Salmon sounds amazing. I'd love to try this Alaska salmon. It looks so fresh and delicious!
Jennifer E.
I looks like you and I traveled on a similar cruise - isn't Alaska and the Fjords just breathtaking? While I love seafood I'm not a salmon fan. Your dish looks very yummy, so I might have to give it a try again.
Kecia
I didn't realize Atlantic Salmon wasn't as good as Alaskan. Thanks for that tip -- I know what to pick up at the supermarket now!
Ann Bacciaglia
These Salmon recipes look so amazing. I will have to try them he next time i make Salmon.
Marcie W.
We love salmon and actually eat it as often as we can even though I only purchase fresh, farm raised varieties. I would love to visit Alaska someday and enjoy all of those fresh catches!
Gina
Now I am hungry and I don;t even like salmon. You are making me want to try it again. Like I always tell the kids, you taste buds may have changed. Looks good.
Tracey
These are great recipes. If I could afford it, I would eat smoked salmon every single day.
Jenn
The cruise was life changing!! We even saw an Orca swim right next to our balcony! Salmon is one of my favorite kinds of fish, I hope you like it too!
Jenn
Yeah, also if you see "Brown King Crab" it's the same thing - it's farm-raised and does not have the same nutritional value. I live in Miami and eat mostly the fish we catch ourselves, but of course we don't have access to Salmon or King Crab. Farm raised fish might taste okay, but it's the things the fish eat in the wild that make them so healthy! The farm raised stuff will really gross you out if you look into what they are fed...
Anne - Mommy Has to Work
We're not a seafood family here. But I'd love to visit Alaska!
Debbie Denny
I would love to cruise there. Salmon is one of my faves.
Christie
That looks so flaky and juicy! I would have thought you brought it home from Alaksa, alright!
kristin
That looks so yummy. I love salmon.
Ora Lee Gurr
The sockeye salmon rice bowl will make my family very happy. I hope you get the opportunity to visit Alaska again soon. Meanwhile, thanks for the great pictures and recipes.
Jeanine
I'm not a seafood fan but even I think this looks lovely. My husband is a huge seafood fan and I know he would kill for Alaskan Salmon!
Rosey
The name evokes streams and wildlife and beautiful scenery, lol. I"m projecting my own opinion of Alaska here, lol My daughter in law LOVES salmon. That's her go-to meal for holidays.
Megan @ C'mon Get Crafty
Halibut is a little too fishy tasting for me, but I LOVE Sockeye salmon!! It is so delicious!
Jessica (Savory Experiments)
It looks lovely! We love eating seafood at home. It cooks so fast and needs so little preparation that it is a perfect weeknight meal.
Camesha
These all look lovely. I miss eating salmon. My daughter rejects all seafood! Ugh! I've stopped cooking it so much. Salmon used to be a staple around here.
Raymond Faulkner
Beginning with a one pound filet to serve two I place the salmon in a Pyrex dish and use a 50/50 marinade of soy sauce and (real) maple syrup and bake at 425F for 20-25 min depending on thickness.
Stephanie
Hubby and I also went on an Alaskan cruise last year. It was really great, although next time we visit Alaska, definitely no cruise ship.
We both love salmon though, and can't wait for it to be in season again (easy to get it fresh, too, living in the Pacific Northwest). I've never tried smoked salmon though, and I"m definitely craving salmon now.
Miz Helen
Brings back wonderful memories of our time in Alaska and the freshest salmon! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen