Maple Glazed Salmon

A recipe specially created for cancer patients by an oncology dietitian at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, to be enjoyed by everyone!

Red, rich, protein-laden salmon glazed with pure maple syrup and a bit of fresh ginger makes a perfect cancer-fighting entrée the whole family will love.

Lean and high in protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids, it’s recommended that we eat fish twice a week. Salmon is especially high in protein and omega-3s, which may help lessen inflammation, important to patients undergoing cancer treatment, as well as lowering the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia, and arthritis.

Protein repairs our bodies and is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. A four-ounce serving of salmon provides up to 58 percent of a person’s daily requirement of protein.

We carefully choose our glaze ingredients for their health benefits too: Maple syrup is rich in essential minerals such as zinc, important to lowering the risk of prostate cancer; and ginger is known to help digestion, reduce nausea and fight other conditions like the flu and common cold.

Even though it costs a bit more, we recommend purchasing wild fish whenever possible since farm-raised fish are believed to contain higher levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a pollutant that can cause health issues when consumed in excessive quantities.

Also, certain fish are higher in mercury than others, and should be eaten less frequently. Among these are swordfish, tilefish, shark, king mackerel, marlin, and tuna. Learn more about seafood selection and safety at this U.S. Food and Drug Administration site.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. wild salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces (we used Red Sockeye from Alaska)

Glaze

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lite soy sauce (or tamari sauce for gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1 large clove garlic, minced (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Turn oven to broil.
2. Combine glaze ingredients in small bowl.
3. Place salmon on baking pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Brush salmon with glaze.
4. Place salmon six inches from broiler and broil for 10 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice. Note: Brown rice needs to simmer 45 minutes, so plan ahead if you serve brown rice with the meal. Broccoli takes about 5 minutes to steam and can be prepared while salmon is broiling.

Makes 4, 4-ounce servings.

Nutritional Information

One 4-ounce serving of salmon: 221 calories; 5.0g total fat (0.8g saturated, 2.0g polyunsaturated, 1.4g monounsaturated); 146mg sodium; 76mg cholesterol; 14g carbohydrate; 0.0g fiber; 13.3g sugars; 29g protein; 475mg potassium.