Inspiration: I’ve mentioned before that I like to plan at least two seafood meals per week. I recently decided to make sure that one of those meals each week was a salmon meal,  so that means that I’m on the lookout for great salmon recipes! I have a few old favorites, like this seasoned salmon with dill, but I’ve found that I have many more whitefish recipes up my sleeve than I do salmon. So I’ve been hunting around and have a few new recipes in the queue.

What we Loved: Well, I can say right away that this salmon recipe was a huge success and will be added to our short list of favorites. It was just what I was looking for! The fish had a nice, crispy brown crust, and we absolutely adored the light and tart flavor of the lime combined with the richer flavor of the butter. The cauliflower rice was probably the best cauliflower rice I’ve made, and it was the absolute perfect compliment to the fish. It was incredibly light with the cilantro and lime flavors, and it soaked up the browned butter sauce from the fish so nicely. This entire meal tasted just like summer to me, and I mentioned to B that it would be perfect cooked on the grill and served up outside at our patio table alongside a caipirinha. Goodness. I’m counting down the days already.

Helpful Hints: This is a fantastically straightforward and simple weeknight dinner, so I really don’t have any advice other than to try out the cauliflower rice, if you haven’t! It’s incredibly light, healthy, and easy to make if you have a food processor, and I really prefer its delicate vegetable flavor to that of heavy white rice. Even if we were still eating carbohydrates, I think I’d use cauliflower rice instead, anyway!

Lime Butter Salmon with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Source: Salmon recipe adapted from The Deen Brothers

For the Fish
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small limes, + 1 small lime for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 salmon filets

For the Rice
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 small lime
Kosher salt and black pepper

1. Add the butter and the juice of two small limes to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until melted.

2. Add the cauliflower to a pot, and steam until just cooked, approximately 5 minutes. Drain and keep warm in the covered pan.

3. Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Season both sides of each salmon filet with salt and pepper. Gently pour some of the lime butter over each side of the salmon, patting with your fingers, and then place the salmon in the pan. Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes per side, until the fish is cooked through and crispy on the edges.

3. While the salmon is cooking, use your ricing attachment on your food processor to grate the cauliflower. Add the cilantro, the juice of 1/2 lime, and some salt and pepper to the rice. Stir to combine.

4. Serve the cauliflower rice topped with the salmon. Drizzle a bit of any remaining lime butter over the salmon. Serve each plate with 1/2 lime to squeeze over the entire meal, if desired. The extra lime juice is highly recommended, because it really takes the lime flavor in this meal over the top!