Maple Walnut Salmon with Cinnamon Mashed Yams and Roasted Zucchini & Squash

This salmon recipe is a work in progress, inspired by my boyfriend's creation. I've been playing with the oil to syrup ratio and experimenting with other ingredients like cinnamon, soy sauce and garlic. This concoction works well and is quick and simple to make. I suggest using real maple syrup because it's better for you than the high fructose corn syrup-based fake stuff, though I must admit, all we had in the fridge tonight was my roommate's butter-flavoured Aunt Jemima, and that worked just fine! Feel free to substitute sweet potatoes for yams; I just used yams because that's what I had in the kitchen. Flavour wise, I think they taste about the same; if you have any wise words on the differences between yams and sweet potatoes, please pass it along, I'm curious!

This meal is off the charts in the omega-3 department thanks to the salmon and walnuts, so prepare to have a happy heart, brain and immune system! Yams are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and B6. Rounding out your meal with the zucchini-squash medley adds about half your Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin A. So eat up, and give yourself a pat on the back for being so healthy!

Salmon marinade (for 2 4-oz. filets):

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp canola oil

3 grinds each of fresh pepper & kosher salt, or 1/4 tsp of each

1/4 cup walnuts

Cinnamon mashed yams (2 1-cup servings, plus some leftovers):

3 medium yams, cubed

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 grinds each of fresh pepper & kosher salt, or 1/4 tsp of each

1 medium squash

1 medium zucchini squash

1. Whisk together syrup, oil, salt & pepper for salmon marinade. Brush onto fish, coating each side well. Sprinkle with walnuts and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Cube yams and throw them into a big pot. Pour in about 2 cups of water. Cover & cook over medium-low heat until they're soft enough to mash with the back of a big spoon. 

4. Slice zucchini and squash into half-moons about an inch thick (my 3rd grade teacher taught me to use the first joint of my thumb to gage the size of an inch, so I always measure things in thumbs.) Toss them into a pan at least 2 thumb-joints deep and sprinkle with enough water to create a very shallow layer at the bottom--I use this trick as an alternative to oil when roasting veggies to keep them fat-free. Sprinkle with a little s&p, and throw in a little crushed red pepper if you're feeling frisky!

5. Arrange the salmon on a baking sheet, and bake both the salmon and squash medley for about 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a knife. 

6. Your yams are probably nice and soft by now. Drain them & return them to their pot. Stir in the butter as you mash, then add the milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt & pepper. Leave the lid on the pot to keep them warm while the rest of your meal roasts.

7. Serve the salmon on a big ol' pile of mashed yams, and be sure to try a bite of each together--yum!! 

nutrition facts (1 4-oz filet; 1 cup mashed yams; 1/2 squash & 1/2 zucchini):

calories 878;  fat  37.4 g;  saturated fat  12.5 g;  cholesterol 82mg;  carbohydrate 99g;  fiber 11g;  protein 32.5g;  vitamin A 25% RDA;  vitamin C 155%;  calcium 31.6%; iron 18%