Pecan Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

 John did the last round of meal planning and I have to admit I was a little intimidated when I read the title of this recipe on the list of things we were making this week.  How was I possibly going to have time to make a crusted salmon while watching Roman during the day?  However, once I read the recipe all my fears melted away. 

This recipe is quick and simple but tastes incredible!  I prepared the breading and sauce in advance and left it in the fridge until I was ready to crust the salmon.  This way I wasn't trying to chop and measure with a kid hanging off my leg.  I decided to leave the honey out when I made it so that we could share with Roman, and instead used a bit of brown sugar to replace the sweetness of the honey.  I can only imagine how delicious this would be when made with the honey mmmm.

Pecan Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon
4 - 4oz salmon fillets
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3T Dijon mustard
1 1/2T honey
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup bread crumbs
4t chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl mix together oil, honey and mustard.  In another bowl mix together bread crumbs, pecans and parsley.  I prefer to use Panko bread crumbs because they have a great crunch and don't become soggy when baked like traditional bread crumbs.

Place salmon fillets on a parchment lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Pour honey mixture over top.  Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.  Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

I know I found this recipe somewhere online (Once A Month Meals I'm guessing) but I can't for the life of me find it online anymore. This dish could easily be turned into a freezer meal by simply crusting the fish as the recipe says then popping the baking sheet in the freezer.  Once the fish is frozen you can wrap each portion in plastic wrap then pop them in a freezer bag.  When you want to cook the salmon just thaw and bake as the recipe directs.

I decided to serve the salmon on a bed of rice and vegetables and topped it with a hollandaise sauce.  Now that may sound fancy but in reality it was a package mix and all I had to do was add butter.  A restaurant looking meal that is super easy to make is always a win in my book!