Coconut Butter Salmon [Paleo, Dairy Free]

Coconut butter salmon is my favorite way to cook salmon. A mixture of coconut oil and coconut butter adds a rich flavor to salmon that tastes so decadent! This recipe requires minimal ingredients and cooks quickly, making it a perfect for both the weekday and weekend. Well hello my foodies! I apologize for my absence on the blog last Friday, but life happened- in the best of ways! I took the past week off work and was in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Fort Collins, Colorado to watch some of my favorite people get married. I ate amazing pork, sailed the ocean while drinking (many) rum drinks with grated nutmeg, enjoyed delicious craft beer, had an ice cream date with my friends, danced the night away, and laughed so, so much. It was perfect.

I spent Monday recovering from lack of sleep, and have my last day off work today. I started off by getting back in the gym, and plan on getting my life organized while cuddling on the couch with my puppy and cat all day!

While I enjoyed every bite and every drink I had while traveling, I am so excited to get back to my normal routine of eating nourishing foods, exercise, drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep. Not because I need to restrict or deprive myself after an indulgent week, remember that health is not about forcing yourself to eat vegetables and forcing yourself to exercise, but instead doing what makes you feel your best. I love moving my body by lifting weights and practicing yoga, I love eating all the vegetables and I love drinking all the water because those things make me feel good. I don't have guilt for drinking (lots of) alcohol or eating indulgent foods while traveling. When we attach negative emotions to food, such as guilt, we end up later restricting. And because a restrictive diet can only be endured so long, we end up overeating and again feeling guilty, and the cycle continues. I encourage you next time you go on vacation to enjoy and savor every delicious bite of food. I promise with that type of mentality you will stop when satisfied instead of overeating (and later restricting) because you feel like you should not be eating it.

So now that I am back from vacation, I will be adding this coconut butter salmon recipe to my meal plan soon! It is so easy to make and cooks within 10 minutes. Just mix the coconut butter and coconut oil together, pour over the salmon, add herbs and spices of your choice (I kept it simple and used dill, parsley and sea salt) and roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. The mixture of the coconut butter with coconut oil is creamy and tastes so rich! I often use the coconut butter and oil mixture on other types of fish and even to roast vegetables with as well.

Lately, I have been choosing Nutiva buttery coconut oil to make this recipe, but you can also use regular coconut oil. Both taste fantastic! You could even use grass fed butter in place of the coconut oil, but I would not omit the coconut butter, it is not replaceable.

I have discussed the health benefits of coconut oil in this post where I shared why I add it to my coffee, but you can also read all about the science-backed health benefits in this article by Well Being Secrets.

I enjoy pairing this coconut butter salmon with any and all roasted vegetables (like broccoli or Brussels sprouts) and pairing it with a carbohydrate source like my spicy coconut grits or curry mashed potatoes. These are both recipes I'll post on the blog soon! Recipe is loosely based off and inspired by this recipe by Peanut Butter Fingers.

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Coconut Butter Salmon

Coconut butter salmon is a decadent and rich way to enjoy salmon. Easy to make, quick to cook. Paleo, gluten free, dairy free.

Ingredients

• 8-10 oz salmon fillets (with or without skin)

• 1/2 T coconut oil (I use regular coconut oil or Nutiva buttery coconut oil, both work well)

• 1/2 T coconut butter

• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

• Sea salt to taste

• Optional: Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil and coconut butter. It may help to combine the mixture by heating it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

3. Place salmon fillets on cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Pour the coconut butter and oil mixture over the salmon. Add herbs and sea salt (and any other spices of choice, I love TJ's 21 seasoning salute in this dish).

4. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until salmon is cooked. The salmon should flake when a fork is inserted, and have a light pink color.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Peanut Butter Fingers.

I'll be back tomorrow with a discussion on the health benefits on kombucha, review of LIVE kombucha and a WIAW recap from today!

Nourish yo'self,

Victoria