Salmon in Sweet and Spicy Carrot Sauce

Yoga star Kathryn Budig is known for her ability to make yoga accessible and playful through her teaching and writings, but her skills extend beyond the yoga mat — all the way to the kitchen. Below, she shares her recipe for salmon.

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Carrots meet fish in this summer dish. (Photo: Cynthia Groseclose)

I was recently in New York speaking at an event for my management company. It was an amazing event with their fantastic clients (a.k.a. powerhouse women and athletes) followed by a delicious meal at my favorite place on earth (well, on my top 10 list): ABC Carpet & Home. We ate at ABC Kitchen and they served us gorgeous farm-to-table food that made healthy seem un-healthy and simple seemingly decadent. My favorite course was this amazing salmon with a spicy yet sweet carrot sauce. I spent the entire meal breaking down its components in my mind, determined to recreate it as soon as I got home.

My obsessiveness paid off and this dish is to die for. Simple, gorgeous, and a big-time winner. Bon appétit!

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(Photo: Cynthia Groseclose)

Ingredients

4 filets wild salmon
14 carrots, peeled
½ cup canned light coconut milk
2 teaspoons sambal olek (Indonesian chili paste)*
¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 inch ginger root, peeled
¼ cup basil leaves
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
¼ cup olive oil or coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
Sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper, to taste
Coconut oil spray

*if you can’t find sambal olek (rather common these days in the Asian section), you can replace it with chili paste or hot sauce.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix peeled carrots with olive or coconut oil and maple syrup/paprika combo. Place onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until soft when pierced. Reserve 4 carrots and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Place the 10 remaining roasted carrots into a high-speed blender with orange juice, ginger, sambal, and coconut milk. Puree until smooth and taste for any needed salt and pepper.

Spray a grill pan and both sides of your fish with coconut oil. Bring to high heat. Sprinkle your salmon with salt and grill on each side for roughly 4 minutes to keep the inside slightly pink (which I personally prefer).

Transfer a ladle of sauce into a shallow bowl and plate your beautiful fish on top. Garnish with basil, reserved carrots, salt, and pepper.

Kathryn Budig is a yoga teacher, author, and the founder of AIM TRUE. Find more healthy recipes on her blog.

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