Blackened Salmon Sandwich

From EatingWell: April/May 2006, EatingWell Serves Two — Subscribe Now!

Blackened salmon is great in a sandwich with a spread of mashed avocado and low-fat mayonnaise plus peppery arugula leaves, cool tomato slices and zesty red onion. We grill our Cajun-style salmon so there is no need for any added cooking oil. Catfish makes an excellent stand-in for the salmon but you'll want to use a grill basket if you have one to keep the fish from breaking apart.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This is a tasty and easy recipe. I think you could use any rub you like and it would turn out great. My husband doesn't like cajun seasoning on fish as he think it makes it taste more fishy. But I would still use a spicy rub. Also added...

4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 pound wild salmon fillet, (see Ingredient Note), skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions
2 teaspoons blackening or Cajun seasoning
1 small avocado, pitted
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
4 crusty whole-wheat rolls, split and toasted
1 cup arugula
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Preparation

Oil grill rack (see Tip); preheat grill to high.
Rub salmon on both sides with blackening (or Cajun) seasoning. Grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Mash avocado and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
To assemble sandwiches, spread some of the avocado mixture on each roll and top with salmon, arugula, tomato and onion.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient note: Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska, California, Washington and Oregon) is considered the best choice for the environment. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp).
Tips: To skin a salmon fillet, place salmon on a clean cutting board, skin side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long, sharp knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding the skin down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.
To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray.

Nutrition

Per serving: 414 calories; 14 g fat (2 g sat, 6 g mono); 65 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 6 g fiber; 775 mg sodium; 756 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (24% daily value), Potassium (22% dv), Vitamin C (18% dv), Folate (15% dv), good source of omega-3s.

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat (mono)