Meals for Beautiful Skin: Salmon on a Bed of Sauteed Spinach

• (2) 6-8 oz. wild-caught Alaskan salmon fillets (frozen is acceptable as long as it's not farm-raised)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. The Spice Hunter Mesquite Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

• 1 lb. of fresh or frozen spinach (whole leaf instead of frozen blocks of chopped spinach produces superior results)
• 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, pref. roasted
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 shakes of Herbes de Provence

Combine olive oil and lemon juice in a glass baking dish and marinate salmon for half an hour. Can be refrigerated for up to several hours, if needed. Drain excess liquid from salmon, and pat Mesquite Seasoning all over the fillets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The salmon fillets are done when they flake and become opaque in color inside. Be careful not to overcook, as this will dry out your salmon.

Alternative: You may poach the salmon using the same seasonings, if you prefer.

Sautée onions in olive oil over low heat until the onion is translucent. Using low heat will prevent the oil from transforming from high quality fats into low quality trans fats. Add spinach, garlic, sea salt, sugar, Herbes de Provence, and bay leaf. Sautée for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep check on moisture, adding enough water occasionally to prevent spinach from sticking.

*Important: Remember to take the bay leaf out before serving the spinach, so the bay leaf does not pose a choking hazard for you or your guest.

Voilà! Serve the salmon fillets over a bed of spinach, surrounded by a ring of rice, if desired, for a beautiful presentation.

Salmon - contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids that fights free radicals that damage the skin and cause wrinkles. Omega-3 fatty acids also help prevent collagen breakdown. I do not recommend farm-raised salmon as a substitute for wild-caught, as farm-raised salmon does not contain the same high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids as wild salmon.

Lemon juice - contains Vitamin C, which supports the body's ability to manufacture collagen and effectively utilize the collagen protein.

Spinach - contains Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which reduces the tendency of surface skin cells to pile up, producing thickened scales on the skin, such as occurs in certain skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.

Onion - contains the anti-oxidant quercetin, and sulfur, which supports damaged collagen fibers.

Olive Oil - contains an excellent essential fatty acid profile, high amounts of Vitamin E and sulfur. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant that protects skin cells from cell-damaging free radicals.

Garlic - contains sulfur. It also contains selenium, a powerful anti-oxidant,which retards cellular aging due to oxidation.