5:30 Challenge: Paprika pan grilled salmon

Paprika Pan Grilled Salmon

To make the meal

Red Pepper and Caper Sauce

Sautéed kale

Adding a spice rub is an easy way to elevate a simple sautéed fish fillet from humdrum to extraordinary. The cooking is so simple that you’ll have time to put together a sauce such as the Red Pepper and Caper Sauce described here that goes perfectly with this rub. Fill a second skillet with sautéeing greens and you’ve got a healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes.

For the Red Pepper and Caper Sauce, in the jar of a blender, combine 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Process until smooth. Leftover sauce keeps for a week in the refrigerator and is delicious over roasted potatoes.

Take the 5:30 Challenge. If you have a great-tasting main-dish recipe that uses no more than five ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes or less, tell us. (Salt, pepper, water and oil for greasing a pan don’t need to be included in the ingredient count.) You can also suggest a side dish if it can be made within the same time. Send recipes with your name, address and phone number to fivethirty@ajc.com.

Paprika Pan Grilled Salmon

Hands on: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cumin, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Rub both sides of the fillets with this mixture.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Place fillets in pan and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn fillets, lower heat, and continue cooking until just done, 4 to 6 minutes depending on thickness.

Per serving: 223 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 34 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 88 milligrams cholesterol, 114 milligrams sodium.