This recipe is a great “starter” for parents who would like to introduce seafood into their picky child’s diet. Fortunately it also happens to be a wonderful dish for all ages to enjoy - picky or not. The toasted sesame seeds provide a crackling crust and complement the flavor and texture of the salmon. Get your kids involved by having them coat the salmon sticks with the sesame seeds during prep. They’ll have as much fun as you enjoy watching your children savor a nutritious meal.

Sesame Seed Crusted Salmon Fish Sticks
By Jeff Murphy
Serves 4
Cook Time: 20 minutes

• 12 ounces of fresh salmon fillet cut into ½ inch by 4 inch pieces  
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix the soy sauce and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Dredge the salmon pieces in this sauce and then coat evenly with sesame seeds. Shake off excess sesame seeds. Heat a 10 to 12 inch nonstick saute pan. Add the salmon to the the hot pan but be sure not to overcrowd the pieces or salmon will steam and not toast properly. I typically saute salmon for ten minutes for every inch of thickness. In this case a “medium rare” would be about 3 minutes (1.5 minutes for each side) I enjoy serving these fish sticks over lightly sauteed garden vegetables but feel free to serve whatever side dish you like. Don’t forget to garnish the salmon with a little fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice, a nice fruity olive oil and a twist or two of black pepper.