Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 6-7 ounce skinless salmon fillets, cut in half lengthwise


• salt and pepper


• approx. 1/4-1/3 cup sesame seeds


• olive oil for sauteing


• 2 medium beets (plus 3-4 more for roasting for another use to make better use of the oven)


• water


• 2-3 Tbs soy sauce and olive oil for dressing roasted, sliced beets


• 3-4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)


• 2-3 tsp wasabi paste or 1-2 tsp wasabi powder (or more to taste)

PROCEDURE:

Plan ahead and roast the beets in a 350 degree oven, in a baking dish with ¼-1/2 inch of water in the bottom with a tight seal of aluminum foil over the top. Depending on the size of the beets, they can take around an hour or so to roast.

After the beets have cooled down and before you cook the salmon, you need to peel the beets and thinly slice them and toss them with a little soy sauce and olive oil and set them aside.

As far as the wasabi goes, you can buy it in two different forms, either in a can in a green powder or in a tube in a paste form and the paste is probably more readily available. Add 2-3 tsp of that to a bowl with the room temperature cream cheese and mash that in.

For better presentation of the salmon, cut each 6 or 7 ounce skinless fillet in half lengthwise and then fold it over on itself and use a wooden toothpick to secure the ends. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and firmly press both flat sides into a plate of sesame seeds.

Use a nonstick pan, on medium high heat with a splash of olive oil, to cook the salmon on both sides until they're are crisped up and the salmon is cooked to your liking. Stay with this and adjust the heat if you need to so the sesame seeds don't burn.

These shouldn't take more than 5-6 minutes to cook through and, when the salmon is cooked to you're liking, turn the heat off, take the toothpicks out and serve them on a plate with some of the sliced beets and the wasabi cream cheese and spoon a little of the soy and olive and beet juice around if you like.

HINTS:
Boil the beets with the skin on instead of roasting. If the beets you buy come with the beet greens attached, rinse those and chop them up and steam them to serve with a simple dressing of soy sauce, olive oil and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.