December 15, 2025

Perhaps you’ve had your fill of turkey. Your evenings are busy with holiday preparations. You love the  idea of a clean meal, simply prepared. Tender roasted salmon topped with a walnut green olive pesto is the answer to your question of what to eat for dinner on the quick.

While your oven is heating, you make the pesto and then pop the salmon in for baking. Salad and steamed vegetables round out this easy meal. Now you can get back to holiday business with a satisfied belly and tastebuds.

Roasted salmon topped with seasonal, colorful, creamy and crunchy stuff is my go-to meal for something easy when company’s coming. Pick seasonal sides and you simply cannot fail.

Improvise to your taste. Less green olive means more walnut. Use other nuts like pecans or pine nuts. Black olives are a good substitute. Obviously if salmon is not your thing, use your favorite fish fillets.

use a little less green olive if you want a less assertive taste

place the fillets close together when applying pesto, then separate – less messy, more equal

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian Christmas Eve tradition for many folks.  I cooked this Italian seafood feast a few years ago and invited friends who also lean pescatarian. All things considered, I could easily eat seafood three times a day. On my annual vacation to the Eastern Shore, this goal is easily accomplished.

Next time I plan for seven seafood dishes to celebrate the holiday, I’ll add this easy fish entree.

Salmon with Walnut Olive Pesto

recipe by Michele Humlan, The Good Eats Company

makes four servings 

ingredients

four 6 ounce skinless salmon fillets
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
green olives stuffed with pimento, finely chopped, ½-¾ cup *
grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
fine sea salt
white or black pepper, finely ground
* use smaller amount for a milder olive taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place salmon fillets close together on oiled heavy sheet pan – not insulated.
3. Close together means less messy and more equal application of pesto.
4. Combine walnuts, olives, parmesan cheese and olive oil to make a paste.
5. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on salmon fillets.
6. Tamp down equal amounts of the pesto onto the salmon.
7. Separate the fillets, adding pesto bits back to the surface of the salmon if fallen.
8. Bake for 10 minutes.
9. Serve immediately.