Yes, you can make Christmas Dinner in about 30 minutes. Air Fryer Cranberry-Mustard Salmon is simple, quick, special, and delicious. The salmon comes out of the air fryer moist and almost melt-in-your mouth tender (you can also make the salmon in the "regular oven"--just cook it at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes). The recipe is elegant and pretty enough for company. You can use whatever cranberry sauce you have available to make the topping for the salmon. I generally make my own, using the recipe on the back of the cranberry bag but substituting orange juice for the water called for in the recipe and adding a tablespoon or so of fresh minced ginger (from a squeeze bottle!). Even canned cranberry sauce will do, but use the "whole-berry" version rather than the jellied stuff. While the salmon cooks, you can prepare a pot of rice in about 15 minutes and microwave a green vegetable (broccoli? asparagus?) to go with the meal. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Cranberry Mustard Salmon -- Serves 4
4 salmon fillets, each 5-6 ounces
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 cup of whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (smooth or grainy--you choose)
2-3 chopped green onions
Line your air fryer basket with a double-thickness of aluminum foil, placing the foil on the bottom of the basket and about 2-inches up the sides of the basket. This aids in removing the cooked salmon and makes cleanup simple. Spritz the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the salmon fillets on the foil, spacing them a little apart from each other, if possible, and skin-side down on the foil. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon, total, of each is plenty for us) and then the onion powder. In a cup, mix the cranberry sauce and Dijon well until combined. Divide the mixture among the fillets and spread it out to cover the tops of the fillets. Put the salmon-filled basket in the air fryer and set the temperature to 360 degrees. Air fry the salmon for 10-15 minutes or until cooked to your liking--check the salmon with the point of a knife to check to see if it's done enough for you. Some people prefer their salmon less cooked. We prefer our salmon "well done," so I usually cook ours for about 13 minutes. Remove the salmon from the air fryer using the aluminum foil as a sling to lift it out. Sprinkle the salmon with the green onions before serving it.
