Egusi-Crusted Salmon with Lemon Herb Quinoa

Egusi — ground melon seeds — usually thickens the West African soup it's named for, but toasted and ground finer, it also makes a genuinely good crust for fish, with a texture somewhere between sesame and crushed nuts. Pressed onto salmon and seared hard in a hot pan, it turns golden and crisp while the fish stays tender underneath.

Salmon and quinoa both carry their own nutritional weight here, which is why this plate is tagged heart-healthy and gluten-free: there's no wheat anywhere in the crust or the sides, and the fish brings a solid dose of the same fats generally associated with heart health, without any breading to dilute it.

The quinoa is kept simple — just lemon juice, zest, parsley, and halved cherry tomatoes stirred through once it's cooked — so it stays bright and doesn't compete with the crusted salmon. The whole plate comes together in well under 40 minutes, which makes it realistic for a weeknight even with the extra step of pressing on the crust.