Baked Salmon with Asparagus and Lemon Butter

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Trim the woody ends from 8 asparagus spears and rinse them thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels.

Mince 1 garlic clove and zest half of the lemon. Cut the lemon in half, reserving one half for juice and the other half for slices.

Pat the 6 oz salmon fillet dry with paper towels. Place it skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and half of the lemon zest. Brush this mixture over the salmon fillet.

Arrange the asparagus spears around the salmon. Drizzle them with a small amount of olive oil spray and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Slice half of the lemon thinly and place 2-3 slices on top of the salmon. Squeeze 1 tsp of juice from the remaining lemon half over the asparagus.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

While the salmon is baking, prepare the lemon butter sauce. In a small saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter over low heat. Add the remaining lemon zest and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Stir in 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill.

Halve the 4 cherry tomatoes and add them to the baking sheet during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Remove from the oven and drizzle the lemon butter sauce over the salmon and asparagus.

Season with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper before serving.