To butter or not to butter that is the question
By all means leave the butter basting step out. I’ve cooked salmon using this exact method without the butter a gazillion times and it’s gorgeous. So if for whatever reason you don’t want to use butter, just leave that step out. If you are butter inclined, it is a gorgeous addition, especially as it browns and turns nutty and gorgeous. It’s just another layer of flavour and that’s all that cooking is, just layering in flavour as you go.

Lentils
I love the ones that come in packets. The Merchant Gourmet ones are so good, you just bung them in the microwave and 2 minutes later you’ve got perfectly cooked lentils - like magic! At the weekend when I’ve got a bit more time (usually!) I will cook the dried ones as they are much cheaper. It’s not complicated at all and doesn’t take too long and if you do a big batch, dress them in olive oil, salt and pepper when they’ve been drained but they’re still hot you can use them for lunch throughout the week which is always a v good feeling.

A love letter to lemony yoghurt
Lemony yoghurt has to be one of the hardest working things in my kitchen. There just isn’t much that cant be improved by a little lemony yoghurt. I love scooping a few spoons onto a plate and piling with hot roasted vegetables, or loosening it a little more with lemon juice or hot water, adding some garlic and drizzling it on salads. Serve with roast chicken with some chopped tarragon thrown in and the chicken cooking juices….perfect for dunking roast potatoes in.

Avocado
You’re either someone who lives for avocado or you think it tastes like soap. That’s cool, I get it. I am the former but when I was pregnant I temporarily became the latter which was a strange experience. So if you don’t like it, leave it out! Don’t let it’s presence put you off making this dish, it doesn’t “need”it, it’s just a nice garnish that I think works really well. Salmon and avocado is a classic combination, it’s creamy fat meets creamy fat and there’s something very satisfying about that in your mouth.

Tomato salsa
As we say goodbye to the last of this years tomatoes, you can just about still get away with this is you make it this week. The trick is to peel your tomatoes, it’s one of those tiny things that makes a huge difference. Simply score a cross on the top of each tomato through the skin but not deep into the flesh. Add the tomatoes to a bowl, pour over some boiling water and leave the tomatoes for 30-60 seconds until the skin peels perfectly and easily off. If you can’t get your hands on any great tomatoes, salsa verde would also work beautifully with this or some cherry tomatoes cooked in plenty of olive oil and garlic. The combination of the herby lentils, creamy yoghurt and the crispy salmon is good enough on its own, though you could also add a handful of rocket leaves dressed in a sharp vinaigrette made with marinated shallots. So good!