Salmon is famously heart-healthy, which makes it a popular choice for a seafood meal.

The average American consumes more than three pounds a year of the fatty fish, according to the National Fisheries Institute.

Who can blame us? Not only is salmon a source of complete protein, it’s also chock-full of Omega-3 fatty acids — “healthy” fats that have been shown to do the body good by reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure.

The firm-fleshed fish is also pretty easy to find in most grocery stores (both fresh and flash-frozen), and can be cooked in so many different and exciting ways — you can pan-fry, roast, grill or poach the rosy-hued fillets, and also turn them into fish cakes — that it never gets boring for the adventurous cook.

In this recipe, we build a meal around chopped dates, the classic, ancient superfood featured in “Hot Date! Sweet & Savory Recipes Celebrating the Date” by Rawaan Alkhatib.

Dates — a tropical stone fruit from date palms — are known for their versatility and flavor, and are naturally sweet and high in fiber and antioxidants.

Here, they provide the base for a tangy-sweet marinade that offers a lovely depth of flavor.

Garlic and Dijon mustard play supporting roles, along with white miso, a paste made from soybeans that have been fermented with a large portion of rice. It adds a savory umami.

Between marinating and cooking time, the dish takes only about 30 minutes start to finish, and the accompanying asparagus is roasted alongside the fish on a parchment-covered baking sheet. That means dinner is both quick and relatively mess-free.

If you don’t care for asparagus, substitute another vegetable such as eggplant or zucchini.

You also can swap out the fish — trout and cod fillets work well with the marinade. I didn’t have any malt vinegar, so I used apple cider vinegar.

When choosing salmon, look for fillets that appear moist with shiny skin.

If you can, opt for wild-caught salmon, especially from Alaska. Atlantic salmon is typically available year-round, and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a mild flavor.