Baked Salmon
Depending on how many folks you’re feeding, this will vary. I generally do 1-2 fillets at a time so that I can have leftovers later in the week. Planning to do 1 fillet per person is usually a good amount. You can do fresh, but I hit Sam’s Club and get a bag of frozen salmon fillets. If you’re lucky, they’ll have wild salmon fillets – those are the best. It’s not going to be cheap up front, but one bag will last you for a while, especially if it’s just you and/or two of you eating off of it.
If it’s frozen, take your fish out and thaw it. If you want to stay on top of things, throw a fillet or two in the fridge before you leave for work in the morning. If you’re like me and you don’t get home till late, throw the frozen fish in a bowl of water and it’ll be thawed in no time. I wouldn’t recommend defrosting it in the microwave, because it can cook in funky places and be tough.
What you’ll need:
· Salmon
· One lemon cut in half (pop it in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds then roll the lemon in between your hands to release more of the juice) **this is optional**
· Olive oil (I usually do 1 tsp per fillet)
· Your favorite seasoning/herbs or you can use a marinate (like Teriyaki sauce.. but that’s for another dish at another time)
· A paint brush (optional, but it makes coating the fish easy)
Preheat your oven to 350F. Coat your fish in olive oil and squeeze one half of the fresh lemon over the top. I love McCormick’s Montreal Chicken seasoning on this – or their Mediterranean Sea Salt spice mix. If you want to use what you like (I like oregano, red pepper, garlic, pepper, salt and citrus flavors). Cover the fish with the spices and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it flakes with a fork.
The Veggies
I really like green beans and squash with salmon…mainly because they don’t overpower the fish. Vegetables can be hard to incorporate into your diet, and so make it easy…
I grabbed some fresh yellow squash at a local Farmer’s market for super cheap, and I grabbed a bag of frozen green beans for about $1 at the grocery store. Frozen vegetables are great because they’re cheap, and they‘re sealed with a lot of their nutrients.
Get a microwave safe bowl and throw in the vegetables. (If it’s just one or two of you, a large cereal bowl will work for portioning). Season with garlic, pepper, and salt. Add about a teaspoon of water to the bowl and cover it with cling wrap. Using a fork, stab a few holes in the top of the plastic wrap and pop it into the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. This steams your vegetables really quickly and it can be a lot cheaper than buying the steam-in-the-bag brands.
The Potatoes
One large potato is probably enough for 2 people, but if it’s just you I like to use a smaller potato. It doesn’t matter the kind – yellow, russet, baking – they’re all good. The thinner you cut the potato, the faster it will cook! Leave the skin on for extra fiber, but make sure you scrub them good before you eat them. If you’re in a hurry, slice the potatoes very thin and toss them in a Tupperware container or a plastic storage bag. Use ½ tsp of olive oil (or melted butter) per serving. Toss in some rosemary and thyme (or another seasoning if you prefer). Seal the bag or container and shake away (this is great if you’re babysitting because the kids can help). When the potatoes are coated evenly, throw them on a baking sheet (or I use a sheet of tinfoil for easy cleaning) and bake at about 350-400F for 15-30 minutes (depending on how thick you cut them).
During the fall/winter time, you can swap potatoes out for different squashes – I really like butternut squash. Cut the squash up into chunks and substitute it for potatoes – it’s a great way to get more vegetables, and butternut is high in great vitamins J
Dinner tonight took me about 20 minutes and the clean-up consisted of three dishes and one cutting board.
Love from Nashville,
a
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