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As a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who loves to eat a variety of delicious foods, THIS is the salmon dish that I've been yearning for in life. One that both salmon lovers and people who normally think that salmon tastes "too fishy,"can enjoy. This combination of wild-caught salmon - topped with olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, onion, lemon juice, thyme, and oregano - will make your taste buds smile. And it's really easy to prepare! To the point of being perfect for entertaining or when you've worked a long day but need a good salmon-fix. To read more about salmon, click here.
I adapted this quick and easy meal from Giada De Laurentiis's, Salmon Baked in Foil, recipe. It's too scrumptious not to share! I've made a few minor adjustments to this recipe. For example, I added garlic, used white onion instead of shallots (I wanted more of a pungent flavor), and used half the amount of oregano that the original recipe calls for. The original recipe calls for wrapping each piece of salmon in its own piece of foil - which I did. However, if you prefer not to wrap the salmon in anything, you could try baking this entree in a small baking dish and covering the entire dish with foil (Or parchment paper). I think the key would be using a small enough baking dish that the toppings/juices would stay directly on the four pieces of fish versus traveling elsewhere. Otherwise you could end up with a dry, tasteless meal.
Originally I paired this salmon dish with a side of garlic fettuccine and some roasted asparagus. And while I absolutely love garlicky pasta, since I had already seasoned the salmon with garlic, the pasta side dish didn't add much to the meal. With this in mind, I prefer to serve the salmon with a simple bed of rice. But have fun with this! You could also pair this fish dish with potatoes, your own noodle concoction, a hunk of bread, or fruit to fit some much-need carbohydrates into this meal (After all, our body NEEDS carbohydrates for energy).
I could go on and on about the importance of carbohydrates. But back to the salmon. The National Resources Defense Council has indicated that salmon fits into the "Least Mercury"group among seafood. Meaning that it contains one of the lowest amounts of mercury when it comes to the seafood selection that's out there.
It's also worth noting that if you're ever searching for certified sustainable salmon for this recipe, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)'s website will tell you which brands of salmon are sustainable and which grocery stores sell those brands. For more seafood recipes, check out my Shrimp Fettuccine in Tomato Wine Sauce, Garlic Baked Flounder with Spicy Napa Cabbage, and my Spicy Thai-Style Shrimp and Vegetable Soup! Happy cooking and eating!
Yield: 4 servings (Allow yourself to listen to your hunger/fullness cues)
Ingredients:
4 (4-5 ounce wild-caught salmon fillets)
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tomatoes chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (3 cloves)
1/2 cup white onion, diced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 pieces of aluminum foil
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush one side of each salmon fillet with the 2 teaspoons of oil. Season the salmon with 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt, and a dash of pepper.
2. Next, in a medium bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a dash of black pepper, tomatoes, garlic, onion, lemon juice, oregano, and thyme. Adjust to taste.
3. Now place one piece of salmon in the center of a piece of aluminum foil - oiled side down (If one side of your salmon has skin, place it skin-side down). Repeat this process with the other salmon fillets. Now scoop the tomato mixture on top of each fillet. Then - almost like you're wrapping a present - fold the sides of the foil over each salmon fillet/the tomato mixture so that you close it shut (To watch how to wrap the salmon in the foil, you can refer to Giada's video by clicking here, - which takes you directly to her recipe - followed by clicking directly on the salmon video that's displayed). Twist the ends of the foil as well so that the salmon is completely enclosed inside the foil packet (The ends of the twisted foil will take on the shape of a rope).
4. Place each completely wrapped piece of salmon onto a sheet pan. Bake until the salmon easily flakes with a fork (Around 25-30 minutes).
5. Using a sturdy spatula, either serve the fish on a plate - directly in its foil pouch - or transfer just the fish and its toppings to a plate. Serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy!