Baked Salmon

I created this simple and delicious baked salmon last Saturday during my best friend’s baby shower weekend. A few of us stayed in a house by Muir Beach where we enjoyed both the shower and a few days of much-needed girlfriend time. As is usually the case with girlfriend time we ate! And we ate healthfully too! This salmon was made with just salt, pepper, herbs de Provence, lemon, and green onion. Yep, that’s it. I added it atop some sautéed greens and quinoa to make it a complete and healthy meal.

This recipe feeds a crowd. The same instructions apply for small, individual-sized filets, but you may only need 8 -10 minutes. You can also make the whole recipe and use this as meal prep for ready to go dinners/lunches – put it on salads, in wraps, mixed with scrambled eggs and veggies, or in a bowl with quinoa, veggies and a dab of hummus.

Servings: 8 | Easy | Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes

Calories: 141 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 4g | Carbohydrates: 1g

Ingredients:

• 24 oz filet of salmon (with or without skin)
• 1 tbsp dried herbs de Provence
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 – 2 lemons
• 3 green onions/scallions

For the bowls:

• 4 cups Costco Quinoa salad (or quinoa, some veggies, and a simple vinaigrette – here’s copycat recipe)
• 8 cups baby spinach or power greens
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper
• Squeeze of lemon

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the salmon onto the parchment. If you filet is massive, cut in two and arrange side by side.

Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence. Zest 1 lemon and sprinkle evenly on the filet. Cut thin slices with the zested lemon (using about have the lemon) and place them on the filet. There can be some space in between the slices.

Slice the scallions into 2 inch strips (cut large bulbs in 1/2 or 1/4 lengthwise. Scatter evenly on fish. Pop into the oven for 20 minutes until flakey.

Bowl Prep:

Make your greens. Heat a large skillet to medium high and add the olive oil followed by the spinach, salt and pepper. Stir gently until the greens wilt down. Turn of the heat and squeeze 1/2 a lemon.

In each bowl, create a bed using 1/2 cup quinoa salad (or just quinoa), then 1/8 of the greens and top with 1/8 of the filet. Garnish with more lemon/scallion tops and some fresh parsley.

Variations:

• Roast a sheet pan worth of veggies tossed in 1tbsp olive oil plus a pinch of salt and pepper alongside the salmon. Mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, and potatoes are all great choices. If making potatoes, add them to the oven 10 – 15 minute prior to the fish and cut them into bite-sized pieces
• Add a little minced garlic to the salmon marinade