Back in our prime, my fiancé and I usually ordered takeout. I know, not healthy, not financially responsible and my poor Italian mother is probably saying to herself “Oy Gevalt!” while she is reading this (Yes I know that’s Yiddish, but she says it regardless).
It was hard when we both worked late and were on the road. When I had the time I would try to order Instacart for grocery delivery in between meetings, but at the end of the day, I didn’t have the energy to cook a meal. We did have a stint with Sunbasket and loved the food, but my fiancé said he was losing feeling in his fingers from all the chopping I was making him do.
Side note- if you don’t have one already, please get what we like to call the Chopinator, your hands will thank you and your chopping needs will be met!
Now that I have more than enough time, I have been cooking... every single meal. Thanks to most restaurants being closed during Covid, I now wear the chef hat in the house. Don’t get ahead of yourself, I’m still sticking to easy and efficient recipes because if I’m being honest, being in charge of making three meals a day is fucking exhausting.
I’ve done a crazy amount of research on different types of recipes and I stick to healthy foods (for the most part). I also end up changing them a little bit based on what we like so I’ll be sharing the good recipes I find along with my personal notes!
First up is one of my favorites… I make this once a week and it’s so simple and scrumptious! It’s baked salmon in foil with garlic, lemon, and rosemary. One of the best simple, yet healthy recipes. Baking the salmon in foil makes it so juicy and flavorful! I got this recipe from Well Plated.
Baked Salmon in Foil
yield: 6 SERVINGS ( I don’t know if this is true really. We just do 2 filets of salmon for the two of us).
prep time: 15 MINS
cook time: 15 MINS
total time: 30 MINS
INGREDIENTS
2 pound side of salmon — boneless (skin on or off, depending upon your preference), wild caught if possible. See my note above about quantity!
5 sprigs fresh rosemary. I luckily have a garden with fresh rosemary and I love cutting sprigs from my plant for this dish. Makes me feel like i’m a straight FARMER!
2 small lemons — divided, plus extra for serving as desired. I always use more than 2 though… up to you!
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic — peeled and roughly chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. (I’m lazy so I probably never do that first step… you’re fine. No one plans their life 10 mins ahead of time.) Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with a large piece of aluminum foil.
Lightly coat the foil with baking spay, then arrange 2 sprigs of the rosemary down the middle. Cut one of the lemons into thin slices and arrange half the slices down the middle with the rosemary. Place the salmon on top.
Drizzle the salmon with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Rub to coat, then scatter the garlic cloves over the top. Lay the remaining rosemary and lemon slices on top of the salmon. Juice the second lemon, then pour the juice over the top.
Fold the sides of the aluminum foil up and over the top of the salmon until it is completely enclosed. If your piece of foil is not large enough, place a second piece on top and fold the edges under so that it forms a sealed packet. Leave a little room inside the foil for air to circulate.
Bake the salmon for 15-20 minutes, until the salmon is almost completely cooked through at the thickest part. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your salmon. If your side is thinner (around 1-inch thick) check several minutes early to ensure your salmon does not overcook. If your piece is very thick (1 1/2 inches or more), it may need longer. I also don’t know how long an inch is when it comes to food… however I end up always cooking a little bit longer than 20 mins for most of the cuts I’ve cooked.
Remove the salmon from the oven and carefully open the foil so that the top of the fish is completely uncovered (be careful of hot steam). Change the oven setting to broil, then return the fish to the oven and broil for 3 minutes, until the top of the salmon and the garlic are slightly golden and the fish is cooked through. I ALWAYS FORGET TO DO THIS AND IT’S IMPORTANT! Watch the salmon closely as it broils to make sure it doesn’t overcook and the garlic does not burn. Remove the salmon from the oven. If it still appears a bit underdone, you can wrap the foil back over the top and let it rest for a few minutes. Do not let it sit too long—salmon can progress from "not done" to "over done" very quickly. As soon as it flakes easily with a fork, it's ready.
To serve, cut the salmon into portions. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs or top with an extra squeeze of lemon as desired.
Let me know what you guys think of this recipe! Back in the day, I was honestly scared to death of making fish in fear that it would stink up my place and be seasoned incorrectly and just be a gross fishy mush. This recipe has shown me the light! BRING ON THE FISH!