Hey Bloggies. Well this week I have not one but two Giada recipes and these I can share with you because they are on line! After all of the heavy holiday eating (and ahem…drinking), I was thinking I would whip up something really light. (Sidenote: I made this dish January 8th). I obviously turned to Everyday Italian, the cookbook I am working my way through. I decided to make Salmon Baked in Foil and as a side Broccoli and Green Beans. This meal was seriously delicious!
Salmon Baked in Foil (from Giada’s Cookbook Everyday Italian)
Ingredients
3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 5 ounces each)
I halved this recipe, making salmon for just 2 instead of 4. In addition, I cheated all the way and used the can diced tomatoes and the dried herbs, just trying to be economical folks.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
In the center of each of four large sheets of aluminum foil, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Place 1 salmon fillet atop each sheet of foil and turn to coat with the oil. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the remaining 1 /2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely, and seal the packets closed. Place the foil packets on a large, heavy baking sheet. (The salmon packets can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake.)
Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve. (You may want to unwrap and plate the fish in the kitchen before serving.)
Broccoli and Green Beans (from Giada’s cookbook Everyday Italian)
Ingredients
Salt
8 cups of broccoli florets (about 2 pounds including the stems)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste (I left this out)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook just until the color brightens, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain teh broccoli and set aside.
Cook the green beans in the same pot of boiling salted water just until the color brightens, about 4 mintues. Drain, then add the green beans to another large bowl of ice water to cool completely. (The vegetables can be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead. Dry thoroughly and refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag.)
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. When almost smoking, add the garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes, and saute just until fragrant and the garlic is pale golden, about 45 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the oil and discard (do not overcook the garlic as it will impart a very bitter taste to the dish). Add the broccoli, green beans, and 1/2 teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper to the oil, and saute until the vegetables are heated through and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with more red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve immediately.
My take on the meal
Overall this meal was delicious. The salmon was especially A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Tender, flavorful, so tasty. The vegetables were very good as well, but I felt it was a lot of work for broccoli and green beans. I have a couple of other recipes that I use that are much simpler and I’ll probably stick to those! They complimented the salmon well though.
Post in comments:
What’s your favorite salmon recipe? Or flavor profile?
