Salmon-Vegetable Bake

It struck me the other day that, although I eat lots of fish all summer long, once cooler cooking weather hits, I abandon fish in all it's wonderful, healthy goodness for soups, stews, chilies, pastas, and casseroles.  As a great source of protein and healthy fats, I am trying to commit to integrating more fish into our autumn and winter recipe stash.

Recipe: (I've noticed that, thanks to the wonderful variety and quality of internet recipes I've been hunting, I've sort of neglected my cookbooks.  I thought I'd give them a little love with this gem, pulled from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook: Bridal Edition.)

1 pound fresh or frozen skinless salmon, cod, or flounder fillets (I used salmon.)
2 cups thinly sliced carrots (4)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (Which, as you can guess, I omitted.)
1/2 cup sliced green onion (2)
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel (I got to use my citrus zester!)

2 teaspoons snipped, fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic, halved
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium oranges, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh oregano (optional - none for me)

1. Thaw fish if frozen.  Rinse and pat dry.  Cut into four serving-size pieces if necessary; set aside.  In a small saucepan cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling water for 2 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

2. Tear off four 24-inch pieces of heavy foil.
3. In a large bowl, combine carrots, mushrooms, green onion, orange peel, oregano, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic clove halves.

4. Divide vegetables among the four pieces of foil, placing vegetables in center of each piece.

(Definitely make sure to get equal amounts of vegetables, especially garlic, in each packet.)
5. Place one salmon piece on top of each vegetable portion.  Drizzle one teaspoon of oil on each.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper; top with orange slices and, if desired, a sprig of oregano.

6. Fold salmon into foil packets, completely enclosing food but allowing space for steam to build.  Place the salmon packets in a single layer in a baking pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender and salmon begins to flake when tested with a fork.

(Major bonus of foil packets: easy clean-up!)

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 252
Total Fat: 10 g
     Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 59 mg
Sodium: 393 mg
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 26 g
(Plus a huge portion of the recommended daily values of Vitamins A and C, vegetables, fruit, and lean meat.  Information provided in cookbook).

Verdict:
Love me some salmon!  This was fairly easy to prepare, very easy to clean-up (with no fishy smell in your house after), and extremely enjoyable for the palate.  The salmon was moist and tender.  The carrots were tender but not mushy.  And everything had a slightly savory, slightly sweet flavor thanks to the combination of spices and oranges.  You may remember that early in this blog, I shared another recipe for preparing salmon in foil packets - we still love that one, but this is a close second!  And although I left out the mushrooms this time, I just had a brainstorm: the individual servings are separate!   Next time I can put mushrooms only in my packet.  This is the best compromise meal ever.

Served with a side of last weeks herbed bulgur and lentil salad, this was a colorful, healthy, tasty meal!