I used to avoid eating fish because I could never cook it - I thought it would be time consuming and complicated, and I didn’t understand internal temps or how to tell when a fish was fully cooked.
I went abroad to Copenhagen in 2012 and fell in LOVE with salmon.
Cut to me living in some of the best cities to get wild caught fish (Seattle and Boston) making it easy to purchase from fish mongers using sustainable fishing practices, and me learning about the benefits of fish in my nutrition masters program.
I’ve been making fish for years now (usually salmon or halibut) because it’s actually one of the easiest things to make. in the winter I bake it, in the summer I grill it, and both ways take 12-15 mins.
Try this baked salmon with fresh dill over mediterranean whole wheat orzo salad below! it’s balanced, full of color, and delicious.
ingredients
10-12 oz fresh salmon
2 cups uncooked whole wheat orzo
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper, oregano
2 diced bell peppers (1 red, 1 orange)
1 diced large cucumber
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
1 cup whole, unsalted almonds
1/2 cup feta
3 tbsp fresh dill
2 tbsp Italian dressing
recipe (makes 2 servings)
1. preheat oven to 425F
2. lay salmon filet on parchment paper, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and oregano
3. fold parchment paper around salmon and roll the edges to fully close salmon in the parchment pouch
4. place in the oven for 12-15 mins
5. while salmon cooks, add orzo to a pot of boiling water until cooked, rinse and drain
6. chop all your veggies
7. in a large bowl, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar to orzo
8. add all chopped veggies, feta and almonds
9. add fresh dill, 2 tbsp italian dressing and mix
10. plate salmon over orzo salad and enjoy!
cook time: 25 mins
nutrition per serving: 750 calories, 55g protein, 40g carbohydrate, 40g fat.