Salmon Packets

Cooking anything inside of a packet is easy, gives all the ingredients tons of flavor, and it's pretty foolproof. I made salmon packets a little while ago and though I don't care too much for salmon (I think it's the most boring fish) it came out wonderfully. For this process you can substitute in any type of protein and vegetables you prefer - it's just more about the method than anything. I'd suggest chicken, tilapia, or even tofu.

Ingredients [per packet]

1 salmon filet

1 slice of red onion

2 slices of lemon

3 or 4 asparagus, cut into 3" pieces

1/2 roma tomato, quartered

2 mushrooms, sliced

salt & pepper, to taste

+ parchment paper or aluminum foil

**other delicious vegetable ideas: bell peppers, sugar snap peas, broccolini, baby corn, baby carrots, etc.

I started by prepping the vegetables - cut everything into bite-sized portions - and I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.

Next, I assembled the packets. I like using parchment paper rather than aluminum foil because foil seems to tear way too easily and the reflectivity of the metal makes me question my cooking times and temperatures. First, I laid out the parchment. Then I placed an onion slice on the bottom and placed the salmon filet on top of the onion and drizzled it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then I added the rest of the vegetables on top (lemon slices directly on top of the salmon) and then wrapped up the parchment.

Here's a diagram of how I wrap the packets. As you can see in the photos above, I like to start by bringing the two ends of the parchment together and then rolling it down tightly. Then I follow the instructions below:

See? Tada! Place the packets on a baking sheet.

And cut little vents in the paper using scissors to let the steam out. Otherwise, they might explode! Okay, probably not, but it's a good idea nonetheless.

I let the packets bake for about 25 minutes before removing them from the oven. I opened them carefully (watch out for steam!) and assembled the ingredients neatly on my serving dishes.

Beautiful!

I served my meal with the Israeli couscous from yesterday's post.