Power Foods Monday - Foil Roasted Salmon

The Spatularettes are bringing you a special edition of the power foods this week, because we just couldn't wait until Friday to share this recipe with you!  As we documented for you yesterday in Instagrams, Pam and I ran in Sunday's Rock N Roll Half Marathon here in Philadelphia.  And not to brag or anything... but I really think we rocked it!

We've been running together since college, so we've finally got the whole pre-race thing down to a science.  When you talk about dinner the night before a big race, everyone always thinks carbs, carbs, carbs.  But do you know what carbs, carbs, carbs equals?  Heavy, heavy, heavy!  The last thing I want to do the night before a long run is load my stomach down with slow-to-digest pasta!  Instead we turn to a balanced meal that incorporates all of the food groups!  And believe it or not, salmon has become our go-to staple the night before we race.

Typically I grill or sear salmon, but I've always heard rave reviews about roasting it in a foil packet, so Pam and I decided to give it a try!  And boy were we impressed!  I think this is going to be my new standard for salmon cooking.  It is quick, easy, and the salmon comes out of the oven with a huge pop of flavor!  And better yet, no crusty pans to clean up after dinner!

INGREDIENTS:

-6-8 oz salmon filet

-Seafood seasoning

-1/2 a lemon, sliced

-1 Tbs butter

-3 sprigs rosemary

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lay a sheet of foil out on a flat surface.  About 12 inches should do.  Place a salmon filet, skin side down, on the foil and generously season with your favorite seafood seasoning.  I use a salmon blend that I purchased at Pike's Market in Seattle last year, but any good one will work.  If you don't have seafood seasoning around the house, just sprinkle with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Slice a tablespoon of butter into 4 little pats and place them on top of the fish.  Next, lay 3-4 lemon slices down and top them with the sprigs of rosemary.  Fold the long sides of the foil up over the fish so they overlap and roll the short sides tightly to form a snug little packet.  Place the foil packet in the oven and bake for 18 minutes exactly.  Remove it from the oven and gently open the packet, being careful, as the steam is hot.  Allow the salmon to cool for a couple of minutes on the foil before plating.

We served our salmon with the most incredible mushroom risotto you can imagine.  The recipe comes from one of our favorite food blogs Eat, Live, Run.  The dish is rich and flavorful, but not heavy, so it made for the perfect pre-race carbs.  I've never made risotto before, but this one turned out so well, it is definitely something I plan to experiment with more in the future!

Even if you aren't running a half marathon in the morning, this power dinner will have you ready to face any of life's challenges!

XOXO,
Tall One