We tried to get salmon or tuna in our diets at least once a week. A good quality fresh wild salmon is treat, not only is it nutritious but delicious and sustainable. We are lucky here in Northern California to have access to really good salmon from Alaska and locally caught on the American River specially in the warmer months. I really think good salmon doesn’t need a whole lot of seasoning to make it delicious. This recipe has lots of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, basil pesto, a little cheese stuffed in the cavity of the fillet and baked It has an Italian-Mediterranean vibe and perfect for warm summer nights with a chilled Rose. I like an extra spark so I topped it with caramelized onions+ lemon zest for some extra zing, makes a delicious weeknight meal.
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Spinach Stuffed Salmon, SERVES 4
Ingredients
- 2-3 large pieces of salmon fillets, preferably center cut, about 1½ lbs
- 2-3 tablespoons strong cheddar cheese or ricotta for milder flavor
- 1 lbs bag of frozen organic chopped spinach, squeezed and drained
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup regular basil pesto, homemade or jarred
- generous pinch of chili flakes or use much as you like
- Sea salt to taste
- Cracked pepper, a few turns
Caramelized Onion Sauce for the top
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 shallots or 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice plus zest of one whole lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 wedged lemon
Instructions
- Place the salmon fillets on a cutting board and carefully cut a pocket in the fillet, being sure not to go more than 3/4 of the way through.
- Add the spinach to a large skillet and cook on medium heat for just a minute until the spinach has wilted and some any remaining moisture has evaporated.
- In a bowl stir together the basil pesto, cheese, chopped spinach and chili flakes. Spoon the mixture into each of the pockets in the salmon.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
- Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking tray and place in the oven.
- Bake at 350 °F for 15-20 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness and type of salmon. I like my salmon just cooked and soft to the touch. There’s nothing worse than overcooked salmon in my opinion.
- Heat a frying pan or skillet on medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chopped shallots and garlic and leave to cook for 4-5 minutes until the shallots begin to soften and turn slightly golden. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Before serving spoon the sauce over the salmon fillets and garnish with chopped parsley and extra lemon wedges.
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