Simple Lemon Salmon

I have a confession to make, and as a self-proclaimed, “food blogger,” this is going to be a bit shocking.

I really despise making dinner.

There I said it.

As wonderful and sensitive as my husband is to the fact that I spend sun-up to sun-down chasing and pouring all of my energy and love into our two toddlers, the topic of dinner is still unavoidable. But these days, if I had the time to stand in the kitchen and cook a gourmet meal, I’d probably opt to nap instead! Apart from creating breakfast and lunch and snack menus for the boys each day, and making sure everyone is getting all the milk and fruit (and let's be real, veggie straws) that they need, our schedule is absolutely packed. There’s speech therapy and play groups, camp, doctors appointments, hospital visits and more. By the time dinner rolls around this Mama just wants to go to sleep.

Just sounds like a ton of complaining and excuses right? * insert sad emoji here *

I know, I’m constantly posting food pics on Instagram, so what’s with this new revelation? I love to bake and use it as my outlet. Some people run, some just need some alone time, but I relax by kneading dough and shaping challahs or getting a tray of muffins or cookies into the oven and filling the apartment with the smell of homemade goods. And Shabbos almost feels magical. I can create and prepare the entire menu, without feeling any dread at all. But, weekday dinners… Ugh!

But, what can you do? Everyone’s gotta eat. In the end, we eat “breakfast for dinner” way more than I care to admit and there’s always pasta, homemade pizza or crock pot dinners that save the day. But recently I’ve started to up my game a bit.

We’re at this weird point now, where for the first time in two years there isn’t a baby to tend to. The boys are beginning to test independence and are actually able to sit and play or flip through books, or keep busy with Play-Doh and the like on their own! I’m never far and for the most part right there, taking part with them, but this ability to sit back and watch them grow has been both mesmerizing and bittersweet. It's given me the opportunity to step back into the kitchen and produce more than purees. 

With our busy schedules and life moving at a million miles a minute, I’m always looking for something quick and simple. By quick and simple I mean, what we have in the pantry, what requires the least amount of bowls/prep work and dirty dishes in the end, and what can be accomplished in the span of one Paw Patrol episode #reallife. 

This salmon recipe has answered the, "what's for dinner?" question countless times now. I feel weird even calling it a recipe. I will say though, that the day I made a broccoli quiche and this salmon for dinner I legit felt like a rockstar. I’m pretty sure I was glowing as I brought it to the table AND it was ready before my husband got home. * cue confetti * 

The spice blend I use here is my new go-to ingredient in the kitchen. It’s graced chicken, veggies, meatballs and more. I found it at Costco and now can't imagine not having it in the pantry. I even keep a ziplock bag of it at my parents' house! We buy the large bag of individually packed salmon fillets, also at Costco, which defrost super quickly and are great to keep in the freezer to have on hand for simple dinners. Can you tell we’re huge fans of Costco?

So here it is! I’ve prepared this for both the oven and the barbecue. For the latter, I place the fillet of salmon on a sheet of aluminum foil, prepare it the same way, wrap it up, and my husband leaves it on the top rack of a propane BBQ for approximately 20 minutes while grilling the rest of dinner on the bottom. Effortless and delicious, just make sure it’s completely sealed so it doesn’t leak or burn! You can also use this recipe and add a handful of vegetables to the grill for a complete meal (maybe with some pasta and bread added too, because carbs).

I've also swapped out the lemons for limes, and have made this over tilapia as well as salmon! The combinations of flavours compliment fish perfectly!

What I’ve posted here is for two 230g fillets of salmon. Also, our oven is a little temperamental, so adjust the baking time/ temperature to how you best like your fish prepared!

Hope those of you who also have difficulty getting up the energy to make dinner will find this helpful, and it gets everyone fed and happy… Until you have to do it all over again tomorrow!

Lemon Garlic Pepper Salmon 

Serves 2-3

2 fillets of salmon, 230g each

2 lemons

4 TBSP olive oil

4-6 TBSP Roasted Garlic and Peppers spice blend (for this recipe I used the Club House Signature    

   Blends mix) 

If necessary, defrost salmon fillets.

Slice lemons into approximately 1/2-inch wide slices.

Place fillets on a lined baking sheet (or on aluminum foil, if barbequing)

Drizzle 2 TBSP of oil over each fillet.

Sprinkle 2-3 TBSP of roasted garlic and peppers spice blend over fillets, until there is a thick coat covering the fillet.

Arrange one layer of lemon slices over spice blend.

Pierce lemon slices once or twice each to release a bit of lemon juice.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until done and flakey. 

Enjoy!