Baked Salmon with Onion & Lemon

Good with: Chilled salads, rice, steamed vegetables
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cost: $4.22 per person
Adapted from the recipe “Baked Salmon Fillet” at Cooks.com

Prior to making this recipe, I’d never made fish beyond your typical frozen fish stick. I’m well aware of how nutritious and healthy fish is, but the delicate nature of it (flaky, light) has scared me out of cooking it until now. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and for two kids who were raised in the salmon-rich Pacific Northwest, Chicago is a desperate time (frozen salmon – the desperate measure). We wanted to start out with the basics, as the chances that we’d mess it up would be significantly lower.

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings

2 salmon fillets, fresh (you can use frozen fillets, but thaw them out in the fridge first for a day or so)
1 white or yellow onion, half diced, half sliced into rings
1 lemon
Salt & Pepper

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Cover a baking sheet with a layer of tinfoil. Place the fillets on the sheet, about 4 inches apart.

2. Top the salmon with the onions, and season with salt & pepper.

3. Cut 3-4 very thin slices of lemon. Take the remaining lemon and squeeze thoroughly over the salmon and onions. Lay the two lemon slices on top.

4. Bake for 20 minutes and serve.

Yaaaaaargh!: Keep a close eye on your salmon while it’s in the over. We had ours in closer to 25 minutes, and it came out a little dryer than we would have liked. Also, this is great way to use leftover fish. If you buy a larger fish (typically costs less than individual fillet would), you can use the leftovers to whip up a lunch (or a salad topper!) in under 30 minutes that costs less than a Happy Meal.