If you love tasty and healthy meals but the last thing you want to do after a long day at work or with the kids is spend all night in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up, try this recipe for Simple Pesto Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packets. It’s so easy to put together and such a great combination – salmon (an abundant source of Omega-3’s – cha-ching!), a handful of asparagus, a smother of delicious pesto, and a drizzle of fresh lemon – wholly goodness, Batman.
These take barely any time at all to throw together, and when you’re done just toss out the foil – no messy pan or baking dish to scrub! That’s what I call one smart meal. Show us what ya got foil packets!
Simple Pesto Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packets
serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 2 salmon fillets (6 ounces each), preferably wild caught
- 1/2 a bunch of asparagus
- 2 Tbsp pesto, homemade or ready-made (Trader Joe’s has a great one in the refrigerated section)
- 1 lemon
- olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400° F
- Wash the asparagus, trim off tough ends, and cut into 2 inch pieces
- Cut lemon in half setting aside half for later
- Cut off 2 sheets of heavy duty foil, each about 14 inches long
- Place half the asparagus in the center of each piece of foil
- Season salmon on both sides with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and place on top of asparagus (if using salmon with skin, place skin side down)
- Spread 1 Tbsp pesto over each piece of salmon, drizzle with olive oil and squeeze 1/2 lemon over both
- Bring the edges of foil together and scrunch up to make a “tent” (the packet should be well sealed but have space left at the top to steam the food), here’s a step by step visual for making a foil packet
- Place foil packets on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your fillets
- Remove baking sheet from the oven and let stand for a minute before carefully opening to check if the salmon is cooked through
- Serve packets on plates as they are with remaining 1/2 lemon cut into slices, or carefully unwrap them before serving
- Serve with cauliflower mash, roasted potatoes, quinoa, or side dish of your choice
Enjoy!