Baked Salmon with Cucumber Salad

Baked Salmon is a simple, healthy dish and so easy to prepare in just minutes.   I love pairing it with this cucumber salad because it gives this dish a great crunch and texture.   We eat a lot of fish in my house and salmon, in particular is one fish that we have a few times a month.  It’s high in omega fatty acids (very good for you) and tastes so good.

I know there are some of you out there who are afraid to cook fish because it’s so easy to overcook.  That leaves you with a rubbery dish that no one will want to have again.   But trust me when I tell you that cooking fish in the oven like this recipe calls for, is so simple.  And my advice is to under cook rather than over cook and you’ll always end up getting it right.

Aside from being a really nice regular dinner for your family, it’s a great dish to make for a dinner party or special lunch.  It goes great over salad and can be prepared ahead of time and be ready to pop in the oven when company arrives.

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

• 6 salmon fillets about 1 ½ inches thick
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
• zest from 1 lemon
• ¼ cup plain bread crumbs
• salt and black pepper

For the Cucumber Salad:

• 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped into small chunks
• 3 green onions, all white and some of the green sliced fine
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (you can use dried)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Begin by making the cucumber salad. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

You are now ready to make the fish.

Sprinkle a little olive oil on the bottom of a cookie sheet to prevent the salmon from sticking. Then lay the fillets down making sure they have room between them. Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, lemon zest and bread crumbs.

Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes. I generally bake fish fillets for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

Once salmon is cooked, you can let it cool for a minute or so and serve with a dollop of cucumber salad on top. Enjoy!