It is SPRING! And that means eating outdoors at every single chance! With warm weather, means easy casual Sunday meals gathered with the ones I love! Last year I did a mini series of Sunday Supper Club, and this Spring I wanted to bring it back with the meals my family loves most and the meals I find easiest to make and feed a crowd. Plus easy leftover ideas make cooking at home easy, affordable and of course healthy!
THIS IS THE SUNDAY SUPPER CLUB! AND YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED.
This week, a warm weather take on our favorite Sheet Pan Salmon!
Salmon Nicoise Salad!!!
Hands down one of the reasons why I LOVE this salad is that it can be served warm or cold. Served immedietly or made ahead, chilled, assembled and served later. The perfect fancy picnic fare, and with kids and toddlers, picnics are my current favorite way to dine. As a parent I get a minute to enjoy my meal while the kids run around. Plus after this past year at home, forcing a toddler to sit during an entire meal is not worth the battle. Fun for all, plus this meal allows little hands to grab what they want.
INGREDIENTS
For the Sheet Pan Salmon:
Salmon Wild Caught, whenever availability & budget allow, otherwise, buy what you can. Frozen works as well, individual fillets or a large 2.5lb piece like I show here. Leaving skin on when you can,
Sea Salt
Red Onion, sliced
Lemon, sliced
Butter, cut into pads…slices…hmmm, just cut pieces
Dill, preferred….shown is Green Leaf Fennel from our garden, still delightful!
Side of Roast Vegetables…Green Beans (we went with Aparagus), small or fingerling potatoes…anything you feel your family will eat!.
Olive Oil
Parchment Paper, preferred…Tin Foil works as well…and if you happen to be all out of both, just cook on a pan…the parchment and foil will lock in moisture, allowing for a more succulent fish. But don’t let that stop ya :)
For the Salad:
Greens : we used Frisee straight from our garden
Capers
Pitted Olives
Cherry Tomatoes
Boiled Eggs
Lemon Wedges for squeezing and an easy dressing. Ceasar Dressing also pairs so well with this
To Make
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
On a sheet pan (my favorite one being this one due to it’s over-sized capacity and lip around the edges that hold it all on)…lay down a sheet of parchment for large salmon fillets…for individual sized fillets, you may want to make each their own little pack.
Now layer…salmon, skin-side down. Sprinkle with salt, to your personal liking). Place in this order: onion slices, lemon slices, butter pads…and top with dill or other fragrant herb (reference photo above)
On the side, place additional vegetables to roast. I toss mine with a bit of olive oil before roasting.
Cover and seal with another piece of parchment, or if using smaller fillets fold and roll edges together to make little packs.
Depending on the thickness of your salmon, and your preferred level of done-ness…bake for 8-15 minutes. I typically buy salmon with a 1”-1.5” thick-ness, and prefer a medium finish. For the fillet above I cooked it for 8 minutes.
Remove pan from oven & turn on broiler (this will give a good crispy top to that peppered salmon and also help finish those additional vegetables).
Open up salmon packs or remove top layer of parchment, and gently brush off all the toppings from your salmon (onion, lemon, dill)…keeping them on the pan.
Place pan back into the oven, and finish in the broiler. About 8-12 minutes, until you feel your salmon has crisped up a bit. Feel free to flip those vegetable half way through to prevent burning.
Then time to assemble your salad. I place greens down first, then salmon, then groupings of potatoes, asparagus, tomoatoes, boiled eggs, olives, and top with capers and more dill or fennel!
Whether this is a picnic to go, or a meal on your table, I think you’ll be surprised at the positive response!
And should you be lucky enough with left overs, a herb cream cheese salmon bagel is always a favorite in our household! Happy Sunday Friends!
HEALTHY FUN FACTS!
Not only is this so simple to make, but salmon is also packed full of Omega 3s! Omega 3s are not only great for your skin and eye health, but they can also help fight inflammation and autoimmune diseases…improve bone and joint health…and help reduce symptoms of Asthma and ADHD in children!