In our obsession to be healthy, fit and trim, we will go to great lengths and sometimes do crazy things to achieve our goals. If the ultimate goal is to get healthy, shed pounds and lessen the chances for heart disease, diabetes and other conditions, the Mediterranean diet is a sound idea.
The Mediterranean Diet suggests eating less red meet and concentrating more on fish, chicken, legumes, grains, eggs, fruits and veggies. Healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil and canola oil replace butter.
The diet is based on the traditional way that people from Italy, Spain, Greece and other surrounding countries have eaten for years. Studies have found that those areas have fewer incidents of heart disease and other related conditions due to the healthier lifestyle.
This very simple salmon dish combines some of the classic flavors of the Mediterranean into one wonderfully light, incredibly flavorful dish. Cooking the fish in a foil package helps it stay moist, while the lemon juice, capers, artichoke hearts and other ingredients give the salmon incredible flavor.
This method of cooking in a packet or en papillote is more often done with parchment paper, but in this case, foil helps contain all of the ingredients better than paper would.
In case you’re unfamiliar with capers, they are the small flower bud of a plant, native to the Mediterranean. They taste like a lemony olive and enhance many dishes from salads to poultry and fish to pasta. Find capers near the olives at Reasor’s. They are also available at other local grocery stores.
Baked Mediterranean Salmon in Foil
- 4 (4-6 oz.) salmon filets
- Salt and pepper
- 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Lightly spray 7x11 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cut four pieces of foil, large enough to hold one filet each.
In a small bowl, combine diced tomatoes, capers, chopped artichoke hearts, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano.
Place each piece of salmon on a piece of foil and spoon sauce over. Fold sides of foil around salmon and seal tightly to enclose sauce.
Place foil packets in baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Makes 4 servings
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