Super-Easy Lemon Salmon with Fluffy Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli

Salmon is probably one of the easiest fish to work with. I buy mine from IKEA, frozen and filleted. This way I do not need to clean the fish

or debone it. When I was a kid, my grandfather and I used to go to IKEA and we would always order Salmon with its authentic lemon sauce. At the time, salmon was very hard to find in Turkey. We always had hamsi or seabass at home and salmon at IKEA for me was a restaurant quality dish. 

My father is not very fond of salmon therefore whenever we go to a fish market, we always end up buying hamsi. Therefore, when my parents are away, I always pop some salmon out from the freezer and prepare myself a tiny feast. 

I cannot emphasise how easy it is to cook salmon. I know that aluminium foil is not the healthiest equipment however it is very easy to clean afterwards. We always have those lazy days that we don't even want to think about the dishes that we have to clean afterwards. Plus, if you don't use aluminium foil every single day, it is okay to be lazy sometimes. 

So, here is the Super Easy Salmon in Foil Recipe with Fluffy Quinoa recipe: 




Yields 2 servings
Ingredients:
For Salmon in Foil:
2 salmon fillets (125 grams each)
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Fresh thyme (optional)

For Fluffy Quinoa:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)
1 cup water, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Steamed Broccoli:
1 head of broccoli
special equipment: Microwave steam bag. I use Koroplast. 

Directions:
1. Prepare the marinade for the salmon. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, the zest, salt, pepper and fresh thyme if you are using. 

2. Put the salmon in the marinate and coat it using your hands. Let it marinade for 15 minutes but it is better if you marinate for it at least 1 hour.

3. Take a piece of aluminium foil and place one of the salmon into the middle. Drizzle some of the marinade on top. Close the aluminium foil and put on a baking tray. Repeat this step for the next fillet as well.  

4. Bake it in the oven for about 30-40 minuted depending the size of your salmon fillets. 

5. Whilst waiting for salmon to cook, wash the quinoa by using a fine mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, drizzle 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and sauté the quinoa for about 2-3 minutes. 

6. Pour in the water and add in the salt. Close the lid of the pan and let it cook until the water is absorbed for about 10-15 minutes. 

7. Take the pan off the heat and also take off the lid of the pan. Place a tea towel over the pan. Close the lid back and let it rest for about 5 minutes. 

8. Meanwhile, steam your broccoli in the microwave according to the package instructions. 

9. When the salmon is cooked, take it from the oven. Fluff the quinoa and serve them on a plate. 

Enjoy.