Mid Week Salmon Dinner

I can't believe it's already May. I remember just thinking back in February about how excited I was for March to start because I had a lot of fun things planned. Then my birthday passed in early April like a quick puff of smoke and now all of a sudden it's May. Next weekend I'll be heading to Vegas for the Uncork'd Food & Wine festival and I can barely contain my excitement. In the meantime baseball season is in full swing and I need to start planning out my series on the great restaurants in the near by radius of the ballpark to hit pre or post game. Oh and I a joined a gym and still have 26 Bikram classes I need to use up (hahahahahahaha) Tonight however? I just need dinner. Like real dinner. Not my dinner 3 nights ago that consisted of half a left over tomato, an apple with almond butter, some cinnamon sugar pita chips (that I basically had to hide after a handful to keep myself from eating the whole bag) and some random cheese and crackers. Because apparently I am 27 going on 3 years old. No Tonight I need to cook like a real person after my work out not just scavenge my cupboards.

I love salmon. I think it was one of the first seafood's of my youth that I found acceptable. And while living in my first apartment in college I became really well acquainted with the Costco frozen Salmon bag that was a steal at $15. At the time feeling very culinary I would slice lemon and garlic and layer them on a salt and pepper seasoned fillet of salmon on a piece of foil, drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and fold the the foil into a packet, popping it into the oven for a moist flavorful fool proof meal. Now that I've started to progress a little more in my flavor layering I've started to prepare my salmon with an Asian inspired blend of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, brown sugar, garlic, & crushed red pepper flakes. The foil packet? Remains the same. In keeping with genre we'll do some baby bok choy in with the salmon to round out this easy and healthy mid week pick me up meal!

(This is a serving for 1 person, you can multiply if you are making it for more)

Ingredients:
- 4 oz Salmon Fillet
- 1 large or two small heads of bok choy
Marinade:
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tblspn Toasted Sesame oil
- 1 Tblspn + 1 tspn Brown Sugar
- 1 Tblspn finely grated Ginger
- 2 large Garlic Cloves minced
- pinch of Crushed Red Pepper flakes (if you don't like spicy you can leave this out)

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F

In a shallow bowl that can hold your salmon fillet whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade. Place your fish skin side up in the bowl and let marinate 15 - 20 minutes. (you do not need to buy skin on).

On a baking sheet lay out a piece of foil 16 inches long. Place the fish (now skin side down) in the middle of the foil and arrange the bokchoy (sliced in half if small, 1/4's if large) around it. pull all 4 sides up slightly so that you can pour the remaining marinade over the fish and bok choy without it spilling out.

Carefully bring the two long sides of the foil sheet to meet in the middle and fold them down so it is closed but not tight on the fish & bokchoy inside. Next take the two ends and roll them up so that the packet is enclosed.

Put the baking sheet with foil packet in the 400 degree oven and set your timer for 15 minutes.









That's all it takes! Your fish should be cooked through and your bok choy tender and flavorful. If you want to get even more out of your marinade, drain the liquid from the packet into a small saucepan, add the extra teaspoon of brown sugar and over high heat reduced the liquid by half (boiling with continuous whisking for 5 minutes or so). Pour the now syrupy sauce over your fish and voila!

This marinade packs an amazing flavor punch for both the salmon and the bok choy. Cooking them together in the packet couldn't be simpler and since you just throw the foil away the clean up is minimal. All in all this meal takes just over 30 minutes to prepare (including marinating time).

Even though I may not always take the time to make myself a real meal on week nights after work recipes like this remind me it doesn't always have to be difficult for it to be tasty!