Oven Roasted Dill Salmon

Oven Roasted Dill Salmon... After a fabulous week long vacation in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, I am finally back in the kitchen and feeling totally inspired by the warmer weather and the healthy options that become more exciting in the summer time. We ate a variety of great foods in Rio, but among some of the favorites were the beach side snacks... fresh coconut water, acai bowls, and boiled corn on the cob. Of course there were your heavier options (think doughy flaky empanadas) but through and through the Rio culture is concerned with physical appearance and good health. Morning, noon, and night you will find people of all ages and types running along the beach, participating in various boot camps in the sand, biking around the lake, or playing club volleyball. There are surfers galore and even weightlifting stations built into the rock plateaus overlooking the water - talk about a scenic way to pump iron.

Anyways, the trip was great and really kick started our excitement about healthful summer meals and snacks now that we are back in Summertime Chi. Last night's dinner was really simple but really Dahlicious. The technique I used not only kept the salmon incredibly moist and tender, but kept out any fishy smell from permeating into the condo. For those of you who don't have grills but hate that post roasting stench, this is a fabulous option.

On the Menu:

• Oven Roasted Lemon Pepper Salmon with
• Greek Yogurt Dill Sauce
• Warm Quinoa Spinach Salad

First I got the sauce ready. To a small bowl I added the following ingredients and gave it a good mix. Then I set it aside (in the fridge if you want) until I was ready to serve.

1. A few large spoonfuls of plain Greek yogurt
2. Zest of about half a lemon
3. A palm full of chopped fresh dill
4. Juice from 1 lemon
5. A palm full of grated cucumber
6. A pinch of salt

While the oven was heating and I prepped the salmon. I lined a baking sheet with foil, and then laid out a second piece which would become the pouch in which my salmon would roast. Now here is where things get interesting. First, you lay down a layer of lettuce, just plain old romaine works perfectly. Then lay down a few slices of lemon, the salmon fillets, and drizzle with olive oil, and liberally sprinkle with lemon pepper. Cover the salmon with another layer of lettuce, seal up the foil pouch and roast at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

In the last 5 minutes that the salmon was in the oven I steamed up my favorite already cooked quinoa from Trader Joe's and tossed it with fresh baby spinach, grape seed oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper for a quick warm salad.

I served the salmon right over the quinoa and greens and added a dollop of the yummy dill sauce on top. It was super Dahlish but still felt fresh and healthful.

The lettuce is a really neat technique which helps lock int he moisture and simultaneously reduces the smell of fish in your home - definitely a home run for us!