Foil Roasted Salmon with Kale Quinoa Pilaf

I absolutely love Italian food and could eat it every night but every once in a while I look down at my waist line and realize all the cheese and carbs are catching up to me! And let's be serious...it's Summer! NOT the time to gain weight. I thought about what I could make fairly effortlessly that would be light and healthy... My mind was blank!

After asking around the office for recipe ideas, someone mentioned checking out Food52.com. This is one of my new favorite recipe sites! It is full of different recipes, sure to please any palate. After about 30 seconds on the site, one recipe caught my eye: Foil Roasted Salmon with an Aromatic Jus! It sounded delish! I love salmon and always fall into the habit of baking it with Italian dressing and tomatoes. It's about time I switch things up.

If you're looking to mix things up and serve a meal packed full of flavor with out the fat...you gotta try this! And don't forget about a side dish. I whipped up a one-pot kale and quinoa pilaf, also from F00d52! (Click the link for the recipe.)


Recipe:
1 large leek
1 large shallot, sliced
1 garlic clove,thinly sliced
4-6 fresh tarragon or thyme stems
2 bay leaves
2-3 lbs of salmon filets
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Ask a question about this step. 2) Slice the leek in half, lengthwise beginning at white end but not cutting through green end. Rinse thoroughly under cold water separating leaves to remove trapped dirt. Cut green ends off of leek and reserve. Slice white and light green parts.
Ask a question about this step. 3) Select a baking sheet large enough to for the fillet. Lay out a long double length of heavy-duty aluminum foil on top of the baking sheet across the shorter end of the sheet. Place another perpendicular to the first.
Ask a question about this step. 4) Lay out the leek greens on the foil to form a bed where your salmon can lay. Add half of the sliced leeks, shallots, garlic, herbs and bay leaves. Place the cleaned salmon on top of greens. Generously salt and pepper the both sides of the salmon. Drizzle all over with olive oil and rub to cover top and bottom. Lay tarragon or other herb stems across the top of the fish and cover the top with the rest of the sliced leeks.
Ask a question about this step. 5) Bring up the edges of the foil along both ends of the salmon. Add the wine. Seal the edges together to form a compact tent around the salmon (I would advise using a little less than 1 cup of wine, I thought it was a bit too strong tasting after cooking). Repeat with the second layer of foil. The salmon can rest until you are ready to roast.
Ask a question about this step. 6) Place in oven. Roast until internal temperature is 140 degrees. For a 2-3 lb salmon fillet this took about 25-30 minutes.
7) Let rest for at least 10 minutes. Unwrap and remove to serving platter. Discard green leek ends.Top exposed flesh with jus and vegetables. Ask a question about this step. Ask a question about this step.