A New Twist on Salmon

Mike’s been in the mood for salmon of some kind, and as luck would have it, I recently ran across a new way to prepare salmon that I was eager to try. It initially appealed to me for several reasons, mainly because

·it has feta cheese, so it must be delicious;

·it was a low-calorie meal that seemed like it would still be filling; and

·it seemed easy to make.

I am happy to report that all my expectations were exceeded. I was a little concerned with cutting the salmon in half to stuff, as we have tried cutting our own salmon portions before and mostly succeeded in mangling them, but the fantastic meat counter girl at Kroger offered to not only cut my 2 bigger fillets into 4 portions, but also to slice them for stuffing. She actually cut little pockets in each, which isn’t exactly what the recipe calls for (see my pic below), but it was a nice start and did help when Mike finished cutting them at home. The only things I did different from the recipe was to use shallots instead of red onion (the flavor is more mild, and I don’t have a bunch of red onion leftover in my fridge), and we ever-so-lightly sprayed the fillets and seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper before baking them.

Needless to say, this is definitely something we’ll be making again. I’m normally not a fan of reduced-fat cheeses (if I’m going to have cheese, give me the real stuff), but mixed with the other ingredients and stuffed in salmon, you couldn’t tell, and it kept the dish healthier. I’m thinking about trying it with some of our fresh basil next time in place of the spinach, maybe using a little less than ½ cup since it has a stronger flavor. Even better, it makes 4 servings, so Mike and I each had more than enough for dinner and were able to pack up lunches for tomorrow (always a plus in our house)!

Here it is, as found on Holly Clegg’s Too Hot in the Kitchen. As a side note, I think this book would make a terrific gift, especially for lady friends of all ages. Don’t be surprised if a few copies are under the Christmas tree next month ;)

Simple Salmon with Spinach Feta Stuffing

2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened

½ cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

⅓ cup chopped red onion

½ cup chopped baby spinach

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the cream cheese and feta in a bowl with a fork, mixing until well combined. Stir in the onion and spinach. Split each piece of salmon in half lengthwise without cutting all the way through (to make a pocket, of sorts). Divide the filling evening among the fillets, spreading to cover. Place the top of the salmon back over the filling and arrange in the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes of until flaky and done.

We served the salmon with Annie's pasta and spinach salads.