minimalist's roasted salmon

was searching for a last-minute, new way to cook salmon and this was an amazingly delicious surprise.

butter roasted salmon
makes 8 servings

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
4 tsp minced herbs (dill, thyme, ??)
1 1/2 - 2 lbs salmon fillet
salt, to taste
lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the butter and half the herb in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. Heat about 3-5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herb begins to sizzle.

Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.

Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herb. Sprinkle lemon wedges over the fillet and serve.

orange ginger salmon

We were given a free week of blue apron, and this was one of the recipes (+ ingredients) we received. The sauce was really good, and I misread the instructions, resulting in a extremely soft, melt on your mouth salmon that was cooked to perfection. I also used some of the leftover sweet soy sauce and recreated the same dish with tofu instead.

orange ginger salmon
makes 4 servings

4 salmon fillets
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 in piece ginger, minced
1/2 orange, juiced
less than 1/4 cup sweet soy sauce
1 scallion, sliced

Pat the salmon fillets dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium high until hot. Add the salmon fillets, cook 2-3 mins per side or until crispy and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside. (I missed this step when I first made it, so ended up just cooking the salmon for longer completely in the sauce on medium heat.)

Heat the same pan on medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and ginger, cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Add the orange juice, sweet soy sauce and 1/4 cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 secs to 1 minute, or until well combined.

Add the cooked salmon fillets, cook spooning the sauce over the top 1-2 mins, or until the sauce is slightly reduced. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with scallions.

lemon dill salmon

With salmon, you can basically put anything on it, and it'll still taste great. My mom just sprinkles some white wine, salt and pepper (you probably could even do without the wine). But, sometimes I want something a little more dressed up.

lemon dill salmon
makes 6 servings

2 lbs salmon fillet
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbsp mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp dry dillweed
1 tsp dried thyme
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay the salmon on an oiled or non-stick baking sheet.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small dish and brush mixture onto the salmon.

Bake on the top rack of the oven for 11 mins, then remove and let the salmon rest for another 10 minutes (salmon will continue to cook while resting). Serve, sprinkling with more lemon juice if desired.