Baked Salmon with pesto and roasted vegetables is a healthy dish made with simple ingredients and is a perfect weekday night meal.

But before we dive into the recipe and method I would like to say that this is my first time cooking this fish and there were a series of questions that went through my mind when cooking it.

What if I overcook it? How long does it take to cook?  When do you know its done?

What to do with the salmon skin? Should I take it off or leave it as is?

If you are in the same boat as I am then read along as I answer all these questions down below.

 

Since, it was my first time cooking I opted for the easy method- Wrapping it in a FOIL and BAKING it and let my oven do the cooking!

 

In order to start, first, clean the salmon and marinate it with salt and pepper. Add a heavy tablespoon of pesto (Get the recipe here) and spread it all over the fish. I like to place few lemon slices on top so that the juices are absorbed into the fish while it bakes. It gives a beautiful aroma to the dish and you get a nice lemony taste in every bite.

Pre heat your oven to 350F/180C and bake it for 30-35 minutes.

Do not open it at once, let it sit for about 5 minutes and open the foil when you are about to have your dinner. That way you get a nice warm salmon on your plate!

I, personally, did not like the skin and  removed it before plating with a wide spatula. The salmon was cooked (thank God) and flaked easily with a fork.

Added some roasted veggies on the side and topped it off with some avocado pieces.

Ingredients:
1 Salmon fillet
1 Tablespoon Basil Pesto (Get the recipe here)
Salt and Pepper as per taste
3-4 Lemon slices
1 tsp Olive Oil
Other:
Foil to wrap Salmon
Roasted vegetables of your choice (Broccoli, carrots, potatoes)
Half Avocado cut into pieces (garnish)

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C
2. Marinate the salmon with Salt+Pepper and pesto. Dot it with 3-4 lemon slices on top and drizzle about a teaspoon of Olive Oil.
3. Wrap it in a foil and bake it at 350F/180C for 30-35 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes.
5. Have it with some roasted vegetables of your choice and also add few avocado pieces as toppings.
6. Enjoy a healthy weekday meal!

Note: You can double the measurements while making two salmon fillets. The measurements listed here are for one.