Lemon Herb Baked Salmon with Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli

AI Prompt -> Please provide me a recipe for Lemon Herb Baked Salmon with Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli

Baked Salmon with Steamed Broccoli

Recipe

Ingredients

For the Salmon

• 2 salmon fillets (406 oz each)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lemon (sliced and juiced)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried rosemary (or fresh herbs if available)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh parsley (optional for garnish)

For the quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa (rinsed)

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (or water)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the steamed broccoli

• 2 cups broccoli florets

• Salt, pepper, and lemon juice for seasoning

Instructions

Prepare the quinoa

1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water

2. In a medium pot, bring the vegetable broth (or water) to a boil

3. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let is simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid

4. Once cooked, fluff the quinoa with a fork, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare and bake the salmon

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)

2. Place the salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil

3. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper

4. Brush the salmon fillets generously witht he herb mixture. Place lemon slices on top of each fillet

5. Bake the salmon for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork

Steam the broccoli

• While the salmon is baking, steam the broccoli florets in a steamer basket over boiling water for 5-7 minutes or until tender but still crisp

• Remove from heat, and season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Discussion

I love salmon, especially when it’s seasoned perfectly for the salmon flavor to still stand out. I was worried this recipe wouldn’t allow that with the thyme and rosemary, but I was very surprised. This salmon was absolutely delicious. The skin got a crispy texture to it, the salmon was flaky, and overall, it was a delicious dish.

I didn’t get a chance to try the quinoa because I burnt it. I didn’t want to make a full cup of quinoa since I didn’t want it to go to waste. This led me to halving the recipe, but forgetting to halve the time it took to cook. My bad.

For the broccoli, I used a bag of frozen vegetables that required the microwave to steam. This has always been easier in my opinion because then I’m able to cook the broccoli when I want without the fresh vegetables going bad. In either case, this simple recipe for broccoli was good for the dish.

Calorie wise, not a bad meal, about 350 for the entire dish. A good 4 oz salmon fillet is about 230 calories in general. When you add the various oils and spices, along with the broccoli, you get to that 350 mark. I didn’t add the quinoa to this calorie count since I didn’t eat mine, but of course, that will raise the overall count as well.