Salmon and Lentil Packets

Here’s a recipe for all of you who tell me that you don’t know how to cook. With this simple technique of folding ingredients in a parchment paper packet and baking it in the oven, anyone can make this delicious, nutritious, fitness meal.This recipe combines tender salmon fillets with fresh kale, savory lentils, tangy cherry tomatoes in a refreshing cilantro dressing. It’s refreshingly delicious, especially considering how healthy all of the ingredients are. Give it a try and let me know what you think…

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 4

Here’s what you need

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry (or white grape juice)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 lemon, tested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces cooked lentils
• 4 cups kale, steamed and chopped
• 20 cherry tomatoes (various colors, halved)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a blender combine the olive oil, wine, cumin, paprika, cilantro, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic.
3. Season the salmon fillets with ½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
4. Cut four 12-by-16-inch pieces of parchment paper and fold each in half. Open the parchment paper and arrange ¼ of the lentils and of the chopped kale in the center of the top half of each parchment. Top with a salmon fillet, 10 tomato halves and ¼ of the cilantro dressing.
5. Fold the bottom half of the parchment paper over the salmon and veggies. Start folding and crimping the parchment paper ends together from one end all the way around to the other end, creating a sealed envelope. Fold the end under the packet. The packet should be fully encased, with no breaks in the parchment paper for steam to escape – we need that steam as part of the cooking process! Place the packets on a pan.
6. Bake the salmon packets for 25 minutes and remove from the oven. Serve the packets on plates, tearing them open just before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh cilantro, lemon zest and more cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

One serving equals: 535 calories, 26g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 5g sugar, 389mg sodium, 7g fiber, and 46g protein.

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