Easy Baked Salmon and Zucchini

Running a business and a farm means we’re working long days, and I don’t always have time to make dinner. That’s why I love easy recipes like this Easy Baked Salmon and Zucchini. It’s a quick, healthy, and effortlessly delicious meal that goes great with a side salad or pasta. Easy Baked Salmon and Zucchini are cooked inside parchment paper, which steams the salmon and locks in the vegetables and herbs' flavor. Cooking in parchment also saves on messy dishes!

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 thinly sliced

1 Tbs chopped basil

1 Tbs chopped green onion

2 Tbs smoked paprika

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 thinly sliced zucchini

1 thinly sliced bell pepper

4 (5-8 ounce) salmon filets

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, garlic, juice from 1 lemon, basil, green onion, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut four, 15 x 16 inch pieces of parchment paper and lay them out on a clean work surface. Arrange the thinly sliced zucchini in the center of each of the parchment papers, about the size of your piece of fish. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper on each. Place a salmon filet on top of the zucchini, drizzle with the coconut oil mixture, then place 2 thinly sliced lemon slices. Arrange the bell pepper around the fish.

Now we’re going to make the pouch

Take the two long sides of the parchment paper together over the salmon and fold them together, rolling it down several revolutions until you are down to the salmon. Take the short side (currently unrolled) and fold half an inch towards the salmon and then the entire sides under the salmon. You are creating seals so no moisture escapes the pouch.

Once all the salmon is wrapped, place the pouches on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute or two before transferring to plates and open carefully.

Enjoy!