Moroccan Citrus Salmon and Kale Salad

The following recipe and photography is courtesy of Lauren Schulte. To see more of her bites and meals, visit her Instagram @TheBiteSizePantry.

Need dinner ready in a flash? Allow me to introduce my flash-marinated Moroccan Citrus Salmon.

Salmon, especially Heinen’s Verlasso salmon, is a delicious and buttery fish that is perfect for pan-frying or baking. Baking salmon is really the way to go if you like easy prep and clean up and it also limits the time you spend standing over the stovetop.

Poaching is an equally simple and mess-free derivative of baking and results in a flakey, tender, melt-in-your-mouth salmon fillet every time.

Citrus Salmon with Kale Salad

Poaching salmon is very simple and requires tinfoil or parchment paper (shown in this recipe). Simply wrap the salmon tightly, tucking in all of the edges as if wrapping a present. This method evenly cooks the salmon while sealing in all of the delicious flavors.

Many people like to marinate before cooking, as do I, but most recipes require marinating fish or meat for an hour or more. So, when your “need to feed” needs to be quickened, premade flash marinades come in handy.

The reason why flash-marinating works so well with the poaching method is because the salmon will absorb all the flavors while it bakes. The parchment paper wrap acts as an insulator, which works well whether you’re cooking chicken, beef, vegetables, etc. From there, all that’s left to do to clean up is remove the salmon and toss the wrap in the trash! You can also serve the salmon in the wrap it was for a nice presentation. It also prevents washing more dishes, which is a double win!

Dress this fishy dish up with a simple homemade orange yogurt marinade/dressing and serve with a fresh citrus kale salad. It’s a real no-mess simple success meal. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Salmon

2 lbs. Verlasso salmon, skin on or off
6 oz. (half a jar) Mina Tagine cooking sauce
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
Cilantro, to garnish

For the Yogurt Marinade

¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup 2% Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. orange zest
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Kale Salad

2-3 stalks of leafy kale
1/2 lemon
Sliced orange or tangerine (optional)

For the Salad Dressing

Remaining yogurt marinade (recipe above)
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
While the oven is preheating, line a baking dish with parchment paper and place another larger sheet on top.
Place the salmon fillet on to the larger parchment sheet.
In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the orange yogurt marinade. Coat the entire salmon fillet in the marinade, reserving ¼ for your salad dressing.
Fold the corners of the parchment over and wrap tightly while securing the longer sides together. Place in the preheated oven to cook for approximately 20 minutes.
For the simple kale side salad, remove the thick stalks from the leafy kale, chop into thin slices and place in a Ziploc bag.
Squeeze ½ of a lemon or orange juice over the kale. Seal the bag and massage the kale for a couple of minutes until it begins to soften. This technique of adding adding citrus juice and massaging it into the kale helps to remove remove bitterness and add sweetness.
For the salad dressing, add a couple Tbsp. of olive oil to the reserved orange yogurt marinade and mix well. Add olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
Place the massaged kale in a large bowl and toss in the orange yogurt dressing. For an added pop of color, add a couple slices of oranges or tangerines.
After 20 minutes or so, remove the salmon from the oven. Unwrap, top with freshly chopped cilantro and enjoy!

Moroccan Citrus Salmon with Kale Salad