Roasted Salmon and Veggies

This recipe is a little different than usual, but I think as you read through it you'll agree that it's a cool way to put together a meal. This can be done with one knife, one cutting board, one bowl, one spoon, and one baking tray (for a two-person dinner)!

What you will need (total):

3 Tbsp good olive oil

1 Tbsp softened butter

1 tsp thyme

3 big cloves of garlic or a handful of small ones

1 lemon

1 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 lb potatoes (small golden/red/purple are best)

10oz salmon

4 roma tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 400* and line a baking tray with foil.

Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces. In the bowl, toss them with:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 clove crushed garlic

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Arrange on the baking tray with space between them and put into the oven. If you have two timers, set one for 60 minutes and one for 20 minutes. You now have 20 minutes to complete the next step!

For step two, cut the stems off of the tomatoes and cut them crossways into about five thick slices. Toss them in the bowl with:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 clove crushed garlic

juice of 1/2 lemon (keep the peel)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

When the 20 minute timer expires (or the 60 minute timer reads 40 minutes), QUICKLY get the pan out of the oven and flip the potatoes. Arrange the tomatoes on the pan so nothing is overlapping and put the tray back into the oven. If it took about 4 minutes to get all that done, you will have about 18 minutes for the final step. Set your timer so it will go off when you have 20 minutes remaining on the main timer.

For the final step, cut the salmon into serving size pieces if necessary. In the bowl, mash together:

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp oil

Zest of the full lemon

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp thyme

1 clove crushed garlic

Put the lemon-garlic butter onto the top of the salmon and place a slice of lemon on top of that. You should have a little lemon left to squeeze after it is done cooking, or you can slice it and put it on now. When the final timer reads 18 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and QUICKLY flip all the tomatoes and potatoes (potatoes may or may not need another flip). Clear some space on the tray and put the salmon on near the middle. Pop it back into the oven until the final timer expires (at least 14-16 minutes for the salmon to fully cook).

Additional notes: you can roast so many different types of vegetables this way! Just find a few that need to be roasted for about the same amount of time (the more times we take the tray out, the harder it is to manage to get everything done well). You can also substitute the herb for whatever you like the best. Thyme is a current favorite of mine but some people love parsley or what-have-you. If you've got a fresh herb instead of a dried one, that is likely going to be the best route!

With Love, La Canana y El Kevin