Spork and Skewer

My mom, sister, her fiance, Ted, and myself, are all on Weight Watchers. Actually, Miles won't attend meetings, but he is also on the plan. I have been in search of new recipes that are both tasty and Weight Watcher friendly. Salmon is not the lowest point fish, but it is considered a filling food, and is therefore, a good choice for us. Good thing, because it is no secret how much I love salmon. If you are not dieting, please don't be scared away; you will love my new recipe. Weight Watchers, or no Weight Watchers, this is downright delicious.

En papillote is simply a very fancy name for cooking in little parchment paper bundles. Foil would also work for this application. There are lots of reasons why I really love this method. One, it is healthy because there is no oil needed. Two, your chicken, fish, or veggies will always come-out moist and delectable because all the juices are sealed-in. Three, it is impressive. If you serve this to guests, they each get theor own little "gift" to slice open, and oh my goodness, the mouthwatering aroma that steams out when you cut open the packets, YUM!  And, maybe best of all, you can assemble these little packets ahead of time, and then pop them in the oven 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat. Reallly, this is a snap. This particular recipe, which is modified from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com, is soooooo good. I highly, highly recommend making this recipe as soon as possible. Wow your guests, or fancy-up a weeknight, like we did. You won't be sorry.

Printable Recipe 



























Orange Salmon En Papillote (in Parchment)
 Double or triple the recipe to fit your needs. My version feeds two. Serve these with rice or couscous to soak-up the juices.

You will need:

2 4-5 oz salmon filets (no skin would be nice)
1/2 teaspoon salmon seasoning
1/4 cup plain, light yogurt
1 tablespoon thawed orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon chives, chopped
zest of 1 orange
1 clove of garlic, minced
fresh asparagus or green beans (2 servings depending on size)
2 pieces of parchment paper cut into large heart shapes (see picture)



First, preheat the oven to 425 degress. Then, season your salmon. You will use about 1/4 teaspoon per filet.






Set the salon aside, and prepare your sauce. Combine the yogurt, orange juice concentrate, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.Set aside.






In another small dish, combine cilantro, chives, zest, and garlic. Combine.







Time to assemble the packets. Lay-out one parchment heart on your work space, like this. Note, I cut this like a Valentine heart; you know, fold it in half before you cut.





Now, lay down half your asparagus or green beans, and then top them with a fillet. Do this close to the middle fold.






Now, spoon on a tablespoon, or so, of the yogurt sauce, and top it with a spoon of the herb mixture.






Time to fold the packets! Don't be scared. Fold the other half of the heart over the salmon. Then, beginning with the rounded corner, make a small fold, like this.





Then, making small, over-lapping folds, work your way around the perimeter of the paper. Looks beautiful!






Now, place your packets on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.







The paper will be browned and puffed when they are done. Cooking shears work great to cut these open. You can serve them with the extra yogurt sauce, if you choose.

I am so excited for you to make these! I hope you enjoy them.