• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

Weeknight Dinner: Mediterranean Salmon Parcels

January 21, 2021 by Joy the Baker 10 Comments

Jump to Recipe

I wouldn’t call myself lazy but I will admit that I find myself staring down a plate of plain scrambled eggs for dinner more nights than I’d like to admit.  

Something about figuring out that third meal of the day that just feels like… much. That third mean of a full day fussing in and out of the kitchen. That third meal of the day within an entire year of cooking nearly every meal for ourselves. Ya feel me? 

I’ve found a little hack for myself. Well, for days when even I run out of eggs. The trick is, prep a quick dinner when I have the energy for it – at breakfast.  While I’m standing in the kitchen, sipping coffee and inevitably burning my morning toast, I whip up a little vegetable roast or prep chickpeas for braising, or toss together a sheet pan dinner of chicken shawarma (that last one is a real treat).  The idea is to eliminate the fuss over dinner come 5:30 because whatever it’s going to be is already mostly ready in the refrigerator. Adulthood? I’ve got it on lock.  

This salmon pack dinner has inched its way to the top of my dinner prep list the last week. This recipe comes from my friend Rachel Phipps‘ new book One Pan Pescatarian – a book tailor made for this easy breakfast time dinner prep.  

Overhead ingredients for foil baked salmon recipe.

This recipe makes as much or as little as you’d like.  Make dinner just for you, double it for your boo, or make it dinner for the whole family! Just increase fish and foil. You’ll find this recipe super versatile. Here’s what you need but feel free to use what you have or prefer:  

•  canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed. If you prefer another bean, don’t be shy about it! 

•  fresh tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. The fresh tomatoes will bake down to soften and create a nice little sauce while the sun-dried tomatoes and a sweet, intense tomato flavor. 

•  bright green olives (I love castelvetrano olives, thank you Sicily) though capers would also be delicious. Anything briny you like.

•  olive oil, salt and pepper, oregano and aleppo pepper for a simple addition of flavor, richness, and spice. 

•  salmon, of course though if there’s another fish you prefer – by all means! 



To make, hustle out two large pieces of foil. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the center of the foil and top with halved cherry tomatoes, some beans, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olives and seasoning.  

Nestle the salmon over the beans and tomatoes and season generously with salt and aleppo pepper. 

Rustle up the tops and sides of the foil, creating a little dinner parcel.  

Try to create and leave room on the sides and top of the fish for the foil to create a little steam bath for the contents. No need to wrap it all small and tight.  

And that’s dinner! 

Store the little packages in the refrigerator until you’re ready for dinner.  When dinner comes, I throw rice in the cooker or simple toast up a slice of bread. This fish would also be great with a socca flatbread! 



All of this foil packing has me thinking about all the things I can pack in foil and grill, especially on my next camping trip.  I’m taking notes. 

I hope this serves you well, friends! Let’s dinner with dignity – we’re worth it! 

My love to you! 

xo Joy

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Weeknight Dinner: Mediterranean Salmon Parcels

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Joy the Baker adapted from One Pan Pescatarian
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 1
Pin Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

An simple and delicious weeknight dinner that can be made over breakfast and baked up at dinnertime. 


Ingredients

Scale

Per Portion:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
  • 4–5 caltleveltrano olives
  • Sprinkle of dried oregano
  • 1 salmon filet
  • Sea salt and Aleppo chili flakes
  • Fresh parsley
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • Crusty bread or cooked white rice

Instructions

  1. Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out one large piece of foil per portion of fish.
  2. Halve the cherry tomatoes and roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. In the middle of the foil drizzle olive oil and  pile all of the tomatoes, chickpeas, and olives. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
  3. Lay the salmon filet skin side down atop the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and Aleppo chili flakes.
  4. Gather the sides of the foil up and around the salmon and tomatoes and make a little boat. Fold and scrunch the foil at the top and both ends to seal into a packet. Try to leave as much room for the salmon to steam as possible while keeping it sealed. Transfer parcel to a baking tray.
  5. Bake the salmon packet for about 30 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked, tender and flaky.
  6. Unfurl the salmon, being cautious of the steam and spoon salmon, tomatoes and beans into a bowl with warm rice. Enjoy dinner!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

 

Photos with my friend Jon Melendez.  

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Recipes, Savory

Previous Post: « Let It Be Sunday, 305!
Next Post: Let It Be Sunday, 306! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marc Entz

    October 29, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    Wonderful salmon recipe. Thanks for a great post.

    Reply
  2. Maclean Nash

    March 25, 2021 at 9:01 am

    Delicious and oh so flavourful! Next time I would be inclined to add some spinach and onions!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Jody Bitzel

    January 28, 2021 at 7:17 pm

    Oh my! Delicious. I made a couple extra and took up to my daughter and her partner so they could enjoy as well. We ate separately, together. Love the convenience and all the flavors. Thanks, Joy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. samantha campanini

    January 24, 2021 at 5:09 am

    Great idea!!

    Reply
  5. Suzy Parker

    January 23, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    We loved this dish, substituted Chilean Sea Bass instead of Salmon… Everybody raved about the flavor… many thanks.

    Suzy

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Chelsea

    January 21, 2021 at 2:06 pm

    Do you think one could do this in a small lidded container? Or even a lidded Dutch Oven? Just trying to save foil waste…

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      January 26, 2021 at 7:17 am

      A small lidded dutch oven or something ovenproof would be great!

      Reply
  7. MJ

    January 21, 2021 at 12:33 pm

    This looks delicious! It’s going on the meal plan next week, and I’ll try it out with cod. I saw you in Taste of Home magazine yesterday and was so excited for you! You work so hard!

    Reply
  8. Bob L

    January 21, 2021 at 10:37 am

    I think I would prefer to cook the vegetable packets separately and just salt and sear the salmon to get a crisp crust on it and lay it over the cooked vegetables.

    Reply
  9. Rachel

    January 21, 2021 at 4:54 am

    Oooooh why did I not think of adding chickpeas in the first place?!?! These look so tasty! Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m really glad you’re enjoying the book xx

    ★★★★★

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Dinner

assembling chicken burger on wooden board
Bacon Jalapeno Smashed Chicken Burgers

Allow me to sneak in at the start of your holiday weekend, here at the unofficial beginning of summer (and my favorite weekend of the year) with a humble but high-key FANTASTIC chicken burger. This is one of those smash burger recipes that once you know, you cannot unknow.  This will color your burgers for…

Read More

Sliced tomato pie recipe on plate with salad 
Easy Tomato Tarte Tatin

Hot girl summer? Check. Done. We’re hot.  You know what I’ve got my eye on for the coming months? BLT SUMMER. Sourdough bread, extra mayonnaise, seasoned fresh perfect sun-ripened tomatoes, bibb lettuce, and thick crisp bacon cooked with a tiny bit of brown sugar.  An absolute dream but that day isn’t here yet.  In these…

Read More

Bowl of easy risotto recipe in a small bowl.
Oven-Baked Pea, Pancetta and Lemon Risotto

Rice is my preferred starch. Wait… does banana bread count as a starch?  If not I choose rice – it’s more versatile when it comes to dinner anyhow.  Today we’re taking the most elegant of Italian rice dishes and making it more of a one-pot-wonder than a labor of love.  There’s surely still love (read:…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Berry crostata topped with whipped cream with coffee.

A Single Serve Berry Crostata Recipe

fresh baked blueberry cobbler on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.

The Secrets To My Favorite Blueberry Cobbler

POPULAR CAKES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolu My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolute favorite. Get into a box of white cake mix and fresh 🍓🍓 purée! Topped with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting - this cake is a little pink dream! ⁣
⁣
The Easiest Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe linked in the bio for you! 💋
Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite list of the summer on Joy the Baker this year: The Best Books for Summer 2022!  As a person who reads Beach Reads all year long, this is IT! With titles by @ashleymcoleman_ @anarasong @annleary @bonnie_garmus_author @heyashposton @annabelmonaghan @greerhendricks @sarahpekkanen @shelbyvanpeltwrites @marilynsimonrothstein @@misterosman and @kirstin.chen. The guide to your bookworm summer linked in the bio!
Over here testing the limits of “you are what yo Over here testing the limits of “you are what you eat” and will soon be taking my final form as a summer tomato. ⁣🫠🍅
⁣
This Mediterranean Feta and Fresh Tomato Tart is an absolute show stopper with a buttery crisp, press-in crust, whipped feta, and layers of fresh tomato, cucumber, onions, and olives. I’ll leave the recipe linked in the bio - it’s really very special. Join me. We are 🍅🍅.
Here are my two best kept secrets for getting thro Here are my two best kept secrets for getting through this summer.  I’ve never been much for secrets so I’m letting you right in! ⁣
1.	I’m committed to folding crumbled chewy brownies into the easiest homemade no-churn ice cream.⁣
2.	I’m shopping for all of my baking and summer entertaining essentials, wine and cheese at the new @aldiusa stores opening across the Gulf Coast! Wait… you’re as obsessed with ALDI as I am, right? The shopping is always easy and affordable and I always come home with a fun treat among my essentials. Hit up my stories to see my grocery haul (and the chips I ate in the car on the way home) and head to your nearest ALDI for your summer essentials!  #ad⁣
⁣
I’ll leave the recipe and your #ALDILove grocery list linked in the bio!
Let’s just make one! ⁣ ⁣ One Single Berry Cr Let’s just make one! ⁣
⁣
One Single Berry Crostata just you for. Double the recipe (🔗 in the bio) only if you want to share. ⁣
⁣
#joythebaker #berry #crostata #smallbatch #dessert #foodblogfeed
The freezer is packed with ice cream treats from h The freezer is packed with ice cream treats from here on out, and that’s a promise. ⁣
⁣
Find this Milk and Cereal Ice Cream Bar and loads of other semi-homemade ice cream treats linked in the bio! 💓🍦🫠
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up