Baked Salmon and Punch Brothers

Upon leaving work this afternoon, I drove to Target and invested in a day planner. Meet my new best friend Franklin Covey. I'm a huge fan of Franklin Covey planners and am surprised that I haven't bought one in 8 months! It was time to incorporate structure and organization back into my day job. Thank goodness Franklin is here to help. Buying office supplies reminds me of school days. Although I dreaded the process of registering for classes and the end of summer, I always enjoyed shopping for the fine tipped sharpies in various colors, ball point pens with gel grips and dozens of notebooks.

But, let's talk about food because I have one amazing recipe to share with you. Flying solo for dinner tonight, but still in the mood to cook, I made a scrumptious salmon fillet and garden salad. This meal only takes half an hour from pan to plate, but the flavors coating the fish are sure to please your pallet for hours. I even sat at the kitchen table, not in front of the TV, to ensure I savoured every bite.

Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish. I love the pink color, the natural flavor and the texture. Growing up, my mom spread mayonnaise over her baked salmon. And let me tell you; you will never go back to baking salmon without a spread of mayonnaise on top once you've tried it. I recently learned that mayo adds oil to fish which generally doesn't produce that much. The mayo also helps to reduce any murky taste from salmon, or completely eliminates it.

For seasonings, I sprinkled onion powder, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning and paprika on top. Once the salmon came out of the oven, I garnished it with freshly squeezed lemon juice. OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. I love how salmon peels apart in layers, like cutting cold butter with a warm knife.

For the salad, I simply chopped a head of romaine lettuce and added cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and grated Parmesan-Regiano cheese. Drizzle some raspberry walnut vinaigrette over the greens, and you're ready to eat!

My summer reading is moving right along, finishing Bethenny Frankel's Naturally Thin in 48 hours. Up next is Eat Pray Love. Can't wait to dive into that one!

I paired this baked salmon with the Punch Brothers. The band formed in 2006 and are a modern day, bluegrass group. I've never been a huge fan of country music, which is strange for a Tennessean; but I absolutely love bluegrass music. It's the real music of the country. Check out Punch Brother's web site if you'd like to hear more. They're also on tour this summer and may be headed to a town near you! Here's one of their songs "Rye Whiskey".



And check out "Reptilia", a Strokes cover! Pretty cool to hear it played with a mandolin and banjo.



Hope you enjoy these eats and beats!
Julia

Bakes Salmon Fillet:
Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over top of salmon. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with tin foil, and place salmon on foil. Sprinkle fillets with onion powder, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning and paprika. Bake for 20 minutes or until flaky. Garnish with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately.