sun-dried tomatoes

Da-dun-tss. I’m not sure what is more hilarious – my lame pun (stuffed to the gills) or the fact that da-dun-tss is actually defined by Urban Dictionary and my name is totally used in the example. Check it. Anyways…

Want to know how to really impress someone? Anyone…a family member? A friend? A member of the opposite sex (or same sex, if that’s your thing)? (whether or not you’re trying to woo said person is totally optional, but preferred)

…cook for them! And don’t just cook anything. Cook something that totally looks and tastes like you put way more effort into it than you actually did!

This salmon is a fine example. I mean, look at it. Two thick salmon fillets, perfectly cooked, and sandwiched around a ridiculously delicious filling of spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese. It’s beautiful! And totally looks and tastes gour-met. I’m confident enough in the wow-factor of this salmon that I’m prepared to give you a money-back guarantee. If you make this for someone and they don’t like love it, I will have a batch of freshly baked cookies couriered to your doorstep. Call it a cookie-back guarantee. (But play nice and refrain from testing my theory on someone who is opposed to fish, ’cause obviously that ain’t gonna work).

Seriously. My Dad makes a mean grilled salmon, but this comes in at a very close second. And it’s as easy as can be! The inspiration came from a dinner I had at a friend’s place (hi Bev!), where she made a similar stuffed salmon, but with goat cheese. I never got her recipe but tried to recreate it at home and decided to use feta, since that’s what I had on hand. The feta is a little bit less overpowering than goat cheese, which worked really well here, since some of the other flavors (like the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes) were able to shine through. Serve the salmon with Orzo with Parmesan and Basil, and a steamed green like broccoli or asparagus, and you’ve got yourself an incredible, yet supremely easy meal. Sure to win over the hearts of many.

Please take me up on my offer. I like being right.

Salmon Stuffed with Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Feta

Serves 2-3 generously. If feeding a larger group, increase the size of the salmon fillets and double or triple the filling ingredients. Also be prepared to adjust the baking time. Make sure that your fillets are very similar in size and have a relatively even thickness throughout. If the fillets are thick in the centre and thin at the ends, you will end up with cooked ends and an uncooked centre, or a cooked centre and overcooked ends, which would be a real shame.

2 fresh salmon fillets (skinless), about 1/2 pound each and 1 inch thick

1 TBSP. olive oil

2 heaping cups of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil (drained and roughly chopped)

1/3 cup + 2 TBSP. crumbled feta cheese

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lemon, halved

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a shallow casserole dish or baking sheet with non-stick spray. Lay one of the fillets down in the baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-heat and saute the spinach until just wilted, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the garlic, and stir for another minute. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup of feta cheese.

Spread the mixture evenly on top of the fillet. Squeeze half of the lemon over top of the filling. Lay the second fillet over top of the first, lining it up as evenly as possible. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over top, and then liberally sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the remaining feta cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the salmon is just cooked through. Please note that the baking time will vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of your salmon fillets, so adjust accordingly. I suggest keeping a close eye on it after the first 20 minutes.