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Foil-baked Shetland Salmon with Orzo & Courgette Ribbons

Published on June 8, 2013 • Last updated April 8, 2016 by Elizabeth Atia
shetland-salmon-orzo

In February of this year Vanesther at Bangers & Mash started a new food blogging challenge ‘Recipes for Life’ to help out a charity that operates just down the road from her.

The SWALLOW charity, Vanesther says, “supports adults with learning disabilities to lead more independent lives. It runs a wide range of programmes for its members, empowering them with the skills and experiences to live their lives to the full, from therapeutic art courses and drama groups to domestic and work-based training.”

swallow-recipes-for-life“As part of its Fit for Life programme, SWALLOW runs cookery courses, helping members learn to prepare simple, inexpensive and nutritious meals. SWALLOW is looking for new recipes for its members to cook on the course, and ultimately to include in its cookbook, that don’t require a lengthy list of ingredients and aren’t incredibly complicated to make.”

Each month Vanesther gives us three ingredients to work with to come up with a recipe. This month those ingredients are salmon, pasta and courgettes.

I may be biased, but I think Shetland produces the best salmon out there. I’ve used local salmon in this dish, but I’m sure it would be lovely with whatever local produce you have available. I’m quite pleased at how well this dish turned out, seeing as how I had an idea in my mind it came out the way I intended. The courgette ribbons make this meal look like a quite sophisticated dish and it really only requires a minimum of effort. A cheese slice makes short work of cutting the courgette into the required size, I’ve discovered. The whole meal only takes half an hour to make, start to finish.

My partner commented that he would have happily paid a great deal of money to be served this meal in a restaurant. I might have been a little bit chuffed. 🙂

I’ve also sent this recipe over to Karen at Lavender and Lovage for her Cooking with Herbs food blogging challenge (previously known as Herbs on Saturday), a challenge I have been entering nearly every month since I started food blogging back in December 2011!

shetland-salmon-2
Foil-baked Shetland Salmon with Orzo & Courgette Ribbons
by Elizabeth
Succulent salmon delicately flavoured with lemon and thyme and served over orzo pasta and courgette ribbons.
Ingredients
  • 2 Shetland salmon fillets
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 50 ml white wine
  • 2 large courgettes
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 100 grams orzo pasta
  • 25 grams grana padano cheese
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 200 C.
2. Tear off two large pieces of strong tin foil, big enough to cover the salmon and then some.
3. Place one sheet on a baking tray and curve up the edges to make a ‘bowl’ so that the liquid won’t escape.
4. Brush the bottom of this foil bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and place the salmon fillets on it. Place a slice or two of lemon on each salmon fillet, sprinkle over the thyme leaves, pour over the white wine and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover with the remaining piece of foil, pinching the edges together so that the steam can’t escape. Set aside.
6. Prepare courgettes by cutting them lengthwise, into strips 1/8 inch thick. A cheese slice makes short work of this. Set aside.
7. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
8. Bake the salmon in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, boil the orzo in boiling salted water for 13 minutes.
10. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet.
11. Saute the finely chopped garlic for 30 seconds in the hot oil and then add the courgettes. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until the courgettes soften.
12. Drain the pasta, add the courgettes and grated grana padano cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.
13. When the salmon is cooked, transfer to a plate while you pour the juices into the pasta & courgettes.
14. Divide the orzo and courgettes between two plates and top with a fillet of foil-baked salmon.
15. Serve with the remaining lemon, cut into wedges.
Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: Serves 2

Category: Fin & Shell, Recipe

About Elizabeth Atia

Daydream adventurer. Expat Canadian. Foodie. Calls Shetland home.

Previous Post: « Chocobanutty Ice Cream
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anna Johnston

    June 22, 2017 at 2:22 am

    Love the sound of this recipe, pretty much love salmon in all it’s forms but the addition of courgette ribbons is terrific. I’ve been playing around quite a bit with courgette ribbons in place of pasta with some recipes of late, it’s a great way to use up the glut when they are in season & a plenty. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  2. David Clarke

    February 15, 2016 at 5:07 pm

    This look so delicious & mouthwatering also well-balance & blend. 😛

    Reply
  3. Ursula Hunt

    June 21, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    This salmon looks so moist, the wrong way of cooking can dry it out too much

    Reply
  4. Ursula Hunt

    April 29, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Great recipe I love salmon and it is always nice to have another recipe

    Reply
  5. Natally

    April 14, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Great spring dish, I’m trying to east fish at least once a week

    Reply
  6. Maya Russell

    February 28, 2015 at 7:33 am

    I don’t like the consistency of baked courgette, but I love baked salmon.

    Reply
  7. Paul Wilson

    January 12, 2015 at 1:19 am

    I love a nice bit of salmon.

    Reply
  8. Heather Haigh

    August 25, 2014 at 9:58 am

    What a pretty dish. I do love salmon. I hadn’t heard of orzo pasta before – but I would have to use something gluten free anyway.

    Reply
  9. Tracy Nixon

    July 11, 2014 at 5:39 am

    Another great recipe thanks!

    Reply
  10. Paul Wilson

    June 29, 2014 at 11:30 pm

    Looks amazing.

    Reply
  11. Heather Haigh

    June 28, 2014 at 1:47 pm

    I love making vegetable ribbons – they look so pretty. This looks and sounds lovely.

    Reply
  12. glenn hutton

    June 13, 2014 at 9:02 am

    I do not eat enough fish tbh and this loos delicious and not too hard to make!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      June 13, 2014 at 10:45 am

      I don’t eat as much fish as I should either (you’ll notice this recipe section isn’t as full as, say, the cake section!) 🙂

      Reply
  13. glenn hutton

    June 9, 2014 at 8:39 pm

    This looks amazing and very, very tasty!

    Reply
  14. mousemac

    February 12, 2014 at 7:51 pm

    Just tried this and loved it. Thank you for a new combination, and excellent guidance. Sorry to have deleted my first post, just wanted to add that I used *no* salt at all. Not even in the pasta. That recipe for life just got even healthier!

    Reply
  15. mousemac

    February 12, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  16. helen

    June 13, 2013 at 5:47 pm

    I’m not keen on salmon but you do make that look lovely!

    Reply
  17. Karen S Booth

    June 10, 2013 at 5:48 pm

    You are my MOST loyal and dedicated entrant Elizabeth and I always look forward to see what you have to tempt me when I come over! This, is JUST amazing – you KNOW how much I LOVE fish and salmon, Scottish salmon, is my favourite. BEAUTIFUL photos too, a stunning wee entry thanks! Karen

    Reply
  18. bangermashchat

    June 9, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    This dish looks pretty as a pictures and absolutely delicious too. I always love your cooking and this dish doesn’t disappoint. Another lovely entry for the Recipes for Life challenge. Thank you!

    Reply

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  1. Miso & ginger glazed salmon with coconut rice by How to cook good food says:
    January 19, 2015 at 8:31 am

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About Elizabeth

Adventurer. Expat Canadian. Foodie. Loves bikes. Calls Shetland home. Read More…

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“Every day is another chance to get stronger, to eat better, to live healthier, and to be the best version of you.”

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