Recipe - Baked Herbed Salmon

Fact - I hated all seafood except canned tuna until about 5 years ago.  I then liked real tuna (ahi), and some shellfish (shrimp, crab, sea scallops), but not fish...nope.  Then I found that I like Haddock, as long as it was beer battered and served with fries (or chips, as I was having them in Ireland).  I then tried salmon, and depending on where I was getting it, I either liked it or didn't.  I have recently learned that I really like Chilean Sea Bass.  Now, liking some fish and cooking it are two completely different things, because why spend money on food you are pretty sure you are going to mess up.  Therefore, I left eating salmon or shellfish for when I was out and someone else was preparing it.

Until now!!  I decided to be bold and buy an 8 oz piece of wild caught salmon filet (skin on one side) from the seafood butcher at my local Shoprite.  I figured, I was only shelling out $4, and would face this fear head on.  I can't tell you how pleased with myself I was LOL.  The taste from this fish was delicious, and I served it with some whole wheat spaghetti mixed with roasted broccoli, olive oil and a little parmesan cheese.

Baked Herbed Salmon

Ingredients - (8 oz filet made 2 servings, the recipe below is for 4- 4 oz servings)

1 pound salmon filet (you can use frozen filets, just let them defrost in the refrigerator before cooking)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tsbp butter
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 clove garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
juice of 1 lemon (half before cooking, half after)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat olive oil and butter in a small pan on low heat until butter is melted.  Place salmon (skin side down if you bought it with skin on once side) in a glass baking dish sprayed or drizzled with olive oil.  Pour butter/olive oil mixture over salmon.  Squeeze juice of half a lemon over salmon.  Sprinkle seasonings on top.  Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness (and how well you like your salmon cooked).

I swear I ordered this out, there was no way I cooked something this delicious!