Garlic Pepper & Lime Baked Salmon with Cilantro Lime Rice

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a bit of a whirlwind trip this year. We drove over to Florida to surprise my sister and her family for the holiday week. It had been a full 3 years since we had all seen each other. The trip was well over due! Going to Florida is an endeavor all on it's own, but we also fit in some time to be with Grammy, back over in Louisiana. What a week! I am exhausted!! ...But in such a good way.  Tonight we needed something easy for supper & this baked salmon dish is perfect - full of flavor, but very little work. 

Salmon is quite possibly one of my favorite fish to cook with. It is easy to find in most locations, and one fillet can be portioned out to feed a whole family. If you're not fond of salmon, or just want to try something different, I'm sure that any other meaty fish would be fantastic prepared this way.  Choose your favorite. Just understand that the cooking time will need to be adjusted based on the size of the fillet(s). Either way, I hope your family enjoys the flavor of this dish as much as mine does. 

 Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
    (For the Fish)

• 1.5 pound raw Salmon Fillet (not smoked), with skin
• 3 - 4 Limes
• 1 Tbs Canola, Vegetable, or Olive Oil
• Garlic Pepper
• Salt 

    
    (For the Rice)

• 1  1/2 cups dry White Rice (not instant)
• 3 cups* Water (*Might vary slightly by brand of rice and/or cooking appliance, check your packaging for verification.) 
• Zest and Juice from 2 Limes
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Cilantro
• Salt and Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If your fish is frozen, either thaw it before you begin, or just rinse it under cold water to remove the ice glaze. Then pat to dry.  

Go ahead and start the rice since it will take a while... Simply cook according to package and/or appliance directions, stirring in the cilantro, lime zest and juice with the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, before serving.

Slice each lime into disks. Arrange these disks fruit side up, in an appropriately sized baking dish, to form a base for your fillet. (Mine fit in a 9 x 9 pan, so I had 3 rows of 3 slices. - I also put in the remnants from the limes that I used in the rice, just for good measure.) 

As you cut the limes, squeeze a little of the juice over the fish. (Tip - Roll the limes on the counter, before cutting, to really get the juices flowing.) Lay the salmon, skin side down, on top of the lime base.  

Brush or spray the oil onto the fish. Season with your favorite Garlic Pepper (We like McCormick.), and salt to taste.

Bake the salmon in the preheated oven until it is cooked through and flakes easily. The actual time will vary based on the thickness of your fillet(s). (Mine was fairly thick, and took around 40 minutes.) Try not to overcook it.

Serves 4

To serve: Make a bed of the prepared rice and place a portion of fish on top. Pair it up with a garden salad and/or your favorite vegetable and you've got a complete meal.

Enjoy!