Pouched Salmon (That's right. I said Pouched, not poached)

I was watching one of my new favorite shows on t.v. yesterday as I was walking/running on the treadmill at the gym. I love the show "Good Eats" on the Food Network channel. The guy on there, Alton Brown, is one of the announcers on "Iron Chef America". At first I was reluctant to watch this show because he can be so cheesy, but once I got into I realized This is no ordinary cooking show! Alton tells you everything you ever wanted to know about food and more. He teaches how to cook, pickle things, choose spices, pair food together and why it works together, and pick out fresh fish and other meats, and tells you what to look for for freshness and quality.

He also tells you why you have to cook things a specific way and why you add ingredients in a certain way. He tells you in a simple way the chemistry behind cooking. I've found my cooking is improving just from watching this show, even when I don't cook what he is making on the show because he is teaching why and how things cook, which is applicable to other things I'm cooking.

So yesterday I was watching the show and the episode was about how to cook when you are in a hurry. I thought for sure the episode would be about crock pot cooking, but instead it was about cooking whole meals in a "pouch" of either tin foil or parchement paper.

Essentially, the idea is to make a pocket for the food and seal all the sides and let it steam cook. I was planning to make some Salmon anyways for dinner and thought I would cook it the "Pouch" style.

Here is my recipe. Josh told me it was the best Salmon he had ever had:

Basil Salmon with Pesto Sauce

• 2 Filets of Salmon (raw so far)


• 1/2 Cup Fresh Basil


• 1/2 Cup Julianed Carrots


• 1/2 Cup Julianed Celery


• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped


• 1/4 Cup white or red onions, sliced


• 1/4 Cup green onions


• 2 TBSP Lemon Juice


• 1 TBSP Honey


• Salt and Pepper

• Place the fish on a pan, on top of a very long piece of parchment paper. The paper should be twice as long as the pan the fish will be cooked in.


• Salt and pepper both sides of the salmon.


• In this order, place on top of the fish: Fresh basil, carrots, celery, onion, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, and honey.


• Fold parchment paper over the top and fold the sides all around 1/4 inch all the way around. Staple the edges on the fold every inch, to inch-and-a-half.


• I used tin foil because I didn't have parchment paper available and just folded the sides 1/4 inch all the way around, but on the show Alton said if you use an acidic ingredient (such as lemon) you shouldn't use tin foil because it affects the acid in the lemon. He also said if you use tin foil you should leave one side kind of open for the steam to be able to escape.


• Bake at 400 degrees ferenheit for 30 minutes.

Pesto Sauce:

• 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts


• 1/3 Cup freshly grated parmesean cheese


• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil


• 1 Garlic clove


• 1/2 Cup Basil


• salt and pepper to taste

In electric mixer chop all ingredients together for two minutes. Serve fresh on the finished salmon (you can also use it on bread, sandwhiches, pasta, with eggs, whatever. I love, love, love pesto!)

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS:

• 8 for the Salmon (6 ounce fillet) (5 points if you are using the new system where you eat as much as you need to feel satisfied)
• 2 points for the Pesto sauce for 1/2 Tablespoon or two teaspoons