Salmon with Chickpeas and Spinach

Salmon was on sale at the grocery store this week for $8.99 for wild caught, I had to get in on that deal. Normally it is about $14 a pound for wild caught and I just can’t stand the taste of farm raised. I did a little searching for a unique recipe and came across a salmon in parchment paper and I figured it would be great with spinach and chickpeas.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless salmon fillets, (5 ounces each; 1-inch thick)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 3 cups baby spinach (6 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut out two 12-by-17-inch pieces of parchment; fold each in half crosswise to form a crease, then open.
2. Pulse parsley, garlic, and oil in a blender or food processor until a paste forms. Season each salmon fillet with 1/8 teaspoon salt and the red-pepper flakes.
3. Rub fish with paste. Divide spinach and chickpeas evenly among 2 parchment pieces, arranging mixture on 1 side of each crease to form a rectangle the size of a salmon fillet; season each pile with 1/8 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Lay 1 fillet on top of each. Fold parchment over ingredients; make overlapping pleats to seal.
4. Bake on a cookie sheet, 9-11 minutes. Unwrap, be careful with all the steam!

This was a quick dinner and even quicker for the clean up. I love that! All you need to do is toss the parchment paper when done with the salmon and wash off the cookie sheet. Easy