Lemony Salmon with Creamy Cucumber-Fennel Salad

Tired of dry salmon fillets? Prepping your salmon in the Marinade Express helps to add moisture to your salmon in just 10 minutes. The result is a juicy, scrumptious, nutritious piece of salmon that will melt in your mouth. The salmon is slowly baked with a lemon and thyme that melts into the layers of the salmon distributing flavor throughout the fish. The creamy cucumber-fennel salad accompanies the salmon perfectly. The sweet crunch of the fennel and the refreshing cucumbers complement each other, topped with a creamy, tangy Greek yogurt sauce. This meal has all of the health benefits of protein, Omega 3's, calcium, and veggies.

Lemony Salmon
Adapted from Epicurious.com

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 12-15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

MX seasoning mix: either Lemon Pepper or Unflavored
1 1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil, divided
4  6 to 8 ounce boneless salmon fillets
1 tablespoon dried or fresh chopped thyme
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
4 lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

• Prep the salmon in the Marinade Express using your choice of the Lemon Pepper or Unflavored MX seasoning for 10 minutes.Remove from the appliance and pat dry. 
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. 
• Brush with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Place salmon fillets, skin side down on baking sheet.
• In a small bowl mix remaining oil, thyme, and lemon zest. Spread mixture over the salmon fillets.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake salmon until opaque in center and flaky. About 12-15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Creamy Cucumber-Fennel salad
Adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients:
MX seasoning: Unflavored for Produce
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fennel leaves
1 seedless cucumber (or regular cucumber with seeds removed), thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• Use a cucumber that has previously been prepped in the Marinade Express using the Unflavored MX seasoning for produce. 
• Whisk together yogurt, vinegar, salt, pepper in a large bowl.
• Add fennel, fennel leaves, and cucumber. Toss to coat.
• Serve salmon with creamy cucumber-fennel salad. Enjoy!