Salmon & Spinach in Phyllo

Somehow or another, my two salmon fillets got wrapped up differently from one another. The one in the back had an extra wrap around the top, which is how I believe it is supposed to look. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe about a year ago and kept talking about how delicious and easy it was. I finally got around to making it, and boy am I glad that I did! She was right! Not only was it relatively easy to make, but it was full of flavor and very delicious!

The only trouble I really had was with the phyllo dough. I had never heard of phyllo dough before, and probably spent a good ten minutes trying to find it in the grocery store (in the freezer section next to the frozen pies and desserts). It is very thin and tears very easily, so you have to handle it gently. Luckily, the package comes with way more than you need, so there is plenty of extra if you really tear up any of your sheets. 

The recipe calls for skinless salmon fillets, but I decided to leave the skin on. My husband and I both love the skin and there are a lot of nutrients you would be missing out on if removed. Leaving the skin on didn't pose any problem. The way it gets wrapped up, the skin ends up on the bottom with the cream cheese and spinach on top of the fish. It is a good amount of cream cheese that the recipe calls for, so if you or someone you know is not the biggest fan of cheese, you may want to use a little less than what is listed. 

All in all, it was really easy to make and very yummy! Enjoy!

 

Salmon & Spinach in Phyllo

The Pampered Chef: Cooking for Two & More

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2006.

Prep time: 20 minutes  Total time: 40 minutes  Yield: 2 servings

1 teaspoon Basil Oil or olive oil
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
8 sheets (9 x 14 inches) thawed, frozen phyllo dough
Nonstick cooking spray
2 skinless salmon fillets (4-6 ounces each), about 1 1/2 inches thick
2 tablespoons garlic and herb cream cheese spread


1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in (8-in.) Saute Pan until hot. Add spinach; season with salt and black pepper. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted, about 1  minute. Remove spinach to paper towel-lined plate. Squeeze out all excess moisture; set aside.
2. Lay one sheet of phyllo on large work surface and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place second sheet of phyllo over first, pressing sheets together to seal. Continue laying down and spraying phyllo sheets to create a stack of four sheets of phyllo. Repeat with remaining phyllo and additional cooking spray to create another phyllo stack.
3. Season salmon fillets with salt and black pepper. Spread each salmon fillet with half of the cream cheese spread and top with half of the spinach. For each phyllo bundle, place salmon, spinach side down, on phyllo stack 2 inches from bottom edge of short side. Fold long sides of phyllo in toward center. Gently roll up phyllo from bottom to top. Place both bundles on Small Bar Pan, seam side down. Using Bread Knife, make three diagonal slits across top of each bundle. Spray bundles with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 11-13 minutes or until centers of salmon register 130°F and phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.