We had baked wild king salmon for dinner last night given by my friend, Elaine. She gave us three meals worth. Thank you dear friend! For two years in a row now, they have been going to Alaska for salmon fishing for a whopping cost of $5,000 per person plus tips of $200. Imagine that? She and her husband enjoy fishing immensely that is why they don’t mind paying such a large price.

I usually use salt, pepper, cut-up basil, and lemon juice to flavor the salmon to preserve its delicate taste. However, last night I didn’t have lemons. I didn’t want to make a trip to the grocery store that late either. I asked myself, “what can I use instead of lemon?” I gazed at my pantry for a while. Suddenly, I saw a bottle of unopened Zesty Italian dressing, my saving grace. I immediately grabbed it and drizzled about 2 tablespoons on the whole salmon, plus the salt, pepper, and basil flakes. I added some slices of onions and tomatoes and tossed in three average-size potatoes good for three people…my husband, A, and me. I baked it at 375 degrees, 20 minutes long. I had to keep close watch of it as I didn’t want to cook it one minute longer. You don’t want to overcook salmon. After 20 minutes had elapsed, I took the tray out of the oven to see if the salmon was cooked. Nope, it wasn’t quite done yet. I shoved it right back in the oven for no more than 3 minutes.

Boy, the salmon tasted so heavenly with baked potato, and fresh green salad on the side. It was cooked just perfect!