What's Trending this Summer? Foil Packets!

Like a fabulous little black dress, foil packets will never go out of style. Check out this recipe for lime butter salmon that's simply perfect for summer.

Last night, I did a very bad thing. I'm talking the worst possible thing a person could do. I, Emily, have cheated on my beloved Food Network with fellow blogger The Recipe Critic. I know, I know, I'm a horrible human being but ask me if I feel ashamed? Hell nahhh! All is fair in love and recipe hunting. Trust me, Alyssa Rivers' Lime Butter Salmon in Foil with Summer Veggies is one hot, steamy affair worth having.

If you're searching for a light, citrusy meal that's loaded with seasonal vegetables then you've come to the right place. It doesn't get much easier than 8 ingredients, half of which are found in the produce section of the grocery store. After some minor chopping and straight-forward assembly, the salmon, zucchini and asparagus each get perfectly cooked and better yet everything gets soaked in buttery, tangy goodness. We also have talk about that magical moment when you open the foil packets. The steam instantly reaches your nose and the aroma from the lime, onions and peppers just screams summer. But can you guess what the absolute best part of this recipe is? NO CLEAN UP. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Really quick allow me take you all on a trip down memory lane. I don't know if anyone can relate but cooking in foil just takes me back. To summertime in Chicago. To spending all day in the pool. To firing up the grill with my Dad. To helping my Mom put together the most delicious potato packets ever. With a mandoline, we'd thinly slice piles of potatoes, mound them up on foil with sliced onions, salt, pepper and cubes of butter. Once off the grill, we would all fight over the crispy burnt pieces. I swear this is one of my favourite taste memories from my childhood. Mmm such good times. So you see foil packs of all shapes and sizes will forever be trendy.

And now that I'm sufficiently homesick, let's get back to reality so I can tell you what I did differently to make these salmon packets my own:

Grill vs. Bake

This recipe was designed for the grill but I live on the top floor in a little, old London flat. No grill in sight so instead I baked my packets at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes. The veggies were tender and the salmon was as moist as can be.

Bring the Heat

Sometimes, in the kitchen, great things happen by accident. When I read red pepper in the list of ingredients for some reason my brain thought chilli. So instead of a bell pepper I minced up a chilli and put it in my lime butter mixture. It was amazing! The subtle spice totally elevated this dish.

Veg of Your Choice

Feel free to experiment with any vegetable you love. I added mushrooms because I couldn't find summer squash. Green beans, baby potatoes or even broccoli would work great too.

Getting Saucy

Kalo and I love citrus so I added the zest and juice from two limes to the melted butter. I also finely minced a shallot and added that to the lime butter so there would be a hint of onion in every bite.

To close, I have a few more HFL suggestions to share. Do yourself a favour and pick up a sourdough loaf or crusty baguette to dip into the juices that settle in the bottom of the packets. No joke, mid-dinner Kalo volunteered to run out and buy some bread and thank god that he did because it made all the difference! Also don't forget to cut all your veggies on the diagonal to make them look extra pretty when you open the packets. And lastly, be sure to use the dull side of the foil. I can't tell you how many times I've made that mistake.

Now, RUN don't walk to the store to stock up on some heavy duty foil so that we can try these recipes for Salmon Baked in Foil, Sesame Shrimp and Greens with Rice and Low Country Boil Packets together this summer.