Salmon in Filo Pastry: 1000 Calorie Counted Recipes Challenge

This part of my 1000 Calorie Counted Recipes Challenge, where I’m aiming to cook every recipe from The 1000 Calorie Counted Recipes by Carolyn Humphries. It’s an amazing book… but there are no pictures!

Salmon in Filo Pastry | 550 calories per serving | Serves 2

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Ingredients*

• 2 small salmon fillets
• 2 sheets filo pastry
• 7.5 g low fat spread
• 1/2 tsp chopped basil

*this is quite a deviation from the book, but only in removing elements rather than anything else! The recipe called for there to be chopped mushrooms and tomatoes within the pastry parcel, and to be set on seasoned passata. That didn’t really appeal to me – I didn’t want a soggy bottom and I wasn’t feeling very tomato-y! 

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How to Make Salmon in Filo Pastry

1. Remove any skin (or bones!) from your fillets of salmon
2. Melt the low fat spread
3. Lay out your filo pastry, paint a little spread onto half of the pastry, then fold it in half
4. Paint a little more spread onto the pastry, then place the salmon in the centre
5. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of basil onto each fillet
6. Fold up the parcel so it’s sealed
7. Paint on any remaining spread
8. Bake in an oven at 200 C for 15 minutes, or until golden brown

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The Verdict

Flavour: 4
(1= flavourless, 5= delicious)

Satisfaction: 5
(1= unsatisfying, 5= satisfying considering low cal!)

Ease of Preparation: 3
(1= difficult, 5= easy)

Aftermath Factor: 2
(1= tons of washing up, 5= one pot wonder)

As a pastry fiend, this recipe appealed to me and I was not disappointed at all. At the time of writing, filo pastry is on offer in Sainsbury’s at £1 for 6 sheets. I bought two packets, portioned them out to two sheets each and froze them in the hopes that this recipe would be delicious.

I was going to use fresh basil within the parcel, but stuck to the recipe using dried chopped basil and I was very pleased with the result. I served the parcels on pea puree (no added butter, just whizzed up peas!) with asparagus and crushed boiled potatoes with loads of pepper and chives.

I’ll definitely be cooking this again where there’s a need for a bit of a treat, but without all the calories.

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This part of my 1000 Calorie Counted Recipes Challenge <- click the link if you want to find out what it’s all about and see the recipes I’ve already tried. Please note that I tinker with recipe ingredients and meander from the method – the recipe above will deviate slightly from the original book and the method is just the way I happened to cook it this time!