Funny how stressful quarantines are better suited for wine and popcorn rather than the latest gourmet Mediterranean meal. Tonight would be different- tonight the Chrissy Teigan style of cooking salmon takes a Mediterranean vacation (that I could really, REALLY do with) with Ina Garten and this lovely recipe.

The whole bit cooks for 11 minutes and ends up looking this divine.

I mean, come on. Simple salad to accompany the “melting toms and onions”.

One more, up close and personal. Ready to lick the screen?

Ina’s Salmon with Melting Tomatoes

• 1 lb. of salmon
• 1 T. olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 c. diced onion (I just happened to have purple)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (sliced in half, leave the seeds for once!)
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar
• 2 T. julienned basil

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Baste all sides of salmon with 1 T. of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides. Set aside.
3. In large saute pan, heat 3 T. olive oil over medium-low heat. Saute onion for about 5 minutes until translucent.
4. Add garlic, saute another minute.
5. Add tomatoes, turn heat to low and allow to cook for 11 minutes, sauteing occasionally.
6. While that’s happening, in a cast iron pan, heat 1 T. olive oil over high heat.
7. Remove tomatoes and onions from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar and basil. Set aside
8. Cook salmon skin side up in cast iron pan for 3 minutes. Don’t touch it!!!
9. After three minutes, flip salmon over so skin side is down. Place pan in oven and cook for 8 minutes.
10. Remove pan from oven. Serve salmon topped with ‘melting tomatoes and onions.’