The best $3.99 I ever spent was something specifically designed for Salmon. My future brother-in-law exposed his secret seasoning blend, which is now my favorite cheap Friday night meal (thanks, Quan!) It’s not a Monday night meal, nor is it a Tuesday night meal. It is an inexpensive Friday night meal because that’s when Haymarket’s affordable selection of produce and seafood comes out! For a large filet of Salmon, you only pay $5. Make sure you cook it that night or else you will sacrifice the quality of the fish.

Let’s do the math:
$5 (Salmon filet that serves 4-5 people)
$3.99 (Seasoning blend that will last you forever)
$.25 (Lemon)
$9.24 Salmon for 4-5 people

I’m completely okay with that. If you are only cooking for one or two, leftover Salmon is also great crumbled up with greens and salad dressing for your next lunch. Also, the recipe’s seasoning blend can be found at any Stop & Shop near you. So don’t worry, you won’t have to purchase any exotic spices like Himalayan Pink Sea Salt. (Don’t you hate it when a recipe calls for only three ingredients, but one of them is insanely difficult to find? “Ooh, so that’s the catch!”)

Paul, you're awesome - $3.99

Ingredients:
1 Whole Salmon Fillet
3 tbs Chef Paul’s Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning Blend
1 Lemon, thinly sliced
Olive Oil

Directions:

1)   Drizzle olive oil in baking pan (or other cookware) and on top of Salmon

2)   Season with seasoning blend

3)   Place sliced lemons on top

4)   Loosely cover with tin foil and bake at 375F for 20 minutes (if frozen, 35 mins at 400F)

5)   Take the Salmon out and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes

6) Dig in and enjoy.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Level: Beginner
Total Meal: $9.24
Servings: 4-5 people