Salmon Baked in Foil

• A whole salmon, fillets or steaks can be baked in the oven in a foil parcel, a method that retains all of the fish's natural juices and intensifies the flavors. Use a double layer of foil and add a little butter, salt and pepper and any other flavoring ingredients of your choice, like lemon juice, crushed garlic, fresh herbs or a dash of white wine. Seal the foil around the salmon to form a loose parcel, making sure there are no openings in the foil. Place the package on a baking tray and place in a 250 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes for small cuts, or up to an hour for a large, whole fish. Keep the package sealed until you are ready to serve the dinner. Boiled potatoes, steamed vegetables and all kinds of salads make great side dishes for this simple but tasty salmon dish.

Salmon and Pasta

• Inexpensive canned salmon is used to make this quick and easy pasta dish with minimum preparation and cooking times. Boil pasta shapes of your choice following the instructions on the package. Meanwhile, heat a jar of your favorite store-bought pasta sauce in a saucepan. Drain the can of salmon and flake it into the sauce as it warms, and you can add some frozen vegetables too if you wish. You don't need to worry about the cooking time for canned salmon as it is already cooked and just needs to be warmed through. Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce and salmon for a very quick dinner. This works equally well with tomato-based and cream-based pasta sauces.

Lox and Bagels

• Although lox and bagels are traditionally a breakfast or brunch food, they make a quick, delicious and unusual dinner too. Toast your favorite bagels and create a platter of the bagels, cream cheese, thin slices of smoked salmon (lox), thinly sliced red onion and tomatoes. You could include sliced bell peppers, capers and lemon wedges as extras. This dinner takes only minutes to prepare and is surprisingly filling.

Salmon Cakes

• Salmon cakes are a delicious alternative to crab cakes. You can use canned salmon or poach salmon fillets for 15 to 20 minutes in simmering water to cook them gently then remove the skin. Boil potatoes until they are tender, then drain them. Gently mash the salmon and cooked potatoes with a fork, adding a squeeze of lemon juice, some chopped herbs and a scoop of mayonnaise to bind the mix. You can bake the salmon cakes at 200 degrees F for about 20 minutes or fry them in a pan with a little oil for about 10 minutes on each side. Serve them in hamburger buns or alone, with your choice of side dishes. Chopped vegetables can be added to the mix before cooking the salmon cakes, too.