If you offer a foodie farm fresh produce...

If you offer me farm fresh produce, chances are I'll hardly be able to turn it down.  Which is why, despite the fact that I had a fridge full of food at home, when I walked by my local greenmarket and heard the beautiful skinny green stalks of asparagus calling my name from their bin I knew I was going to end up taking them home.

It was a purchase that I almost felt guilty about, as I thought about my week and realized there was a large chance that they would go to waste before I could use them, but luckily everyone loves fresh produce.


So I decided to make something I could share, and since everyone also loves breakfast I knew the two would go hand in hand.

I envisioned crossing a frittata and quiche to make a batch of farmer's market egg cups by lining a muffin tin with little circles of dough, twirling little pieces of asparagus around each cup in the shape of little green roses, and filling the gaps with freshly whisked egg and feta.

The feat turned out easier dreamed than done.

As someone who's never made a frittata or a quiche or egg cups I ran into several unforeseeable issues.  First off, muffin tins are much smaller than you think, so the crust took up so much room and the asparagus did not exactly form into rings as I thought.  Additionally, I knew the asparagus and onions and garlic would have to be cooked slightly before putting them in the egg but the oil used to saute them robbed the dish of freshness.

I was filled with disappointment as I popped the pan into the oven, and as I cleaned up the mess I had made I started thinking of all the things I could've done differently.

In the five minutes it took me to wash the dishes I had thought of so many delicious changes, like how it would be easier to circle the asparagus if I used a pie pan instead of a muffin tin, how the crust would be better if it could be butterless, and herbed, and maybe even gluten free, and how the dish would feel fresher if the onions were soaked and asparagus flash steamed instead of sauteed, that I knew I had to make it again.

So back to the farmer's market for more asparagus I went!

Farmer's Market Frittata

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 T cornstarch
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 T dried herbs of choice (I used basil)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c Greek yogurt
• 2 T coconut oil

For the filling:

• 1 bunch of skinny asparagus
• 1/2 Vidalia onion, very thinly sliced
• Balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• White vinegar
• Feta, thinly sliced and crumbled
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika if desired
• 6 eggs

Combine:

1. Slice the onion as thinly as possible, place in a bowl, and cover with balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
2. Place the garlic in a second dish and cover with white vinegar and a pinch of salt.  Set aside.
3. Use a food processor to mix the dry ingredients for the crust, add the oil and pulse until crumbly, then add the Greek yogurt and pulse again.  Pulse a few more times until the crumbs come together in a large chunks or one ball.
4. Take the dough out of the processor, roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic, and set in the freezer.
5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a pie pan with parchment paper.
6. Cut the hard ends off the asparagus, cut the stalks in half, and rinse very well. Place a steamer in a large pot, add an inch or two of water, bring to a boil, then add the asparagus and steam for 1-2 minutes until bright green and just barely softened.
7. Take the dough out of the freezer, place the ball between 2 sheets of Saran Wrap, roll into a disc the same size as the bottom of the pie pan, and roughly 1/4 of an inch thick, yes I used a wine bottle for this.
8. Place asparagus spears around the pan in a circle, fill the gaps loosely with onion slices, then top with another layer of asparagus. Note: I tried to use more ends for the bottom layer and more tips for the top layer so you can see the pretty tips of the asparagus.
9. Strain the vinegar off of the garlic and whisk the garlic into the eggs with a pinch of salt, pepper, and paprika, then slowly and evenly pour the egg over the asparagus.
10. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and freshly cracked pepper.
11. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the center is just set but still moist looking.
12. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing and enjoy!

They Call Me Miss Pickle

Sometime between me living on college cafeteria food and me falling so in love with food that I started a food blog, I made the decision to learn how to cook.


I kid you not, the process began with me manipulating Knorr packaged dinners, think a small step above Kraft Mac n Cheese, but eventually I moved on to just using the sauce packets that were sold separately and mixing them into other ingredients.


Strangely, this taught me more than you would think about cooking: like how different liquids changed the flavor and consistency of the sauce, what shape I liked various veggies cut to, and how to stagger the addition of ingredients without turning half to mush while leaving the other half raw.

As I dragged my friends through this process I managed to pick up a mish-mash of passed down advice which included how to soak onions:


'Why would we do that?'

"I dunno, it's how my mom does it, I think it's Romanian..."

Sold.


For that dinner we took our chopped up Vidalia onions and tossed them into a bowl of water with a little pinch of salt and waited.  A few minutes later the water had passed through each piece, taking with it the sharp onion burn and the dramatic crunch, but leaving behind the mellow sweetness and a pleasant crunch.


Since then, whether it's labeled as soaked, a quick and dirty pickle, or macerated, I've discovered that this is a pretty common means for manipulating veggies that have too much bite or too much crunch without actually bringing them under heat (yay Summer-friendly recipes).  In the case of onions, this process will make them less spicy and more flavorful while still allowing them to bring that desired crunch to a dish.  Read: your breath won't smell half as bad if you soak onions before bringing them to work for lunch.


Happy soaking!

Soaked Onions and Other Stuff

Ingredients

• Vegetables, thinly sliced or chopped
• Vinegar, warm water, or boiled water to cover
• 1/2 - 1 t salt

Combine

1. Stir together the salt and liquid until the salt is dissolved.
2. Add in the veggies.
3. Let soak for 15 minutes or longer before enjoying!

Some Suggestions:

• Beets: use half boiled water and half white vinegar for the liquid and 1-2 t of salt. Soak for 2-3 days before enjoying.
• Carrots, radish, or fennel: use half boiled water and half vinegar with 1/2 t of salt. Soak overnight before enjoying.
• Vidalia onions:  Use warm water and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, and let soak for 15 minutes.  For more flavor use balsamic vinegar (or half water, half vinegar) and 1/2 of salt, and let soak for 30 minutes.
• Shallots: use red wine vinegar for the liquid and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Soak for 15 minutes.
• Garlic: use half warm water and half white vinegar with 1 teaspoon of salt.  Let soak for at least 15 minutes.
• Hot peppers (like jalapeños): use lime juice for the liquid and 1/2 t of salt.  Soak for 30 minutes.

Apricot Arugula Salad

It's great if you went out and bought all the ingredients to make my Apricot and Cream scones, but now I'm sure you have a bits of left-over ingredients that you don't know what to do with!

While tossing some chopped apricots on your granola or oatmeal is always a great way to utilize them, if you are looking for a more creative way to incorporate them into another meal this salad is an ever greater way to utilize them.

One of my fall favorites, this salad is full of warm, strong flavors that welcome a little sweetness.  It's a perfect meal for these weird, warm fall days we are having in NY but still savory enough to enjoy in colder weather.

Of course, as with most meals I make, this salad can be served two ways:

1. For dinner, served with a nice, big glass of red wine to make you feel fancy and sophisticated.
2. Packed for lunch starting with a base layer of balsamic, then chicken, then mushrooms and onions, apricots, blue cheese, and arugula to make you feel like you totally have your life together.

So many wins here, so get cooking!

Apricot Arugula and Balsamic Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb chicken
• 1-2 T Olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1-2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• large handfuls of arugula
• balsamic vinaigrette
• 6 apricots, chopped
• blue cheese crumbles, as desired
• Salt and pepper

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Trim the fat off the chicken, let marinate in balsamic vinegar for ~20 minutes, then lightly oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through, then cut into slices.
4. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large skillet, then saute the onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms are juicy and the onions are golden.
5. Toss arugula with a little balsamic vinaigrette then top with onions, mushrooms, chopped apricots, chicken, and blue cheese crumbles.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

The Almost Salmonella Story

Almost, but not quite.


This story is not really about salmonella.  It's about a signature saute, one that I've enjoyed countless times with numerous variations including the vegetarian version that started it all, that somehow came out... a little different.


The delicious flavors were there but something was very wrong.


I started to slow down as I chewed, started to inspect the meat for traces of pink: was it overcooked? Undercooked?  Although I was in denial that my trusty thermometer - the one I use for temp checks every time I cook meat - could have lead me astray, I tossed out the remainder of my plate then bravely placed the rest of the baked chicken back in the oven.  Several extra degrees later the now dry and rock solid chicken was most certainly overcooked... but still.... wrong.


A week of paranoia ensued, and as I waited for salmonella, or bird flu, or something to hit I desperately researched possible explanations of my weird chicken experience.  The paranoia quickly evaporated: this chicken was plumped.


My vegetarian past-life flashed before my eyes: I was equally grossed out about eating a half-fake chicken and ashamed at having purchased such a sad thing so naively.  Although I still eat a majorly vegetarian diet, meat has become a welcome part of my diet again too.  It's made recovering from workouts easier, absorbing vitamins more possible, and honestly, it's made meals more exciting and enjoyable.


So this may not be a story about salmonella and the moral of the story isn't that I'm going to cut meat out of my diet again, but it's more of a story about how we're not always getting what we think we're buying.  I don't think it's a sustainable solution to cut everything scary or questionable out of my diet so I am determined to find a middle ground.  Technically saline is "not really" a harmful additive, but the knowledge that my chicken needed a saline-botox to look healthy and edible is really gross!  Luckily, I've discovered companies have to mark altered products, so in addition to checking for notes about use of hormones, additives, preservatives, and dyes we can also check the label for notes about salt content, or use of brine or broth.  I've had a lot of luck with  both the quality and price of Stop and Shop's in house organic and natural brands as well as Halal butchers and will probably stick to them for "safer" purchases, especially after finding that Whole Foods plumps too.


Be aware of what you're buying but don't give up - you can find un-altered chicken and once you do you can make this recipe.  Sounds like a moral to the story and a reward!

Balsamic Chicken and Chard with Polenta

Ingredients

• 1 lb of chicken breasts
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar
• 4 cl garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 bunch chard, chopped
• 1/2 c olives, sliced
• 1 c sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 c polenta + 4 c water + a pinch of salt

Combine

1. Cut any extra fat off the chicken, let marinate in balsamic vinegar for ~20 minutes, then drain, lightly oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. While you wait preheat your over to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, prep your veggies, bring 4 cups of salted water to boil in a small pot with tall sides, and heat a little oil in a skillet.
3. Toss the chicken in the oven and let bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Saute the onion in a pan for 5-7 minutes until turning translucent and golden.
5. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the chard, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes and saute until the chard is just wilted.
7. Meanwhile bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil and add the polenta.  Stir constantly as it thickens and add more water if necessary until it is pale yellow and thickened throughout.
8. Top a bed of the cooked polenta with chard and chicken.  Drizzle with extra balsamic if desired and enjoy!

Transitioning

Cold weather is coming and there is no better way to get your body winter ready than by eating delicious pasta dinners!

This sauce is quick to make, has a slightly smokey flavor from the paprika, includes spicy harissa to warm you up in the fall and winter months, and includes a hint of balsamic to help ease us out of summer flavors.  If you don't have harissa, it's okay to add some red pepper flakes instead!

Smokey Pasta with Chicken, Tomatoes, and Greens

Ingredients

• 1 c pasta of choice
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb chicken, sliced into thin strips and lightly oiled, salted, and peppered.
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 t dried basil or oregano
• 1/2 t smoked paprika
• 2 T balsamic + 1 T tomato paste + 1 T harissa, whisked
• 2 t capers
• 2 large handfuls of arugula
• Olive oil as needed

Optional

• Parmesan to garnish

Combine

1. Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Dump in the pasta and cook accordingly.
2. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is shiny, add the onion to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Push the veggies to the edges of the pan, add a little more oil, then place the chicken in the center without overlapping the pieces.
5. Once the edges of the chicken start to turn white, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add in the tomato, basil, paprika, balsamic, tomato paste, harissa, and capers.
7. Stir until the ingredients are well combined and the chicken is cooked through (5-7 minutes).
8. Add the drained pasta and arugula and toss until well coated.
9. Garnish with parmesan and enjoy!

Don't salt, just feta.

Yes, you read that right.

All you crazy people putting salt on your watermelon can stop before you start, all you really need is feta!

It's a classic that not many people know about but now that you're set straight you can move on to eating this ideal end of the summer meal.

The chicken has a mustard-y kick and is a great alternative to the sweet honey-mustard recipes that are too common, the quinoa salad is adjusted from Equinox because watermelon, feta, and basil are the best, and of course no meal would be complete without kale.

Enjoy!

Mustard Chicken with Basil Melon Quinoa + Balsamic Kale

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 lb chicken, thinly sliced
• Olive oil as needed
• 2 t mustard seeds for sprinkling
• 3 t ground mustard seed
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 2 t onion, dried
• 2 t garlic, dried
• 1 t oregano or tarragon

For the Quinoa

• 3/4 c quinoa, well washed
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 T oil
• 2 T basil
• salt
• 2 c watermelon, diced
• 2 T feta
• 1/2 t pepper

For the Kale

• 4 large kale leaves, washed and chopped.
• 1 T oil
• 1-2 T balsamic reduction

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Boil water over high heat, add in the quinoa, oil, basil, and salt, and cook until the water is level with the quinoa.  Reduce to low heat and simmer covered until cooked through.
3. While you wait mix up the spices for the chicken.
4. Trim the chicken and rub it with a little olive oil.
5. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with whole mustard seed, then sprinkle both sides with the spice mix until well covered.  (Use the back of a spoon to press the spices down if needed.)
6. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
7. While you wait put the watermelon, feta, and pepper into a large mixing bowl and toss.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork, add to the bowl, and toss until combined.
8. Wash and chop your kale, heat the oil over medium-low heat, then add kale and cook until just wilted.  Toss with the balsamic reduction.
9. Enjoy!

Hope & Olive

Hope & Olive is one of the few things that makes a trip to Greenfield worth it.

They have creative drinks, an exciting ambiance mellowed by relaxing lighting and decor, pleasant attentive servers who are not overbearing, and, of course, so many delicious sounding meals that it's hard to settle on one to actually get.  

That exact problem was solved by creating this dish.

 While there I enjoyed a dish that I was not confident I could make on my own, then brought the flavor inspo of my second-choice-dish home so I could try making it myself.

Let me tell you, the results of the experiment did not disappoint!

This is a perfect summer recipe: herbs greet you on your first bite and lemons fills in for the finish.  The salad is refreshingly light as the salty feta and olives are matched by cool cucumber and tomatoes, with the nutty quinoa and hearty kale creating a structured background.

Make this dish at your own risk - it's so good you'll want to eat it every day.

Herb and Lemon Crusted Chicken with Mediterranean Quinoa

(inspired by Hope and Olive)

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cleaned (or Salmon)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 t oregano
• 1 t basil
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 1/2 t coriander
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1/2 t garlic
• 1 lemon, sliced

For the Quinoa

• 1 c dry quinoa + 2 cups water
• 1 T basil
• 1 T oregano
• salt and pepper
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 C grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 can olives
• 1/2 c seedless cucumber, diced
• 4-6 leaves kale, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 T feta
• Balsamic reduction, to taste

Combine

1. Place the chicken in a dish with the lemon juice and let marinate for ~30 minutes while refrigerated.
2. While you wait mix the oregano, basil, peppers, coriander, cumin, garlic, and salt together; wash and chop your veggies; preheat your oven or grill to 350 degrees; and line a baking sheet.
3. Use a fork to remove the chicken from the lemon bath, letting excess juice drip off.  Brush the chicken with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with the herb mixture until the pieces are well coated.  Cook the chicken and lemon slices until cooked through.
4. While it cooks bring the water, quinoa, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and oil to a boil until the water is level with the quinoa, then reduce to a low simmer and cover until no water remains and quinoa is completely cooked.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let cool slightly.
5. In a large mixing bowl toss the quinoa with the tomatoes, olives, cucumber, kale, shallot, and feta.  Drizzle with balsamic reduction.
6. Plate the quinoa, top with chicken, and enjoy!

Sweetening the Savory

Cooked fruit is surely summer's best kept secret.

Grill it, bake it, roast it  -  whatever the method chosen it will dramatize the flavors your favorite fruit has to offer, turning a once sweet snack into a now sweeter, juicier, caramelized version.

Can't think of a way to use these extra delicious treats?

Although they are usually incorporated in desserts I'm a huge fan of adding sweet to a savory dish.  Think roasted grapes over brie on your next cheese platter, grilled pineapple, mango, or peach for a chutney spooned over meat, or roasted grapes tossed into a savory salad like this one.

Inspired by the restaurant I work at, this salad is a winner that features some of the best summer complements: crisp kale with tangy balsamic, sweet and nutty almonds and edamame, salty feta topped with caramelized, red grapes.

If you want the grapes to retain a little of their crunch simply bake them for a shorter period of time.  If you want them to be extra caramely use grapes that are at peak ripeness, like the grape versions of a freckled banana.

B.V. Roasted Grapes with Feta, Edamame, Almonds, Kale

Ingredients (2-4 s)

• 2 c grapes, washed and dried
• 2 T balsamic
• 2 T olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4-6 leaves kale, de-ribbed and chopped
• 1-2 T balsamic reduction
• 1 c edamame, cooked
• 2 T almonds, chopped
• 2 T feta, crumbled

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper so that it overlaps the sides a little.
2. In a large mixing bowl toss the grapes, balsamic, oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper together until well coated.
3. Scatter the grapes on the baking sheet and roast for 15-30 minutes until the grapes are caramelized.
4. While you wait, wash and chop the kale and toss it with any balsamic remaining from the grapes and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
5. Toss the grapes, edamame, almonds, and feta with the kale until well mixed.  Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper if desired and enjoy!

Seven Sisters Summer Salad

Weather in Massachusetts has been influencing my meals in a weird sort of way.

Summer weather was here last week with an unbearable heat wave that inspired me to cut carbs and douse everything I was putting in my mouth with balsamic.  One week later freezing temperatures rolled through that had me pulling out my winter blanket and craving warmer flavors.

Not knowing what change in tastes the next week would bring I decided to clash my cravings and create a summer salad with hints of winter flavors.  Arugula, feta, and balsamic bring the light, bright flavors of summer weather but here they welcomed the warmer flavors of roasted red peppers, carmeley onions, and olives to bring a meal that won't throw you off the summer diet while shaking off the chill settling in your apartment.

Bonus: if you pack the ingredients upside down in a tupperware, it also packs as a great prepped lunch!  I layer mine: balsamic + oil, chickpeas, olives, capers, peppers, onions, cheese, arugula.

Seven Sisters Salad

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 1/2 large vidalia or sweet onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 3-4 big handfuls of arugula
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 T capers
• 1/2 can black pitted olives, chopped
• Olive oil as needed
• 2 T Balsamic vinegar per salad
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 T feta per salad, crumbled

Combine:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
2. Core the bell pepper then slice into 1/2 inch strips.  Brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Slice the onion into 1/3 - 1/2 inch strips, brush with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Scatter the pepper and onions around the baking sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes until the onions are turning clear and the peppers are starting to blacken around the edges.  Every 15-20 minutes flip the veggies so that they don't burn, and rotate the baking sheet when you return it to the oven.
5. Toss the arugula with balsamic and a little olive oil until coated.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss again with the chickpeas, olives, capers, and veggies.
7. Top with crumbled feta and enjoy!

The 9 o'clock salmon dinner

More often than not I start my days at 6:30 in the morning but don't see them end until 8:00 at night.  And I don't mean I spent 14 hours having the time of my life, I'm talking about the days we spend 14 hours dragging ourselves around.

Waking up, commuting to work, being at work, going to the gym, running errands, etc, etc.

To do lists seem like they make time evaporate and the most exhausting part is crossing every task off only to realize you don't even have enough energy left to unwind.

In these moments I am often tempted to go home and eat a PB&J or bowl of cereal accompanied by a bottle of red wine before dragging my butt to bed, but I have found that ditching the late night sammy for a great dinner like this one not only matches the wine much better but also helps dramatically when you know you have to wake up in 8 hours to start dragging again.

Weeknight dinners should be super, super easy and good enough to make the day's weight on your shoulders melt right off.  This salmon takes about 10 minutes to throw together and all you need is a cutting board, a knife, and a baking sheet.

I always start by turning on the oven and getting my cooking supplies ready, in this case I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper then left it out of the way on top of the stove.  The things I prep first are the most annoying: peel and chop your garlic before you do anything else unless you want the stupid paper-skin-stuff to get stuck all over your hands!  A great way to get this done is to peel off the excess skin then place the clove on a cutting board, use your palm to crush the flat side of a knife against it, pick off the rest of the skin, then chop it up.

Rinse the garlic off your hands and wash the asparagus off while you're at it.  Chop the tough root ends off the spears, pour a drizzle of olive oil into your palm, then rub the spears thoroughly with oil before scattering them along the outer edges of the baking sheet and sprinkling with salt and pepper.

Unwrap the salmon and place it in the center of the sheet.  Sprinkle or brush with a little balsamic, so the salmon is just coated but not drenched and overflowing.  Rub the minced garlic, a healthy sprinkle of garlic powder and pepper, and a small sprinkle of salt on the salmon then toss in the oven. 

Pop open a bottle of wine while you wait for the timer to ring and stir some dill, horseradish, and feta into greek yogurt.  Fifteen minutes and one glass of wine later, your fancy weeknight dinner is ready to be enjoyed!

Garlic Salmon with Asparagus and Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

For the Salmon

• 8 ounces of salmon
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1/4 - 1/2 t pure garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• asparagus spears
• 1 T olive oil

For the Yogurt Sauce

• 2 T Greek yogurt
• 1 t horseradish
• 1 t dill, dried
• 1 t feta

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Coat the asparagus spears with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread around the edges of the baking sheet leaving a space for the salmon.
3. Place the salmon in the center of the sheet and slowly drizzle balsamic on the fillet, coating it completely.  Sprinkle the fillet with the garlic powder, salt and pepper, then cover the top with the fresh garlic.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked throughout.
5. Whisk together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce and spoon onto the asparagus before enjoying!