Crispy Salmon Tabouleh

My apartment's semi-broken thermostat is finally reporting an all time low temp of eighty degrees.

If you read that thinking I'm going to enjoy a minute of the 'coolness' you're wrong.

It means I've finally been given reason to re-embrace the ovencentric life.

An end of summer oven meal should be made with caution however.

Balance between components is crucial.

A completely hot meal on a warm day is not refreshing, cold meal on a warm day leaves you wanting for something more, but a half hot and half cold meal is the perfect medley.

Aim for this balance by literally splitting your meal in half.

Here our meal's cool half boasts bulgur texturized with sweet snow peas, spicy radish, crispy cucumber, and fresh mint that cozy up to a steamy lemon salmon filet, in a perfect balance for a warm summer's day.

Lemon Salmon with Bulgur Salad

Ingredients

For the salmon:

• 1 -2 lemons, juiced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 12-16 oz salmon filet, skin on or off
• Salt and pepper, as desired

For the bulgur:

• 1 c bulgur
• 2 1/2 c water
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• olive oil, as desired
• salt and pepper, as desired
• 1/2 c mint leaves, chiffonade
• 1/2 c cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 c snap peas, chopped
• 3 radish, chopped
• 1 sm shallot minced
• feta, crumbled, as desired

Combine

1. Soak the salmon in the lemon juice and garlic for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bring the water to a boil in a four cup (or larger) pot.
3. Place the salmon on the middle of the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked to liking.
4. Also, when the water comes to a boil turn off the stove top, add the bulgur to the pot, and set aside for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile chop your veggies.
6. Drain any excess water off of the bulgur, toss with lemon, oil, salt, and pepper.
7. Gently toss with the other ingredients and top with the salmon.
8. Enjoy!

Jerk

Sometimes life throws a curve ball your way, causing you to lose a few steps backwards, to lose endless hours of sleep, and to take too many deep breaths to count.

Sometimes life is a jerk.

Lately, this is what life feels like: a series of extreme days, nights, and weeks, most of which seem to be countered by some strange and equally extreme blessings, but nonetheless, riding out a chunk of life on a roller coaster will most definitely earn you some grey hairs.

Although I'm not usually one to count my blessings, nor to dwell on my spites with life, getting dragged through the muck lately has lent cause for reminiscing on equally stressful but blessed times, like these same weeks last year, when I picked up life as I knew it, pulled out half my hair, and stumbled my way to a little Caribbean neighborhood in New York that instantly became second home.

Maybe it's because atop the list of life's latest stresses is the fact that I'm once again leaving the nest, but this jerk salmon dream bowl seemed like the perfect fit for a time like this.

It's not because I grew up eating jerk anything, it's because this is a small ode to what made Brooklyn taste as familiar as home - a plate full of flavor, texture, and freshness.

So soak some jalapeno in pineapple juice to kill it's kick, use whatever sauce spice level you can tolerate, let the jerky moments go, and absorb a little taste of what I call home.

Jerk Salmon With Green Rice and Pineapple Pico

Ingredients

For the pico:

• 1/2 c pineapple, diced, with extra juice from cutting board
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1 T shallot, minced
• salt, just a pinch

For the salmon:

• Salmon (2-4 portions), skin on or off
• Jerk marinade
• 2 T coconut oil
• a pinch of salt

For the rice:

• 3-5 T coconut oil
• 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T shallot, minced
• 1 c short-medium grain rice
• 1/2-1 t salt
• 1-2 lemons or limes, 1 juiced, 1 sliced (optional)
• Warm water as needed
• 1 c basil, finely chopped
• 2 c parsley, finely chopped
• 2 c spinach, finely chopped
• 1/4 c coconut milk, shaken well

Combine

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. Stir the jerk, oil, and salt together in a separate bowl, then add the salmon to the dish and gently toss it so it is well covered in sauce, adding more if needed.  Let marinate while refrigerated for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until just shimmering.
5. Add the garlic and shallot and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring semi-often to avoid burning.
6. Add the rice and salt and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently but well so the grains are well coated in oil.
7. Add the citrus juice, and citrus slices if using, cook until the juice is evaporated then turn the heat up to high and add 1 cup of water.
8. 
   
• Stir continuously as the water bubbles off, then add half a cup of water.  Continue this process for about 40 minutes.  Each time the water cooks off you'll notice that the water seems "thicker" as the starch from the rice meddles with it.  When the rice is ready it will be soft enough to eat but firm enough to not fall apart, and there should be enough "sauce" to hold the ingredients together.
• After you add two or three half-cups of water, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  This usually takes 10 minutes, after which you should place the salmon on the sheet and bake for 20 minutes - this is roughly how long it will take the rice to finish cooking.
9. Add 2 tablespoons of water, the coconut milk, and the greens, stirring as the water cooks off.
10. Add a large scoop of rice to a bowl, top with a piece of salmon, and a spoonful of salsa.
11. Enjoy!

Green on Green on Grape

The most challenging thing about writing a food blog for fun isn't what you may think.

It's not the time, because despite my unrelated full time job cooking is something that I always make time for.  I've always loved grocery shopping, to go to different stores and daydream about what all the ingredients could become so it's not that the prep is a chore for me.   And yes, while others thing snapping pics of everything I eat before it gets to go in my mouth is takes some serious self restraint, it's more of an added enjoyment for me.

When I'm faced with an empty bowl I fill it without a problem.

The real challenge comes after all of that, at the end when I'm faced with a very blank page.  Like last week, when I sat starting at these pictures of this dinosaur bowl and couldn't stop feeling some type of way long enough to form words describing why it was so good.

Yes, this bowl starts similarly to any other empty "bowl" but along the way it's packed with roasted and fresh ingredients that come together in a perfect marriage of contrasting flavors and textures.

The nutty wheat berries bring the perfect amount of chewiness to the table and add to the warmth of the roasted broccoli while the freshly chopped celery and spinach add a little brightness and crunch.  The salmon, which is broken into bite sized chunks, brings the slightest hint of mustard spice into every bite.  And of course, no salad would be complete without a little salty and sweet like my favorite grape and feta combo.

So really this bowl is much more than just the typical come home and curl up on the couch bowl, a just ran forever and need to recover bowl, and a hand your guests spoons and feed them this for dinner bowl.


It's a celebration of everything delicious bowl, because more, is better!

Dinosaur Bowls

Ingredients

For the salmon:

• 3-4 portions of salmon
• mustard seeds
• salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes
• garlic powder
• mustard, powdered
• yellow curry powder, optional

For the salad:

• 1 scant cup wheat berries
• 2 large heads of broccoli, finely chopped
• 1 lemon juiced + zested
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 c grapes, halved
• 3 T feta, crumbled
• 1 c spinach, chopped
• 3 T balsamic
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine:

1. Place the wheat berries in a small pot and cover them with 2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat for 15 minutes then reduce to low-medium heat and simmer covered for 30 more minutes, adding more water if necessary.  When cooked through, strain any excess water off and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Chop up the broccoli, toss it with two tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, and a little salt a pepper.  Layer on one baking sheet and place in the oven - this will need about 30 minutes or until the broccoli is starting to brown.
4. Place the salmon in the middle of the other baking sheet.  Sprinkle the salmon with as much of the spices as desired in the order listed above then add to the oven for about 20 minutes. When it is cooked as desired, remove the pan and let the fish rest for 5 minutes before chopping up.
5. Meanwhile chop the celery, grapes, feta, and spinach.
6. When the broccoli is cooked, add it to a large mixing bowl with the wheat berries, celery, and grapes.  Toss with the balsamic and more salt and pepper if desired.
7. Gently toss in the spinach, feta, and salmon.
8. Enjoy immediately and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Herby Salmon Salad

A word to the wise says it's best to pack (read: hide) lazy dinners with flavor.

Lots and lots of flavor.

So much flavor, that your taste buds are blown away - taking with them your shameless lack of labor, and leaving behind the few extra moments you now have to savor a tasteful meal.

The kind of flavor that arrives with a big bang with this salmon salad.  A salad in which dill and garlic are rubbed onto the filet before it's baked, peppery arugula is tossed in a fresh onion vinaigrette, then sweet apricots, strong blue cheese, and warm roasted almonds are mixed into the greens for bursts of contrasting flavor.

Later long day, hello good night!

Herby Salmon Salad

Ingredients

For the salmon:

• 12 oz salmon
• lemon juice
• dill, dried
• garlic, powdered
• salt and pepper for taste

For the salad:

• Arugula, as desired
• a few apricots, chopped
• Blue cheese, crumbled
• Roasted almonds, chopped

For the dressing:

• 1 T vidalia onion
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 t mustard seeds

Combine

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the salmon on the middle of the baking sheet then squeeze some lemon juice over it and sprinkle with dill, garlic, salt, and pepper as desired.
3. Bake for 15 minutes until crisping on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside.
4. Meanwhile, blend the vidalia onion, vinegar, oil, and spices together.
5. Toss the arugula with the dressing until well coated.
6. Toss in the apricots, blue cheese, and roasted almonds.
7. Top with the salmon and enjoy!

A Southern Salmon

Although salmon is northern native, this particular fishy decided to rock a little southern flair!


After being rubbed with chipotle for a smokey, spicy bang, drizzled with lime juice, then topped with roasted corn and black bean salsa - how could you not be a fan of it's change in regional inspiration?

Note: if you don't handle heat well, I recommend going easy on the red pepper flakes or adding a little bit of a creamy dressing to the spinach to balance out the spice!

Chipotle Salmon with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients

For the Salmon

• 12 ounces salmon
• Lime juice
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t chipotle powder
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes

For the Salsa

• 1 c cilantro, roughly chopped and loosely packed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed very well
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1 ear of corn, roasted and kernelled
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1-2 T olive oil

For the Meal

• Large handful of spinach
• Feta crumbles
• limes

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Drizzle the salmon with lime juice then sprinkle with spices.
3. Toss in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked to your liking.
4. While you wait toss the ingredients for the salsa together.
5. Top a bed of spinach with a serving of salmon, then sprinkle with salsa, feta, and extra lime juice and enjoy!

Ginger Salmon with Coconut Greens

 Sweet, spicy, savory - a heavenly triad.



What more could a hungry girl want?

Coconut sweetened greens contrast the gingered spice of the salmon while the deeply savory sesame oil mellows it all out in this refreshing 20-minute meal.  Who knew you could accomplish so much in so little time?



Efficiency is key: first preheat your oven, then prep your salmon right on the sheet and get it cooking, focus on the greens while you wait so they will be perfectly wilted by the time your salmon is ready.  If you need a little carb-boost try adding some cooked quinoa or jasmine rice to the greens.  You'll still be able to pull this dinner off in 20-30 minutes, just make sure you get the starch started on the stove right after you turn your oven on to preheat!

Gingered Salmon with Coconut Greens

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

• 12 oz salmon
• 2-3 t soy sauce
• 2 t ginger, pure powdered
• 1/2 t coriander, pure powdered
• 1/4 t onion, pure powdered
• black pepper or red pepper to taste

For the Greens:

• 1 lg bunch hearty greens like chard or kale, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c lite coconut milk
• 1/2 t fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Garnish

• 2 T unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 t sesame seeds
• 1-2 t sesame oil
• 1 scallion, sliced

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. Place your salmon in the center of the sheet and slowly drizzle with soy sauce until the fillet is evenly covered.
3. Sprinkle with the ginger, coriander, onion, and pepper then put in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
4. While you wait, wash, dry, and roughly chop the greens.
5. Heat the coconut milk and ginger in a large skillet then add the greens and cook until just wilted.  Add the lime juice and toss until evenly coated.
6. Plate the greens and sprinkle with coconut, sesame seeds, oil, and fresh scallion.
7. Top with the the salmon and enjoy!

Glazed

Weekdays are seriously hard enough already without having to also stress about how to put together a tasty, nutritious, filling, dinner.

Usually when I tell my friends what I made for dinner their first question is "how long did that take you though?"  The answer: not that long!

Slaving away in the kitchen is overrated regardless of whether or not you've had a long day; here is a fool proof recipe and some tips on how to get it on the table!

I usually toss my protein in the fridge then put everything else I need on the counter.  Start by prepping your cooking utensils, in this case turn on the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper/foil.  It's super inconvenient to do this at the last second so doing it first gets it out of the way.

Next I prep my spices.  In this case you are whisking together your glaze and  keeping some oil, salt, and pepper handy.

For this dinner I chose a side of asparagus, beets, and an arugula salad.  Grab a cutting board, a knife, and a veggie peeler.  First rinse and peel your beets, then slice them up, pour a little olive oil into your hands then hand toss the beets over your cutting board.  Scatter them around the edges of baking sheet and give them a 5 minute head start in the oven.

Meanwhile, rinse your asparagus, then chop off the woody end parts, and hand toss them in olive oil. Scatter your asparagus around the edges of the same baking sheet - its okay that they will over lap the beets.

Place your salmon in the center of the baking sheet and cover generously with glaze.  Bake for 15-20 more minutes depending on the size of your salmon and how cooked you prefer it.

While you wait for the salmon to cook toss your side salad in a dressing of choice: I usually make a quick and dirty balsamic by tossing some Dijon with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Use a meat thermometer to check the temp on your salmon then plate up and enjoy!

Apricot Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

For the Asparagus and Beets

• Asparagus spears, rinsed
• 1 medium beet, rinsed, peeled, sliced
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Salmon

• 1 1/2 T all natural, unsweetend Apricot preserves
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 t pure onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad

• 1 handful fresh Arugula
• 1-2 t dijon
• blue cheese crumbles

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree.
2. Whisk the apricot preserves, balsamic, onion powder, salt and pepper together.  Taste the glaze and adjust the spices to your liking.
3. Toss the beets in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread around the edges of a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving a space in the center where you will place the salmon.  Give these a baking head-start while you prep the asparagus and salmon.
4. Chop the root-ends of the asparagus off then toss the spears in the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
5. Spread the asparagus around the edges of the baking sheet on top of the beets.
6. Place the salmon in the center of the sheet and spoon the glaze all over the top of the salmon.
7. Bake everything for 15-25 minutes until cooked throughout.
8. While you wait for the salmon, toss arugula with a few teaspoons of dijon and top with crumbled blue cheese.
9. 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!