something's fishy!

when i was 8 years old i swallowed the smallest salmon bone and i vowed i would NEVER eat fish again, but when i went to college, and saw all of my friends eating their sushi and rubbing it in my face i knew that i was going to have to give fish the old college try and start eating it again. i had to work my way up to raw fish though, it did not come easily, i started with the veggie rolls, then i would do a little sushi swap with my friends and before long i was ordering my own spicy tuna, or yellow tail or shrimp or salmon. i then began to experiment more with cooked fish, eating it and eventually buying it to prepare at home.  now fish has become one of my favorite things to eat and make, but i have one rule that i always follow when i am buying my seafood.  IF IT SMELLS LIKE FISH DONT BUY IT! you are probably thinking to yourself what should it smell like, fish is fish and it has a distinct odor, well folks you are correct, but fresh fish should smell salty, almost like the ocean on a gorgeous beach day.  i am going to share with you my favorite way to prepare salmon and a great side dish that is sure to impress any dinner guest!

1. start out with fresh salmon, it should have a bright rich pink color and NO ODOR.  ask your grocery store fish man for help on proportion sizes, and they will almost always cut it for you so you can work with smaller pieces.  i would say you want about 6-8 oz per person.
2. now its time to marinade-- who to invite to the party?! grab your dijon mustard, some dill, chopped onions, lemons sliced in to wedges and just a few splashes of white wine.
3. put your salmon skin side down in your pan and coat the top with your dijon mustard, sprinkle the dill over the top of the salmon and add in your chopped onions along the sides of the pan, give your lemon wedges a squeeze before adding them to the party and finish off by adding your white wine.  
4. bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degree's.  the fish will be moist and flavorful

now the salmon is the star of the party, but every party needs guests! the side dish and the wine!  i like to pair salmon with couscous, its not as heavy as rice or pasta but you still feel like you are eating a carbohydrate.  i buy the instant couscous that cooks in 5 minutes.  the box will give you the option to make it with water or chicken stock.  go with the stock, its an extra ingredient to buy but it add another element of flavor to the couscous.  after your couscous has absorbed all the liquids add in veggies to stretch the dish and give it some texture.  i enjoy sauteing: 1 yellow squash chopped , 1 zuchinni chopped, 1 onion, and cherry tomatoes in garlic and olive oil.  fluff up the couscous with a fork and add in your sauteed veggies, make sure all of that oil gets in to the couscous also, it'll give your side dish a nice shine.  crumble in some feta or goat cheese to give a natural salty taste and because who doesnt love cheese!!

i like to pair my dish with red wine, preferably a pinot noir.  just because its fish does not mean you need to drink white, i mean you can and if you enjoy white wine more be my guest, but dare to break the rules!

until next time, eat laugh love & enjoy

olive you, olive you a lot

now i know that i cannot possibly be the only person who enjoys a good food pun, but in this case it's not just for laughs but for a new recipe i threw together using one of my favorite snacks, KALMATA OLIVES.

stretching a box of pasta for a few meals is one of my specialties, and i just sort of threw together a yummy dish by adding a ton of amazing Mediterranean ingredients with just a little bit of pasta to make a healthy dish on a budget.  so here is my recipe for Meditteranean chicken pasta.

1. i baked my boneless skinless chicken breasts at 400 degree's for about 20 minutes.  i seasoned them with smoked paprika, salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, and a touch of tuscan seasoning mix.
2. i then chopped up kalmata olives, cherry tomatoes, and roasted peppers.. i make my own roasted peppers but feel free to use ones from a jar, and the oil from the peppers is going to be a nice addition to the pasta. itll make the noodles shine.  crumble up some feta.. i used about 1/4 cup for 4 servings.  the feta adds a nice salty creamy texture in addition to the saltiness and freshness of the olives.
3. bring your pasta to a boil, i used linguine because that is what i had in my pantry, but use whatever shape you like and if you want to switch our regular flour pasta for whole wheat or gluten free please do so.
4. drain pasta almost completely, leave a tad of the starchy water in with the noodles and place back on the burner (turn to low)  add in your chopped veggies and let this cook down until your tomatoes get soft and sort of begin to get juicy.  the tomato juice and the oil mixed with the pasta water will make a nice light coating on your pasta. 
5. remove the chicken from the over and give it a coarse chop, about the same size as your tomato and add that in with all its yummy cooking juices to the pot. the oil and seasonings that the chicken was baked in will add an additional layer of flavor.  just before service add in the feta and of course sprinkle a little extra feta on top for good luck!

enjoy! and until next time, eat, laugh, love & enjoy!