Salmon with Rosemary and Garlic

I admit I am not the best at cooking fish. The window between undercooking and overcooking is so small that it makes me nervous and frustrated if I don't get it just right. And who wants to eat either raw fish or rubbery fish? No one. So tonight's recipe seemed easy enough. Well, there's one detail that would have been nice to know ahead of time so unfortunately my fish came out a little over done. All well. I have made a mental note and will prepare it right the next time. 

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• Sliced jalapeno if you desire

Directions:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat
• Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay out 4 large pieces of aluminum foil for the "boat." Lay the salmon fillets in their own foil boat and on the center of each fillet put a sprig of rosemary, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Evenly distribute the garlic on top with the jalapeno. 
• Bring up all 4 corners of the foil to begin to form a pouch. Before sealing add 1/2 cup of wine to each boat. Tightly seal.
• Put the boats on the grill. Cook until hot throughout, about 4 minutes..
• Remove from the grill, open and top each boat with the fresh basil. Serve immediately

I paired the salmon with a salad which made for a healthy little dinner. Despite the salmon being a bit chewy it was still very good. 

(not my picture but I am happy to report mine looked just the same)

This Russian mother takes beautiful photography of her kids on their farm. Thought I would share.

http://www.boredpanda.com/animal-children-photography-elena-shumilova/

Chickpea Salad

In the past year I have become a fan of Michael Symon and have loved every recipe of his that I've tried so far. Every time I see him on tv he just puts a smile on my face and seems like someone who would be super fun to hang out with. Unsurprisingly his chickpea salad did not disappoint! I just paired it with some chicken and it was delicious!  

Ingredients:

• 1 16oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

Directions:

• Mix together all the ingredients 
• Season with salt and pepper

Prosciutto, Tomato, and Olive Spaghetti

Last night Brian said this is his new favorite spaghetti recipe. Well, unfortunately it's not mine but I still thought it was very tasty. It's a lighter sauce, pretty easy to whip up and would still be great without the prosciutto if you don't eat meat. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry spaghetti
• 8 cups cold water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 1 cup black olives, pitted
• 3 to 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• reserved pasta water (optional)
• 2.5 ounces parmesan cheese
• a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Prosciutto, enough to slice and add to the pasta. I bought a quarter pound

Directions:

• In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the noodles
• Drain the cooked spaghetti, but save about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
• Wipe clean the same pot and set over medium heat with the oil. When oil is hot, lower heat to medium low and saute the garlic and shallots until fragrant. 1-2 minutes
• Increase heat to medium again, add olives and cook for 1 minute
• Add the diced tomatoes and cook until soft, about 1-2 minutes
• Add the wine and stir until the alcohol has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes
• Stir in tomato paste and butter until dissolved
• Put the pasta back in the pot and gently mix until each strand is coated in the sauce. Add reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too dry. I ended up using about 1/2 of a cup. 
• Toss with parmesan cheese and sprinkle with chopped parsley
• Serve on plates with prosciutto garnish

I didn't follow this recipe exactly. I admit that I completely forgot to buy the olives so those were out the window. I also forgot to buy fresh tomatoes so I used canned diced tomatoes that I had on hand and drained some of the juice out. Despite those two changes it was still very tasty.