Let me do you the Honor of Cooking Tonight

As I find my summer winding down, the many changes of the past season come flooding over me. The most notable being my father who recently fulfilled his life-long dream of pursuing justice as a public servant on the bench. With his new job comes new hours; instead of coming home at 8h00 or 9h00 in the evening, now he comes home at 5h30 or 6h00. With my mother gone and dinner responsibilities falling on my shoulders, I wanted to make a nice dinner for both my father and I. Unlike many men, my father doesn’t go for red meat and instead, loves himself a mean salmon.

So… I made salmon. This salmon is so simple, yet so delicious, it would be a crime not to make it. If there is anytime to reiterate the so-called mission statement of my blog, it would be now. My mission is to provide as many cheap, delicious, and healthy recipes as possible. And as I am very aware that life is unfair and that you don’t always get what you want, I allow myself, and my cooking, the sort of flexibility and unpredictability with which I use to lead my own life.

Summer being the extravagant (sometimes) indulgent season that it is notorious for being, my cooking seemed to follow suit. This salmon uses simple produce and their light flavors and makes them pop. With few ingredients and about a total cooking and preparation time of maximum 30 minutes, I present Roasted Rosemary Lemon Salmon paired with an Orange and Fennel Salad with Orange Vinaigrette.

Roasted Rosemary Lemon Salmon (Serves two)

- 2 filets of salmon

- Rosemary Sprigs (approximately 6)

- 4 Slices of Red Onion (about ¼ of a red onion)

- 1 lemon sliced

- olive oil

- salt and pepper

-Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

-On a thick baking sheet (I used the bottom of a cake pan), place half of the rosemary sprigs on the pan. Then place the slices of red onion on top of the rosemary. Drizzle a little very little olive oil.

-Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Place the salmon on top of the onion slices. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the salmon.

-Place the rest of the rosemary on top of the salmon. Then place the lemon slices on top of the rosemary. Sprinkle salt on the lemon (this helps the taste of the lemon pop) and drizzle some olive oil on top of the whole pile.

-Put the salmon in the oven for 10 minutes* at 500 degrees. *For every inch of thickness of the salmon, you add an additional 10 minutes to your baking time.

Orange and Fennel Salad with Orange Vinaigrette (for two)

-3 large Oranges

-1 bunch of Fennel (also known as Anise or Sweet Anise)

-2 tsp. White Wine Vinegar

-Salt and Pepper

-Olives (ideally marinated in orange juice)

-Peel off the layers of fennel and cut into slices.

-Take two oranges and use a knife to cut off the peel. This will make it easier to slice the oranges. (If you peel the orange first, it will make the orange squish and lose its shape and juice while you slice it.)

-Mix the sliced orange and fennel in a bowl.

-In a separate smaller bowl, mix the white wine vinegar and the juice from the remaining orange. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Toss the orange and fennel salad with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle a few olives over it. Serve with the Salmon and Voila!

This meal ends up with a beautiful presentation and delicious flavors. It’s also very cheap to make, my grand total coming to $14.26. In any event, if you hadn’t noticed, this post is dedicated to my father who taught me not only how to work hard, but how to enjoy the process along the way. So thank you dad and I just want to say that I am proud of you, your honor. It is you who taught me how to live well, eat well.