Calm Down- I Made Dinner

From my posts you’ve probably gotten a sense of how good a cook J is. That, combined with my naturally lazy disposition, means he has become almost solely responsible for my dietary needs. Things reached a head the last time he traveled, when for 4 days I ate cereal, toast, fast food, leftovers, any food item containing sugar, and Lean Cuisines.


This is especially appalling as I am a good cook! I lived alone until my late 30s and managed to produce balanced interesting meals for every one of those dinners (excluding the ones that were alcohol only- but, hey, I poured it). I LOVE food but I don’t find food preparation to be as zen inducing as he does. It may have to do with the clean-up afterwards. If I’ve taken the time to make a fresh healthy meal from scratch I want to sit down, relax, and enjoy said meal. Afterwards, I want to watch bad TV. I do not want to stand at the sink for 20 minutes in rubber gloves scraping plates and scouring pans.


When I realized J would be out of town for the next 3 days I knew the time had come to stop acting like a college student and grow up. And as shown in the picture below I have done just that. Oh yes I did! I rocked it- crusting, searing, hot pans in the oven and all. OK, Ina rocked it with this awesome recipe for salmon but the broccoli with lemon juice and pepper flakes and brown rice is all me. Let this stand as proof that while I do have my poor husband enslaved to my culinary needs when push comes to shove I can feed myself. And I did buy him a cashmere chair so back off.


Next up? I’m going back to what I know best: dark chocolate salted caramel brownies. In case you’re wondering they’ll be the entrée for tomorrow’s dinner. Honestly, I can only change so much.

It's a little dark but I like crispy breadcrumbs!

Panko-Crusted Salmon

2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tablespoons Dijon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and stir to combine thoroughly. Set aside.

Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Brush the top of the fillets with mustard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the panko mixture, pressing so that it adheres to the mustard.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.

Take the pan off the stove and transfer to the oven for 5-7 minutes, until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

(From Ina Garten’s How Easy Is That? )