Oven Roasted Salmon with Sauteed Tomato Salsa

Since I started my new job in early February, I’ve been having trouble finding my workout groove.

Gone are the days when my yoga studio was a stone’s throw from my office and hello are the days when I have to get the workouts in where I can.

So I’ve taken up walking with my parents before work.

And let me tell you there is a whole dirty underground of the small town morning walkers.

There is the dangerous middle of the road dog walker. Always living on the edge.

Every once in a while we encounter one of the many morning gossips and they will try and walk with us for a bit to try and weasel neighborhood dirt out of us.

But we always, ALWAYS stumble across aggressive walker with very dangerous looking walking stick guy.

He looks like he’s going to smack someone with that bad boy.

Since my workouts are less strenuous, I’m trying to eat healthy but tasty in the kitchen.

Here is a perfect dish to satisfy your hunger after your own stroll.

You will need…

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoons drained capers, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 center cut salmon fillets with skin (about 7 ounces each)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon basil, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F. 

In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, shallots, capers and vinegar. Season the mixture well with salt and pepper and set aside. 

Then, in a large oven proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive over medium high heat. 

Season the fish with salt and pepper and place it in the skillet, skin side up. Cook until the bottom of the fish is well browned. About 3 minutes. 

Carefully flip the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook the salmon until it is just cooked through. About 7 minutes. 

Transfer the fish to plates and pour off any excess fat or skin. 

Return the skillet back to the stove. Over a moderate flame, add in the remaining oil, the tomato mixture, the basil and the cumin. 

Cook the mixture, scraping up any skillet bits until the tomatoes are just soft. About 2 minutes. 

Pour the sauce over the fish and serve hot. 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Oven Roasted Salmon with Sauteed Tomato Salsa

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoons drained capers, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 center cut salmon fillets with skin (about 7 ounces each)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon basil, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F. 

In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, shallots, capers and vinegar. Season the mixture well with salt and pepper and set aside. 

Then, in a large oven proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive over medium high heat. 

Season the fish with salt and pepper and place it in the skillet, skin side up. Cook until the bottom of the fish is well browned. About 3 minutes. 

Carefully flip the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook the salmon until it is just cooked through. About 7 minutes. 

Transfer the fish to plates and pour off any excess fat or skin. 

Return the skillet back to the stove. Over a moderate flame, add in the remaining oil, the tomato mixture, the basil and the cumin. 

Cook the mixture, scraping up any skillet bits until the tomatoes are just soft. About 2 minutes. 

Pour the sauce over the fish and serve hot. 

Chicken Cacciatore

Since I almost never make the same thing twice, there is a constant challenge to find something new, interesting and delicious to make.

Sometimes the idea of coming up with something new out of the blue is daunting.

Normally, I spend a couple of hours during the week coming up with the week’s recipes.

But sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day. Remember ya’ll, I do this in my spare time.

When time is tough, I need something quick.

And that is when I resort to the classics.

You know what I mean. Those dishes that are timeless and always delicious. Those dishes that you know about, but don’t necessarily have a great recipe for.

Lucky for you, I’ll test them out for you until we find a good one. Like this soon to be go to.

You will need…

4 large chicken breasts, pounded thin

1 cup flour (for dredging)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup dry white wine

¾ cup chicken stock

28 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

 ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

While the oil is heating, add about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper to the flour and dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.

When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned on both sides. About 4 minutes a side.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the bell pepper, onions and garlic to the same pan and sauté until the onions are tender. About 5 minutes.

Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Pour in the wine and let it reduce by about half. About 3 minutes.

When the wine has reduced, add in the diced tomato, chicken stock, oregano, capers and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the chicken back to the pan.

Simmer the sauce over a medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve the chicken over rice, quinoa or pasta with a hearty serving of the sauce.

Top with fresh basil and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Chicken Cacciatore

4 large chicken breasts, pounded thin

1 cup flour (for dredging)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup dry white wine

¾ cup chicken stock

28 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

 ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

While the oil is heating, add about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper to the flour and dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.

When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned on both sides. About 4 minutes a side.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the bell pepper, onions and garlic to the same pan and sauté until the onions are tender. About 5 minutes.

Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Pour in the wine and let it reduce by about half. About 3 minutes.

When the wine has reduced, add in the diced tomato, chicken stock, oregano, capers and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the chicken back to the pan.

Simmer the sauce over a medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve the chicken over rice, quinoa or pasta with a hearty serving of the sauce.

Top with fresh basil and serve hot. 

Pan Roasted Eggplant with Tangy Shallot Dressing

I don’t consider myself a political person. But here it comes. My very own political rant.

Every day, I try and live every second to its fullest. To me, that means spending time with friends and family, using my body to its full potential (by exercising, get your head out of the gutter), eating good food, listening to great music and having good conversation.

This does not mean that I don’t have political opinions. I have a strong views on taxes, abortion, foreign policy and civil rights. That doesn’t mean I need to tell anyone else about them. Because chances are good, whomever I’m talking to probably has equally strong opinions on the topic one way or the other.

What I do want to tell you about is how I think it is bullshit that you have to go out of your way to figure out what is political truth.

I feel like everywhere I turn I hear conflicting information and lie after lie after lie.

In order to find out what is really going on you have to read hundreds of pages of jargon and draw your own conclusion.

When did we as a country decide that it was acceptable to let politicians twist the truth to make themselves and their plans look good?

Why aren’t we demanding truth?

And why the hell do we watch debates where the candidates are not forced to speak truthfully and actually answer the question?

I refuse to spend any extended time in my life listening to lies. And I encourage you to do the same.

In the mean time, I will continue to live my life and not let myself get bogged down by the drama unfolding daily.

This dish is a great way to start. Turn off the bullshit. Pick up a good book. Turn on some good tunes. Cook something amazing.

You will need…

3 small eggplants (Japanese or Italian, just make sure they are small)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 shallots, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup freshly chopped basil

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by slicing your eggplants in half lengthwise.

Season the cut sides well with salt and pepper.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, about 2 minutes, add the eggplant to the pan, cut side down.

Cook the eggplant until it is browned, about 4-5 minutes.

Flip the eggplant and cook it until the skin is browned and it is cooked through. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a serving platter and set aside. If your eggplant was on the larger side, as mine was, cut your eggplant into smaller pieces.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add in the shallots and the garlic.

Cook the shallots and garlic, until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and add in the capers, lemon juice, vinegar and butter.

Stir the sauce until the butter has melted.

Drizzle the sauce over the eggplant and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Pan Roasted Eggplant with Tangy Shallot Dressing

3 small eggplants (Japanese or Italian, just make sure they are small)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 shallots, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup freshly chopped basil

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by slicing your eggplants in half lengthwise.

Season the cut sides well with salt and pepper.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, about 2 minutes, add the eggplant to the pan, cut side down.

Cook the eggplant until it is browned, about 4-5 minutes.

Flip the eggplant and cook it until the skin is browned and it is cooked through. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a serving platter and set aside. If your eggplant was on the larger side, as mine was, cut your eggplant into smaller pieces.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add in the shallots and the garlic.

Cook the shallots and garlic, until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and add in the capers, lemon juice, vinegar and butter.

Stir the sauce until the butter has melted.

Drizzle the sauce over the eggplant and serve hot. 

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

T.G.I.Almost.F.

Never has a four-day work week felt longer.

Vacation depression has fully taken over my body and soul.

While sitting at my desk at work, sorting through the hundreds of emails I had upon returning from my Maui vacation, I often find mind wandering far away to palm trees and breaking waves.

Then I snap back to reality and realized I’m staring at a computer screen in a dimly lit office.

Dimly lit by my own choice of course. I love a little ambiance.

But with Friday comes the promise of a three-day weekend. A three-day chance to get out of my funk and back into the sun.

I’ll be celebrating my three-day weekend with a tasty dish.

Plus, it’s a great dish for the barbeque. Perfect for Labor Day and your party people.

You will need…

2 lbs thick cut (1 ½ to 2 inches) flank steak or London broil

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

½ tablespoon anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped if you have them)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ tablespoon finely chopped oregano

½ tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for the grill

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by lightly oiling your grill and heating it to high heat.

Season the steak well with salt and pepper on both sides.

When the grill is nice and hot, add the steak to a hot spot and seer it on one side until it has good grill marks. About 4 minutes.

Flip the steak and seer the other side so it also has good grill marks.

Move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and cook until it is medium rare in the center. It should be 125 F in the center of the thickest part.

Remove the steak for the grill and cover it with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

While the steak is resting, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, anchovy paste, garlic, capers, parsley, oregano and mint in a small bowl. 

Season with salt if needed.

When the meat has rested, slice it into ½ inch slices against the grain.

Top with salsa verde and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

2 lbs thick cut (1 ½ to 2 inches) flank steak or London broil

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

½ tablespoon anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped if you have them)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ tablespoon finely chopped oregano

½ tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for the grill

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by lightly oiling your grill and heating it to high heat.

Season the steak well with salt and pepper on both sides.

When the grill is nice and hot, add the steak to a hot spot and seer it on one side until it has good grill marks. About 4 minutes.

Flip the steak and seer the other side so it also has good grill marks.

Move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and cook until it is medium rare in the center. It should be 125 F in the center of the thickest part.

Remove the steak for the grill and cover it with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

While the steak is resting, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, anchovy paste, garlic, capers, parsley, oregano and mint in a small bowl. Season with salt if needed.

When the meat has rested, slice it into ½ to ¾ inch slices against the grain.

Top with salsa verde and serve.