One Fish, Two Fish

My mom never really cooked fish at home when we were growing up, so I always thought it was the biggest treat in the world when I got to order seafood at a restaurant. Then I went vegetarian for ten years, until I came to my senses and realized that fish is way too delicious to give up forever. Now I’m obsessed with seafood again. And whenever I manage to make a delicious fish dish at home, it's like all of my little kid food dreams are coming true.

To help me with my cooking quest, my genius-chef friend Sherry sent me a whole bunch of salmon recipes that she’s worked on with Good Housekeeping. I want to try all of them!!! For my August recipe-of-the-month experiment, I went with the pomegranate-glazed salmon. I substituted couscous for the bulgur, because I already had couscous in my cabinet... and also I don’t know what bulgur is. Otherwise, it was pretty easy, and it turned out DELICIOUS!

 

 

I made a kale salad to go with the salmon. Mine had blue cheese, cranberries, almond slivers, and was dressed in a light vinaigrette. I’d never had kale before, but I might just be a convert!

 

 

Make Your Own Cooking Class

Next goal up  -  Cook a different recipe once a month for a year.

I wouldn’t say that I’m a bad cook, but my repertoire is definitely limited.  Limited, and also a little odd – my expertise includes tofu stirfry, eggplant parmigiana, and a delicious apple crumble pie. I find myself making the same things over and over, and many days, feeling bored with my choices and calling for delivery.  But now I’m trying to eat healthier and depend less on take-out, so it seems like a good idea to master some new meals.

My DIY cooking classes started tonight with a recipe I found online for Skillet Cajun Spiced Flounder. (Although I made it with tilapia instead of flounder because I had some in the freezer.)  The recipe was so easy, and so delicious! It had just a little bit of a kick to it, and totally tasted like summer.  I made some brown rice with it, and sauteed spinach with garlic on the side. 

Recipe #1: success - but next month I have to work on my plating!