Lemon-Rosemary Salmon

After studying with SD at a Barnes and Noble for four hours on Sunday, I came home with the intention of using my Sunday evening to cook some of my meals for the week. I'm trying to get back into that habit. We'll see if I can or not...

Lemon-Rosemary Salmon Packet

1 whole side salmon, scaled, with skin, de-boned (~3 lbs)

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp coarsely chopped rosemary (use fresh if possible)

2 lemons, thinly sliced

6 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425°F. Rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat dry. Put a large piece of aluminum foil (large enough to make a packet around your salmon fillet) on a large baking sheet and place the salmon in the center, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Then place the lemon slices, onion, and garlic on top of the fillet. Pour the olive oil evenly over the salmon. Fold the edges of the foil up and crimp to seal.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. The salmon should still be moist when it's ready. Here's the final result. Cut it into portions and drizzle with some of the lemony olive oil you can see below. Serve with kale, cauliflower rice, or a side salad.

Please practice good office etiquette and DO NOT bring salmon into the office for lunch. There's nothing worse than the smell of fish permeating the office as someone heats it up in the communal kitchen. Be kind, leave the fish at home!

Birthday - Happy Hour

My work friends (because they're more than just co-workers) and I went to Yardhouse for dinner tonight where I had absolutely none of the beers of their massive selection. Instead I had gin and tonic and tequila shots, the latter at the behest of my buddy KA.

And got the Ahi Poke Bowl: "marinated raw ahi & avocado with carrots, bean sprouts, macadamia nuts & crispy wontons." Minus the bean sprouts and wontons. Like any good Paleo-ite, I scoped out the menu in advance to figure out my most Paleo-friendly options. And half of the options I was considering were tuna, so I figured I might as well stick with that. I meant to take a photo, but I was hungry and gobbled it up instead.

I want to point out for any Palo-newbies that eating out is perfectably possible. Sure I sometimes feel annoying about ordering food with special requests (burger no bun, no cheese, no ketchup, and can you wrap that in lettuce?), but in today's society where gluten allergies are becoming more well-known, most places are willing to accommodate. Just be nice about asking to hold certain aspects of the dish. And if things can't be removed, just try to eat around it, like I did with the bean sprouts with my dinner.

Good luck!

Wild-Caught Snapper

Monday night, Z and I watched MirrorMask before doing the P90X workout of the day - Plyometrics (a.k.a. "the mother of all workouts" according to Tony). The workout ended up being a bit later in the day than I normally do mine, but having someone to work out with is awesome. I focused more on my technique and my competitive edge made me jump higher than I normally would by myself. And I got to talk to someone while I worked out, though I don't think he appreciated it so much (sorry, Z!). On the down side, my ankle angrily reminded me that I'm not supposed to jump at all - doctor's orders. The ice pack was super painful last night, to the point that I was writhing in pain once I strapped the ice onto my ankle. I toughed it out though and my ankle was a bit nicer today.

In an effort to try a new type of fish, I recently bought wild-caught Snapper at the nearby grocery store, where the butcher just told me I had a beautiful smile that brightened his day. He commented that my eyes are beautiful and unique and he hoped that he had brightened my day too. It made me smile, so mission accomplished. Plus, getting a compliment is a nice way to start attempting to cook something new. Here's what I did...

Snapper with Tomatoes

Snapper with Tomatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Snapper fillet (~1 pound). Get wild-caught if possible/affordable.
2 tomatoes, sliced

1 leek

1 clove garlic

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil
1 tbls lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Check the fish to ensure that all bones and scales have been removed (run your finger over the meat). Season with salt and pepper. Combine the tomatoes and leeks in a bowl with olive oil. Season with fresh-minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the fish on the baking sheet, followed by the tomato mixture. Splash with lemon juice. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the snapper is cooked through. Remove from skin (should come off easily) and plate with tomatoes.

Before cooking                                                                                       After cooking