Smothered Salmon

I'm not afraid to say it... I'm not a huge fan of fish. Salmon is tolerable I suppose, but usually when I make fish for my husband I end up with a bowl of cereal. Now, this little dish might make my Kix feel like nothing more than cheeseless cheetos. This, dear friends, is Smothered Salmon courtesy of Rachel Ray Everyday. I will write the recipe as she presents it but, as usual, I didn't follow it very closely. So, sue me.

Serves 4 ( I made it for 2)
1 pound plum tomatoes, quartered. ( I used 1/2 a container of grape tomatoes, halved)
1 onion, quarted lenthwise and sliced crosswise ( wtf? I used half and just took a knife to it)
1 jalepeno chile, seeded and sliced lengthwise ( yes, maam)
2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced ( or, a spoon of that minced stuff in the jar, eh?)
2 1/2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil ( EVOO)
Salt and Pepper
8 Green Olives, chopped ( I did this but then I forgot about them so I think my cat ate some)
4 8 oz Salmon fillets ( I used 2)
1 10 oz box of plain couscous, cooked ( I only made two servings)

OKAY!
1. Preheat oven to 450. I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper because I got a load of it at amazon for like 20 bucks. Score! Then, toss together the tomatoes, onion, jalepeno, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until lightly charred. I went for 20 minutes. Then toss with the olives if you remember them.
2. This is the step I skipped. Boiled salmon didn't sound like it would flip my wig so I went with grilling it with salt/pepper and a little olive oil ( yum.) BUT, if I were inclined to follow the rules, I would have done this: Fill a large skillet halfway with water and bring to boil. Add a tsp of salt and place the salmon skin side down in the pan. Place a lid on top and lower the heat to simmer until opaque. Transfer to plate and discard the skin. Blah.
3. Fluff couscous ( what is this stuff? It's great!) and serve with the salmon and throw the veggies on top!

That's it. It was easy and I will definitely make it again.

Go Green Chicken Sammies

Okay, so I made this amazing sandwich and it must be repeated!! It was the definition of freshness and zest. Aubrey and I ate the whole meal in silence just marveling at this delicious creation. It's from Rachel Ray Everyday Magazine May 2008. I have a pic but it was too much green to handle. * (UPDATE: This pic represents how I felt eating this... slightly exhausted and a little out of it. It's powerful.)Seriously, make this.

Recipe (with notes)

Serves 4 ( I cut it in half)
2 tbsp. evoo
1/3/ cup chopped cilantro ( I probably still used this much just for 2)
2 scallions, finely chopped (yeah, I used white onion...it was still yum)
2 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme ( I used the dry stuff)
Grated peel of one lime plus juice of 2 limes ( worth it...for sure)
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce ( I didn't have any so I mixed some cayenne pepper with malt vinegar until it looked a little bit like tabasco)
S &P
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 deli slices of pepper jack cheese
2 avocados
1 small red onion ( yeah, I used white again... still good)
1 small plum tomato, chopped
2 jalepeno chiles, seeded and chopped ( Okay, this is essentially pico de gallo... Aubrey made a huge batch with even more cilantro)
1 clove of garlic, grated ( I used the minced stuff)
Juice of 1 lemon ( what? I think I forgot this...)
4 buns or crusty rolls, toasted
1 head green leaf lettuce
Tortilla chips ( we used baked tostitos!)

Okay...
1. Combine evoo, cilantro, scallions ( or whatever), thyme, lime peel, half of the lime juice, and hot sauce in a bowl. Season with S&P and throw chicken in there to get marinated for like 30 minutes.
2. Preheat grill to medium high. Then, do like I did and combine the pico stuff with the garlic, avocados, and the rest of the lime juice ( this is where the recipe says to mash the avocado with the garlic, red onion, tomato, lime juice, and lemon juice with some salt.)
3. Grill chicken until cooked through and melt a slice of cheese over the top.
4. Serve on the toasted rolls with lettuce and guacomole. Serve with chips.

SO GOOD. That's all I can say.