Quick Post About Salmon

I know I just posted two days ago.  But tonight I made one of my faves and thought I'd share:  lemony salmon with cherry tomato couscous:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/lemony-salmon-with-cherry-tomato-couscous-recipe/index.html

This is a recipe from Nigella's cook book that can be made in 30 minutes start to finish.  And it is GOOOOOOD.  Before Nigella I rarely cooked seafood.  Not because I don't like it, but because I don't like it when I cook it.  I would rub it with olive oil, salt, and pepper and then cook in varying ways (broil, bake, pan-fry).  It never really tasted fresh or flavorful, more like a nice mouthful of ocean water.  The seafood recipes I've tried from Nigella's book, on the other hand, have always turned out delicious - like I would expect in a restaurant.  This one in particular requires you to rub the salmon in garlic-infused olive oil, salt, paprika, and lemon zest.  Not too far off from what I've tried in the past, but the garlic, paprika, and lemon zest make a world of difference. 

This is the fourth time I've made this dish.  The first three were sufficient to convince my family they like my salmon. When I picked Annika up from school, she was hiding in a tire because she didnt't want to go home yet.  The kid actually wanted to stay at school.  The Montessori method is supposed to instill a love of learning, but this is taking it a bit far.  She started to pout when I told her in no uncertain terms it was time to go.  Rather than let this turn into a full-fledged eye-rolling, head-tossing, exasperated sighing episode (she is 4 going on 16), I simply said "I'm making salmon for dinner."  Bingo!  Into the car we went. When we got home, my mother in law was exhausted and went to pass me the baby so she could slip out the door, go home, and sleep.  But then she saw me take salmon out of the refrigerator.  All of a sudden, "well, maybe I can stay for dinner."  The salmon came out perfectly-flavored (as always, thank you, Nigella!) and the couscous was the perfect accompaniment. 

I have a confession to make.  I am a health nut and am morally opposed to white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc.  It doesn't enter my house.  But that doesn't mean I don't LOVE the taste.  I don't understand people who say things like "I really prefer the nuttier taste of whole wheat pasta."  Um . . . no.  White pasta tastes so much better.  But because it is devoid of any meaningful nutrients, I sacrifice taste for health.  That is how I feel about couscous.  I consider whole wheat couscous to be borderline inedible.  It just does not taste good!  But I love it in this recipe.  The whole wheat flavor is lost in the taste of fresh organic tomatoes ("fresh" is the key to great tomato taste), ginger, lemon, cilantro, and onion.  Your taste buds are bombarded with a blend of salty, acidic, and even a bit of spicy goodness.  It is almost salsa-esque and goes perfectly alongside the subtle lemon and garlic of the salmon.  I do, however, use about half the salt called for in the recipe.  Nigella must be an even bigger salt freak than me if she uses as much as she says she does.