Pan-Roasted Salmon With Jalapeño

Before I even had dinner, the kitchen was aglow with the smell of my own cooking. To make a difference in the earth, it’s worth concentrating on who you’re treating, and who is coming in to eat that night.

I love cooking dinner for my husband, when it’s time to tell him that I’m leaving him alone to kill another two fish for dinner and a glass of fizzy wine. He immediately grumbles, “No me gent!” Usually I’m on a mission to cook a meal that I’m dying to eat and he’s one of the lucky people to eat it. Last weekend when we indulged in a special dinner for one, we couldn’t have been happier. Not only do we love to do this — we LOVE to do it. Not only do we still eat all of the good food that we grow, we tend to only cook once a week so that we can plan ahead. It works so well that last night’s dinner of fish in white wine was specifically ordered a week or so earlier. That’s only two meals a week right there.

—Melissa Clark, chef at Story in Brooklyn

Cuisine: West Coast

Entertaining tip: Invite friends over for an evening of home cooking and listening to some great music. Have delicious menu items ready and deuced to go. Open a bottle of wine.

Date night can be really fun, especially when you are planning the menu well in advance. I often highlight a favorite red wine at the end of the meal, much like my favorite recipes.

Pan-Roasted Salmon With Jalapeño

Serves 4

Ingredients

:

• 2 salmon filets

Juice of 1/2 fresh lime

• 4 fresh Jalapeño chiles, seeds removed and pared

Salsa verde, see below

Directions:

1. Season your salmon filets lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the lime juice into a small bowl and add the chiles. Toss to combine and refrigerate for 15 minutes. For extra juiciness, finish with the reserved lime juice and sea salt, tossing to mix.
2. Salsa verde
3. Make salsa verde using your favorite salsa verde:
4. 1 ripe tomato, chopped
5. 1 small onion, chopped
6. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
7. 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and pared
8. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
9. 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
10. 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
11. 3/4 teaspoon salt
12. 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
13. 1 can fire roasted poblano peppers, diced
14. 1 Can diced black olives
15. 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
16. 1 can guajillo or pasilla peppers, diced
17. 1 can roasted green chiles
18. 1 can roasted red chiles
19. 4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
20. 1 can tomatoes, chopped
21. 1 can green chilies, chopped
22. 2 large avocados, diced
23. salsa verde, as directed
24. Directions:
25. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
26. • Share your cooking tips and ideas in the kitchen anonymous through Facebook or by email at WeeknightsWorthCooking@gmail.com.
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