Blackened Salmon and rice

Recipe source: Real Simple

2 servings

1 cup cooked rice
2 salmon fillets, apx 4 oz each
1 1/4 tbsp paprika
3/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp butter
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup corn (canned or frozen)
parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a shallow bowl (I always use a pie pan), combine paprika, cayenne, thyme, garlic powder and salt. In a skillet, melt butter over medium  heat and add lemon juice. Dump lemon butter into another pie pan. Dip salmon fillets one at a time into the lemon butter, then into the spices. Be sure to coat both sides well. Heat skillet (same one you melted butter in) over medium high heat and add a little bit of olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Cook the salmon until blackened, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the oven for 8 minutes. Stir corn and rice together and add to plates. Serve salmon atop rice and corn mixture. Sprinkle parsley over the dish to taste.

Sorry that the picture has a bite taken out of it! I've made this a number of times but this was the first time I've followed the recipe exactly...and it was SO good. I cannot stress enough the danger of putting a skillet in the oven...every time I touch the handle after its been in the oven and burn myself!

Weekday Dinner

On Wednesday, I came home from work early so I was able to make scalloped potatoes to go with our salmon. The recipe is from my friend Jenn Chalmers. Here it is:

Ingredients:

4-6 medium potatoes, sliced
3 T. flour
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups milk
4 T. butter salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Make white sauce: melt 3 T. butter in saucepan; blend in flour, salt & pepper and cook till bubbly and smooth on low heat; remove, stir in milk, heat to a boil and stir constantly, boil for 1 minute. Set aside.
2. Grease baking dish and layer the following:
1/3 of the potatoes
1/2 of the onions
1/3 of the white sauce
*repeat layers 2 more times, ending with the white sauce on top
3. Dot top with remaining 1 T. butter; cover and cook at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 30-60 more minutes until potatoes are tender.

I didn't have any onions, so I omitted that, and also added some shredded cheese to the white sauce at the end. It was pretty good, though I think more cheese would have made it delicious. I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 pan, and it made about 4-5 servings.

I marinated the salmon while the potatoes were cooking. I tend to use variations of the same marinade, always found online. This one called for soy sauce, white wine, lemon juice and brown sugar. It was good, but a little too sweet. I think I will be on the lookout for a more flavorful marinade without the sugar for next time.

PS- Bart and I have finished off the entire apple pie ourselves! I think I will have to hold off on making another until Thanksgiving.