My Boyfriend.
Dinner tonight was met with indecision. Did I want something hot? Cold? Cheesy? Fish? Vegetarian? Grains? Pasta? Too many options! I haven’t made my simple Honey-Dijon Baked Salmon since summer, and my current beet/hazelnut obsession is still holding strong (I NEED A JUICER!!!). I decided to make a dish to incorporate both. Hmmm…beets and salmon what to make, what to make. A million ideas were flying through my head. I could make a beet sauce for the salmon, make a roasted beet and lentil salad and top it with salmon etc. I decided that the flavors I wanted to use for the salmon and for the elements of the lentil salad didn’t really work together. I ended up baking the Salmon with a Honey-Dijon Glaze, and made a side of Steamed Spinach topped with Warm Lentil Salad, Shredded Carrots, Roasted Beets in an Orange/Cranberry Sauce and Chopped Hazelnuts.
I loved the beets! After roasting, I diced them and added them to a small sauce pan with Orange Juice, Cinnamon and ~2 TBS Crofters North America Superfruit Spread. It was sweet and earthy; a perfect contrast to my spicy warm lentil salad, which was composed of: 1/4 Spanish Onion, 1/3 of a Large Carrot Diced, 1/2 Celery Stalk Diced, 1/4 Red Pepper Diced, chopped White Button Mushrooms, Green Lentils, Cumin, Curry, Red Pepper Flakes and Cracked Black Pepper (cooked in chicken broth). I ended up flaking the salmon on top of the side dish because the dijon/honey elements went so well with the flavors. It was a big success, but I have a few ideas in my head for next time 
! I love experimenting in the kitchen; I never know what I will come up with.
Dessert was met with more indecision. Did I want chocolate? Fruit? Ice cream? YES! Recently I have been loving natural chunky apple sauce (why do I never buy this?), and decided on that with some vanilla frozen yogurt and Maranatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread (aka my boyfriend). I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go back for seconds of the apple sauce and dark chocolate almond, it was fantastic!
Dreaming of Food,
Nora
Do you ever “rediscover” foods that you love when you haven’t had them in a while?
how do you cook your beets?
I roasted them:
-Brush beets clean, coat in a light oil (I use cooking spray, does the trick), wrap in foil and place on a baking tray for 45-60 minutes at 375. When the beets have cooled the skin just peels away.
This may be odd to most, but I “rediscovered” oats. I ate oatmeal all the time when I was young and lived with the folks and then stopped when I was out on my own. Several years ago I started eating oatmeal again and have some form of oats almost everyday now.
Good Lord, Nora, this is positively delicious!! I love your creations so much! I’m so into your warm lentil salad I can hardly stand it!
I always love seeing what you cook up!
Rediscovering food is the best. THis morning I rediscovered my love of cereal- so simple and divine. Have a great day!!
I like the look of your boyfriend, I may steal him :p
I haven’t rediscovered a food in a while…I feel I need to!
I think you should write a cookbook btw, all your eats are so fab
dark chocolate almond spread?? yes please!!
i love rediscovering all the seasonal fruits & veggies!
your eats blow me away…such great stuff…kinds of things i like or want to try.
“YOUR BOYFRIEND” is being consumed in my house too
I love dark chocolate anything. Beets are one thing I do not care for (along with blue cheese). Your salmon sounds wonderful!
Sounds delish! I’m a huge salmon fan, as you may well know
And that chunky applesauce looks awesome!! I’m used to the regular ol’ unsweetened natural motts or store brand. I’ve got to keep my eyes open for that chunky kind!
And I’m always going through food phases – becoming enamored, moving on, and rediscovering. Rediscovering is so much fun, almost as much as discovering something new!!