My “Mix and Match” 5 in 5: Pan-fried Salmon and Arugula–Apple Salad in Lemon Dijon Dressing

I think it’s time for another 5 in 5 post. Now that it is the holiday season and one may be spending time in the mall looking for that perfect holiday meal (or in traffic trying with the people trying to get to the mall), a nice, healthy but quick and easy meal for dinner would probably be appropriate.

While at I was on my home just recently, I decided to stop at Whole Foods to get something for dinner. This beautiful piece of Wild Salmon caught my eye and thought it would be perfect for dinner. However, shortsighted me only bought the salmon (and some Hint Water) in an effort to beat the traffic. Also, I thought we have a lot of veggies at home… at least that is what I thought.

So I got home and only found: arugula, green apples, couscous, lemon, Dijon mustard, and some pantry staples. I looked through Michael Symon’s "5 in 5" cookbook for ideas and did not find much that would match this combination. It's like a (good) Chopped basket.

So, what’s a mad scientist, er… cook to do?

I can't resist a beautiful fillet like this.

I decided to Mix and Match: Grilled (or in my case, Pan-fried) Salmon seems to be the best option. I saw then Arugula and Apple Salad with Lemon Dijon mustard (originally with the Pork Schnitzel) in Page 168 and that seems to be a good match. Salmon plus Lemon Dijon Mustard sounds really good together. I complemented it with Lemon Couscous (inspired by page 199), so I attempted some version of it as my starch for the evening. I figured the citrus will work well with the salmon.

The Salmon and Lemon Dijon dressing did go well together.  The couscous seemed to be a bit under-flavored (since I did not stick to the recipe).  Overall, it was still a very yummy meal. My husband and I shared the fillet, and it was just right.

You can find the recipes in Michael Symon’s 5 in 5 cookbook. There are so many delicious options in that book, so I know you’ll find your own mix and match.

Chef Symon, thanks again for a delicious meal!

My First 5 in 5: Orecchiete with Sausage and Kale

I am a big fan on The Chew. Whenever I am working from home, I try to catch at least the last 30 minutes (after my walk) or catch the show at the gym.  Darn noontime workouts.

Of the five hosts, Michael Symon is probably our favorite. I first saw Chef Symon in Iron Chef America. I love his personality and of course the wonderful dishes that he creates. My husband also loves his laugh; it is so infectious.

When I found out that Chef Symon has a new book on "5 in 5" dishes, I knew I had to get it. The concept of "5 in 5" is "five fresh ingredients plus some already in your pantry prepared in five minutes". Bonus is that it is under $5 per serving. This is perfect for a working person who does not have time to prepare dinner during the weeknight. Not only we get an insight on his thought process, but I am hoping we can get yummy dinners in no time: definitely a win-win.

I browsed through the recipes and what caught my eye was Oricchiete with Sausage and Kale (page 45). I love kale and combining it with pasta and protein seems to be a balanced meal.

A sign came last Friday for me to make this dish: my husband came home with a pack of spicy turkey sausage, Having had sandwiches most of the week, I was not in the mood for another sandwich, However, I did remember that I bought Orecchiete last week and we have most of the ingredients on hand including kale. It was meant to be.

In the interest of not violating any copyright laws and perhaps increasing Chef Symon’s book sales (not that he needs it, the book is already number one in Amazon’s list), I will not publish the recipe on this post. I did make some changes. I did not have fresh pasta so I had to adjust for that. Since we love garlic and some heat, I added three cloves of garlic and a dash or two of cayenne (to make the sausage spicier).

It turned out to be more like 5 in 20 minutes, but it was okay. I had a really hard week, and cooking was meditative and relaxing.

My husband loved this recipe. I halved the recipe and it is all gone! Definitely something that we will make again!

Thanks Chef Symon. My next 5 in 5 maybe coming soon!