The Cooking Chronicles: Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze and Dirty Rice

With a resolve to eat healthier, Mack and I prepared a relatively balanced meal on Friday for dinner.

Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze was on the menu, as was an interesting recipe for Dirty Rice, which incorporates coffee as one of the liquid additives. A side salad of Italian greens (packaged, we cheated), completed our plates.

The salmon was quick to prepare - though we had skinless fillets instead of the recommended skin-on type. I delegated the searing job to Mack (a splatter screen would have been a good idea), and though one end of my fish ended up slightly charred due to the thickness differential, the salmon ended up deliciously crispy and cooked through. The balsamic glaze was a wonderfully easy way to punch up the flavour of what would have been a perfectly fine entree on its own, and is something that elevates salmon to a "fancy" dinner party dish.

The rice didn't turn out as well as it could have as I should have left it on the stove for another five minutes or so. Still, the coffee flavour was negligible, and all we could taste was the oregano.

The best thing about our dinner was the fact that it took virtually no time or planning at all. With a well-stocked pantry and the will to continue driving past restaurant and fast food alternatives, a good, healthy meal can be had at home.

Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze and Dirty Rice