Telling food stories, one kitchen at a time
The secret to my recipe for Guinness Chocolate Cake with Bailey’s Buttercream is to reduce the stout first to give you a deeply malted and moist crumb. The frosting adds just enough excitement without stealing the show and the end result is a cake you can’t resist eating… even for breakfast!
My recipe for Sheet Pan Salmon, Bok Choy, and Sweet Potato Noodles takes only 20 minutes, start to finish. Tender, buttery, perfectly prepared salmon will make you salivate before it melts in your mouth.
Salmon is my favorite food.
For years, I’ve been telling people that my favorite food is Chocolate Chip Cookies. And maybe they are. I’m having trouble departing from that, but over the past year or so, salmon has slowly been inching its way in.
And maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe this is a sign that my sweet tooth is slowing down. Now that I find myself salivating over the idea of buttery, tender salmon, cooked so perfectly that it melts in your mouth… I guess my palate is maturing. I’m an adult now. Maybe.
The transition hit me by surprise. You see, I pretty much eat the same thing for lunch day in and day out, in phases. Months of arugula salad topped with quinoa, olives, broiled and chilled salmon. Then months of pan-seared salmon with a squeeze of lemon and a side of broccoli. Then back to the salad. Then back to the grill. I was eating salmon so much that I had to ask Google if there was such a thing as eating too much salmon. (If you’re wondering, the answer is no. You are not at risk of too many omega-3s or too much mercury exposure.)
And anyway, so then it hit me! If I’m not eating chocolate chip cookies every day, but I am eating salmon every day, could it be that salmon is actually my favorite food?
And now that I feel in full control of my salmon desires, and now that I know there’s no risk of eating too much, I’ve taken up making my own salmon at home. Starting with 20-minute Sheet Pan Salmon, Bok Choy, and Sweet Potato Noodles.
And for all the reasons I mentioned above for loving salmon, plus the fact that this recipe takes only 20 minutes to prepare, those are all the reasons I love this recipe.
Close your eyes. Lift a forkful to your mouth. Feel the way you anticipate that first taste, how it makes you salivate. Take a bite and let the feel and flavor slip over your tongue.
Here’s a pro-tip: You can pretty much swap in any other ingredients you want as long as you follow the cardinal rule of sheet pan suppers. (And I’m totally making up the fact that there’s a cardinal rule, but if there was one, it would be this.) The cardinal rule is 1:1:1 lean protein, non-starchy veg, and starchy veg. For example, fresh salmon, bok choy, and sweet potato. Or fresh salmon, broccoli, and butternut squash. Or pork loin, apples, and potatoes. (Actually, that’s kind of like starchy fruit + starchy veg, but the combo is outstanding, so I want to let you in on it anyway.)
My recipe for Sheet Pan Salmon, Bok Choy, and Sweet Potato Noodles takes only 20 minutes, start to finish. Tender, buttery, perfectly prepared salmon will make you salivate before it melts in your mouth.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a sheet pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together oil, ginger, jalapeno, salt, and pepper. Divide mixture in half. Set aside.
Cut salmon into 5-ounce filets. Spread half of ginger-oil mixture evenly over salmon and place in single layer on 1/3 of prepared sheet pan.
Trim thick stems from the ends of bok choy and cut the head of bok choy in half. Place cut side down on middle third of sheet pan.
Toss remaining half of ginger-oil mixture in a bowl with sweet potato noodles. Spread evenly on last third of sheet tray.
Bake on middle rack of oven until salmon is cooked through and bok choy and sweet potato are tender, about 10 minutes.
Time Saver: Purchase Sweet Potato Noodles in the produce or frozen section of many grocery stores.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip with Candied Pecans is the perfect appetizer recipe for all your fall gatherings. It takes just ten minutes to prep and makes enough to feed a crowd. If your family loves having cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving table, double the cranberry part and voila!–you’re doing double duty!
[November 2019 update: New pictures! Better, right?? This post was originally published on October 19, 2015.]
…Easy Oven Tandoori Chicken is amazingly succulent with meat practically falling off the bone. It has a sweet and smoky slow heat that’s built with aromatic Indian spices. The flavors may be complex, but the recipe is quite easy!
Close your eyes and imagine eating a slice of Pink Lemonade Icebox Cake. Lightly lemon cookies, soft between layers of luscious whipped cream, crispy edges, the taste of butter that lingers on your tongue. Make the recipe this morning, enjoy it this afternoon.
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This recipe is perfect for a summer dinner party. It’s also perfect if you’d prefer to hoard. Easy No-Filler Crab Cakes — blink and these healthy, gluten free treats will be all gone!
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Nana’s Chocolate Chip Meringues are sweet and simple with just three ingredients. Rich and creamy chocolate chips speckle a slightly sticky inner meringue. This recipe comes out perfect every time.
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From the cookbook Jerusalem, Roasted Butternut Squash with Tahini and Za’atar is a new staple in my kitchen. You may as well go ahead and double — or triple — this recipe because you won’t be able to put your fork down once you dive in.
Look at me! Blogging away! It has been almost four months since I wrote about Nico and his Ragù alla Bolognese. I know you’re just dying to know the details of where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing, who I’ve seen and who’s seen me. But a lady never tells. Zipped lips.
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