Giada is my Hero

After a ridiculous 4-course prix fixe Valentine's dinner at Domaso in Rosslyn, VA, we were ready for lighter fare on actual Valentine's day. Healthful, colorful, flavorful, this is Giada's Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon from her Giada's Kitchen New Italian Favorites.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 pound whole-grain or whole-wheat spaghetti (I used whole-wheat thin spaghetti)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil here, too)

4 (4-ounce) salmon fillets (mine were probably more around 6 ounces each)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (store was a no go on fresh basil, so I subbed 3/4 tsp of dried)

3 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Cook

Bring a large pot of slated water to a oil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.

Meanwhile (like when the pasta has 5 minutes left to cook or so), warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pan and cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish (for our 6-ouncers, I did 2 and a half minutes on one side, 3 on the other). Remove the salmon from the pan.

Add the basil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Set out 4 serving plates or shallow bowls. Place 1/2 cup spinach in each bowl. Top with one quarter of the pasta. Top each mound of pasta with a piece of salmon. Serve immediately.

Served with a glass of Meridian Chardonnay. So so so so so good. Enjoy!

A Recipe to Make Your House Smell Good

Seriously the easiest, best smelling, greatest tasting salmon recipe ever! This is from Bon Appetit's Every-Night Cooking. Serve with your favorite boxed cous cous and greens dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette (3 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio, season with salt and pepper).

Rosemary-roasted Salmon

Ingredients:
2 large bunches fresh rosemary (2 of those small plastic boxes they sell it in)
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 2-pound center-cut salmon fillet with skin
2 large lemons, thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil (I actually missed this somehow, and the salmon was not lacking at all)

Prepare:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Do all chopping.

Cook:
Arrange half of rosemary sprigs in a single layer in center of heavy baking sheet. Arrange sliced red onion atop rosemary. Place salmon, skin side down, atop red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover salmon with remaining rosemary sprigs. Arrange lemon slices over rosemary. Drizzle oil over and sprinkle ahead with salt (this is the part I skipped, on accident). The previous can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Roast salmon until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer salmon to plates. Serve immediately with roasted onions and lemon slices.

While the salmon is cooking, prepare the cous cous and salad. Fluff the cous cous just before serving.