Salmon on Couscous for Groundhog Day and I have a new job

Last week, I began writing Colorado Springs restaurant/food articles for examiner.com.  The articles are fairly short and cover "Cheap Eats in Colorado Springs."  They might be restaurant reviews, reports on coupons or specials, chef or book interviews or whatever can be crammed into that space about eating more frugally.  There are already a few articles up and you can comment there, too, or let me know right there on the website of a good deal you've seen around town.    You can also follow me on twitter.com (afmorgan53) and see what I'm up to as I cruise around looking at story ideas.  At the side of this blog, I'm beginning to list the blogs I follow...fyi.

It's a new endeavor and way fun.  Examiner has nationwide local info on a variety of subjects.  When you hit the site, you can click on a place to find your city.  Under Colorado and Colorado Springs,  restaurant articles are under the heading "entertainment."  There you'll see my articles with my byline Alyce Morgan, Colorado Springs Cheap Eats Examiner.  It'll take me a while to get my feet under me and figure out everything I want to do or not.   Thanks to those who have already sent suggestions for articles or commented on the site.  Hugs.  Your support is important to me, friends. Smile!

Meantime, dinnertime still comes around and I've got a few things coming up on this blog I think you'll like.  I am happy with  salmon almost any way, but I especially like it when I figure out some different or new way to make it and I do that often.  Despite the farmed salmon debate (and Target has stopped selling farmed salmon, according to a  recent press release), most people love its healthy fat goodness.  It's just as good grilled simply as it is in an elegant presentation.    Leftovers are yummy in everything from scrambled eggs (with dill) to fish spreads for crackers to salad toppings.  Even sandwiches.  So consider making extra and not cooking (much) tomorrow.  Here's how I did it:

onions cooking with spinach and basil

Salmon on Couscous with Golden Raisins
   4 servings

Preheat oven to 250 F and warm the dinner plates there until needed.

For the Couscous; make this first--                                               

1T olive oil

1/3 c onion, chopped finely

1/3 c golden raisins

1 5.8 oz box couscous (I like the Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil style)

1 1/4 c boiling water

Saute onion in olive oil for ten minutes or so, stirring often.  Add raisins, couscous, seasoning packet (if wanted) and stir.  Pour in boiling water and stir well.  Cover and let sit off the heat until needed.  Fluff with fork before plating.

For the salmon; make this second--

3T olive oil, divided

2 medium-large onions, sliced thickly                  

1 lrg shallot or 3 scallions

4 cloves garlic, sliced thickly

2-3 c fresh spinach

1/4 fresh basil (or 1T dry)

4 4oz salmon filets

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Glaze:  4T each best quality balsamic vinegar                                    

 and honey, a few grinds of pepper

• In a large saute pan, heat 2 T of the oil and add onions and shallots.  Cook down for 15 minutes or so, adding garlic when the onions are almost done. 
•  Add spinach and basil. 
•  Rub other 1T oil on the salmon and salt and pepper well.  Place filets in the pan on top of the vegetables and cover if possible.  Cook salmon until barely cooked (a tad rare is fine; they'll cook more as you plate), around 7-10 minutes, depending on thickness. 
• While the salmon cooks, heat the glaze ingredients, stirring together over medium heat for 1 minute.  

To serve, on warmed plates,  spoon vegetables onto a bed of couscous.   Top with the salmon filets.  Drizzle salmon with  glaze.

Serve with:  Grilled asparagus

Wine:  Pinot Noir

Dessert:  Greek yogurt, blueberries and honey in stemmed sherbets.  Top with a few toasted almond slices.

Reading:  Mimi Sheraton's EATING MY WORDS; Michael Pollan's FOOD RULES: AN EATER'S MANUAL; Nancy Horan's LOVING FRANK (just finished-wow); Barbara Brown Taylor's AN ALTAR IN THE WORLD

and, last, but most

TUCKER--

Ok, Ok; Tucker's great.  Of course, he is up three times a night to do his business or just because he's lonely, but he's really beginning to be ok in the kennel and, who wouldn't love...

And, believe it or not, he fetched the paper today.  He IS a golden retriever, after all.  As I write, he has fetched my 2# weights that I use for my hands. 

And, also:  Dog is God spelled backwards.  You already knew that.

Sing a new song; write a new article; love a new dog.

Alyce