Salmon and Orzo.

Tonight Boyfriend and I made what I would consider a "fancy dinner". It didn't involve cheese sauces or butter, which is pretty strange, I know.

I've had this salmon recipe since I was in my early 20's. I'm sure I saw it online, but who knows how I found it.

The recipe for orzo was something I tried at Trader Joe's. It was one of those samples you get and hope they're not looking when you stop in for round #2 and #3 because you're starving and it was so fucking good and if you could just get ONE MORE TASTE you'd be able to decide if you want to try it at home.

EASY BAKED SALMON

Ingredients:
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-6 tbsp olive oil
-1 tsp dried basil
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp ground black pepper
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tbsp parsley
-2 filets salmon

Directions:
Prepare marinade by mixing garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley.



Place filets in marinade and refrigerate about 1 hr, turning occasionally.



Preheat oven to 375. Place filets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal.



Place sealed salmon in glass dish. Bake 35-45 min.



NOTE:
-I got my salmon filets straight from the fish market. Both cuts came to a total of just under 1lb and it was juuuuust over the right amount for two people.

-I used fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice (I'm sure you can use dried parsley and the lemon juice that comes in that plastic fake-ass lemon, but it's probably more flavorful if you use fresh.)
-I cooked the filets for 40 min and then let them sit in their tin foils for another 5 min before serving. They came out moist and flakey. Fucking perfect.

TRADER JOES ORZO SALAD

Ingredients:
-Orzo
-Cherry tomatoes
-Greek Style Feta dressing
-Feta cheese
-Artichoke hearts (frozen)



Directions:
Cook orzo according to package. Cook artichokes according to package.



Slice tomatoes in half.



Combine cooked orzo, artichokes, salad dressing, tomatoes, and feta. Serve room temperature or cold.



NOTE:
-Since this was a Trader Joe's sample, there's no accurate measurement for the ingredients. Just add enough stuff to make it taste good.
-I made the mistake of not cutting the artichokes into bite-sized pieces and they were kind of a mouthful. Next time, I would cut them post-cooking, pre-eating.
-In my opinion, it needs a generous portion of dressing and feta. That's where most of the flavor comes from. So if you're not big on cheese that smells like feet, this recipe probably isn't for you.
-This recipe seems perfect for big groups and potluck type events.

I know I made a big, giant, cooking faux-pas by serving these two items together because the orzo has feta in it and everyone knows that fish + cheese = barf. Whatever, I did it anyway. Next time I'll probably split these two lovers apart and serve them with other items.

This post goes out to my vegetarian readers since I pretty much never make anything non-meaty. (Fish counts as vegetarian, right? It does today.)

Try these recipes out and let me know what you think!

Boner'ppetite.