I’ve never cooked fish before, unless you count scallops or...

I’ve never cooked fish before, unless you count scallops or shrimp, but never areal fish with the skin and everything! This was a new and exciting challenge that ended scrumptiously :)

My house is located literally up the street from a ShopRite and all our lives my mother has been buying groceries there. However, recently I have noticed that at this particular establishment things have taken a downhill turn; it all could have started when I noticed garlic in a basket with a sign that read “GARLIC - grown in China.”

So although gas prices are a bit lofty these days I convinced my mom that a trip to Adams Fairacre Farms would be well worth it. We only live about 10 minutes away from this farmers market-like store and even though the prices are a bit higher than what you would find in the super-chains, its a much better option for an incredible selection of produce, meats, and nutritionally stellar foods (being that a great amount of it is local grown, organic, or all-natural). 

Because I am (openly) food/nutrition obsessed, I’m also interested in passing my knowledge on to anyone willing to listen. So when my mother expressed that eating healthier and exercising were two of her main goals for this summer of course I jumped at the chance to help her - plus, who will ever listen to random babbling more faithfully than our moms? 

When we arrived, a familiar feeling came over me - like a prospector staring into a mine full of diamonds. Immediately we began to fill our cart with these gems - tomatoes off the vine, fresh (non-chinese) garlic, pears, apples, peppers, green beans, portobello mushrooms, and other local grown produce. Then we moved on to the meat and seafood section where a multitude of brilliant cuts awaited us. This is where I discovered my fish. It was the best filet of salmon I believe I’ve ever seen. Knowing just how healthy salmon is and that dinner time was fast approaching I decided to purchase this filet and try grilling it for tonights meal. 

After gathering a few more things, it was back to the house. I had so many different meals planned in my head for the coming week - portobello burgers, turkey sausage and peppers, etc. but I tried to focus on what was in my immediate future - the salmon! So how was I to prepare it- plain or with a marinade? Where should I grill it - the stove grill pan or the outdoor grill? Suddenly memories began to flood my head of stories from the experts about salmon not cooking all the way through, sticking to the grill and falling apart. But I couldn’t let that stop me - how bad to could it be, really? 

I decided to consult my favorite food pal - foodnetwork.com to read the basic steps about cutting the filet into servings and preparation. Once again I was very pleased and learned everything I needed to know. So after deciding to use a low-calorie teriyaki sauce for the marinade, it was time to get working. I turned on the outside grill and decided to use a grill pan so it wouldn’t be on the direct heat. I threw some olive oil on there and let it heat up. Back inside I laid the filet on a cutting board and sliced 4 even pieces. Then, after making a few slits into each piece, I lightly brushed on the teriyaki sauce and let them sit for a few more minutes while preparing the steamed green beans. 

Finally, it was time. I put them on the grill pan, skin-side down first for about 4-6 minutes. During that time frame I started boiling water for a home-made whole wheat/flax seed pasta we also picked up at Adams (great right?!). Now the meal had the three perfect components: Starch, Vegetable, and Protein…YES! ‘Its all coming together’ I thought to myself. Time was flying by and before I know it I was back outside flipping the salmon over meat side down for another 4-6 minutes. When the pasta was done I tossed it with a bit of rosemary olive oil and let it sit while I set the table and poured glasses of water. 

It was time to take the salmon off the grill - will it stick!? I held my breath, slipped  a spatula under the largest filet and lifted up - CLEAN! Yes! I took them inside, removed the skin and poured on a bit more of the marinade. Done. A beautiful, healthy, and relatively simple summer dinner. Now all that was left to do was enjoy it with my parents. What a treat! :)

Cheers to a happy and healthy summer!