Monday, May 17, 2010

Seasoned Salmon and Orzo with Sweet Peas


I'm no Giada de Laurentis, Rachel Ray or Martha Stewart. But the one thing I love to do is cook; that is, when I have the time. With two young children and a full-time job, there is very little time to do the things I love - much less cook. You hear the cliche, "Food is love." Indeed, it is true. Once I get started I find that cooking relaxes, and at the same time, inspires me.

There have been many occasions when the pantry is bare, the refrigerator isn't stocked and yet dinner has to be on the table in 30 minutes. What to do? What to do?


Typically my menu consists of two choices: take it or leave it. I am not the kind of mom who cooks two different meals to appease a picky eater. Nor will I drive all over town just because my child wants McDonald's french fries with Burger King's Chicken Tenders. My motto: "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit."

Well, after surveying the kitchen last night I made a simple salmon dish. And might I add, it turned out surprisingly really good. I settled on the protein (fish) but couldn't decide on pairing it with pasta or rice. Well, how about orzo? Pasta shaped like rice. Genius! And, of course, my dish had to have some kind of vegetable with it. I mean, what kind of mom would I be if I only served my kids nothing but carbs for dinner? I'd probably be the word's greatest mother in their eyes, but some people might not see it that way. Opening the freezer I saw frozen peas. Hmm... Even if the kids only ate, let's say, two or three peas, that'd meet their nutritional requirement, right? I kid. I kid.
After 30 minutes, we sat down for an enjoyable dinner. And, believe it or not, the kids even asked for seconds.

Seasoned Salmon and Orzo with Sweet Peas
2 6-oz. salmon portions
2 tsp. Chef Paul Prudhomme Salmon Seasoning
Olive Oil
1/2 box of orzo
1 cup frozen sweet peas
Salt and pepper to taste

Brush both sides of the salmon with melted butter or olive oil. Sprinkle Chef Paul Prudhomme Salmon Seasoning on both sides of the fish making sure to press the seasoning gently into the fish. Place the salmon into a baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Do not overcook the fish.
While the salmon is baking, cook orzo per the directions on the box. During the last two minutes of cooking time, drop one cup of frozen sweet peas into the pot (with the pasta). *NOTE: You only want to heat the peas through. Overcooking them will make them lose their bright green color.

Drain pasta and peas. Place in bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place pasta on plate and add salmon. Voila! Seasoned salmon with orzo and sweet peas. Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. Yum!!! I cant wait to try this. I love Salmon and Orzo..

    ReplyDelete