The Only Newsletter I Care About This Week
#homeecmakes
"If you’re single in a pandemic, the seasons no longer mark the passing of time but various failed bargains with nature."
It is humbling and hilarious how spot on this is. Dolly Alderton. Every time.
A woman named Krista commented "Please share the recipe" on a video of homemade croutons that I recently posted. Just like that. No friendly punctuation. No obligatory internet greeting to strangers on IG 'Hey, Girl!' Technically, she did say 'please.' But it still felt a little demanding. I didn't respond, but Krista, I hope you're here, girlfriend!
Sharing recipes literally ON instagram is tricky and I don't think it serves any of us (me: the sharer / hungry gal who just wants to post a pretty picture and then eat her dinner OR you: the viewer / casual consumer of the story, not super interested in the details of a salmon recipe at 6:17am the next morning when the algorithm finally serves it to you). All this to say, if you see something yummy looking on my IG, I will likely share is here later. I say likely, because I'm leaving the door open for the likely reality that this newsletter doesn't get sent out for another six months. 😇
Anyway, here's a very simple salmon recipe that falls under my favorite category of "accidentally healthy food." When something is so yummy, and comforting (and bonus: EASY!) but is also sneakily nourishing for you.
"Salmon is actually so easy to make!"
(the text you send your best friend after you make this salmon for the first time after being needlessly intimidated for too long)
Would love to credit an author of this recipe, but honestly, I sort of made it up / have stolen it from 10,000 prior versions of this preparation. You're either going to be so impressed by this nifty little way to make salmon or ask yourself "What is this? A Zone Diet cookbook from1996?"
Serves 1 with some leftovers or 2 with more petite portions
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb of Salmon - skin on or skin off, I have gotten in the habit of only buying skin on, but I accidentally bought skin off and this still worked wonderfully.
1/2 Red Onion, Sliced thinly
1 Medium Tomato, Roughly Diced
1/2 Lemon, Sliced thinly
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Roughly chopped
Basil
Olive Oil
Salt + Pepper
*like most things I send out here, all ingredients / measurements are sort of flexible. Don't not make this because you don't have red onions, you know?
INSTRUCTIONS
Get the heat going. I will use the grill any chance I have this summer because 1. It feels like a vibe I want to inhabit as much as possible. Girl Who Grills with Confidence, Drinks Scotch on the Rocks with Ease. and 2. I'm never not looking for ways to keep my apartment as cool as possible. Sweating / not sweating is what I talk about 90% of the summer. If you know me, you know this is true because if you ask me how I'm doing, I'll just start to give you a weather report as if I'm reading my diary. Anyway, if you have access to a grill, crank that sucker up to medium high and let it pre-heat while you're prepping the salmon. If you're #blessed with AC and aren't afraid to even make eye contact with your oven, I would say go for a 400º oven.
While your heat source is getting going, rip off a nice big piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. I'm going to guess here and say 10-11" but really, it should just be a few inches longer than your salmon filet by on either end. Err on the side of 'extra' because making this salmon and then not being able to wrap her up easily is no fun.
Place your salmon in the center of the foil and healthily drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. As always, more than you think. You'll be glad later.
Place all of your veggies / aromatics / toppings on the salmon in the order that you'd like to experience them the strongest. What I mean by that is, if you want your salmon to lean more strongly into the "lemony" flavor profile, put the lemons right on the salmon. If you're just wanting hints of basil flavor, place that on the very top of your pile. You're going to a have a pretty ridiculous pile of food on top of the salmon, but similar to a Mongolian BBQ experience, know that it will cook way down.
Once you've created your masterpiece, salt and pepper it all once more. Maybe even a little drizzy of olive oil. Layers of flavor, people. Layers of flavor.
Like a little pouch, close up the foil around the salmon. Hmm. How do I write this? Okay, so, if you're looking at the foil landscape/hot dog style, take the long sides and meet them up in the middle, folding the edges together. Then, take the short ends and fold/roll them up, like you would a paper bag lunch sack, you know? You want the salmon to be enclosed so that when you cook it, the heat stays trapped and basically steams the salmon. The less opportunity for heat/steam to leak out, the better this will go!
If you're on the grill, you can carefully place the salmon pouch right on the grates. Close the lid and cook for about 10-15 minutes. If you're in an oven, you can put the salmon pouch on a cookie sheet and cook for about 10-15 minutes too.
Meanwhile, use that downtime to make a nice little pot of rice or some orzo or egg noodles. Normally, you could have veggies on the side, but this sort of already has the veggies right on it, you know?
When it is time, take the salmon off of the grill with some tongs but be careful not to puncture the foil. Pools of delicious, tomato-y, lemony sauce have formed and you're going to want to eat that. It's delicious.
Actually, the whole thing is delicious. You've just made salmon. And your apartment doesn't smell like fish. And there's literally zero cleanup. And you're not even sweating.
Went a little ham on that recipe, so I'm going to keep it short here.
Is there anything more me than sending out a newsletter with lots of declarations of change and courage and the swift and certain death of comparison and then immediately panic texting your friends about whether or not it was TMI / annoying?
It's a tricky place to be. And I wonder if you've felt it too? Knowing you want change and are ready to take on more, that you're ready face the blasting sun of Following Through, and then actually digging in and getting started.
My top three challenges right now:
- Creative cobwebs. Feeling DUSTY AF and doubting every single word I type, medium I'm gravitating towards, color I choose.
- Funds (or lack thereof). Please someone send me an article about how the world's best company was started from a futon couch with $5 and a dream.
- Prioritizing time. Please someone send me an article about how the world's best company was started by a single mom with 7 kids and three full-time jobs.
The difference here is that I'm very purposely categorizing those as 'Challenges' instead of what I may have categorized them as in the past -- obstacles or excuses. Obstacles and excuses are big buckets of water thrown right onto the creative flame. Game over. Peace out. We're done. See you in 8 months when I get re-inspired by something and start this whole cycle again. Challenges are possible. Challenges are the "How to..." Google searches and the asking for help from people who know better. Challenges are changing your habits and reevaluating your priorities. Challenges are the brave part. Challenges are the thing that earns you the 1am drive home in your car on the 405, blasting Stronger, singing along with tears streaming down your face because you feel It All so deeply.
Feeling challenged.