Italian Omlette for Brinner

Max has been working nights lately. Aside from me being lonely and him being sleepy it also means he eats dinner when he comes home at breakfast time. Hence Brinner! It's difficult for me to come up with things that aren't breakfast food during this time of the day. I am definitely a breakfast person, ad would eat eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuits for every meal if I could. Alas, Max needs a bit more variety.

This morning I was a bit at a loss of what to make. We had just gotten home, Max was poring over our bills and bank accounts, and I was dealing with the feeling of zero inspiration which has been plaguing me in the kitchen lately. It's not that I don't feel like cooking, it's just nothing seems worth the effort.

I finally decided to put to use some artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes we had from a different recipe. Garlic, oregano, basil and some Parmesan cheese and voila! Italian omelet. I added a side of garlic toast and prayed that it would taste good.

To my delight it worked! Max was extremely happy, and told me it tasted like a Victorian parlor (crowded, busy, and comforting) which was a very Max thing to say. Unfortunately, by the time we thought to put it on the food blog the plate was empty. None the less, here is the recipe.

Italian Omelet  (feeds 1 hungry husband)

4 large eggs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 can artichoke hearts, chopped
2 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 -3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded or powdered if you have the cheap stuff
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Mince garlic and place in an oiled pan over medium heat. After cooking for about 5 minutes add in artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes. As they are warming whisk eggs, salt and pepper. Add eggs to the pan and sprinkle with cheese, oregano and basil. When the omelet is done plate it and sprinkle a little more cheese and some Italian seasoning on top.

Serve with toast or garlic toast.

Seared Salmon with White Beans and Fennel

Our inaugural recipe is the product of some last minute searching by Katie. I was packing to leave for three weeks of working with a vet away from school and we both decided that fish sounded good. While I was packing, she turned up this recipe. After a little bit of shopping and cooking, we were quite pleased with the results!


Seared Salmon with White Beans and Fennel

Serves 3

Olive oil
Two fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1 medium white onion, diced
1 15 ounce can white beans
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 c dry white wine (we used a Chardonnay)
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground pepper
12 oz salmon filets

Heat olive oil sufficient to grease the pan in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the fennel and onion until browned. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and wine. Cook for 3 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down. Remove mixture to a bowl and add in mustard and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Pepper the salmon filets on both sides. Add more oil to the pan, add salmon to the pan skin side up and cook until golden brown, 3-6 minutes. Turn the salmon over, cover, and cook for 2-3 more minutes until salmon flakes with a fork. Serve the salmon with the bean mixture.

We wilted some kale with a little oil and salt to accompany the fish.

The original recipe was here but we made a few changes to accommodate an extra person: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/seared_salmon_with_white_beans_fennel.html

This recipe was delicious! The mustardy goodness of the vegetables and beans complemented the salmon perfectly! The salmon was easy to cook, and it was a relatively quick dinner to make. All in all this was a delicious dinner that was economical, healthy, and delicious!