salmon with tarragon mustard glaze

I'm finally back in my own kitchen after 2 weeks in Sri Lanka. Instead of my normal flurry of kitchen activity after a trip, which usually ensues after I've missed cooking for a while, I've been completely laid out with jet lag. It's especially bad since I've had 3 new cooking magazines to look through, and have about 200 recipes tagged to try.

The only thing I've had energy to cook is this roast salmon from Bon Appetit. And if there's anything getting up from a semi-comatose state on the couch for, it would be this salmon. Tangy yet sweet, slightly crispy on the outside, it's just perfect. The recipe calls for a 3 pound side of salmon, but I only cooked a pound (so I only made a half batch of sauce - enough for A to have extra so he could pretend he wasn't eating salmon).

Grocery list: 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard, 3 T each finely chopped chives and tarragon, zest of 1 lemon, juice from half a lemon, 1 T brown sugar.



Mix all the ingredients for the sauce.



Place the salmon (skin-side down) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.



Spoon just enough sauce over the salmon to cover the top of the fish - about one third of the total sauce. Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the inside is opaque and flakes easily. Serve with the extra sauce.

back to basics: mashed potatoes

If you're a regular reader of AHB, you already know that underneath it all, I'm just a meat and potatoes kind of girl. Okay, really great filet and pommes frites sometimes, but still, nothing makes me happier than red meat and some kind of potato. It occurred to me the other day, as I was making meat loaf for dinner (better than my usual too, leftover stale bread is MUCH better than canned breadcrumbs), that I've never blogged about mashed potatoes. I guess I assumed that everyone has their own recipe already, and there are so many opinions about them too - skins on or off, smooth or chunky, herbs or plain butter, etc. But just in case you (a) don't have a recipe you like AND (b) you prefer red skins-on potatoes with texture, then here you go.

Grocery list: small red potatoes (at least a couple pounds for 4 people), salt, cream or whole milk, sour cream, chives, butter. More butter.



Scrub the potatoes, and cut any big ones in half so they are all about the same size. Put in a big pot, cover with cold water, dump a handful of salt in, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 12-15 minutes. You'll know they're done when you break one apart with a fork and the center is all a uniform color (if they are darker in the middle they still need more time). Drain and return to pot. Stir in at least half a stick of butter, more salt, some cream, a big dollop of sour cream, and mash with a potato masher. Cut fresh chives over the top.

I'll blog the brussel sprouts shortly - they deserve their own post.

not boring turkey again: open-face ham, cheddar & apple butter sandwiches

I have turkey sandwiches so often they've started to depress me. I know the numbers (how many calories and how much protein - so I know I'm getting what I need for an upcoming swim or whatever), but that also means I know exactly how it's going to taste. And after a while, I just dread having one. Every now and then, I'll find a new sandwich to eat for a couple days, just a bit more of a splurge, but that little investment means I can go back to my turkey again for a week or so. A vicious cycle, but at least it led me to this amazing open-face ham & cheese...

Grocery list: rustic or sourdough bread, black forest ham, extra sharp white cheddar, chives, dijon mustard, apple butter.



Drizzle slices of rustic bread with olive oil, and broil for a couple minutes on each side to toast. Spread a little dijon mustard (I prefer Roland Extra Strong), then a generous spoonful of apple butter.



Top with a few slices of black forest ham, some extra sharp white cheddar, and broil until the cheese bubbles. Slice a little pinch of fresh chives over the top, and you've got lunch.